The Statement of Allah the Most High: "Say (O Muḥammad pbuh): 'Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds?" (V.18:103) Sahih al-Bukhari 4727

Sahih al-Bukhari 4727
Arabic hadith text
حَدَّثَنِي قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لاِبْنِ عَبَّاسٍ إِنَّ نَوْفًا الْبَكَالِيَّ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ مُوسَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَيْسَ بِمُوسَى الْخَضِرِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ كَذَبَ عَدُوُّ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنَا أُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏قَامَ مُوسَى خَطِيبًا فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ أَىُّ النَّاسِ أَعْلَمُ قَالَ أَنَا، فَعَتَبَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ، إِذْ لَمْ يَرُدَّ الْعِلْمَ إِلَيْهِ، وَأَوْحَى إِلَيْهِ بَلَى عَبْدٌ مِنْ عِبَادِي بِمَجْمَعِ الْبَحْرَيْنِ، هُوَ أَعْلَمُ مِنْكَ قَالَ أَىْ رَبِّ كَيْفَ السَّبِيلُ إِلَيْهِ قَالَ تَأْخُذُ حُوتًا فِي مِكْتَلٍ فَحَيْثُمَا فَقَدْتَ الْحُوتَ فَاتَّبِعْهُ قَالَ فَخَرَجَ مُوسَى، وَمَعَهُ فَتَاهُ يُوشَعُ بْنُ نُونٍ، وَمَعَهُمَا الْحُوتُ حَتَّى انْتَهَيَا إِلَى الصَّخْرَةِ، فَنَزَلاَ عِنْدَهَا قَالَ فَوَضَعَ مُوسَى رَأْسَهُ فَنَامَ ـ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ وَفِي حَدِيثِ غَيْرِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ ـ وَفِي أَصْلِ الصَّخْرَةِ عَيْنٌ يُقَالُ لَهَا الْحَيَاةُ لاَ يُصِيبُ مِنْ مَائِهَا شَىْءٌ إِلاَّ حَيِيَ، فَأَصَابَ الْحُوتَ مِنْ مَاءِ تِلْكَ الْعَيْنِ، قَالَ فَتَحَرَّكَ، وَانْسَلَّ مِنَ الْمِكْتَلِ، فَدَخَلَ الْبَحْرَ فَلَمَّا اسْتَيْقَظَ مُوسَى ‏‏{‏قَالَ لِفَتَاهُ آتِنَا غَدَاءَنَا‏}‏ الآيَةَ قَالَ وَلَمْ يَجِدِ النَّصَبَ حَتَّى جَاوَزَ مَا أُمِرَ بِهِ، قَالَ لَهُ فَتَاهُ يُوشَعُ بْنُ نُونٍ ‏‏{‏أَرَأَيْتَ إِذْ أَوَيْنَا إِلَى الصَّخْرَةِ فَإِنِّي نَسِيتُ الْحُوتَ‏}‏ الآيَةَ قَالَ فَرَجَعَا يَقُصَّانِ فِي آثَارِهِمَا، فَوَجَدَا فِي الْبَحْرِ كَالطَّاقِ مَمَرَّ الْحُوتِ، فَكَانَ لِفَتَاهُ عَجَبًا، وَلِلْحُوتِ سَرَبًا قَالَ فَلَمَّا انْتَهَيَا إِلَى الصَّخْرَةِ، إِذْ هُمَا بِرَجُلٍ مُسَجًّى بِثَوْبٍ، فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ مُوسَى قَالَ وَأَنَّى بِأَرْضِكَ السَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ أَنَا مُوسَى‏.‏ قَالَ مُوسَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ قَالَ نَعَمْ هَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَى أَنْ تُعَلِّمَنِي مِمَّا عُلِّمْتَ رَشَدًا‏.‏ قَالَ لَهُ الْخَضِرُ يَا مُوسَى إِنَّكَ عَلَى عِلْمٍ مِنْ عِلْمِ اللَّهِ عَلَّمَكَهُ اللَّهُ لاَ أَعْلَمُهُ، وَأَنَا عَلَى عِلْمٍ مِنْ عِلْمِ اللَّهِ عَلَّمَنِيهِ اللَّهُ لاَ تَعْلَمُهُ‏.‏ قَالَ بَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ‏.‏ قَالَ فَإِنِ اتَّبَعْتَنِي فَلاَ تَسْأَلْنِي عَنْ شَىْءٍ حَتَّى أُحْدِثَ لَكَ مِنْهُ ذِكْرًا، فَانْطَلَقَا يَمْشِيَانِ عَلَى السَّاحِلِ فَمَرَّتْ بِهِمَا سَفِينَةٌ فَعُرِفَ الْخَضِرُ فَحَمَلُوهُمْ فِي سَفِينَتِهِمْ بِغَيْرِ نَوْلٍ ـ يَقُولُ بِغَيْرِ أَجْرٍ ـ فَرَكِبَا السَّفِينَةَ قَالَ وَوَقَعَ عُصْفُورٌ عَلَى حَرْفِ السَّفِينَةِ، فَغَمَسَ مِنْقَارَهُ الْبَحْرَ فَقَالَ الْخَضِرُ لِمُوسَى مَا عِلْمُكَ وَعِلْمِي وَعِلْمُ الْخَلاَئِقِ فِي عِلْمِ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ مِقْدَارُ مَا غَمَسَ هَذَا الْعُصْفُورُ مِنْقَارَهُ قَالَ فَلَمْ يَفْجَأْ مُوسَى، إِذْ عَمَدَ الْخَضِرُ إِلَى قَدُومٍ فَخَرَقَ السَّفِينَةَ، فَقَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى قَوْمٌ حَمَلُونَا بِغَيْرِ نَوْلٍ، عَمَدْتَ إِلَى سَفِينَتِهِمْ فَخَرَقْتَهَا ‏‏{‏لِتُغْرِقَ أَهْلَهَا لَقَدْ جِئْتَ‏}‏ الآيَةَ فَانْطَلَقَا إِذَا هُمَا بِغُلاَمٍ يَلْعَبُ مَعَ الْغِلْمَانِ، فَأَخَذَ الْخَضِرُ بِرَأْسِهِ فَقَطَعَهُ‏.‏ قَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى ‏‏{‏أَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا زَكِيَّةً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ لَقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْئًا نُكْرًا * قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكَ إِنَّكَ لَنْ تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبْرًا‏}‏ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ ‏‏{‏فَأَبَوْا أَنْ يُضَيِّفُوهُمَا فَوَجَدَا فِيهَا جِدَارًا يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَنْقَضَّ‏}‏ فَقَالَ بِيَدِهِ هَكَذَا فَأَقَامَهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى إِنَّا دَخَلْنَا هَذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ، فَلَمْ يُضَيِّفُونَا وَلَمْ يُطْعِمُونَا، لَوْ شِئْتَ لاَتَّخَذْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا‏.‏ قَالَ هَذَا فِرَاقُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنِكَ سَأُنَبِّئُكَ بِتَأْوِيلِ مَا لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ عَلَيْهِ صَبْرًا‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ وَدِدْنَا أَنَّ مُوسَى صَبَرَ حَتَّى يُقَصَّ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ أَمْرِهِمَا ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ وَكَانَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ يَقْرَأُ وَكَانَ أَمَامَهُمْ مَلِكٌ يَأْخُذُ كُلَّ سَفِينَةٍ صَالِحَةٍ غَصْبًا، وَأَمَّا الْغُلاَمُ فَكَانَ كَافِرًا‏.‏
Translation
Narrated Sa`id bin Jubair

I said to Ibn `Abbas, "Nauf-al-Bakali " claims that Moses of Bani Israel was not Moses, the companion of Al-Khadir." Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah's enemy tells a lie! Ubai bin Ka`b narrated to us that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'Moses got up to deliver a sermon before Bani Israel and he was asked, 'Who is the most learned person among the people?' Moses replied, 'I (am the most learned).' Allah then admonished Moses for he did not ascribe all knowledge to Allah only (Then) came the Divine Inspiration:-- 'Yes, one of Our slaves at the junction of the two seas is more learned than you.' Moses said, 'O my Lord ! How can meet him?' Allah said, 'Take a fish in a basket and wherever the fish is lost, follow it (you will find him at that place). So Moses set out along with his attendant Yusha` bin Noon, and they carried with them a fish till they reached a rock and rested there. Moses put his head down and slept. (Sufyan, a sub-narrator said that somebody other than `Amr said) 'At the rock there was a water spring called 'Al-Hayat' and none came in touch with its water but became alive. So some of the water of that spring fell over that fish, so it moved and slipped out of the basket and entered the sea. When Moses woke up, he asked his attendant, 'Bring our early meal' (18.62). The narrator added: Moses did not suffer from fatigue except after he had passed the place he had been ordered to observe. His attendant Yusha` bin Noon said to him, 'Do you remember (what happened) when we betook ourselves to the rock? I did indeed forget (about) the fish ...' (18.63) The narrator added: So they came back, retracing their steps and then they found in the sea, the way of the fish looking like a tunnel. So there was an astonishing event for his attendant, and there was tunnel for the fish. When they reached the rock, they found a man covered with a garment. Moses greeted him. The man said astonishingly, 'Is there any such greeting in your land?' Moses said, 'I am Moses.' The man said, 'Moses of Bani Israel?' Moses said, 'Yes,' and added, 'may I follow you so that you teach me something of the Knowledge which you have been taught?' (18.66). Al-Khadir said to him, 'O Moses! You have something of Allah's knowledge which Allah has taught you and which I do not know; and I have something of Allah's knowledge which Allah has taught me and which you do not know.' Moses said, 'But I will follow you.' Al-Khadir said, 'Then if you follow me, ask me no question about anything until I myself speak to you concerning it.' (18.70). After that both of them proceeded along the seashore. There passed by them a boat whose crew recognized Al-Khadir and received them on board free of charge. So they both got on board. A sparrow came and sat on the edge of the boat and dipped its beak unto the sea. Al-Khadir said to Moses. 'My knowledge and your knowledge and all the creation's knowledge compared to Allah's knowledge is not more than the water taken by this sparrow's beak.' Then Moses was startled by Al-Khadir's action of taking an adze and scuttling the boat with it. Moses said to him, 'These people gave us a free lift, but you intentionally scuttled their boat so as to drown them. Surely you have...' (18.71) Then they both proceeded and found a boy playing with other boys. Al-Khadir took hold of him by the head and cut it off. Moses said to him, 'Have you killed an innocent soul who has killed nobody? Surely you have done an illegal thing! ' (18.74) He said, "Didn't I tell you that you will not be able to have patient with me up to ..but they refused to entertain them as their guests. There they found a wall therein at the point of collapsing.' (18.75-77) Al-Khadir moved his hand thus and set it upright (repaired it). Moses said to him, 'When we entered this town, they neither gave us hospitality nor fed us; if you had wished, you could have taken wages for it,' Al- Khadir said, 'This is the parting between you and me I will tell you the interpretation of (those things) about which you were unable to hold patience.'...(18.78) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'We wished that Moses could have been more patient so that He (Allah) could have described to us more about their story.' Ibn `Abbas used to recite:-- 'And in front (ahead) of them there was a king who used to seize every (serviceable) boat by force. (18.79) ...and as for the boy he was a disbeliever. "

Commentary

Overview & Central Theme

This profound hadith, transmitted by Ubai ibn Ka'b and recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, serves as a divine commentary on Surah Al-Kahf (18:60-82), illuminating the encounter between Prophet Musa (AS) and Al-Khadir (AS). The central theme revolves around the limitations of human knowledge in contrast to the infinite wisdom of Allah, the necessity of humility in seeking knowledge, and the concept of divine wisdom behind seemingly inexplicable events. The hadith underscores that Allah's knowledge encompasses all things, and His decrees, though sometimes hidden in wisdom, are always just and purposeful. It teaches the believer that patience (sabr) is essential when confronting the apparent contradictions between human perception and divine reality.

Context & Linguistic Insights

The hadith occurs as a response to Nauf-al-Bakali's erroneous claim that Musa (AS) of Bani Israel was not the same prophet who journeyed with Al-Khadir. Ibn Abbas (RA) vehemently refutes this, establishing the authenticity of the narrative through the Prophet's (PBUH) own words. The story begins with Musa (AS) delivering a sermon to Bani Israel, wherein he claimed to be the most learned person, prompting Allah's gentle admonition for not attributing all knowledge exclusively to Him. Linguistically, the term "Al-Khadir" derives from the root "kh-dh-r" meaning green, signifying the verdant nature of the place where he sat. The "junction of the two seas" (majma' al-bahrain) symbolizes the meeting point of apparent and hidden knowledge. The fish's miraculous revival at the spring of "Al-Hayat" (life) serves as a divine sign, indicating the precise location of Al-Khadir. The narrative employs rich metaphorical language, with the sparrow's beak dipping into the sea illustrating the infinitesimal nature of human knowledge compared to Allah's infinite wisdom.

Key Scholarly Insights & Legal Benefits

  • Humility in Knowledge: The hadith establishes that no human, regardless of prophetic stature, should claim absolute knowledge; all knowledge is derived from Allah and is limited by His will. This principle fosters intellectual humility and continuous learning.
  • Divine Wisdom Behind Apparent Evils: The three incidents—scuttling the boat, killing the boy, and repairing the wall—demonstrate that Allah's actions, though seemingly harmful or unjust, carry profound wisdom that may be hidden from human perception. This reinforces the concept of qadr (divine decree) and trust in Allah's perfect justice.
  • Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge: Musa's (AS) patience and submission to Al-Khadir's conditions—asking no questions until explanations are given—teaches the adab (etiquette) of learning: humility, patience, and respect for the teacher's methodology.
  • Jurisprudential Principle: The hadith is cited in discussions on the permissibility of destroying property to prevent greater harm (maslahah), as exemplified by the scuttling of the boat to save it from the tyrant king's seizure.
"Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani (RA) comments in Fath al-Bari: 'This hadith contains the virtue of knowledge and its people, and the obligation of humility for the knowledgeable one, and that no one should claim absolute knowledge, for Allah knows all things. It also demonstrates that Allah has saints (awliya) among His creation whose states are hidden from the masses, and that the apparent actions of the righteous may carry hidden wisdoms that only Allah reveals to whom He wills.'"

Daily Life & Spiritual Application

This hadith transforms the believer's perspective on life's trials and apparent injustices. When faced with personal losses, unexpected hardships, or seemingly unfair circumstances, the believer recalls Al-Khadir's actions and trusts that Allah's wisdom surpasses human comprehension. Practically, this means: (1) Cultivating humility in all intellectual pursuits—acknowledging that Allah's knowledge is infinite and our understanding is limited; (2) Practicing patience (sabr) when events contradict our expectations, remembering that the ultimate interpretation lies with Allah; (3) Honoring the rights of teachers and learners by maintaining proper adab in seeking knowledge; (4) Reflecting on the story's conclusion—the boy's parents were believers who would have been corrupted by his disbelief, and Allah replaced him with a better child—to find solace in Allah's perfect planning even when we cannot see the full picture. The Prophet's (PBUH) wish that Musa (AS) had been more patient reminds us to cherish every moment of divine guidance and to strive for steadfastness in our faith journey.