Story of Al-Khidr and Musa: The Quran mentions the wonderful story of Al-Khidr and Musa (A.S.) in Surah Al-Kahf. Al-khidr is not specifically referenced by name in the Holy Qur’an, but he is referred to as an upright servant of Allah SWT who has been endowed with knowledge of the invisible and is referred to as Al-Khidr/Khizr by a number of Islamic scholars.
Al-Khidr is referenced by Allah SWT as a virtuous servant who had knowledge of the unseen and who would also provide a helping hand to those in need. The Prophet Muhammad SAW and His companions also mentioned him as a devout servant of Allah who had knowledge of the unseen. In this article, we will discuss the Story of Al-Khidr and Musa (A.S.) and the Quest of Musa (A.S.) in search of the most learned man on Earth.
Musa (A.S.) learns about a wise man
Musa (A.S.)(Moses) once gave a sermon that was so powerful that everyone who heard it was moved to tears.
Someone in the congregation questioned, “0 Messenger of Allah, is there another man on earth more learned than you?” Musa (A.S.) replied, “No!” since Allah had honored him with the Torah and the power of miracles.
Musa (A.S.), however, received a revelation from Allah stating that neither one messenger nor himself could possess full knowledge (since he forgot to mention Allah for the gift of knowledge). There will always be someone else who is more knowledgeable about a subject. Whom and how much of His knowledge is given are all in Allah SWT’s control. In addition, there is a virtuous man who is a devoted servant of mine and who knows a lot more than you do.
Musa (A.S.) requested a sign from Allah and asked: “0 Allah, where is this man? I would like to see him and learn from him.”
Then Almighty Allah told Musa (A.S.) to take a live fish in a vessel filled with water and added that when the fish vanishes, he would meet the person he is looking for. Musa alaihissalam set out on his journey carrying a fish and a young man who carried the container. After some time, they arrived at the confluence of the two rivers and made the decision to stop there. Musa alaihissalam dozed off.
Musa (A.S.) finds Al-Khidr
Instantly, Musa alaihissalam was awakened by his servant, who told him about the fish that had fallen into the sea and vanished.
In the Quran, this incident is mentioned: And [mention] when Moses said to his servant, “I will not stop traveling until I reach the junction of the two seas.” But when they reached the junction between them, they forgot about their fish, and it took its course into the sea, slipping away. So when they had passed beyond it, Musa alaihissalam said to his boy servant “Bring us our morning meal. We have certainly suffered in this journey and are tired now.” He said, “Did you see when we retired to the rock? Indeed, I forgot [there] the fish. And none made me forget it except Satan – that I should mention it. And it took its course into the sea amazingly.” Musa alaihissalam said, “That is what we were seeking.” So they returned, following their footprints. And they found a slave from amongst our slaves to whom We had given mercy from Us and taught directly some knowledge. (Quran 18:61-65)
Musa alaihissalam then found the learned man. He was Hazrat Al-Khidr.
Musa (A.S.) Speaks to Al-Khidr
Musa (A.S.) said to him (Khidr) “May I follow you so that you teach me something of that knowledge (guidance and true path) which you have been taught (by Allah)?”
He (Khidr) said: “Verily! You will not be able to have patience with me! And how can you have patience about a thing which you know not?”
Musa (A.S.) said: “If Allah will, you will find me patient, and I will not disobey you in aught.”
He (Khidr) said: “Then if you follow me, ask me not about anything till I myself mention it to you.
Then both boarded a ship a started their journey
As a result, they both continued until Khidr sank the ship after they were inside. Musa (A.S.) said: “Have you sunk it in an effort to drown the inhabitants? You have done Nukra a great Munkar (evil, horrible, or terrible) deed.”
“Did I not tell you, that you would not be able to have patience with me?” Al-Khidr questioned.
“Call me not to account for what I forgot, and be not hard upon me for my affair (with you).” Musa (A.S.) said.
Then they both continued till they encountered a boy, who was then slain by Khidr. Musa (A.S.) uttered: “Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none? Verily, you have done Nukra a great Munkar (prohibited, evil, dreadful) thing!”
“Did I not tell you that you can have no patience with me?”, asked Al-Khidr.
Musa (A.S.) said: “If I ask you anything after this, keep me not in your company, you have received an excuse from me.”
Then they both continued till they reached a town’s residents, whom they asked for food from but who turned them away. Then they discovered a wall inside that was going to fall down, and he (Khidr) straightened it out. “If you had desired, you could have collected wages for it,” Musa (A.S.) remarked.
Al-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.”
“As for the ship, it belonged to some poor people, working at sea. So I intended to damage it, for there was a tyrant king ahead of them who seizes every good ship by force. (Quran 18:79)
“And as for the boy, his parents were true believers, and we feared that he would pressure them into defiance and disbelief. (Quran 18:80)
So we hoped that their Lord would give them another, more virtuous and caring in his place. (Quran 18: 81)
“And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and under the wall was a treasure that belonged to them, and their father had been a righteous man. So your Lord willed that these children should come of age and retrieve their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. I did not do it all on my own. This is the explanation of what you could not bear patiently.”(Quran 18:82)
‘I did not do any of this of my own accord, what I knew God had told me. This is the real meaning of my three actions.’ Said Al-Khidr
According to legend, some prophets remarked, “We wish that Musa alaihissalam could have maintained his patience by reason of which Allah might have revealed us more about their story.” The Prophet reportedly said: “May Allah bestow His Mercy on Musa!” according to the sub-narrator Sufiyan. We would have learned more about their voyage if he had waited patiently.”
Also Read: Importance of Patience in Islam
All Muslims can learn many valuable lessons from the story of Al-Khidr and Musa (A.S.). There are numerous positive aspects to this story, from teaching us the value of knowledge to illustrating the prudence of choosing the lesser of two evils. It also suggests that no one should ever regard themselves as the finest or most learned because ALLAH is the wisest.
After learning about this event and its implications, we ought to make an effort to apply what we have discovered to our own lives. That is when we will truly triumph and achieve the goal of this amazing tale.
Khwaja Khizr has drunk from the fountain of life, making him immortal and always there to help those in need and restore their faith.
This was the Story of Al-Khidr and Musa A.S. as mentioned in the Quran and Hadith. May we learn something valuable from the Story of Al-Khidr and Musa. Read more Islamic Blogs or follow us on social media for Islamic reminders.
