The Referent of the Pronoun in “to Drown” (li-nughriq)

In the verses of the Qur’an, sometimes several points are mentioned together, and if there is no evidence for the collective revelation of these verses, it is not permissible to rely on context. However, if there was an incident with a heading, it indicates that this event was mentioned together. In narrating its stories, the Qur’an first gives a title to that story, and the middle and final content of that story align with the initial heading: In the story of Moses and al-Khiḍr, Moses was commanded to go to someone who possessed two characteristics—“divine mercy” and “divine knowledge”: “So they found one of Our servants to whom We had granted mercy from Us and whom We had taught knowledge from Our presence”.(234) Therefore, the heading and central elements of this story are divine mercy and divine knowledge (ʿilm ladunnī), and all sentences, individual words, and pronoun references must align with these two central elements, lest any improper action be attributed to Moses the Interlocutor, who is one of God’s resolute prophets, or to that righteous servant endowed with the knowledge of interpretation, or a pronoun be referred to an incorrect antecedent, or a verb be interpreted in a way that is incompatible with divine mercy and divine knowledge.

On this basis, although the intended referent of the addressee pronoun in “to drown” (li-nughriq), like the pronoun in “you made a hole in it” (akhraqtahā) and “you have done” (jiʾta), is al-Khiḍr, if we want to observe the two central elements mentioned in the story’s heading (divine mercy and divine knowledge), it is more appropriate to refer the pronoun “to drown” (li-taghraq) to the ship. Even if al-Khiḍr had wanted to drown someone, he would have done so through the ship, and all objections with interrogative questions revolve around the action, not objection to the doer, and al-Khiḍr did not intend to sink the ship.

It should be noted that:

The “lām” in “to drown” (li-taghraq) is the lām of consequence—known as “lām al-maʾāl”(235)—not purpose; meaning the end result of this action is the sinking of the ship, as water enters it and the ship loses its balance and sinks.

The expression of “lām of consequence” in the words of the teacher, ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī(236), refers to the consequence of the action, not the consequence intended by the doer, because as mentioned before, al-Khiḍr certainly did not intend this consequence and result.

Divine leaders’ concern for society takes precedence over their concern for themselves. Therefore, Moses the Interlocutor did not say “we will drown,” but rather was thinking of the people of the ship (ahl al-safīna), although the term “people of the ship” includes everyone.