Al-Kahf: (60-64) And when Moses said...

Introduction to the Story

This section begins the third story mentioned by Allah in this Surah: Moses (peace be upon him) traveling to Khidr (peace be upon him) to learn from him.

Although this story is independent, it supports the purpose of the two preceding narratives.

1. Relevance to Refuting Disbelievers: The disbelievers boasted to the poor Muslims about their wealth and supporters. This story shows that Moses, despite his extensive knowledge, great deeds, high status, and complete honor, humbled himself and sought knowledge from Khidr. This demonstrates that humility is superior to arrogance.
2. Relevance to the Companions of the Cave: The Jews told the disbelievers of Mecca that if Muhammad told them this story, he was a prophet; otherwise, he was not. This is invalid because being a prophet does not necessitate knowing every story and event. Just as Moses, a true prophet from God, was commanded to go learn from Khidr, this story confirms that even prophets must seek knowledge.

Thus, this story is self-contained yet serves to reinforce the objectives of the previous narratives.

Second Issue: Identifying Moses

The majority of scholars hold that the Moses mentioned here is Moses, son of Amram, the one with manifest miracles and the recipient of the Torah.

Saeed ibn Jubayr narrated that he told Ibn Abbas that Nuwf, the son of Ka'b's wife, claimed that Khidr was not the companion of Moses, son of Amram, but rather the companion of Moses, son of Mish'a, son of Joseph, son of Jacob, and that this Moses was a prophet before Moses, son of Amram. Ibn Abbas replied, "May God's enemy lie!"

It is known that Joseph (peace be upon him) had two sons, Ephraim and Mish'a. Ephraim begot Nun, and Nun begot Joshua, son of Nun, who was Moses' companion and successor. As for Mish'a's son, some say prophecy came to him before Moses, son of Amram. The Torah scholars claim that this Moses (son of Mish'a) sought this knowledge, and Khidr performed the piercing of the boat, the killing of the youth, and the raising of the wall, with Moses, son of Mish'a, accompanying him. This is the view of the majority of Jews.

Al-Qaffal argued for our view (that this is Moses, son of Amram): Allah never mentions "Moses" in His Book without intending the possessor of the Torah. This title implies him specifically. If another person named Moses were intended, he would need a distinguishing attribute to remove ambiguity, just as if we mention Abu Hanifa (may Allah have mercy on him), we mean the famous jurist; if we meant someone else, we would specify, e.g., "Abu Hanifa al-Daynuri."

The argument of those who say this Moses is not the possessor of the Torah is that after Allah gave him the Torah, spoke to him directly, and supported him with overwhelming miracles unmatched by most great prophets, it is unlikely He would then send him to learn from someone else.

The Reply: It is not impossible that a complete scholar in most fields might be ignorant of certain things and thus need to learn from someone lesser than him—this is a known and common occurrence.

Third Issue: Moses' Youth (Fata)

The majority hold that Moses' youth (fata) was Joshua, son of Nun. Al-Qaffal narrated from Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, from Amr ibn Dinar, from Saeed ibn Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, from Abu Hurayrah, from Ubayy ibn Ka'b, from the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said: "His youth was Joshua, son of Nun."

The second opinion is that Moses' youth was Joshua's brother, who accompanied Moses on this journey.

The third opinion: Amr ibn Ubayd narrated from Al-Hasan regarding the verse: {And when Moses said to his youth, "I will not cease..."} He said it means "his servant." Al-Qaffal noted that the language allows this, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Let no one among you say 'my male slave' ('abdi) and 'my female slave' (amati), but let him say 'my youth' (fataya) and 'my young woman' (fatati)." This indicates that the term fata was used for a servant.

Fourth Issue: The Circumstances Leading to the Journey

1. It is narrated that when Moses was given the Tablets and Allah spoke to him, he asked, "Who is greater and more knowledgeable than me?" He was told, "A servant of Allah residing on the islands of the sea, who is Khidr."
2. In another narration, when Moses was given so much knowledge, he thought no one was like him. Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to him on the seashore and said, "O Moses, look at this small bird dipping its beak into the sea and rising. In comparison to what you have been given of knowledge, you possess less than what this bird carries in its beak from the sea."

The Fundamentalists' Critique: This narration is weak because prophets must know that God's knowledge is infinite, and created knowledge must be finite. Any finite amount has something greater than it. Therefore, there is always a higher rank of knowledge, as Allah says: {And above every possessor of knowledge is one more knowing} (Yusuf: 76). Given these premises, it is highly improbable that a rational person, especially Moses with his profound understanding and purity from vices like arrogance, would assert that no one is more knowledgeable than him.

3. The Third Narration: Moses (peace be upon him) asked his Lord, "Which of Your servants is dearest to You?" He replied, "The one who remembers Me and does not forget Me." He asked, "Which is the most just?" He replied, "The one who judges with truth and does not follow desire." He asked, "Which is the most knowledgeable?" He replied, "The one who seeks the knowledge of people to add to his own knowledge, hoping to find a word that guides him to righteousness or turns him away from ruin." Moses then asked, "If there is anyone more knowledgeable than me among Your servants, guide me to him." Allah said, "Khidr is more knowledgeable than you." Moses asked, "Where do I seek him?" Allah replied, "On the seashore, by the rock." Moses asked, "How can I reach him?" Allah said, "Take a fish in a basket; wherever you lose it, he is there."

Moses told his youth, "When we lose the fish, inform me." They set off. Moses slept, and the fish stirred, jumped, and returned to the sea. When it was time for lunch, Moses asked for the fish, and his companion informed him it had fallen into the sea. They returned to the spot where the fish had jumped into the sea and found a man covered in his garment. Moses greeted him. The man replied, "Peace be upon you in this land?" Moses identified himself. Khidr said, "O Moses, I possess knowledge that Allah has taught me, which you do not know, and you possess knowledge that Allah has taught you, which I do not know."

When they boarded the ship, a small bird landed on its edge and pecked at the water. Khidr said: "What my knowledge and your knowledge are diminished from the knowledge of Allah is no more than what this bird took from the sea." (The comparison is made: the ratio of what the bird took to the entire sea is finite to finite, while the ratio of all created knowledge to God's knowledge is finite to infinite.)

Interpretation of Moses' Words

Regarding {I will not cease} (la abraḥ):

Al-Zajjaj said this does not mean "I will not move," because if so, he would not have traveled any distance.

Reply: Moving away from something can mean abandoning or turning away from it (e.g., "So-and-so ceased his generosity"). Thus, la abraḥ means "I will not stop walking or going," i.e., "I will not abandon this action or pursuit."

The majority opinion is that la abraḥ means "I will not cease/move." Arabs use la abraḥ, la azāl, la infakka, and la ifta'u with the same meaning.

Al-Qaffal said the root of la abraḥ is al-barāḥ (open space/absence), just as la azāl is from al-zawāl (ceasing). Zāla can be yazālu or yazūlu. Since yazālu is used, la abraḥ means "I remain," because al-barāḥ (absence) negated by la becomes affirmation (presence). Thus, la azāl and la abraḥ both imply continuity and steadfastness in the pursuit.

Objection: If la abraḥ means la azāl, it requires a predicate (khabar). Reply: The predicate is omitted because the context (the journey) and the speech imply it. The goal is stated: {until I reach the meeting of the two seas} (ḥattā ablugha majma‘ al-baḥrayn), which sets the limit for the action. The meaning is: "I will not cease traveling until I reach the meeting of the two seas." Alternatively, it means: "I will not cease from my current state," i.e., I will adhere to traveling and seeking and not leave it until I arrive, similar to saying, "I will not leave the place."

The Meeting of the Two Seas (Majma‘ al-Baḥrayn): This is the place where Moses was promised to meet Khidr (peace be upon them). It is the confluence of the Sea of Fars (Persian Gulf) and the Sea of Rum (Mediterranean), near the East. Some say it is elsewhere. The text does not specify these two seas; if authentic reports confirm it, fine; otherwise, silence is better. Some commentators suggest the two seas are Moses and Khidr, as they were both "seas of knowledge."

The reading majma‘ (with a kasra on the mim) is also attested.

{Or I will travel on for an age} (aw amḍiya ḥuqabā): This means traveling for a long time. Ḥuqbah is sometimes said to be eighty years. We have discussed this word in Surah An-Naba' (23).

The essence is that Allah informed Moses about this knowledgeable being, but not his exact location. Moses stated his resolve: "I will keep going until the two seas meet and become one sea, or I travel for a long age until I find this scholar." This shows Moses' readiness to endure severe hardship and great toil for the sake of seeking knowledge, indicating that a student is justified in traveling from East to West to seek a single ruling.

{So when they reached the meeting point between them} (Falamma balaghā majma‘a baynihimā): Meaning, they traveled until they reached the meeting point between them.

The Pronoun Huma (Them):

1. It refers to the two seas, meaning the meeting point of the two seas, confirming Moses' statement: "I will not cease until I reach the meeting of the two seas."
2. It refers to the place where Moses and his companion (Khidr) were meant to meet, as the place where the fish was lost was where Khidr lived or near where he lived. This interpretation is supported because when Moses and his youth returned after mentioning the fish, they found him there.

The commentators favor the first view.

{They forgot their fish} (Nasiyā ḥūtahumā): This involves several discussions.

Narrations indicate that Allah informed Moses that the scholar's location was the meeting of the two seas, but He made the fish coming back to life a specific sign of his exact dwelling. It is like being told: "His place is in such-and-such district; when you reach it, ask so-and-so for his house, and follow where he went, and you will find him." Here, Moses was told the location was the meeting of the two seas, and upon reaching it, he would see the fish come alive and jump into the sea. This implies either: "His place is there," or "Follow the path of that fish, and you will find him."

Once this is established, when Moses and his companion reached the meeting point, the fish sprang to life and swam away. There are narrations about how it sprang:

• The youth was washing the salted fish, and it sprang away.
• Joshua performed ablution there, and water splashed onto the salted fish, reviving it, and it leaped into the water.
• A spring from Paradise burst forth there, and drops reached the fish, reviving it, and it leaped into the sea.

The meaning of {They forgot their fish} is that they forgot how to use this specific event as a sign to reach their goal.

Objection: The fish becoming alive is a wondrous event. How could they forget the means of deduction when Allah made it the sign?

Reply by Scholars: Joshua had witnessed so many overwhelming miracles from Moses that this particular miracle did not hold great significance for him, making forgetfulness possible.

My (Al-Razi's) Other Reply: Since Moses had become impressed with his own knowledge, Allah removed this necessary knowledge from his companion's heart as a warning to Moses that knowledge is only attained through God's teaching and His preservation of it in the heart and mind.

{Then when they had passed beyond it} (Fattakhadha sabīlahu fī al-baḥri saraban): This has several interpretations.

1. The implied structure is: "Let the fish make a path (saraban) in the sea." The phrase fattakhadha (he took) stands in place of saraban (path/way). Saraban means going, as in {and traveling by day} (Ar-Ra'd: 10).
2. Allah held back the flow of water in the sea, making it like an arch or a tunnel through which the fish traveled. When Moses and his youth passed the appointed time (reaching the rock) due to the aforementioned forgetfulness, they traveled far, became weary, and hungry: {Moses said to his youth, "Bring us our morning meal; indeed, we have suffered from this our journey much fatigue"} (Qāla lifatāhu ātinā ghadā’anā laqad laqīnā min safarinā hādhā naṣaban).

The youth replied: {He said, "Did you see when we retired to the rock?"} (Qāla ara’ayta idh awaynā ilā al-ṣakhrah). The hamza in ara’ayta is interrogative, and ra’ayta retains its original meaning. This phrasing is common among people when something strange happens: they ask their companion, "Did you see what happened to me?" Here, it is as if he meant, "Did you see what happened to me when we rested at the rock?" The object of ara’ayta is omitted because {for indeed, I forgot the fish} (fa-innī nasītu al-ḥūta) indicates it.

{And none made me forget it except Satan, to make me remember it} (Wa mā ansāniyahu illā al-shayṭānu an adhkurah). This involves discussions.

This is an interruption between the conjunction (wa) and the conjoined phrase. The structure is: "Indeed, I forgot the fish, and the fish took its path in the sea as a wonder." This interruption serves as an excuse or reason for the forgetfulness.

Al-Ka'bi said: {And none made me forget it except Satan, to make me remember it} implies that Allah did not create or intend that forgetfulness. If He had created it, attributing it to Allah would be more appropriate than attributing it to Satan, as Satan's effort would have no effect on its existence or non-existence.

Al-Qadi replied: The intended meaning of "forgetting" here is the distraction of the heart by Satan's whispers (which are his actions), rather than the opposite of remembrance, which can only originate from Allah.

{And he took his path in the sea as a wonder} (Wāttakhadha sabīlahu fī al-baḥri ‘ajan).

1. ‘Ajan (wonder) is an adjective for an omitted verbal noun, meaning: "And he took his path in the sea in a wondrous manner (ittikhādhan ‘ajaban)." Its wonder lies in its transformation from the basket, becoming alive, and throwing itself into the sea while they were unaware.
2. It refers to what we mentioned: Allah made the water act like an arch or tunnel.
3. It is suggested that the sentence ends at {And he took his path in the sea}, and then {a wonder} is added, expressing Moses' astonishment at the miracle and his own forgetfulness of it. Or, ‘ajan is a narration of Moses' astonishment, which is not part of the direct speech.

{He said, "That is what we were seeking"} (Qāla dhālika mā kunna nabgh): Moses said, "This is what we were seeking," because it is the sign of achieving the goal—meeting Khidr. Nabgh is originally nabghī, the yā’ being dropped for brevity, indicated by the kasra. Although dropping the yā’ in a verb is generally weak (it's common in nouns), it is permissible here, perhaps because it is dropped when followed by a quiescent letter (e.g., mā nabghī al-yawm), so it is also dropped when followed by a vowel.

{So they returned, following their tracks} (Fartaddā ‘alā āthārihimā qaṣaṣan): Meaning, they both returned, tracing their steps.

Regarding {qaṣaṣan} (tracing/narrating):

1. It is a verbal noun (maṣdar) in the circumstantial case (ḥāl), meaning they returned following their tracks, meticulously tracing them.
2. It is a verbal noun for fartaddā ‘alā āthārihimā, meaning they followed their tracks precisely.

The essence is that once they realized they had passed the location where the scholar resided, they returned to it.

Verse 7 (60-64)

{Then they found a servant from among Our servants to whom We had given mercy from Us and had taught him knowledge from Us.}

{Moses said to him, "May I follow you on the condition that you teach me from what you have been taught of sound judgment?"}

{He said, "Indeed, you will never be able to have patience with me."}

{And how can you have patience for that which you do not encompass in knowledge?"}

{Moses said, "You will find me patient, if Allah wills, and I will not disobey you in [any] order."}

{He said, "Then if you follow me, do not ask me about anything until I make to you a mention of it."}

Tafsir of Verse 60-64

{Then they found a servant from among Our servants...}

This confirms they reached the designated place and found Khidr.

{to whom We had given mercy from Us and had taught him knowledge from Us.} This highlights Khidr's unique status: receiving divine mercy and specific, direct knowledge from Allah ('ilman min ladunnā).

{Moses said to him, "May I follow you on the condition that you teach me from what you have been taught of sound judgment?"} Moses requests discipleship, seeking rushd (sound judgment/guidance), which implies practical wisdom beyond mere factual knowledge.

{He said, "Indeed, you will never be able to have patience with me."} Khidr immediately warns Moses that his patience will fail.

{And how can you have patience for that which you do not encompass in knowledge?"} Khidr points out the root of the difficulty: Moses' intellect, based on apparent knowledge, cannot comprehend actions whose underlying wisdom is hidden from him.

{Moses said, "You will find me patient, if Allah wills, and I will not disobey you in [any] order."} Moses affirms his commitment, conditional on God's will (in shā’a Allāh), and promises absolute obedience to Khidr's instructions.

{He said, "Then if you follow me, do not ask me about anything until I make to you a mention of it."} Khidr sets the strict condition: Moses must observe silently until Khidr himself chooses to explain an action.