> A closer look into story of Moosa (AS) in Surah Al-Kahf

Question: Shaikh Obaid, would you be able to give some insight into three  incidents that took place when Moosa (AS) met the  pious man (Al-Khidr and Allah knows better) in the story narrated in Surah Al-Kahf - Ayats 60 to 82?

Answer:

Brother Tanweer,

Surah Al-Kahf is one of five Surahs in the Quran starting with الْحَمْدُ لِلَّه , other four are : Al-Faatiha, Al-An'aam, Saba and  Faatir.

There are various virtues of reciting Surah Al-Kahf as documented from Rasool (SAW) , you can read more about these at https://islamqa.info/en/10700 .

Surah Al-Kahf talks about 4 types of 'fitnaa' (temptation/ trial) ,

1. Of Religion ( 'Deen')  - in story of the men of cave ('Ashaab al Kahf')
2. Of this world ( 'Duniya' ) - in story of men with gardens
3. Of  knowledge ('Ilm') - in story of Moosa (AS) and the pious man
4. Of kingdom ('Sultaan') - in the story of 'Dhul-qarnain'.

As for your question, Moosa (AS) went through 'fitnaa' of knowledge. Moosa (AS) stood in front of his people, and wondered if there existed any other person who had more knowledge than what he possessed. Allah (SWT) guided Moosa (AS) to such man and also helped him with exact location to find this 'pious man'( We commonly know him as Al-Khidr - Allah knows the best).  Incidents that took place when he met him are full of wisdom from Allah (SWT) - it was Allah's way leading Moosa (AS) to a better realisation of blessings behind similar events that took place in his own life. So it is as if Allah (SWT) is saying to Moosa (AS) - 'Oh Moosa ! The matter of who has more knowledge is far fetched, when you are yet to attain knowledge and wisdom behind some of things that happened with your own self before.

So, when Moosa (AS) met Al-Khidr, he expressed the desire to travel with him in pursuit of knowledge.  All three incidents that took place have some parallel with Moosa's own life. 

Incident-1:

فَانطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا رَكِبَا فِي السَّفِينَةِ خَرَقَهَا ۖ قَالَ أَخَرَقْتَهَا لِتُغْرِقَ أَهْلَهَا لَقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْئًا إِمْرًا

"So they set out, until when they had embarked on the ship, al-Khidhr tore it open. [Moses] said, "Have you torn it open to drown its people? You have certainly done a grave thing.""

(QS. Al-Kahf: Verse 71) 

Seeing Al-Khidr damaging their ship, Moosa (AS) could not remain patient.  So, Allah (SWT) is reminding him that  - when he was an infant , his mother cast him in the river to save his life from Pharaoh's execution-  he was helpless and alone up against dangers of the river, but Allah (SWT) saved him and took him to safety and comfort of palace. This is as if Allah's way of saying to Moosa (AS) - 'Oh Moosa ! Did you forget how helpless you were in the river, you did not drown then ! So what makes you believe that people of this ship will -  remember the greater good that came after your own misery?' 

Incident-2:

فَانطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا لَقِيَا غُلَامًا فَقَتَلَهُ قَالَ أَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا زَكِيَّةً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ لَّقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْئًا نُّكْرًا

"So they set out, until when they met a boy, al-Khidhr killed him. [Moses] said, "Have you killed a pure soul for other than [having killed] a soul? You have certainly done a deplorable thing.""

(QS. Al-Kahf: Verse 74) 

Seeing Al-Khidr killing a boy, Moosa (AS) could not keep his promise of being patient. So, Allah (SWT) is reminding him that - he himself had killed an innocent man in Egypt while trying to take side with a fellow Muslim (who was still alive),he  did not consider that a deplorable act then. So why did killing of boy appear to him as a deplorable crime right away? When Moosa (AS) sensed danger to his own life,  he fled to Madyan - where beyond his knowledge , Allah (SWT) had made much better arrangements for him. 

Incident-3:

فَانطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰ إِذَا أَتَيَا أَهْلَ قَرْيَةٍ اسْتَطْعَمَا أَهْلَهَا فَأَبَوْا أَن يُضَيِّفُوهُمَا فَوَجَدَا فِيهَا جِدَارًا يُرِيدُ أَن يَنقَضَّ فَأَقَامَهُ ۖ قَالَ لَوْ شِئْتَ لَاتَّخَذْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا

"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-Khidhr restored it. [Moses] said, "If you wished, you could have taken for it a payment.""

(QS. Al-Kahf: Verse 77) 

Seeing Al-Khidr restoring the wall that was about to collapse, again Moosa (AS) lost his patience. So finally, Allah (SWT) is reminding him that - when he fled Egypt after killing an innocent man and reached Madyan, he helped two women at the well with fetching water - he did not ask for a payment  from them ! So why was he expecting a payment for a good deed of restoring a wall now?  In Madyan , Allah (SWT) heard his prayer when he sat in shade after helping women at well, and he was guided to a sound way. 

All the Good is from Allah (SWT) alone: 

After third incident, Al-Khidr told Moosa (AS) what was wisdom behind it all. Even the words he chose to respond to Moosa (AS) suggest Al-Khidr indeed was the pious man with immense knowledge from Allah (SWT).  

In Surah Aal-i-Imran , Allah (SWT) says  

قُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتَنزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَاءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

"Say, "O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent."

(QS. Aal-i-Imraan: Verse 26) 

The source of 'khair' is only Allah (SWT), whose hands possess all of the good. The bad ('shirr' ) is making of our own hands - and brought upon our souls by our own deeds. 

For the first incident (Ayat 79), Al-Khidr said   فَأَرَدتُّ ('I intended') to attribute the act of killing to himself - it is act of 'shirr' and there is no place to attribute any of this to Allah - so he kept it to himself. 

أَمَّا السَّفِينَةُ فَكَانَتْ لِمَسَاكِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَأَرَدتُّ أَنْ أَعِيبَهَا وَكَانَ وَرَاءَهُم مَّلِكٌ يَأْخُذُ كُلَّ سَفِينَةٍ غَصْبًا

"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."

(QS. Al-Kahf: Verse 79) 

For the second incident (Ayat 81) , Al-Khidr said فَأَرَدْنَا ('We intended')  because there were two acts - first was act of 'shirr' from himself ( killing of boy) , and another was from Allah which was full of 'khair'  (substituting a pious child for parents of killed boy). So he said 'we intended' as he cannot attribute 'khair' to him in any way- he glorified Allah when mention of 'khair' came. 

وَأَمَّا الْغُلَامُ فَكَانَ أَبَوَاهُ مُؤْمِنَيْنِ فَخَشِينَا أَن يُرْهِقَهُمَا طُغْيَانًا وَكُفْرًا (80) فَأَرَدْنَا أَن يُبْدِلَهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُ زَكَاةً وَأَقْرَبَ رُحْمًا (81)

"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)"

(QS. Al-Kahf: Verses 80-81) 

And in the last incident (Ayat 82), he said فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ ('Your Lord intended') to show total gratefulness for Allah because restoring the wall was an act of 'khair' and 'khair' alone. He didn't take any of credit for this - but attributed all of credit to Allah.  

وَأَمَّا الْجِدَارُ فَكَانَ لِغُلَامَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ تَحْتَهُ كَنزٌ لَّهُمَا وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَالِحًا فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَن يَبْلُغَا أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسْتَخْرِجَا كَنزَهُمَا رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۚ وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَمْرِي ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَأْوِيلُ مَا لَمْ تَسْطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًا

"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.""

(QS. Al-Kahf: Verse 82) 

Hope that helped to provide more insight into three incidents with Moosa (AS).