English translation
4726. Narrated Ibn Juraij: Ya'lā bin Muslim and 'Amr bin Dīnār and some others narrated the narration of Sa'īd bin Jubair. Narrated Sa'īd: While we were at the house of Ibn 'Abbās, Ibn 'Abbās said, “Ask me (any question).” I said, “O Abū 'Abbās! May Allāh let me be sacrificed for you! There is a man at Kūfa, who is a story-teller called Nauf; who claims that he (Al-Khīdr's companion) is not Mūsā (Moses) of Banī Isrāēl.” As for 'Amr, he said to me, “Ibn 'Abbās said, (Nauf) the enemy of Allāh told a lie.” But Ya'lā said to me: Ibn 'Abbās said: Ubayy bin Ka'b said: Allāh's Messenger ﷺ said, “Once, (Mūsā) (Moses) preached the people till their eyes shed tears and their hearts became tender, whereupon he finished his Khuṭba (religious talk). Then a man came to Mūsā (Moses) and asked, 'O Allāh's Messenger! Is there anyone on the earth who is more learned than you?' Mūsā (Moses) replied, 'No.' So, Allāh admonished him, for he did not ascribe all knowledge to Allāh. It was said (on behalf of Allāh), 'Yes, (there is a slave of Ours who knows more than you).' Mūsā (Moses) said, 'O my Lord! Where is he?' Allāh said, 'At the junction of the two seas.' Mūsā (Moses) said, 'O my Lord! Tell me of a sign whereby I will recognize the place.' 'Amr said to me: Allāh said, “That place will be where the fish will leave you.” Ya'lā said to me, “Allāh said (to Mūsā) (Moses), 'Take a dead fish (and your goal will be) the place where it will become alive.'” So Mūsā (Moses) took a fish and put it in a basket and said to his boy-servant "I don't want to trouble you, except that you should inform me as soon as this fish leaves you." He said (to Mūsā) (Moses), "You have not demanded too much." And that is as mentioned by Allāh: "And (remember) when Mūsā (Moses) said to his boy-servant..." (V.18:60) Yūshā' bin Nūn. (Sa'īd did not state that). The Prophet ﷺ said, "While the boy-servant was in the shade of the rock at a wet place, the fish slipped out (alive) while Mūsā (Moses) was sleeping. His boy-servant said (to himself), 'I will not wake him,' but when he woke up, he forgot to tell him. The fish slipped out and entered the sea. Allāh stopped the flow of the sea where the fish was, so that its trace looked as if it was made on a rock." 'Amr, forming a hole with his two thumbs and index fingers, said to me, "Like this, as if its trace was made on a rock." Mūsā (Moses) said, "We have suffered much fatigue on this, our journey." (This was not narrated by Sa'īd). Then they returned back and found Al-Khiḏr. 'Uthmān bin Abī Sulaimān said to me, (they found him) on a green carpet in the middle of the sea. Al-Khiḏr was covered with his garment with one end under his feet and the other end under his head. When Mūsā (Moses) greeted, he uncovered his face and said astonishingly, 'Is there such a greeting in my land? Who are you?' Mūsā (Moses) said, 'I am Mūsā (Moses).' Al-Khiḏr said, 'Are you the Mūsā (Moses) of Bani Isrāēl?' Mūsā (Moses) said, 'Yes.' Al-Khiḏr said, 'What do you want?' Mūsā (Moses) said, 'I came to you so that you may teach me something of that knowledge which you have been taught.' Al-Khiḏr said, 'Is it not sufficient for you that the Taurāt (Torah) is in your hands and the Divine Revelation comes to you, O Mūsā (Moses)? Verily, I have a knowledge that you ought not learn, and you have a knowledge which I ought not learn.' At that time a bird took with its beak (some water) from the sea; Al-Khiḑr then said, 'By Allāh, my knowledge and your knowledge besides Allāh's Knowledge is like what this bird has taken with its beak from the sea.' Until, when they went on board the ship, they found a small boat which used to carry the people from this sea-side to the other sea-side. The crew recognized Al-Khiḑr and said, 'The pious slave of Allāh.' (We said to Sa'īd: "Was that Khiḑr?" He said, "Yes.") The shipmen said, 'We will not get him on board with fare.' Al-Khiḑr scuttled the ship and then plugged the hole with a piece of wood. Mūsā (Moses) said, 'Have you scuttled it in order to drown its people? Verily, you have committed a thing Imr (a Munkar — evil, bad, dreadful thing).' (V.18:71) (Mujāhid said, "Mūsā (Moses) said so protestingly.") Al-Khiḑr said, 'Did I not tell you, that you would not be able to have patience with me?' (V.18:72) The first inquiry of Mūsā (Moses) was done because of forgetfulness, the second caused him to be bound with a stipulation, and the third was done intentionally. 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) (Then) they found a boy and Al-Khiḑr killed him. Ya'lā said: Sa'īd said, 'They found boys playing and Al-Khiḑr got hold of a handsome infidel boy, laid him down and then slew him with a knife. Mūsā (Moses) said, 'Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none?' (18:74). Then they proceeded and found a wall which was on the point of falling down, and Al-Khiḑr set it up straight. Sa'īd moved his hand thus and said, 'Al-Khiḑr raised his hand and the wall became straight. Ya'lā said: 'I think Sa'īd: said, 'Al-Khiḍr touched the wall with his hand and it became straight!' Mūsā (Moses) said to Al-Khiḍr, 'If you had wished, you could have taken wages for it.' Sa'īd said, 'Wages that we might have eaten.' And there was a king behind them.' (V.18:79) And there was in front (ahead) of them. Ibn 'Abbās recited: "As there was a king in front (ahead) of them..." It is said on the authority of somebody other than Sa'īd that the king was Hudad bin Budad. They say that the boy was called Haisūr. "...As there was a king in front (ahead) of them who seized every ship by force." (V.18:79) So, I wished that if that ship passed by him, he would leave it because of its defect, and when they have passed they would repair it and get benefit from it. Some people said that they closed that hole with a bottle, and some said with tar. 'His parents were believers, and he (the boy) was a disbeliever and we (Khiḍr) feared lest he would oppress them by rebellion and disbelief.' (V.18:80) (i.e., that their love for him would urge them to follow him in his religion). 'So we (Khiḍr) desired that their Lord (Allāh) should change him for them for one better in righteousness and near to mercy.' (V.18:81). This was in reply to Mūsā's (Moses) saying: Have you killed an innocent person?" (V.18:74) 'Near to mercy' means they will be more merciful to him than they were to the former whom Khiḍr had killed. Someone other than Sa'īd said that they were compensated with a girl. Dāwūd bin Abī 'Ašim said on the authority of more than one that this next child was a girl.