Moses’s Yearning to Meet Khiḍr

The verse under discussion marks the beginning of the third story(6) in Sūrah al-Kahf and relates the tale of Moses and Khiḍr, which continues until verse 82. God Almighty addresses the Prophet—who according to the traditions regarding the occasion of revelation (shaʾn nuzūl)(7), had been asked about Moses’s meeting with Khiḍr—asking him to recall the time when Moses said to his young companion that he would not cease his quest and would not rest, but would continue traveling until he reached the junction of the two seas (majmaʿ al-baḥrayn) to meet with a sage knowledgeable in divine teachings and benefit from his divine wisdom; even if this journey were to take many years: “And when Moses said to his young companion, ‘I will not cease until I reach the junction of the two seas, or I journey on for ages.’”

The primary purpose of sending messengers is the development of humanity, and the one who spoke with God Almighty was seeking Khiḍr for the purpose of growth, which is why he told his young traveling companion that he was prepared to journey for many years to reach Khiḍr.

It should be noted that just as seeking Khiḍr was obligatory for Moses—since according to some accounts he was commanded to attend Khiḍr’s presence and God had ordered him to find Khiḍr—reaching him was also possible. Therefore, Moses was certain that he would reach his destination, because it would be meaningless for the quest to be obligatory while reaching the goal was impossible.