Surah 18. Al-Kahf

But when they reached the junction between the two [seas], they forgot all about their fish, and it took its way into the sea and disappeared from sight.⁶⁹

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "burrowing [into it]". Their forgetting the symbolic "fish" (see last third of note [67]) is perhaps an allusion to man's frequently forgetting that God is the ultimate source of all knowledge and life.

It so happened that when at last they reached the junction of the two rivers they forgot about the fish they were carrying, which made its way into the river, and disappeared.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But when they 'finally' reached the point where the seas met, they forgot their 'salted' fish, and it made its way into the sea, slipping away 'wondrously'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And when they reached the point where the two met, they forgot their fish, and it took its way into the waters, being free.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But when they reached the Junction they forgot (about) their Fish which took its course through the sea (straight) as in a tunnel. ^{2407 2408}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

literally, 'the Junction of (the space) between the two,' i.e., the point at which the two seas were united.

Moses was to go and find a servant of Allah, who would instruct him in such knowledge as he had not already got. He was to take a fish with him. The place where he was to meet his mysterious Teacher would be indicated by the fact that the fish would disappear when he got to that place.

And after the two had walked some distance, [Moses] said to his servant: "Bring us our mid-day meal; we have indeed suffered hardship on this [day of] our journey!"

  - Mohammad Asad

When they had passed on some distance, Musa asked his young servant: "Let us have our breakfast, really we are worn out with this travelling."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

When they had passed further, he said to his assistant, 'Bring us our meal! We have certainly been exhausted by today's journey.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

And when they had gone further, he said unto his servant: Bring us our breakfast. Verily we have found fatigue in this our journey.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

When they had passed on (some distance) Moses said to his attendant: "Bring us our early meal; truly we have suffered much fatigue at this (stage of) our journey." ²⁴⁰⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When they came to the Junction of the Seas, Moses forgot about the fish, and his attendant forgot to tell him of the fact that he had seen the fish escaping into the sea in a marvellous way. They passed on, but the stages now became heavier and heavier, and more fatiguing to Moses.

Said [the servant]: "Wouldst thou believe it?⁷⁰ When we betook ourselves to that rock for a rest, behold, I forgot about the fish - and none but Satan made me thus forget it!⁷¹ and it took its way into the sea! How strange!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "Didst thou see?" Although formulated as a question, this idiomatic phrase often expresses-as does its modern equivalent, "Would you believe it?"-no more than a sudden remembrance of, or surprise at, an unusual or absurd happening.

Lit., "made me forget it lest I remember it".

He replied: "You know! I forgot to tell you about the fish, which made its way miraculously into the river, when we were resting beside that rock. It was Shaitan who made me forget to mention this incident to you."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He replied, 'Do you remember when we rested by the rock? 'That is when' I forgot the fish. None made me forget to mention this except Satan. And the fish made its way into the sea miraculously.'¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Another possible translation: “The ˹salted˺ fish must have made its way into the sea. How strange!”

He said: Didst thou see, when we took refuge on the rock, and I forgot the fish and none but Satan caused me to forget to mention it, it took its way into the waters by a marvel.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

He replied: "Sawest thou (what happened) when we betook ourselves to the rock? I did indeed forget (about) the Fish: none but Satan made me forget to tell (you) about it: it took its course through the sea in a marvelous way!" ²⁴¹⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The attendant actually saw the fish swimming away in the sea, and yet "forgot" to tell his master. In his case the "forgetting" was more than forgetting. Inertia had made him refrain from telling the important news. In such matters inertia is almost as bad as active spite, the suggestion of Satan.

[Moses] exclaimed: "That [was the place] which we were seeking!"⁷² And the two turned back, retracing their footsteps,

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., the disappearance of the fish indicated the point at which their quest was to end (see note [67]).

Musa said: "That is the place we were looking for," so they went back retracing their footsteps.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Moses responded, 'That is 'exactly' what we were looking for.'¹ So they returned, retracing their footsteps.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Moses was given a sign: when he and his assistant Joshua (or Yûsha’ ibn Nûn) lost their food (a salted fish), this would be the place where they would find the man of knowledge.

He said: This is that which we have been seeking. So they retraced their steps again.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Moses said: "That was what we were seeking after": so they went back on their footsteps following (the path they had come).

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

and found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed grace from Ourselves and unto whom We had imparted knowledge [issuing] from Ourselves.⁷³

  - Mohammad Asad

In the Tradition on the authority of Ubayy ibn Ka'b (referred to in note [67]) this mysterious sage is spoken of as Al-Khadir or Al-Khidr, meaning "the Green One". Apparently this is an epithet rather than a name, implying (according to popular legend) that his wisdom was ever-fresh ("green") and imperishable: a notion which bears out the assumption that we have here an allegoric figure symbolizing the utmost depth of mystic insight accessible to man.

There they found one of Our servants (Khizr) whom We had blessed with special favor from Ourselves and whom We had given special knowledge of Our own.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

There they found a servant of Ours, to whom We had granted mercy from Us and enlightened with knowledge of Our Own.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then found they one of Our slaves, unto whom We had given mercy from Us, and had taught him knowledge from Our presence.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

So they found one of Our servants on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own presence. ^{2411 2412}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

One of Our servants: his name is not mentioned in the Qur-an, but Tradition gives it as Khidhr. Round him have gathered a number of picturesque folk tales, with which we are not here concerned. "Khidhr" means "Green": his knowledge is fresh and green, and drawn out of the living sources of life for it is drawn from Allah's own Knowledge. He is a mysterious being, who has to be sought out. He has the secrets of some of the paradoxes of Life, which ordinary people do not understand, or understand in a wrong sense, as we shall see further on. The nearest equivalent figure in the literature of the People of the Book is Melchizedek or Melchisedek (the Greek form in the New Testament). In Gen. xiv. 18-20, he appears as king of Salem, priest of the Most High God: he blesses Abraham, and Abraham gives him tithes.

Khidhr had two special gifts from Allah: (1) Mercy from Him, and (2) Knowledge from Him too. The first freed him from the ordinary incidents of daily human life; and the second entitied him to interpret the inner meaning and mystery of events, as we shall see further on.

Moses said unto him: "May I follow thee on the understanding that thou wilt impart to me some thing of that consciousness of what right which has been imparted to thee?"

  - Mohammad Asad

Musa requested of him: "May I follow you so that you may teach me from that True Knowledge which you have been taught?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Moses said to him, 'May I follow you, provided that you teach me some of the right guidance you have been taught?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

Moses said unto him: May I follow thee, to the end that thou mayst teach me right conduct of that which thou hast been taught?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Moses said to him: "May I follow thee on the footing that thou teach me something of the (Higher) Truth which thou hast been taught?" ²⁴¹³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Moses, not understanding the full import of what he was asking, makes a simple request. He wants to learn something of the special Knowledge which Allah had bestowed on Khidhr.

[The other] answered: "Behold, thou wilt never be able to have patience with me -

  - Mohammad Asad

He answered: "Surely you will not be able to bear with me,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He said, 'You certainly cannot be patient 'enough' with me.

  - Mustafa Khattab

He said: Lo! thou canst not bear with me.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

(The other) said: "Verily thou wilt not be able to have patience with me! ²⁴¹⁴

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Khidhr smiles, and says that there will be many things which Moses will see with him, which Moses will not completely understand and which will make Moses impatient. The highest knowledge often seems paradoxical to those who have not the key to it.

for how couldst thou be patient about something that thou canst not comprehend within the compass of [thy] experience?"⁷⁴

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "that thou dost not encompass with [thy] experience (khubran)": according to Razi, an allusion to the fact that even a prophet like Moses did not fully comprehend the inner reality of things (haqa'iq al-ashya' kama hiya); and, more generally, to man's lack of equanimity whenever he is faced with something that he has never yet experienced or cannot immediately comprehend. In the last analysis, the above verse implies - as is brought out fully in Moses' subsequent experiences - that appearance and reality do not always coincide; beyond that, it touches in a subtle manner upon the profound truth that man cannot really comprehend or even visualize anything that has no counterpart - at least in its component elements - in his own intellectual experience: and this is the reason for the Qur'anic use of metaphor and allegory with regard to "all that is beyond the reach of a created being's perception" (al-ghayb).

for how can you have patience about that which is beyond your knowledge?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

And how can you be patient with what is beyond your 'realm of' knowledge?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

How canst thou bear with that whereof thou canst not compass any knowledge?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

"And how canst thou have patience about things about which thy understanding is not complete?" ²⁴¹⁵

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Khidhr does not blame Moses. Each one of us can only follow our own imperfect lights to the best of our judgment, but if we have Faith, we are saved many false steps.

Replied [Moses]: "Thou wilt find me patient, if God so wills: and I shall not disobey thee in anything!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Musa said: "If Allah wills, you shall find me patient and I shall not disobey you in any way."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Moses assured 'him', 'You will find me patient, Allah willing, and I will not disobey any of your orders.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

He said: Allah willing, thou shalt find me patient and I shall not in aught gainsay thee:

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Moses said: "Thou wilt find me if Allah so will (truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in aught." ²⁴¹⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Moses has Faith. He adopts the true attitude of the learner to the Teacher, and promises to obey in all things, with the help of Allah. The Teacher is doubtful, but permits him to follow him on condition that he asks no questions about anything until the Teacher himself mentions it first.

Said [the sage]: "Well, then, if thou art to follow me, do not question me about aught [that I may do] until I myself give thee an account thereof."

  - Mohammad Asad

He said: "If you want to follow me, then do not question me about anything until I tell you about it myself."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He responded, 'Then if you follow me, do not question me about anything until I 'myself' clarify it for you.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

He said: Well, if thou go with me, ask me not concerning aught till I myself mention of it unto thee.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The other said: "If then thou wouldst follow me ask me no questions about anything until I myself speak to thee concerning it."

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And so the two went on their way, till [they reached the seashore; and] when they disembarked from the boat [that had ferried them across], the sage⁷⁵ made a hole in it - [whereupon Moses] exclaimed: "Hast thou made a hole in it in order to drown the people who may be [travelling] in it? Indeed, thou hast done a grievous thing!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Lit., "he".

So they set forth, but when they embarked in a boat to cross the river, Khizr made a hole in it. Musa cried out: "Did you make a hole in it to drown its passengers? You have done a weird thing!"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So they set out, but after they had boarded a ship, the man made a hole in it. Moses protested, 'Have you done this to drown its people? You have certainly done a terrible thing!'

  - Mustafa Khattab

So the twain set out till, when they were in the ship, he made a hole therein. (Moses) said: Hast thou made a hole therein to drown the folk thereof? Thou verily hast done a dreadful thing.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

So they both proceeded: until when they were in the boat he scuttled it. Said Moses: "Hast thou scuttled it in order to drown those in it? Truly a strange thing hast thou done!" ²⁴¹⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The explanation follows in xviii. 79.

He replied: "Did I not tell thee that thou wilt never be able to have patience with me?"

  - Mohammad Asad

He said: "Didn't I say that you would not manage to have patience with me?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He replied, 'Did I not say that you cannot have patience with me?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

He said: Did I not tell thee thou couldst not bear with me?

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?"

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Said [Moses]: "Take me not to task for my having forgotten [myself], and be not hard on me on account of what I have done!"

  - Mohammad Asad

Musa said: "Pardon my forgetfulness, do not be angry with me on account of this mistake."

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Moses pleaded, 'Excuse me for forgetting, and do not be hard on me.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

(Moses) said: Be not wroth with me that I forgot, and be not hard upon me for my fault.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Moses said: "Rebuke me not for forgetting nor grieve me by raising difficulties in my case."

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And so the two went on, till, when they met a young man, [the sage] slew him - [whereupon Moses] exclaimed: "Hast thou slain an innocent human being without [his having taken] another man's life? Indeed, thou hast done a terrible thing!"

  - Mohammad Asad

So they journeyed on until they met a boy, and Khizr slew him. Musa said: "You have killed an innocent person though he had killed nobody. Surely you have done a horrible deed!"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So they proceeded until they came across a boy, and the man killed him. Moses protested, 'Have you killed an innocent soul, who killed no one? You have certainly done a horrible thing.'

  - Mustafa Khattab

So the twain journeyed on till, when they met a lad, he slew him. (Moses) said: What! Hast thou slain an innocent soul who hath slain no man? Verily thou hast done a horrid thing.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Then they proceeded: until when they met a young man he slew him. Moses said: "Hast thou slain an innocent person who had slain none? Truly a foul (unheard-of) thing hast thou done!" ²⁴¹⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The explanation follows in xviii. 80-81.

He replied: "Did I not tell thee that thou wilt never be able to have patience with me?"

  - Mohammad Asad

Khizr said: "Did I not tell you that you will not be able to bear with me?"

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

He answered, 'Did I not tell you that you cannot have patience with me?'

  - Mustafa Khattab

He said: Did I not tell thee that thou couldst not bear with me? `

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

He answered: "Did I not tell thee that thou canst have no patience with me?"

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali