Subtleties and Allusions

1) The Story of Khiḍr from the Perspective of the Qur’an, Narrations, and Exegetes’ Views

The story of Moses and Khiḍr is one of four stories in Sūrah al-Kahf and appears only once in the Qur’an in verses 60-82 of this chapter.

The name Khiḍr is not mentioned in the Qur’an, and the Qur’an only refers to him as a special servant among God’s servants whom God the Glorious blessed with His special mercy and divine knowledge: “Then they found a servant from among Our servants to whom We had given mercy from Us and had taught him knowledge from Our presence.”

Detailed accounts about Khiḍr’s personality appear in exegetical and narrative works, some of which we will mention:

a) The meaning of “a servant from among Our servants” refers to Khiḍr.(111)

Khiḍr’s original name was Balyā ibn Malkān.(112)

His title was Khiḍr.(113) It is narrated from the Prophet that he was called Khiḍr because when he prayed on a white surface, it turned green.(114)

According to a narration from Imam Ṣādiq (a.s.), Khiḍr was a messenger prophet whom God sent to his people. He called people to monotheism and to acknowledge the prophethood of prophets and messengers and their divine books. His miracle was that whenever he sat on any dry wood or white ground, it would turn green, and this is why he was called Khiḍr.(115)

Based on some narrations, Khiḍr was not a prophet but rather a scholar like Dhū l-Qarnayn(116), to whom God the Glorious granted knowledge of the inner nature of things.

According to some accounts, his name was “Tālyā ibn Malkān ibn ʿĀbir ibn Arfakhshad ibn Sām ibn Nūḥ” [see: Maʿānī al-Akhbār, p. 49]. Some narrations state that he was from the lineage of Adam. Adam prayed for his survival until the Day of Judgment, and God kept him alive so that he would refute the Dajjāl [see: Al-Durr al-Manthūr, vol. 4, p. 224]. In the view of the scholar ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī, the verses under discussion indicate Khiḍr’s prophethood, as they speak of divine ruling being revealed to him.(117)

According to some reports, Khiḍr drank from the water of life located in the darkness, which Dhū l-Qarnayn sought but did not find, and thus gained eternal life.(118) Regarding such accounts, the scholar ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī states that we neither have certainty about the authenticity of these individual reports, nor is there evidence from the Qur’an, definitive tradition, or reason to justify or verify them.(119) However, narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) indicate that he remains alive to this day and that God has granted him a long life, for God is neither incapable of giving some of His servants a long life, nor is there any rational proof that it would be impossible.

Sunni exegetes are divided into two groups regarding whether Khiḍr is alive or dead: most of them believe he is not alive(120), while some say he is alive because he drank from the water of life. Al-Qurṭubī considers the second view to be correct. In response to those who cite the general meaning of the prophetic hadith: “No soul alive today will remain alive after one hundred years”(121) as proof that Khiḍr cannot be alive, he writes: Although the emphasis on generality implies comprehensiveness, it is not definitive, but rather a generality that can accept exceptions. Of course, some general statements resist exceptions and maintain their generality, but just as this hadith does not include Jesus, who according to the explicit text of the Qur’an is alive (not dead or killed), and does not include the Dajjāl, who is also alive according to the “Jassāsa” hadith(122), it also does not include Khiḍr.(123) His position that Khiḍr is alive and that general statements indicating his death can accept exceptions must be examined from two perspectives:

First, if he means the existence of long-lived individuals, his statement is correct; otherwise, there is no general evidence indicating that human lifespans must be short, such that we would need to discuss exceptions to these general statements.

Second, if he means making exceptions to verses indicating the death of all humans, which express divine decree that every soul shall taste death: “Every soul shall taste death”(124)—not divine destiny—the language of such verses does not accept exceptions.

The verse which states that God the Glorious has not granted immortality to any human before the Prophet: “We have not granted immortality to any human before you”(125) expresses divine decree, and its rational meaning is that God’s decree is unchangeable, unlike His destiny which can change. The death of all beings, this world being the abode of deeds incompatible with eternity, this world being the realm of movement incompatible with eternity, the necessity of deeds reaching their conclusion, and the necessity of movement reaching stillness… these are all divine decrees and are unchangeable. However, divine destiny regarding the lifespan of each person can change: some people’s lives are blessed and lengthened through observing health matters, maintaining family ties, giving charity, respecting parents, and so forth, while others have shorter lives due to their own misfortune. Thus, there are two points:

First, if evidence suggests that human lifespans are limited, this can accept exceptions, as there are long-lived individuals.

Second, the notion that some people like Khiḍr are immortal, based on the possibility of making exceptions to verses like “Every soul shall taste death”(126), “We have not granted immortality to any human before you”(127), and “You shall die and they shall die”(128), is incorrect because these verses do not accept exceptions.

b) Some believe that “Khiḍr” is a station (maqām) that whoever reaches it is described as having the Khiḍrian station.(129) This claim needs proof, although it is theoretically possible.

c) Some have considered Khiḍr to be an angel whom God commanded Moses to learn the knowledge of the inner nature of things from. However, most exegetes consider him human, though they differ regarding whether he was a prophet: some consider him a prophet while others view him as a righteous servant (ʿabd ṣāliḥ) in whom God deposited knowledge of the inner nature of things.(130) Moreover, some Qur’anic evidence such as “they asked its people for food”(131) and the context of traditions indicate that he was not an angel.

d) According to some accounts, Khiḍr is from Persia and Ilyās is from the Children of Israel, and both are alive and meet each other annually during the pilgrimage season.(132) Such accounts require solid evidence and proving them is not easy.

e) If Khiḍr is alive, he certainly is not a prophet now, because the Qur’an refers to the Noble Prophet as the “Seal of the Prophets”(133), and the Prophet also said: “There is no prophet after me”.(134) This expression is absolute, meaning there is no legislative revelation after me(135), whether from a prophet who existed before and whose life continued after me, or one who comes after me. Yes! It can be said that he is one of God’s saints (awliyāʾ) and under the guardianship of the Imam of the Age (a.s.).

On this basis, if people like Khiḍr (a.s.) are alive, they were either not prophets from the beginning, or if they were prophets according to some traditions, their prophethood ended with the coming of the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.), and in matters of religious law, they follow the Qur’an and the Prophet’s Family (ʿitra).

(From Nahj al-Balāgha, Sermon 235) This means that after you, legislative revelation ceased.

2) The Primary Source of Knowledge and Its Relative Sources

The expression “We had given him knowledge from Our presence” indicates that the primary source of knowledge is with God, and everyone’s knowledge stems from that source. Some humans, in comparison to others, are also sources: perfect humans like the Prophet’s Family who have been called the source of mercy (maʿdin al-raḥma)(136) and the vessel and treasury of divine knowledge: “they are… the repository of His knowledge”(137), are sources of knowledge for those below them; however, they themselves draw from the primary source of knowledge, which is the Divine Essence.(138) Therefore, knowledge flows from the primary source to other sources, and through these intermediary sources, it becomes diluted and conceptualized, becoming accessible to others’ understanding; like a waterfall that flows from above and its spray reaches some as humid air.

Seminary and academic concepts are like the moist air of sciences that have descended, and thus have very little effect.

Concepts are of two types: self-evident (badīhī) and theoretical (naẓarī). Through their scholarly effort (ijtihād), jurists (mujtahids) derive and extract theoretical concepts from self-evident concepts, and sometimes they obtain them from external sources. For example, a physician understands through acquired knowledge (ʿilm ḥuṣūlī) under what conditions a person becomes afflicted with a particular ailment, while the patient knows their pain through immediate knowledge (ʿilm ḥuḍūrī).

Knowledge is of names. Knowledge of the Divine Essence is impossible. The Absolute Identity is neither the object of worship, aim, nor witnessed reality of any prophet, and cannot be comprehended by anyone. What transpires in the universe and humanity is knowledge of divine names (asmāʾ). Some understand the knowledge of names through acquired knowledge, while the elite understand it through direct witnessing.

The patient discovers the concept from what they directly experience, while the physician derives the theoretical medical concept from ordinary and specific self-evident concepts.

Divine prophets observe the reality of what is known from within and form concepts from it, then convey these concepts to others. However, seminary and university scholars derive one concept from another; they then make theoretical concepts self-evident, and make the rational into the imagined and sensible, presenting it in this form, which results in knowledge of limited effect. The art lies in deriving concepts from direct witnessing, so that one’s speech and writing carry the flavor of what has been tasted and experienced, making it influential and transformative for individuals and society. This is why some traditions state that one should associate with those “whose sight reminds you of God, whose speech increases your knowledge, and whose actions make you yearn for the hereafter”: “seeing them reminds you of God, their speech increases your knowledge, and their actions make you desire the hereafter”.(139) According to Shihāb al-Dīn Abū Ḥafṣ Suhrawardī, “One whose presence does not benefit you, their words will not benefit you either”.(140)

3) Types of Knowledge

The sciences that humans learn directly from the Prophet or Imam are conceptual knowledge acquired through perceptual and intellectual channels (ʿaqd), and if they are not accompanied by belief and do not take root in the heart, they are not fruitful. Thus, a teacher may be flawless, even infallible, yet the student may not understand their words: “What is wrong with these people that they can hardly understand any discourse?”(141) Or they may understand only at the conceptual level, which does not reveal reality; meaning it neither conveys the external witnessed reality to the unworthy listener, nor transforms their state. From this perspective, knowledge is of three types: intellectual, experiential, and esoteric. Intellectual knowledge refers to formal learning such as philosophy, jurisprudence, and principles of jurisprudence, which deal with existential rationalities (what is and isn’t) or conventional rationalities (what ought and ought not to be) and their proofs. In these sciences, one deals with concepts and may or may not act upon their knowledge. The reason for the existence of scholars who do not practice is the ineffectiveness of mere concepts, as explained in the discussion of the difference between “intellectual assent” (ʿaqd) and “belief” (ʿaqīda), where intellectual assent is the connection between subject and predicate(142):

“Intellectual assent and proposition are synonymous, As they both represent connection and true belief.”(143)

A proposition is called intellectual assent because in it, the subject and predicate are bound together, and this belongs to the seminary and university. Through demonstration or empirical knowledge, one connects subject and predicate; for example, something is permissible, or something is medicine for a particular illness. However, belief and faith involve binding the essence of this knowledge with the soul, which relates to the mosque and prayer mat, not the seminary and university. The First Martyr(144) considered simulated crying in prayer to be recommended(145) and narrates that the Prophet would weep at the end of the prostration in the eclipse prayer, and his pure heart would boil like a pot in some of his prayers, which those nearby could hear.(146) Such matters are effects of belief, not intellectual assent.

Yes! The scholar who does not practice has intellectual assent (ʿaqd), not belief (ʿaqīda), just as a honey producer who has not tasted it and does not have its sweetness on their palate is a honey expert but not one who has experienced it. When knowledge becomes intertwined with one’s soul, the second type of knowledge emerges, namely “experiential knowledge” (ʿilm ḥālī). Experiential knowledge cannot be obtained through concepts; that is, acquired sciences do not have the power to give one joy or make one successful. However, experiential knowledge makes one surge with emotion in the mourning gatherings for the Master of Martyrs, causing them to wail. When intellectual knowledge becomes intertwined with one’s soul and intellectual assent transforms into belief, this same acquired knowledge common to seminary and university creates divine scholars: “Be divine scholars by virtue of your teaching of the Scripture and your study of it.”(147) The possessor of such knowledge is either concerned or joyful: they are genuinely happy when seeing Islam’s progress and truly weep when encountering bitter religious events! It is the spiritual state that brings forth tears, not knowledge. Experiential knowledge prevents one from sin because it sees sin’s inner reality as garbage and foul-smelling; it also opens one’s inner perceptual channels and activates their hidden senses of smell, sight, hearing, and touch.

Higher than experiential knowledge is “esoteric knowledge” (ʿilm sirrī), which is accessible to only a few individuals. Khiḍr (a.s.) possessed this type of knowledge, and the Divine Essence showed him a glimpse of the world’s mysteries, so that people would know generally that there is something behind the veil.

It should be noted that the story of Moses and Khiḍr shows the way. Sometimes a person is criticized for several days or tested (ibtalā), in order to preserve their life. The story of Imam al-Ṣādiq (a.s.) criticizing Zurāra in front of the spies and agents of Manṣūr al-Dawāniqī is of this type, where the Imam preserved Zurāra through this action.(148) Just as Khiḍr made a hole in the boat to preserve the means of livelihood for a group of needy people.(149) Therefore, not every difficulty that befalls a person is a calamity, punishment, or retribution—sometimes it is mercy, even though the person does not know it. Imam al-Ṣādiq’s (a.s.) understanding of the story of Khiḍr indicates that the divine saints possess esoteric knowledge (ʿilm sirrī) and occasionally lift the veil so that people may understand.

4) Scientific and Practical Revelation to Divine Prophets

God’s teachings to the prophets are of two types:

a) Truths that are transferable to others and can be understood by others through simplification and reduction using examples and stories; these are of the nature of knowledge: “He taught Adam the names”.(150)

b) The prophets are all teachers and others are their students. The prophets are at the peak and summit, while their students are at the base and bottom.

Knowledge that cannot be transferred to others through learning and is not of the nature of knowledge, but rather is of the type of miracle and action; for example, one cannot learn through study to turn a staff into a serpent like Moses did through touch.

An example of this difference can be found in the story of David:

The Almighty God has two expressions regarding him:

First, “We taught him the craft of making coats of mail to protect you from your violence”.(151) Making armor is a craft and knowledge that can be taught to others.

Second, “We made iron soft for him”(152), not that We taught him how to make iron soft like wax (ʿallamnāhu ilānat al-ḥadīd).

Such works are not possible through study and discussion, but rather depend on the divine sanctity of the individual and the purity and greatness of the spirit and the annihilation of the servant’s will in the will of the Master; if the Most Holy Divine Essence wills, fire becomes a garden for Abraham: “O fire, be coolness and peace”(153), and this has no scientific path.

In the story of Moses and Khiḍr, what pertains to the scientific aspect is clear. Both are at the peak and summit of knowledge, and their knowledge is experiential (shuhūdī), unlike others whose knowledge is acquired (ḥuṣūlī) and limited to concepts. The scientific aspect can benefit others, and they give to each person according to their condition and capacity “a decisive verse, a just obligation, or an established tradition”(154); however, matters that pertain to miracles—such as reviving the dead or turning a staff into a serpent—are not of the nature of knowledge.