Surah Al-Kahf (18) — Ayah 60

(Ayah 60) ➊ { وَ اِذْ قَالَ مُوْسٰى لِفَتٰىهُ …:} From here, the third story begins: that Musa (Moses), peace be upon him, went to Khidr to seek knowledge. Although this is an independent story in itself, it also supports what was mentioned in the previous two stories. It was mentioned above that the disbelievers remain proud of their wealth and status and, considering the Muslims to be humiliated, would say to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that if you do not keep these people with you, we will sit with you. Upon this, the story of the two brothers was narrated, then the example of the world was given, and it was explained that Iblis was destroyed due to arrogance. Now, the incident of Khidr and Musa, peace be upon them, is narrated: see, a great and resolute prophet like Musa, peace be upon him, despite having so much knowledge and action, went to Khidr, peace be upon him, to seek knowledge and, adopting humility before him, accepted every condition of his. (Razi and Mowdih)

➋ The meaning of {’’ لِفَتٰىهُ ‘‘ ’’فَتًي‘‘} is "youth"; a servant is also called { ’’فَتًي‘‘ }, because the best service can be done by the young. This was Yusha bin Nun, who loved Musa, peace be upon him, very much and used to stay with him to serve him. After Musa, peace be upon him, he became his successor, and through him, Bayt al-Maqdis was conquered. From this, it is understood that if a person serves willingly, service can be taken from him.

➌ The word { مَجْمَعَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ : ’’بَحْرٌ‘‘} in the Arabic language is used for a salty sea as well as for a river with sweet water. (Qamus) In Persian, too, the word "darya" is used for both. Allah Almighty did not mention those two seas, because the purpose is not storytelling, but admonition, and that is fulfilled even without specifying those two rivers. Some commentators have taken them to mean the Persian Gulf and the Roman Sea, but these do not meet. Some have taken them to mean the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Some have taken two rivers of Africa, and some have taken two rivers of Andalusia. Some have taken the Tigris and Euphrates, but if Egypt is kept in view, then it could mean any place where several rivers coming from Sudan join the Nile in Egypt, which Allah Almighty specified with the sign of the fish being lost there. Now, it is not possible to determine any one place among these rivers where two rivers meet, and there is no benefit in doing so. {’’ حُقُبًا ‘‘ ’’حَقْبَةٌ‘‘} is the plural; a long period is called {’’ حَقْبَةٌ ‘‘}. The details of this incident have been narrated by the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, himself. Readers should read this entire hadith carefully, as it will be mentioned repeatedly in the coming benefits.

➍ Ubayy bin Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that he heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say that Musa, peace be upon him, was standing among the Children of Israel giving a sermon when he was asked: "Who is the most knowledgeable among the people?" He replied: "I am." So Allah Almighty expressed displeasure with him because he did not refer the matter to Allah (that Allah knows best). So Allah revealed to him that "My servant is at the junction of the two seas; he is more knowledgeable than you." Musa, peace be upon him, said: "O my Lord! Then how can I meet him?" He said: "Take a fish with you and place it in a basket (made of soft palm leaves); wherever you lose the fish, he will be there." So he took a fish, placed it in a basket, and set out, taking with him his young servant Yusha bin Nun. When they reached a particular kind of rock, both of them lay down and slept. The fish moved and fell into the river, and it made its way in the river like a tunnel, and Allah Almighty stopped the flow of water for the fish, so it became like an arch over it. When (Musa, peace be upon him) woke up, his companion forgot to tell him about the fish, so both of them continued walking for the rest of the day and the whole night. The next day, Musa, peace be upon him, said to his young companion: "Bring our food; we have certainly suffered much fatigue in this journey of ours." (The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:) "Musa, peace be upon him, did not feel any fatigue until he had passed the place which Allah had commanded him about." So his young companion said to him: "Did you see when we rested at the rock? I forgot the fish, and it was only Satan who made me forget to mention it, and it made a strange way into the sea." So a tunnel was made for the fish, and Musa, peace be upon him, and his young companion were amazed. Musa, peace be upon him, said: "That is what we were seeking." So they both retraced their steps, following their footprints, until they reached that rock, and at that time (there) was a man lying covered with a cloth. Musa, peace be upon him, greeted him with salam, so Khidr said: "And how is salam in your land?" He said: "I am Musa." He said: "Musa of the Children of Israel?" He said: "Yes, I have come to you so that you may teach me some of the good that you have been taught." He said: "You will never be able to have patience with me, O Musa! I am upon a knowledge from Allah which you do not know, and you are upon a knowledge from Allah which I do not know." So Musa, peace be upon him, said: "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in any matter." So Khidr said to him: "Then if you follow me, do not ask me about anything until I mention it to you." So they both set out, walking along the bank of the river, when a boat passed by. They spoke to the people to carry them. The people recognized Khidr, so they took them on board without any payment. When they both boarded the boat, suddenly Khidr removed one of the planks of the boat with an adze. Musa, peace be upon him, said to him: "These people carried us without payment, and you have made a hole in their boat to drown its people? Surely you have done a grave thing." He said: "Did I not say that you would not be able to have patience with me?" He said: "Do not blame me for what I forgot, and do not make my affair difficult for me." (Ubayy bin Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:) "This was the first time Musa, peace be upon him, forgot." He said: "And a bird came and sat on the edge of the boat and pecked at the river, so Khidr said to him: 'My knowledge and your knowledge, compared to Allah's knowledge, is only as much as this bird has reduced from this river.'" Then they both left the boat, and while they were walking along the shore, Khidr saw a boy playing with other boys, so Khidr caught him by the head and tore off his head with his hand and killed him. Musa said to him: "Have you killed an innocent soul without (its having killed) a soul? Surely you have done a terrible thing." He said: "Did I not tell you that you would not be able to have patience with me?" The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "And this was a sterner (reprimand) than the first." He said: "If I ask you about anything after this, do not keep me with you; you have received an excuse from me." Then they both set out until they came to the people of a town. They asked its people for food, but they refused to host them. Then they found in it a wall that was about to collapse. He said, it was leaning to one side. So Khidr stood up and repaired it with his own hands. Musa, peace be upon him, said: "These people, to whom we came, neither fed us nor hosted us; if you wished, you could have taken payment for it." (Khidr) said: "This is the parting between me and you." After this, the whole incident is narrated, which is from verse (78) to the end of verse (82). Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, used to recite: {’’ وَ أَمَّا الْغُلَامُ فَكَانَ كَافِرًا وَكَانَ أَبَوَاهُ مُؤْمِنَيْنِ ‘‘} meaning that the boy was a disbeliever and his parents were believers. [ بخاری، التفسیر، باب قولہ : «و إذ قال موسٰی لفتاہ لا أبرح…» : ۴۷۲۵ ]