Subtleties and Allusions

1) The Myth of the Water of Life

According to some reports, when Khiḍr entered the darkness with Dhū l-Qarnayn, he drank from the water of life and gained eternal life.(23) These accounts are false, and the water of life whose drinker would live forever is a myth. The Qur’an does not suggest that the water of life was in the darkness, that Khiḍr was its guide, or that some people searched for this water of life with him.

The belief in eternal life through drinking the water of life contradicts the logic of the Qur’an, as God said to the Prophet that “We did not grant immortality to any human being before you”(24), and “every soul shall taste death”(25), and “surely you will die, and they too will die”(26), and “indeed, the death from which you flee will surely encounter you”.(27) Therefore, from the Qur’anic perspective, death is certain and necessary for every human being – that is, it is divine decree – although some live long lives while others have short ones.

Yes! The water of life in the sense of divine knowledge and faith is valid, as the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.) said: “The scholars remain as long as time remains”(28), which refers to spiritual life, not physical life. The names of divine men endure in this world, in the intermediate realm (barzakh), in the plain of resurrection (sāhirat al-qiyāma), and in paradise.

2) The Question of Moses’ Pride and its Answer

According to some reports, after receiving divine speech and the Torah(29), or following certain other events, Moses—God forbid—became afflicted with pride (ʿujb) and considered himself the most knowledgeable of all. The Glorious God introduced Khiḍr to him to remove his pride: “It is reported that after the destruction of the Copts and his entry into Egypt, Moses delivered an eloquent sermon that made him proud. When asked, ‘Do you know anyone more knowledgeable than yourself?’ he replied, ‘No.’ So God the Exalted revealed to him: ‘Yes, Our servant Khiḍr, who is at the junction of the two seas. Khiḍr lived in the days of Afrīdūn and was at the forefront of Dhū l-Qarnayn the Elder’s army, and remained until the time of Moses.’”(30)

According to some reports, Moses, due to his human nature, said in his heart that God had not created anyone more knowledgeable than him. As soon as this thought occurred to him, the Glorious God revealed to Gabriel, saying, “Reach My servant before his destruction and tell him that at the junction of the two seas there is a man more knowledgeable than him; go to him, follow him, and learn sciences from him.”(31) In another report, Imam al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) said: “The knowledgeable one possessed knowledge that was not written for Moses in the tablets, and Moses thought that everything he needed in his prophethood and all knowledge had been written for him in the tablets…”(32)

Such reports are inconsistent with both the clear verses of the Qur’an and with the conduct, character, and tradition of the prophets of firm resolve (ulū l-ʿazm), of whom Moses was one. Therefore, even if their chains of transmission are complete, their knowledge is referred back to those qualified to understand them.

3) The Events of Moses and Khiḍr’s Meeting as a Representation of the Inner Aspects and Secrets of Religious Law

The events of the meeting between Moses and Khiḍr demonstrate that divine laws have inner aspects and secrets, and only some can comprehend the criteria and secrets of these laws, their inner benefits and detriments. However, in matters of religious law, no one is commanded to follow inner rulings, and the faithful must only act according to the outward aspects of religious law. The story of Khiḍr is of the nature of acting according to esoteric interpretation (taʾwīl), and he was commanded to follow the inner aspects of religious law while Moses was commanded to follow its outer aspects. People must follow the outer aspects of the divine prophets’ religious law. However, this does not mean that religious law stands in opposition to the spiritual path (ṭarīqa), or that the followers of the spiritual path have no concern for religious law, as the falsity of this claim is evident. Khiḍr himself was apparently a follower of Moses’ religious law.

The benefits of the events in the story of Moses and Khiḍr’s meeting are clear only to God’s friends (awliyāʾ) through divine instruction, not to others. The criteria of rulings are a series of realities that divine prophets know from God, and others must simply follow them completely. The story of Moses and Khiḍr represents an unveiling of some of these hidden realities.

Most people are unaware of the reality of divine laws, and the true secrets and esoteric interpretation of these laws become clear to them after death. Thus, some traditions state that most people are asleep and wake up when they die: “People are asleep and when they die, they wake up” (al-nās niyām fa-idhā mātū intabahū).(33) On that day, they will understand that they spent their lives in error and falsehood, and that the criterion of truth, sincerity, goodness, and felicity was something else entirely.