Tafsir of Al-Kahf 18:80

(As for the boy)—whom he killed—(his parents were)—meaning his father and mother; the masculine form is used here for prevalence. According to Al-Itqan, the father’s name was Azir and the mother’s was Sahwa. In the codex of Ubayy and the recitation of Ibn Abbas, it is: "As for the boy, he was a disbeliever, and his parents were believers." The meaning is the same in the recitation of the Seven, except that it omits the explicit mention of his disbelief to signify that there is no need to state it due to its obviousness. Those who hold that the boy had reached maturity used this recitation as proof, for a child is not described with true disbelief or faith. An-Nawawi responded to this in two ways: First, the recitation is shadh (irregular) and carries no legal proof. Second, he named him according to what he would have become had he lived. In Sahih Muslim, it is stated that the boy was created as a disbeliever on the day he was created; this is interpreted in a similar manner, as is the story mentioned regarding the owner of the wedding and the brides. However, there is hesitation on my part regarding its authenticity, as its literal meaning might imply that Musa (peace be upon him) had knowledge of the interpretation of the killing before their parting. Based on the interpretation you have heard, none of the objections mentioned apply to the favored opinion regarding children, which is that they are entirely in Paradise. Furthermore, it is said that the discourse concerns someone other than the one whom the Truthful One (the Prophet) informed us was a disbeliever. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri and al-Jahdari recited: "His parents were believers" (mu’minan). Az-Zamakhshari, Ibn Atiyyah, and Abu al-Fadl ar-Razi explained this by stating that the pronoun of "the affair" (sha’n) is implicit in kana, and the sentence stands in the place of its predicate. Abu al-Fadl permitted mu’minan to be in the accusative case according to the dialect of Banu al-Harith ibn Ka’b. He also permitted that the pronoun in kana refers to the "boy," with the sentence standing in the place of the predicate.

(We feared that he would overwhelm them)—meaning: We dreaded, with a severe dread, that he would cause the believing parents to be engulfed, if he were to remain alive, by (transgression)—the overstepping of divine limits—(and disbelief)—in Allah the Exalted. This is because his love for them might compel them to follow him, as narrated from Ibn Jubayr. Perhaps the conjunction of "disbelief" with "transgression" is to intensify the heinousness of the matter. Perhaps "transgression" was mentioned—even though the context appears to be limited to disbelief—to allow for this intensification, or so that the meaning might be: We feared that he would defile their faith first and destroy it later. It is required under this interpretation that such a scenario is more abhorrent and ugly than destroying their faith without the prior defilement. Some commentators of Al-Bukhari interpreted the "fear" as "knowledge," saying: We knew that if he were to reach maturity and attain adulthood, he would call his parents to disbelief, and they would answer him and enter his religion due to their excessive love for him. Others said: The meaning is that we feared he would overwhelm them with transgression against them and disbelief regarding His grace upon him, as they raised him and were the cause of his existence, and he would respond with disobedience and wickedness, thus bringing harm and affliction upon them. It is also said: We feared that he would overwhelm them and combine his transgression and disbelief with their faith, thus bringing together in one house two believers and a transgressor-disbeliever. In some reports, it is stated that the boy was corrupt, and in one narration, that he was a highwayman, and he would swear to his parents that he did not do it, so they would swear to his oath and protect him from those seeking him. Those who say he was an adult used this as proof, while those who maintain he was a child say that this is not authentic—and the truth is likely with the latter.

The apparent meaning is that this is the speech of Al-Khidr (peace be upon him), answering Musa (peace be upon him) on his own behalf. Az-Zamakhshari permitted that this be a narration of the words of Allah the Almighty, and the intended meaning is "We hated," making the "fear" a metaphorical expression (majaz mursal) for its consequence, which is hatred, as has been said. It is stated in Al-Kashf: This is due to the unity of the address's context; the questioning was from Musa (peace be upon him) toward Him (Allah), and Al-Khidr (peace be upon him), with the permission of Allah, answers it, which contains a subtle point. However, the apparent meaning is the first, and that is final. It is also said regarding this possibility that there is an implied "And Allah said," making "We feared" a narration, and the fa is part of the quoted speech; this is also distant and barely aligns with the subsequent verse, unless the change to the apparent in it is considered an iltifat (shift in discourse). In the codex of Abdullah and the recitation of Ubayy, it is "Your Lord feared," and the interpretation is what you have heard.

Ibn Atiyyah said: Fear and dread, like "perhaps" (la’alla) and similar expressions found in the speech of Allah the Almighty, are directed toward those being addressed. Otherwise, Allah—majestic is His majesty—is exalted above all of that.