Tafsir of Al-Kahf 18:65

The consensus of the majority is that he is Al-Khidr—with a fat-ha on the kha, though it may also be read with a kasra, and the dad may be vowelled with a kasra or left with a sukoon. Some have said he is Elisha (Al-Yasa'), some said Elijah (Ilyas), and others said he is an angel; this last view is strange and invalid, as stated in the commentary on Sahih Muslim. The truth, to which authentic reports bear witness, is the first [that he is Al-Khidr].

"Al-Khidr" is his title, and he was named so—as reported by Al-Bukhari and others from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)—because he sat on a white patch of earth, and it became green behind him. Ibn 'Asakir and others reported from Mujahid that he was titled thus because, when he prayed, everything around him turned green. Ibn Abi Hatim reported from 'Ikrimah that it was because when he sat in a place, the area around him turned green, and his garments were green. Al-Suddi reported that when he stood in a place, grass would grow beneath his feet until it covered them. It is also said it refers to his nobility and beauty. As Al-Nawawi stated, the first [view] is the correct one.

His kunyah is Abu al-'Abbas, and his name is Balya—with a fat-ha on the ba, a sukoon on the lam, a ya, and ending in an alif. It is said to be elongated, or Iblya with an additional hamza at the beginning. It is also said he is 'Amir, or Ahmad. Ibn Dihya considered the name "Ahmad" baseless, arguing that no one among the past nations was named Ahmad before our Prophet (ﷺ). Some claim his name is Al-Yasa' (Elisha), and that he was named so because his knowledge encompassed six heavens and six earths; Ibn al-Jawzi considered this baseless. You know this is invalid, not merely weak. Similar is the statement that his name is Elijah (Ilyas).

There is disagreement regarding his father. Al-Daraqutni in al-Afrad and Ibn 'Asakir reported, via Muqatil ibn Sulayman from Al-Dahhak from Ibn 'Abbas, that he is the son of Adam, from his own loins. Ibn 'Asakir reported from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib that his mother was a Roman and his father a Persian, without naming him, and mentioned that Elijah was his brother through this mother and father. Also, from Asbat via Al-Suddi, it is reported that he was the son of one of the kings and was dedicated to the worship of Allah. His father wanted to marry him off, but he refused, then consented, and he was married to a virgin, whom he did not approach for a year; then [he married] a non-virgin, whom he also did not approach. He then fled, and his father could not find him. His first wife then married, and she was the woman who had believed and was the hair-dresser for Pharaoh’s wife. His father’s name was not mentioned there either. It is said he is the son of Pharaoh, based on the claim that he [Pharaoh] was his father. Glory be to Him who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living.

Abu al-Shaykh in al-'Azama and Abu Nu'aym in al-Hilya reported from Ka'b al-Ahbar that he is the son of 'Amil, and that he rode with a group of his companions until he reached the Indian Ocean, which is the Chinese Sea. He said, "Lower me," so they lowered him into the sea for days and nights. He then rose and said, "A king met me and said: 'O sinful human, to where and from where?' I replied: 'I intended to see the depth of this sea.' He said: 'How could you? A man has been falling since the time of David (AS) and has not reached one-third of its bottom even now—that is three hundred years.'" You surely do not doubt the falsehood of this report, even if it is said: "Narrate regarding the sea and there is no harm."

It is also said he is the son of 'Iys (Esau), or the son of Kilyan—with a fat-ha on the kaf, sukoon on the lam, a ya, and then an alif and a nun. Ibn Qutayba said in al-Ma'arif: Wahb ibn Munabbih said he is the son of Mulkan—with a fat-ha on the mim and sukoon on the lam—son of Faligh, son of 'Abir, son of Shalikh, son of Arfakhshad, son of Sam, son of Noah (AS). None of these statements are sound in my view, although the action of Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) in his commentary on Sahih Muslim suggests a preference for him being Balya ibn Malkan, which is what the majority holds. And Allah knows best.

It is authentically reported in the Hadith of Al-Bukhari and others that they returned to the rock and found a man draped in a garment, having placed one end beneath his feet and the other beneath his head. In Sahih Muslim, they came to an island and found Al-Khidr standing and praying on a green prayer mat in the middle of the sea. Al-Tha'labi said: They arrived at him while he was sleeping on a green prayer mat on the surface of the water, draped in a green garment. It is said the path of the fish became stone, and when he came to him, they walked upon it until they reached an island where Al-Khidr was. It is authentic that when they reached him, Moses greeted him, and Al-Khidr said, "And from where does peace come in your land?" He replied, "I am Moses." He asked, "Moses of the Children of Israel?" He said, "Yes." It is narrated that when he greeted him while he was draped, he recognized that he was Moses, so he raised his head, sat upright, and said, "And upon you be peace, O Prophet of the Children of Israel." Moses asked, "What made you know me and who informed you that I am the Prophet of the Children of Israel?" He said, "The One who made you know me and guided you to me." Then he said, "O Moses, does it not suffice you that the Torah is in your hand and the revelation comes to you?" Moses said, "My Lord has sent me to you so that I may follow you and learn from your knowledge."

The tanween in ('abdan) is for glorification, and the idafa in ('ibadina) is for honor and specification—meaning a servant of great status among those whom He has chosen and honored by attributing them to Himself.

(آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا) It is said that "mercy" here means lawful provision and an easy life; others said seclusion from people and not needing them; and others said a long life with sound health. The majority hold that it means revelation and prophethood, and it has been used in this sense in several places in the Qur'an. Ibn Abi Hatim reported this from Ibn 'Abbas, and this is the view of those who affirm his prophethood.

There are three views [concerning his state]: the majority hold that he is a Prophet, but not a Messenger; it is said he is a Messenger; and it is said he is a Saint (Wali), which is the view of Al-Qushayri and a group. The supported view is what the majority holds, and the evidences for it from the verses and reports are numerous; combined, they almost reach certainty.

Just as there is disagreement regarding his prophethood, there is disagreement regarding his being alive today. A group holds that he is not alive today. Al-Bukhari was asked about him and Elijah (AS)—are they alive? He replied, "How can this be, when the Prophet (ﷺ) said—shortly before his death—'At the head of a hundred years, none of those who are today on the face of the earth will remain.'" What is in Sahih Muslim from Jabir is that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said before his death, "There is no breathing soul upon whom a hundred years will pass while it is alive." This is furthest from metaphorical interpretation.

Other Imams were asked about this, and they recited: (وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ). Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah was asked about him and said: "If Al-Khidr were alive, it would have been incumbent upon him to come to the Prophet (ﷺ), fight alongside him, and learn from him. The Prophet (ﷺ) said on the day of Badr: 'O Allah, if this band perishes, You will not be worshipped on earth.' They were three hundred and thirteen men, known by their names, their fathers' names, and their tribes. Where was Al-Khidr then?"

Ibrahim al-Harbi was asked about his remaining, and he said: "Whoever refers to an absent person cannot be judged by it; this was only thrown among the people by the Devil." In al-Bahr, it is narrated from Sharaf al-Din Abi 'Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abi al-Fadl al-Mursi that he also held the view of his death, and Ibn al-Jawzi reported the same from 'Ali ibn Musa al-Rida, and also from Ibrahim ibn Ishaq al-Harbi, who said: "Abu al-Husayn ibn al-Munadi used to disparage those who say he is alive."

Qadi Abu Ya'la narrated his death from some of the companions of Muhammad (ﷺ). How can the existence of Al-Khidr be conceived while he does not pray Friday or congregational prayers with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), nor does he witness the Jihad with him, despite the Prophet’s saying: "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, if Moses were alive, it would not be lawful for him except to follow me"? And the words of the Almighty: (وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ لَمَا آتَيْتُكُم مِّن كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُّصَدِّقٌ لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ) [3:81]. And it is established that when Jesus (AS) descends to earth, he will pray behind the Imam of this nation and not precede him in the beginning. How distant is the understanding of those who affirm the existence of Al-Khidr (AS) and forget the implication of that affirmation: turning away from this Shari'ah.

He further said: "We have rational arguments against his being alive. First, the one who claims he is alive says: 'He is the son of Adam (AS) from his loins.' This is invalid for two reasons: First, it requires his age today to be six thousand years or more; such a thing is distant from habits regarding humans. Second, if he were his son from his loins, or the fourth of his sons—as they claim he was the minister of Dhu al-Qarnayn—he would be of terrifying creation, of excessive height and width. It is in the two Sahihs from Abu Hurayrah from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that Adam was created sixty cubits tall, and creation has continued to decrease since. No one who claims to see Al-Khidr has stated he saw him of great stature, and he is among the oldest of people.

"The second reason: If Al-Khidr existed before Noah (AS), he would have boarded the ship with him, and no one has reported this. The third: Scholars agreed that when Noah (AS) came out of the ship, he and those with him died, and none remained except his offspring; the evidence is: (وَجَعَلْنَا ذُرِّيَّتَهُ هُمُ الْبَاقِينَ). The fourth: If the survival of a human from Adam to near the end of the world were true, it would be among the greatest signs and wonders, and his news would have been mentioned in the Qur'an in many places, as he is a sign of Lordship. He mentioned the one whom He kept alive for a thousand years less fifty, and made him a sign—so how would He not mention the one whom He kept alive for multiples of that? The fifth: Saying Al-Khidr is alive is speaking about Allah without knowledge, which is forbidden by the text of the Qur'an. The sixth: The utmost reliance for his life are anecdotes narrated by a man who claims he saw Al-Khidr. Good God! Does Al-Khidr have a sign by which he who sees him knows him? Many who claim to see him are deceived by his saying, 'I am Al-Khidr,' while it is known that it is not permissible to believe a claimant without proof from Allah. So how does the viewer know that the reporter is truthful and not lying? The seventh: Al-Khidr parted from Moses ibn 'Imran, the Interlocutor of the Most Merciful, and did not accompany him, saying: (هَذَا فِرَاقُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنِكَ). How would he be content to part from the likes of Moses (AS), then meet with ignorant worshippers who are outside the Shari'ah, who attend neither Friday nor congregational prayers nor councils of knowledge, and each of them says, 'Al-Khidr told me,' 'Al-Khidr came to me,' 'Al-Khidr advised me'? How strange! He parts from the Interlocutor and wanders about accompanying an ignorant person whom only a cursed devil would accompany. Glory be to You, this is a grave falsehood!

"The eighth: The nation is agreed that if one who says, 'I am Al-Khidr,' were to say, 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say such and such,' his word would not be heeded, nor would it be used as evidence in religion. There is no way for the proponent of his life to escape this, unless he says, 'He did not come to the Messenger (ﷺ) nor did he pledge allegiance to him,' or says, 'He was not sent to him,' and there is enough disbelief in that. The ninth: If he were alive, his Jihad against the disbelievers, his keeping watch in the way of Allah, his standing in the rows for even an hour, his attendance at Friday and congregational prayers, and his guidance to the ignorant of the nation would be far better than his wandering among wild beasts in the wilderness and deserts."

(And there is more that will come, if Allah wills, regarding what is for him and what is against him. It has become common to cite the report: "If Al-Khidr were alive, he would have visited me," but it is—as the memorizers of Hadith say—a fabricated report with no foundation. If it were authentic, it would have sufficed to end the talk and would have cut off the disputation.)

The majority of scholars, however, went to the view that he is alive and present among us, and this is agreed upon by the Sufis, may their secrets be sanctified, as stated by Al-Nawawi. It is narrated from the exegete Al-Tha'labi that Al-Khidr is a long-lived prophet on all views, veiled from the eyes of most men. Ibn al-Salah said: "He is alive today according to the majority of scholars and the common people are with them in this." Only some Muhaddithin (Hadith scholars) have gone to deny his life, and they adduced many reports as evidence, among them what Al-Daraqutni reported in al-Afrad and Ibn 'Asakir from Al-Dahhak from Ibn 'Abbas, that he said: "Al-Khidr is Adam’s son from his loins, and his term was delayed so that he might belie the Dajjal." Such a thing cannot be said based on opinion.

Among them is what Ibn 'Asakir reported from Ibn Ishaq, who said: "Our companions narrated to us that when Adam (AS) was near death, he gathered his sons and said: 'O my sons, Allah is sending a torment upon the people of the earth; let my body be with you in the cave, and when you descend, send for me and bury me in the land of Sham.' His body was with them, then when Allah sent Noah, He gathered that body... then Noah said to his three sons: 'Adam has supplicated to Allah to prolong the life of the one who buries him until the Day of Resurrection.' His body remained until Al-Khidr was the one who undertook his burial, so Allah fulfilled for him what He promised, and he lives for as long as Allah wills him to live." This is the reason for his long survival; it seems like a distant cause, otherwise, the famous account is that he drank from the Fountain of Life when he entered the darkness with Dhu al-Qarnayn, and he was in his vanguard.

Among them is what Abu al-Shaykh in al-'Azama and Abu Nu'aym in al-Hilya reported... [reports regarding his meeting with 'Ali and others].

... [The commentary continues with extensive debate on the authenticity of the reports and the rational defenses provided by both sides, concluding:]

And you, after pondering the texts of the story, will consider its authenticity remote. Whoever is fair knows that his presence, peace be upon him, on the day the Prophet (ﷺ) said to Sa'd (RA), "Shoot, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you," was more important than his presence with Ibn al-Mubarak. The possibility that he was present and no one saw him is akin to sophistry.

(And as for the statement of the Almighty: (وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ), those who believe in his existence today do not argue for his eternity; rather, some say he will fight the Dajjal and die, others say he will die at the time of the lifting of the Qur'an, and others say he will die at the end of time; and His intention—Exalted is He—is one of these two things or something similar.)

... [Proceeding to the conclusion on the topic of "The Scholarly consensus" and "The Sufi perspective"]

(And it is understood from the words of the great Shaykh (Ibn Arabi) that what is rejected by textual or rational evidence is not accepted, and this is what I lean toward and maintain.)

(وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا) ...Meaning a knowledge whose essence is not reached and whose magnitude is not estimated; it is the knowledge of the Unseen and the secrets of the hidden sciences. It is mentioned as "from Us" (min ladunna), it is said, because knowledge is among the most specific of His Essential Attributes. It is said that power does not relate to a thing unless will relates to it, and will does not relate unless knowledge relates to it; so the thing is known, then willed, then power relates to it, and it exists.

It is stated that it is understood from the implication of "from Us" or from its precedence over "knowledge" that this is reserved for Allah, as if it were said: "A knowledge reserved for Us and known only by Our granting." In choosing "We taught him" over "We gave him," there is an indication of the greatness of this knowledge. This teaching may be through revelation heard by the tongue of the Angel—which is the first category of outer revelation, as occurred for our Prophet (ﷺ) in his reporting of the Unseen—or through the revelation obtained by the indication of the Angel without verbal expression—the second category, called "inspiration" (nafth), as in the Hadith: "The Holy Spirit breathed into my heart that no soul will die until it completes its provision..."

The verse, in their view, is the foundation for establishing Ladunni (divine/inspired) knowledge, and the terms "knowledge of Reality" ('Ilm al-Haqiqa) and "Inner Knowledge" ('Ilm al-Batin) became common. Some did not approve of this terminology. The Knower of Allah, Shaykh 'Abd al-Wahhab al-Sha'rani (may Allah have mercy on him), said in his book al-Durar al-Manthura: "The essence of the science of Sufism is the result of acting upon the Book and the Sunnah. Whoever acts upon what he knows, speaks what they spoke, and all that they said becomes a portion of what he has. This is what caused the jurists and the like among the people of concealment to call the science of the Sufis 'Inner Science.' But it is not 'inner,' because the 'Inner' is only the knowledge of Allah. As for all that creatures know, of all their classes, it is 'outer knowledge,' because it has appeared to the creation. So know this."

The truth is that the use of "Inner Science" to denote what they have attained is a convention, and there is no dispute over terminology. Its justification is that it is not apparent to most people, and its attainment depends on the holy faculty rather than discursive premises—even though every science can be described as inner or outer depending on the ignorance or knowledge of the person. This is like calling the science of amulets and talismans "the mysterious science" due to the rarity of its existence and those who know it. So know this. Some claimed that the rulings of the Inner Science and the science of Reality contradict the rulings of the outer (Shari'ah) science, which is a false and baseless claim, and a corrupt and bankrupt fantasy. God willing, I will cite the texts of the people themselves regarding what rejects this, and that they have no basis in the story of Moses and Al-Khidr.