سُوْرَةُ الْكَهْفِ
Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 78
قَالَ هَـٰذَا فِرَاقُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنِكَ ۚ سَأُنَبِّئُكَ بِتَأْوِيلِ مَا لَمْ تَسْتَطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًا ﴿78﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
(Khidr) said: "This is the parting between me and you, I will tell you the interpretation of (those) things over which you were unable to hold patience.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالَ
qāla
He said
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
This
فِرَاقُ
firāqu
(is) parting
بَيْنِى
baynī
between me
وَبَيْنِكَ ۚ
wabaynika
and between you
سَأُنَبِّئُكَ
sa-unabbi-uka
I will inform you
بِتَأْوِيلِ
bitawīli
of (the) interpretation
مَا
mā
(of) what
لَمْ
lam
not
تَسْتَطِع
tastaṭiʿ
you were able
عَّلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
on it
صَبْرًا
ṣabran
(to have) patience
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.
78. 1 Hazrat Khidr said, "Musa (peace be upon him), this is the third occasion that you have not been able to show patience, and now, according to your own statement, I am unable to keep you with me."
78. 2 But before parting, Hazrat Khidr considered it necessary to inform and make Musa (peace be upon him) aware of the reality of all three incidents, so that he would not remain under any misconception and would understand that the knowledge of prophethood is one thing, with which he was endowed, and the knowledge of certain important matters is another, which, under Allah's wisdom and will, was given to Hazrat Khidr. And according to that, he did such deeds which, from the perspective of the knowledge of Shariah, were not permissible, and that is why Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) rightly could not remain silent about them. Due to the performance of these important matters, some scholars are of the opinion that Hazrat Khidr was not from among humans, and that is why they do not involve themselves in the discussion of his prophethood or messengership or the arguments for them, because all these positions are specific to humans. They say that he was an angel, but if Allah, by informing any of His prophets of certain important matters, has them carry out such deeds, then there is nothing impossible in that either. When the recipient of revelation himself clarifies that he did these deeds only by Allah's command, then even if they apparently seem contrary to Shariah, since they are related to important matters, the question of permissibility or impermissibility becomes unnecessary. Just as there are creative commands: someone falls ill, someone dies, someone's business is destroyed, punishment befalls nations—some of these deeds, at times, are carried out by angels by Allah's permission. So, just as these matters have never appeared contrary to Shariah to anyone until now, similarly, the incidents that occurred through Hazrat Khidr are also related to important matters, so weighing them on the scale of Shariah is itself incorrect. However, now that the chain of revelation and prophethood has ended, any person's claim of this kind will never be correct or acceptable, as has been narrated from Hazrat Khidr, because the matter of Hazrat Khidr is established by a Quranic verse, so there is no room for denial. But now, whoever makes such a claim or act, its rejection is necessary and obligatory, because now that certain source of knowledge does not exist by which the reality of his claim and action can be clarified.
78. 2 But before parting, Hazrat Khidr considered it necessary to inform and make Musa (peace be upon him) aware of the reality of all three incidents, so that he would not remain under any misconception and would understand that the knowledge of prophethood is one thing, with which he was endowed, and the knowledge of certain important matters is another, which, under Allah's wisdom and will, was given to Hazrat Khidr. And according to that, he did such deeds which, from the perspective of the knowledge of Shariah, were not permissible, and that is why Hazrat Musa (peace be upon him) rightly could not remain silent about them. Due to the performance of these important matters, some scholars are of the opinion that Hazrat Khidr was not from among humans, and that is why they do not involve themselves in the discussion of his prophethood or messengership or the arguments for them, because all these positions are specific to humans. They say that he was an angel, but if Allah, by informing any of His prophets of certain important matters, has them carry out such deeds, then there is nothing impossible in that either. When the recipient of revelation himself clarifies that he did these deeds only by Allah's command, then even if they apparently seem contrary to Shariah, since they are related to important matters, the question of permissibility or impermissibility becomes unnecessary. Just as there are creative commands: someone falls ill, someone dies, someone's business is destroyed, punishment befalls nations—some of these deeds, at times, are carried out by angels by Allah's permission. So, just as these matters have never appeared contrary to Shariah to anyone until now, similarly, the incidents that occurred through Hazrat Khidr are also related to important matters, so weighing them on the scale of Shariah is itself incorrect. However, now that the chain of revelation and prophethood has ended, any person's claim of this kind will never be correct or acceptable, as has been narrated from Hazrat Khidr, because the matter of Hazrat Khidr is established by a Quranic verse, so there is no room for denial. But now, whoever makes such a claim or act, its rejection is necessary and obligatory, because now that certain source of knowledge does not exist by which the reality of his claim and action can be clarified.
