Surah Al-Kahf, Ayah 65

The Story of Musa and Al-Khidr

The reason for Musa's conversation with the boy-servant, Yusha` bin Nun, was that he had been told about one of the servants of Allah at the junction of the two seas, who had knowledge which Musa had not been granted, so he wanted to travel to meet him. So he said to that boy-servant of his:

لا أَبْرَحُ

(I will not give up) meaning, I will keep on traveling,

حَتَّى أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ

(until I reach the junction of the two seas) meaning, the place where the two seas met.

أَوْ أَمْضِىَ حُقُباً

(or a Huqub passes.) meaning, even if I have to travel for a very long time. Ibn Jarir (may Allah have mercy on him) said, "Some of the scholars of the Arabic language said that Huqub means a year in the dialect of the tribe of Qays," then he narrated that `Abdullah bin `Amr said, "Huqub means eighty years." Mujahid said, "Seventy years." `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said that it means a lifetime. Qatadah and Ibn Zayd said likewise.

About al-Khadir (علیہ السلام) and the issue of his prophet-hood

Though the name of the person concerned in this event has not been mentioned in the Qur'an - in fact, he has been called: عَبداً مِن عِبَادِنَا (a servant from among Our servants - 65) - but, in the Hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari, his name has been given as: اَلخِضر (al-Khadir). Literally, it means green, verdant. Giving the reason for his name being al-Khadir, commen-tators at large say that grass would grow at the spot where he would sit, no matter what the nature of the land. It would just turn green. The Qur'an has also not made it clear whether al-Khadir (علیہ السلام) was some prophet, or was one of the men of Allah. But, in the sight of the majority of religious scholars, the proof of his being a prophet is embedded within the events mentioned in the Qur'an. There is a reason for it. Some of the proved events during this journey that issued forth from al-Khadir are absolutely counter to the Shari'ah and there can be no exemption from an injunction of the Shari’ ah except under the authority of a Divine revelation, something restricted to a prophet and messenger of Allah. A waliyy (man of Allah) could also come to know something either through Kashf (illumination) or Ilham (inspiration). But, that is not an authority to prove a rule of Sharl'ah. No injunction of the externally codified Shari’ ah can be changed on that basis. Therefore, it stands established that al-Khadir (علیہ السلام) was a prophet and messenger of Allah. Given to him were some of those particular injunctions, injunctions that were counter to the codified Shari` ah. Whatever he did, he did under the authority of this excepted injunction. He himself has attested to that in the sentence of the Qur'an saying: وَمَا فَعَلتُہُ عَن اَمرِی (and I did not do it under my authority - 82) that is, did it under Divine authority.

In short, according to the majority of religious scholars of the Muslim community, al-Khadir (علیہ السلام) too is a prophet and messenger. But, it was an imperative of creation that some duties were assigned to him from Allah. The knowledge given to him related to these very duties. Of this Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) had no information, therefore, he objected. This subject has been dealt with in Tafsir al-Qurtubi, al-Bahr al-Muhit of Abu Hayyan and in most commentaries variously.

It is not lawful for any waliyy or man of Allah to contravene the injunction of codified Shari'ah

Right from here we learn that there is no shortage of ignorant and misguided Sufis who give a bad name to Tasawwuf. The likes of them would say that Shari’ ah is something else and Tariqah is something else. There are many things taken as حرام haram in the Shari` ah, but they are permissible in the Tariqah. Therefore, even if you see a waliyy (man of Allah) involved in a major sin openly and clearly, you cannot raise an objection against him! This is heresy, flagrant and false. No waliyy, no man of Allah anywhere in this world can be taken on the analogy of al-Khadir nor can any act contrary to the codified Shari` ah issuing forth from him be called permissible.

God continuously manages the affairs of this world through His angels. Since this system is not visible to man, he does not fully grasp its secrets. He harbours different types of doubts due to his deficient knowledge. To remedy this, God has given the opportunity for indirect observation to certain of His selected subjects. He has arranged for them to observe His invisible world, so that they should see with their own eyes its wisdom and make others aware of it. Here, the incident relating to Moses is a similar type of exceptional event, by means of which he was given a glimpse of God’s invisible system. Moses is said to have undertaken this journey between Egypt and Sudan along with one young disciple Yusha‘ bin Nun (Joshua). By way of a sign, God had asked him to proceed on his journey until he reached a place where two seas came together. He was told that there he would find somebody (perhaps an angel in the shape of a human being), whom he was asked to accompany.