Al-Kahf 18:67
The Cave · Juz 15 · Page 301
قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسۡتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبۡرٗا ٦٧
He said, "Indeed, with me you will never be able to have patience.
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Ibn Kathir (abridged)
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Commentary on 18:66–70
Musa meeting with Al-Khidr and accompanying Him
Allah tells us what Musa said to that learned man, who was Al-Khidr. He was one to whom Allah had given knowledge that He had not given to Musa, just as He had given Musa knowledge that He had not given to Al-Khidr.
قَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى هَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ
(Musa said to him: "May I follow you...") This is a question phrased in gentle terms, with no sense of force or coercion. This is the manner in which the seeker of knowledge should address the scholar.
اتَّبَعَكَ
(I follow you) means, I accompany you and spend time with you.
عَلَى أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمْتَ رُشْداً
(so that you teach me something of that knowledge which you have been taught) meaning, teach me something from that which Allah has taught you so that I may be guided by it and learn something beneficial and do righteous deeds. At this point,
قَالَ
(He said) meaning, Al-Khidr said to Musa,
إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِىَ صَبْراً
(Verily, you will not be able to have patience with me!) meaning, `You will not be able to accompany with me when you see me doing things that go against your law, because I have knowledge from Allah that He has not taught you, and you have knowledge from Allah that He has not taught me. Each of us has responsibilities before Allah that the other does not share, and you will not be able to stay with me,'
وَكَيْفَ تَصْبِرُ عَلَى مَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ خُبْراً
(And how can you have patience about a thing which you know not) `For I know that you will denounce me justifiably, but I have knowledge of Allah's wisdom and the hidden interests which I can see but you cannot.'
قَالَ
(He said) meaning, Musa said:
سَتَجِدُنِى إِن شَآءَ اللَّهُ صَابِرًا
(If Allah wills, you will find me patient,) with whatever I see of your affairs,
وَلاَ أَعْصِى لَكَ أمْراً
(and I will not disobey you in aught.) means, `I will not go against you in anything.' At that point, Al-Khidr, upon him be peace, set a condition:
قَالَ فَإِنِ اتَّبَعْتَنِى فَلاَ تَسْأَلْنى عَن شَىءٍ
(Then, if you follow me, ask me not about anything) do not initiate any discussion of the matter,
حَتَّى أُحْدِثَ لَكَ مِنْهُ ذِكْراً
(till I myself mention of it to you. ) meaning, `until I initiate the discussion, before you ask me about it.'
Page 301
18:62
فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَا قَالَ لِفَتَىٰهُ ءَاتِنَا غَدَآءَنَا لَقَدۡ لَقِينَا مِن سَفَرِنَا هَٰذَا نَصَبٗا ٦٢
So when they had passed beyond it, [Moses] said to his boy, "Bring us our morning meal. We have certainly suffered in this, our journey, [much] fatigue."
18:63
قَالَ أَرَءَيۡتَ إِذۡ أَوَيۡنَآ إِلَى ٱلصَّخۡرَةِ فَإِنِّي نَسِيتُ ٱلۡحُوتَ وَمَآ أَنسَىٰنِيهُ إِلَّا ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنُ أَنۡ أَذۡكُرَهُۥۚ وَٱتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُۥ فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ عَجَبٗا ٦٣
He said, "Did you see when we retired to the rock? Indeed, I forgot [there] the fish. And none made me forget it except Satan - that I should mention it. And it took its course into the sea amazingly."
18:64
قَالَ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنَّا نَبۡغِۚ فَٱرۡتَدَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَارِهِمَا قَصَصٗا ٦٤
[Moses] said, "That is what we were seeking." So they returned, following their footprints.
18:65
فَوَجَدَا عَبۡدٗا مِّنۡ عِبَادِنَآ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ رَحۡمَةٗ مِّنۡ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمۡنَٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلۡمٗا ٦٥
And they found a servant from among Our servants [i.e., al-Khiḍr] to whom We had given mercy from Us and had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge.
18:66
قَالَ لَهُۥ مُوسَىٰ هَلۡ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمۡتَ رُشۡدٗا ٦٦
Moses said to him, "May I follow you on [the condition] that you teach me from what you have been taught of sound judgement?"
18:67
قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسۡتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبۡرٗا ٦٧
He said, "Indeed, with me you will never be able to have patience.
18:68
وَكَيۡفَ تَصۡبِرُ عَلَىٰ مَا لَمۡ تُحِطۡ بِهِۦ خُبۡرٗا ٦٨
And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in knowledge?"
18:69
قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِيٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ صَابِرٗا وَلَآ أَعۡصِي لَكَ أَمۡرٗا ٦٩
[Moses] said, "You will find me, if Allāh wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in [any] order."
18:70
قَالَ فَإِنِ ٱتَّبَعۡتَنِي فَلَا تَسۡـَٔلۡنِي عَن شَيۡءٍ حَتَّىٰٓ أُحۡدِثَ لَكَ مِنۡهُ ذِكۡرٗا ٧٠
He said, "Then if you follow me, do not ask me about anything until I make to you about it mention [i.e., explanation]."
18:71
فَٱنطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا رَكِبَا فِي ٱلسَّفِينَةِ خَرَقَهَاۖ قَالَ أَخَرَقۡتَهَا لِتُغۡرِقَ أَهۡلَهَا لَقَدۡ جِئۡتَ شَيۡـًٔا إِمۡرٗا ٧١
So they set out, until when they had embarked on the ship, he [i.e., al-Khiḍr] tore it open. [Moses] said, "Have you torn it open to drown its people? You have certainly done a grave thing."
18:72
قَالَ أَلَمۡ أَقُلۡ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسۡتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبۡرٗا ٧٢
[Al-Khiḍr] said, "Did I not say that with me you would never be able to have patience?"
18:73
قَالَ لَا تُؤَاخِذۡنِي بِمَا نَسِيتُ وَلَا تُرۡهِقۡنِي مِنۡ أَمۡرِي عُسۡرٗا ٧٣
[Moses] said, "Do not blame me for what I forgot and do not overwhelm me in my matter with difficulty."
18:74
فَٱنطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا لَقِيَا غُلَٰمٗا فَقَتَلَهُۥ قَالَ أَقَتَلۡتَ نَفۡسٗا زَكِيَّةَۢ بِغَيۡرِ نَفۡسٖ لَّقَدۡ جِئۡتَ شَيۡـٔٗا نُّكۡرٗا ٧٤
So they set out, until when they met a boy, he [i.e., al-Khiḍr] killed him. [Moses] said, "Have you killed a pure soul for other than [having killed] a soul? You have certainly done a deplorable thing."
Translation: Saheeh International · Text and layout: Quran Foundation · Mushaf fonts: King Fahd Complex, provided by Quran Foundation · Privacy