سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 77
فَٱنطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَيَآ أَهْلَ قَرْيَةٍ ٱسْتَطْعَمَآ أَهْلَهَا فَأَبَوْا۟ أَن يُضَيِّفُوهُمَا فَوَجَدَا فِيهَا جِدَارًا يُرِيدُ أَن يَنقَضَّ فَأَقَامَهُۥ ۖ قَالَ لَوْ شِئْتَ لَتَّخَذْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا ﴿77﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
Then they both proceeded, till, when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them. Then they found therein a wall about to collapse and he (Khidr) set it up straight. [Mûsâ (Moses)] said: If you had wished, surely, you could have taken wages for it!"
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
فَٱنطَلَقَا
fa-inṭalaqā
So they set out
حَتَّىٰٓ
ḥattā
until
إِذَآ
idhā
when
أَتَيَآ
atayā
they came
أَهْلَ
ahla
(to the) people
قَرْيَةٍ
qaryatin
(of) a town
ٱسْتَطْعَمَآ
is'taṭʿamā
they asked for food
أَهْلَهَا
ahlahā
(from) its people
فَأَبَوْا۟
fa-abaw
but they refused
أَن
an
to
يُضَيِّفُوهُمَا
yuḍayyifūhumā
offer them hospitality
فَوَجَدَا
fawajadā
Then they found
فِيهَا
fīhā
in it
جِدَارًۭا
jidāran
a wall
يُرِيدُ
yurīdu
(that) want(ed)
أَن
an
to
يَنقَضَّ
yanqaḍḍa
collapse
فَأَقَامَهُۥ ۖ
fa-aqāmahu
so he set it straight
قَالَ
qāla
He said
لَوْ
law
If
شِئْتَ
shi'ta
you wished
لَتَّخَذْتَ
lattakhadhta
surely you (could) have taken
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
for it
أَجْرًۭا
ajran
a payment
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf
Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
77. 1. That is, this was a town of misers who refused to show hospitality to guests, even though feeding travelers and showing hospitality to guests has always been an important part of the moral teachings of every Shariah. The Prophet ﷺ also declared hospitality to be a requirement of faith and said, "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his guest."
77. 2. Khidr touched this wall, and by Allah's command, it miraculously became straight. As is clear from the narration in Sahih Bukhari.
77. 3. Musa عليه السلام, who was already disheartened by the behavior of the people of the town, could not remain silent at Khidr's act of kindness without compensation and spoke up, saying that when the people of this town did not care for our journey, our need, or our honor and virtue, then how are such people deserving of kindness?
77. 2. Khidr touched this wall, and by Allah's command, it miraculously became straight. As is clear from the narration in Sahih Bukhari.
77. 3. Musa عليه السلام, who was already disheartened by the behavior of the people of the town, could not remain silent at Khidr's act of kindness without compensation and spoke up, saying that when the people of this town did not care for our journey, our need, or our honor and virtue, then how are such people deserving of kindness?
