STORY OF KHIDR[a.s] & PROPHET MUSA [a.s]- A QURANIC STORY

The story of Khidr (alaihi salaam) and Prophet Musa (alaihi salaam) is a story that has fascinated me, since I was 10 years old. The Morals in that story are immense. It tells us the importance of having Faith since our Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding is so limited.

Three Incidents/trials of knowledge and wisdom are mentioned in the Story of Al-Khidr (a.s) and Prophet Musa (a.s). The Story is related in Quran in Surah Al-Kahf ( ayah 65 - 82) as thus :

And they found a servant from among Our servants to whom we had given mercy from us and had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge. (65) Moses said to him, "May I follow you on [the condition] that you teach me from what you have been taught of sound judgement?" (66) He said, "Indeed, with me you will never be able to have patience. (67) And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in knowledge?" (68) [Moses] said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any] order." (69) He said, "Then if you follow me, do not ask me about anything until I make to you about it mention." (70)

Incident 1 :

So they set out, until when they had embarked on the ship, al-Khidh  tore it open. [Moses] said, "Have you torn it open to drown its people? You have certainly done a grave thing." (71) [Al-Khidh r] said, "Did I not say that with me you would never be able to have patience?" (72) [Moses] said, "Do not blame me for what I forgot and do not cover me in my matter with difficulty." (73)

Incident 2 : 

So they set out, until when they met a boy, al-Khidh r killed him. [Moses] said, "Have you killed a pure soul for other than [having killed] a soul? You have certainly done a deplorable thing." (74)[Al-Khidh r] said, "Did I not tell you that with me you would never be able to have patience?" (75) [Moses] said, "If I should ask you about anything after this, then do not keep me as a companion. You have obtained from me an excuse." (76)

Incident 3 :  

So they set out, until when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to offer them hospitality. And they found therein a wall about to collapse, so al-Khidh r restored it. [Moses] said, "If you wished, you could have taken for it a payment." (77)

Explanation of Incidents

[Al-Khidh r] said, "This is parting between me and you. I will inform you of the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience. (78) As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force. (79)

And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief. (80) So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy. (81)

And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of that about which you could not have patience."

Incidents & the lessons there in

Incident 1 : 

Prophet Musa(a.s) and AlKhidr (a.s) started a journey together. And they reached a river (or sea ) that they must cross. So they embarked on a vessel. But just after embarking, Khidr (a.s) tore open a plank in the small ship’s keel, making the small boat to sink. Since Khidr (a.s) did this just after embarking, so the vessel must be in shallow water, in harbour or just next to land when he damaged it.

Later Khidr explains his action. He did that because he had a knowledge (from Allah) that this ship belongs to a poor people and there is a King ( Pirate ) Ship coming after them who is seizing every ship/boat on the way by force. This could have been end to the kind poor people as well as their small ship/boat. So Khidr (a.s) made a defect to prevent the cruel Pirate King from hijacking the small ship and kidnapping its kind people.

Lessons :

1)  Oft times we despair and get hopeless when something dear to us get damaged. But one should have faith in Allah and remember there is a blessing in everything. And know that the loss or damage may well be for greater good, that prevents you from losing your dear one completely.

When a depressing thing or mishap happens, remember that it may well be Allah’s agent ( just like Khidr (a.s) in this incident), working on preserving you and preventing you from losing what is most important to you.

2)  In our limited knowledge, wisdom and understanding, we fail to see the mercy there in a mishap. And just like Prophet Musa did this instance, our initial reaction is to condemn. But unlike Prophet Musa, we may never get an explanation in this life of why that mishap occurred. So one should have a absolute faith.

3)  In life some times, some ships (and relationships) must be sunk - when you come to know the time, condition and parameters for it to be sailing afloat is not correct  at the moment. It must be sunk, if you wish to have any hope to re-surface it and re-sail it in future when time, conditions and parameters gets right.

Incident 2 :

Just as al-Kidhr (a.s)  meets a boy, he kills that boy.

Al Khidr (a.s) explains this action too. He said the boy’s parents were pious believers, but the boy will overburden them ( causing them great grief) by transgression ( being bad and cruel)  and disbelief. So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy.

Lessons :

1)    We are so consumed in life and gains, seldom we can grasp a mercy or wisdom behind a great loss or death. And seldom we understand a mercy therein, with our limited knowledge, wisdom and understanding. Here Allah’s mercy is in two-folds

-      The boy is prevented of being a cruel, evil transgressor and disbeliever by his death. Hence, by Allah’s mercy the boy shall see Jannah in the hereafter, inSha Allah

-    The parents are prevented sorrow, grief and gloom by the boy’s death. And Allah has decreed to grant them a pious good child as a substitute. Hence, these pious parents shall live this world in happiness ( once they overcome the temporary grief of death of their first boy).

2)    God in his infinite Wisdom and Knowledge, makes some beautiful things end, when it is still beautiful. So one can cherish the beautiful memories, always.  If it is allowed to go on it may stall and become sour and bad, and maybe a cause for great pain and suffering.

Incident 3 : 

Prophet Musa (a.s) and Al-Khidr (a.s) reaches a town of people who are hostile and inconsiderate towards their guests, who refuses food and hospitality to Prophet Musa and Al-Khidr. But this time, Al-Khidr saw a wall in that town crumbling and about to collapse , and Al-Khidr restored the wall.

Al-Khidr explains this as thus : And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been righteous. So your Lord intended that they reach maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord.

Lessons : 

1)    How often times we hear complain such and such good is happening to and so and so towns/countries whose people are not good. This incident explains the perceived blessings on them is actually blessing and bounty for a righteous people, that may come later

2)  The incident shows Allah with his infinite knowledge and wisdom, through his Agents preserves rightful treasures for his servants, till they mature and “come of age”.