English translation
4725. Narrated Sa'īd bin Jubair: I said to Ibn 'Abbās, "Nauf Al-Bikālī claims that Mūsā (Moses), the companion of Al-Khiḏr was not the Mūsā of the Children of Isrāel." Ibn 'Abbās said, "The enemy of Allāh (Nauf) told a lie." Narrated Ubayy bin Ka'b that he heard Allāh's Messenger ﷺ saying, "Mūsā (Moses) got up to deliver a speech before the Children of Isrāel and he was asked, 'Who is the most learned person among the people?' Mūsā (Moses) replied, 'I (am the most learned).' Allāh admonished him for he did not ascribe knowledge to Allāh Alone. So Allāh revealed to him: 'At the junction of the two seas there is a slave of Ours who is more learned than you.' Mūsā (Moses) asked, 'O my Lord, how can I meet him?' Allāh said, 'Take a fish and put it in a basket and then proceed (set out, and where you will lose the fish, you will find him).' So Mūsā (Moses) (took a fish and put it in a basket and) set out along with his boy-servant Yūsha' bin Nūn, till they reached a rock (on which) they both lay their heads and slept. The fish moved vigorously in the basket and got out of it and fell into the sea and there it took its way through the sea (straight) as in a tunnel. (V.18:61) Allāh stopped the current of water on both sides of the way created by the fish, and so that way was like a tunnel. When Mūsā (Moses) got up, his companion forgot to tell him about the fish, and so they carried on their journey during the rest of the day and the whole night. The next morning, Mūsā (Moses) asked his boy-servant 'Bring us our early meal; truly, we have suffered much fatigue, in this, our journey.' (V.18:62) Mūsā (Moses) did not get tired till he had passed the place which Allāh had ordered him to seek after. His boy-servant then said to him, 'Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the rock? I indeed forgot the fish, none but Satan made me forget to remember it. It took its course into the sea in a strange way.' (V.18:63) There was a tunnel for the fish, and for Mūsā (Moses) and his boy-servant there was astonishment. Mūsā (Moses) said, 'That is what we have been seeking.' So, they went back retracing their footsteps. (V.16:64) They both returned, tracing their footsteps till they reached the rock. Behold! There they found a man covered with a garment. Mūsā (Moses) greeted him. Al-Khīdr said astonishingly, 'Is there such a greeting in your land?' Mūsā (Moses) said, 'I am Mūsā.' He said, 'Are you the Mūsā (Moses) of the Children of Isrāēl?' Mūsā (Moses) said, 'Yes,' and added, 'I have come to you so that you may teach me something of that knowledge which you have been taught.' Al-Khīdr said, 'You will not be able to have patience with me.' (V.18:67) 'O Mūsā (Moses)! I have some of Allāh's Knowledge which He has bestowed upon me, but you do not know it; and you too, have some of Allāh's Knowledge which He has bestowed upon you, but I do not know it.' Mūsā (Moses) said, 'If Allāh wills, you will find me patient, and I will not disobey you in aught.' (V.18:69) Al-Khīdr said to him, 'Then, if you follow me, ask me not about anything till I myself mention it to you.' (V.18:70) After that both of them proceeded along the seacoast, till a ship passed by and they requested the crew to let them go on board. The crew recognized Al-Khīdr and allowed them to get on board free of charge. When they got on board, suddenly Mūsā (Moses) saw that Al-Khīdr had pulled out one of the planks of the ship with an adze. Mūsā (Moses) said to him, 'These people gave us a free lift, yet you have scuttled their ship so as to drown its people! Verily, you have committed a thing Imr (a Munkar — evil, bad, dreadful thing).' (V.18:71) Al-Khīdr said, 'Did I not tell you that you would not be able to have patience with me?' (V.18:72) Mūsā (Moses) said, 'Call me not to account for what I forgot and be not hard upon me for my affair (with you).' (V.18:73) Allāh's Messenger ﷺ said, "The first excuse given by Mūsā (Moses), was that he had forgotten. Then a sparrow came and sat over the edge of the ship and dipped its beak once in the sea. Al-Khiḏr said to Mūsā (Moses), 'My Knowledge and your knowledge, compared to Allāh's Knowledge is like what this sparrow has taken out of the sea.' Then they both got out of the ship, and while they were walking on the sea-shore, Al-Khiḏr saw a boy playing with other boys. Al-Khiḏr got hold of the head of that boy and pulled it out with his hands and killed him. Mūsā (Moses) said, 'Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none! Verily, you have committed a Nukr (a great Munkar—prohibited, evil dreadful thing).' (V.18:74) He said, 'Did I not tell you that you would not be able to have patience with me?' (V.18:75) (The subnarrator said, 'The second blame was stronger than the first one). Mūsā (Moses) said, 'If I ask you about anything after this, keep me not in your company, you have received an excuse from me.' (V.18:76) Then they both proceeded until they came to the inhabitants of a town. They asked them for food but they refused to entertain them. (Then) they found there a wall on the point of falling down. (V.18:77) (Al-Khiḏr) set it up straight with his own hands. Mūsā (Moses) said, 'We came to these people, but they neither fed us nor received us as guests. If you had wished, you could surely have exacted some recompense for it.' (Al-Khiḏr) said, 'This is the parting between me and you... (up to) ... that is the interpretation of (those things) over which you were unable to hold patience.'" (V.18:78-82) Allāh's Messenger ﷺ said, "We wished Mūsā (Moses) had more patience so that Allāh might have described to us more about their story."