Harmony of the Verses

At the beginning of the chapter, to explain the central elements of religion, especially monotheism (tawḥīd) and its related branches, proofs were established and humans were reminded that whatever is on earth is merely the adornment and glitter of worldly life(4), not human adornment. Then, to explain these teachings and bring the rational down to the sensible level, stories were narrated.

The story of Moses and Khiḍr, which begins with the verse under discussion and continues until verse 82, is the third story explaining the aforementioned teachings and has a meaningful connection with the opening verses of the chapter.

According to the view of the master, ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī, the phrase “And when Moses said…” is connected to the same referent that the three previous reminders to the Prophet were connected to. The story of Moses and Khiḍr is the fourth reminder from God to the Prophet after commanding him to be patient in conveying his message. This serves multiple purposes: to provide an example of perseverance in conveying the message; to console him in the face of people turning away from God’s remembrance and their inclination toward worldly matters; and to explain that worldly adornments are temporary pleasures. Consequently, he should not be saddened by the apparent worldly prosperity of those who seek this world, because beyond this apparent reality lies a deeper truth, and above their control over their desires stands divine sovereignty. Therefore, the reminder of the story of Moses and Khiḍr points to the fact that events which apparently align with the desires of worldly people have an inner reality (taʾwīl) that will become clear in its appropriate setting—for instance, on the Day of Resurrection, which is the day when the inner realities of worldly events are revealed.(5)