Subtleties and Allusions

Explaining Moses’ Questions to Khiḍr

Moses’ questions to Khiḍr are among the ambiguous aspects (shubuhāt)(282) of the story of these two great figures, because Khiḍr had made Moses pledge that the condition for accompanying him would be not to question his actions. However, Moses did not fulfill his pledge and questioned all three of Khiḍr’s actions. Therefore, these questions need to be explained:

The story of Moses and Khiḍr was according to divine planning and for the education of human society.

Any new undertaking is occasionally accompanied by forgetfulness, oversight, and questions, and this is not a defect, since when a person enters these situations, they are seeking to learn. However, when prophets receive something for the first time, there are two states: Sometimes the reception of revelation is in their hearts, which is clearly guided and undoubtable, with no room for oversight or forgetfulness. At other times, the matter concerns external actions about which they have not previously received divine instruction, and in this case, they themselves may be questioned or may ask questions about that matter. This is like the story of Moses and Khiḍr, which was a new occurrence where God for the first time introduced a prophet who possessed divine law to one of His saints (walī), in order to acquaint him with esoteric knowledge (ʿulūm bāṭinī) and the inner meaning (taʾwīl) of divine law. Therefore, the events that occurred were cause for questions from Moses, just as a question-raising event occurred for Moses in the valley of Ṭūr: When God first revealed to him asking “What is that in your right hand, O Moses?”(283) Moses responded naturally by saying “This is my staff”(284) and had no other answer. When God commanded “Cast it down, O Moses”(285) and Moses cast it down, suddenly it became a serpent: “So he cast it down, and behold! It was a snake, moving swiftly”.(286) He became afraid, and God said do not fear and pick it up; We will return it to its original form: “Take it and do not fear—We will return it to its former state”.(287) Therefore, both Moses’ answer saying this was his staff was not contrary to custom and convention, and his fear of the snake was normal and natural. However, after attaining prophethood, he understood that things in themselves have no reality in relation to the Divine Essence, but rather are subject to the will of God. For example, a stone remains a stone only as long as God wills it, and if God does not will it and decides it should become something else, it will truly become something else. Therefore, after receiving this miracle, if he were asked again “What is that in your right hand, O Moses?”(288) he would certainly have answered: Whatever You will and intend—if You will it to be a staff, it is a staff, and if You will it to be a snake, it is a snake. In the circle of our fate, we are the point of submission Your grace is what You think, Your command is what You decree(289)

Yes! Reality is shaped by God’s will. The monotheistic person (muwaḥḥid), after their monotheistic connection with the Divine Essence becomes complete and perfect, and they realize that creation and management are solely in His hands, their will becomes subject to God’s will, not to things. Thus they address God saying that whatever He wills is so, because He created things and however He created them is truth, and in whatever form He returns them to, that will be the truth. Therefore, when something new occurs for the first time, it raises questions; but after it becomes second nature and is understood, questions are no longer appropriate. The story of Moses and Khiḍr is also of this nature.