Sahih al-Bukhari 122

Hadith text

Narrated Sa`id bin Jubair:I said to Ibn `Abbas, "Nauf-Al-Bakali claims that Moses (the companion of Khadir) was not the Moses of Bani Israel but he was another Moses." Ibn `Abbas remarked that the enemy of Allah (Nauf) was a liar. Narrated Ubai bin Ka`b: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Once the Prophet Moses (ﷺ) stood up and addressed Bani Israel. He was asked, "Who is the most learned man amongst the people. He said, "I am the most learned." Allah admonished Moses as he did not attribute absolute knowledge to Him (Allah). So Allah inspired to him "At the junction of the two seas there is a slave amongst my slaves who is more learned than you." Moses said, "O my Lord! How can I meet him?" Allah said: Take a fish in a large basket (and proceed) and you will find him at the place where you will lose the fish. So Moses set out along with his (servant) boy, Yusha` bin Noon and carried a fish in a large basket till they reached a rock, where they laid their heads (i.e. lay down) and slept. The fish came out of the basket and it took its way into the sea as in a tunnel. So it was an amazing thing for both Moses and his (servant) boy. They proceeded for the rest of that night and the following day. When the day broke, Moses said to his (servant) boy: "Bring us our early meal. No doubt, we have suffered much fatigue in this journey." Moses did not get tired till he passed the place about which he was told. There the (servant) boy told Moses, "Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the rock, I indeed forgot the fish." Moses remarked, "That is what we have been seeking. So they went back retracing their footsteps, till they reached the rock. There they saw a man covered with a garment (or covering himself with his own garment). Moses greeted him. Al-Khadir replied saying, "How do people greet each other in your land?" Moses said, "I am Moses." He asked, "The Moses of Bani Israel?" Moses replied in the affirmative and added, "May I follow you so that you teach me of that knowledge which you have been taught." Al-Khadir replied, "Verily! You will not be able to remain patient with me, O Moses! I have some of the knowledge of Allah which He has taught me and which you do not know, while you have some knowledge which Allah has taught you which I do not know." Moses said, "Allah willing, you will find me patient and I will disobey no order of yours. So both of them set out walking along the seashore, as they did not have a boat. In the meantime a boat passed by them and they requested the crew of the boat to take them on board. The crew recognized Al-Khadir and took them on board without fare. Then a sparrow came and stood on the edge of the boat and dipped its beak once or twice in the sea. Al-Khadir said: "O Moses! My knowledge and your knowledge have not decreased Allah's knowledge except as much as this sparrow has decreased the water of the sea with its beak." Al- Khadir went to one of the planks of the boat and plucked it out. Moses said, "These people gave us a free lift but you have broken their boat and scuttled it so as to drown its people." Al-Khadir replied, "Didn't I tell you that you will not be able to remain patient with me." Moses said, "Call me not to account for what I forgot." The first (excuse) of Moses was that he had forgotten. Then they proceeded further and found a boy playing with other boys. Al-Khadir took hold of the boy's head from the top and plucked it out with his hands (i.e. killed him). Moses said, "Have you killed an innocent soul who has killed none." Al-Khadir replied, "Did I not tell you that you cannot remain patient with me?" Then they both proceeded till when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them. Then they found there a wall on the point of collapsing. Al-Khadir repaired it with his own hands. Moses said, "If you had wished, surely you could have taken wages for it." Al-Khadir replied, "This is the parting between you and me." The Prophet added, "May Allah be Merciful to Moses! Would that he could have been more patient to learn more about his story with Al-Khadir

Sa'id bin Jubair bataate hain: "Maine Ibn Abbas se kaha ke Nauf Al-Bakali ka daawa hai ke (Khadir ke sathi) Musa, Bani Israel ke Musa nahi the, balki koi doosre Musa the." Ibn Abbas ne kaha: "Allah ka woh dushman jhoot bolta hai." (Phir) Ubai bin Ka'b se riwayat: Nabi (ﷺ) ne farmaya: "Musa (علیہ السلام) khade hue aur Bani Israel se khitaab kiya. Unse pucha gaya: 'Sabse zyada ilm wala kaun hai?' Unhone kaha: 'Main sabse zyada ilm wala hoon.' Allah ne Musa ko tanbeeh ki kyunke unhone poora ilm Allah ki taraf mansoob nahi kiya. Allah ne wahi ki: 'Do samundaron ke sangam par mera ek banda hai jo tumse zyada ilm wala hai.' Musa ne pucha: 'Aye mere Rab, main usse kaise milun?' Allah ne kaha: 'Ek machhli ek tokri mein le jao, jahan machhli gum ho jaye wahin woh milega.' Musa apne khadim Yusha bin Noon ke saath nikle, machhli tokri mein leke, yahan tak ke ek chatan tak pahunche jahan unhone sar rakh kar so gaye. Machhli tokri se nikal kar samundar mein ek surakh se guzar gayi. Yeh Musa aur unke khadim dono ke liye ajeeb baat thi. Woh raat aur din chalte rahe. Subah ko Musa ne apne khadim se kaha: 'Hamara nashta lao, is safar mein hum bahut thak gaye hain.' Musa tab tak nahi thake jab tak woh us jagah se aage nikal gaye jiske baare mein unhe bataya gaya tha. Wahan khadim ne kaha: 'Yaad hai jab hum us chatan par theyre the, main machhli bhool gaya tha.' Musa ne kaha: 'Yehi to hum dhoond rahe the.' Woh apne raaste wapas gaye, chatan tak pahunche, wahan ek shaks apni chadar mein lipta hua dekha. Musa ne salaam kiya. Khadir ne jawab diya: 'Tumhare ilaqe mein log kaise salaam karte hain?' Musa ne kaha: 'Main Musa hoon.' Usne pucha: 'Bani Israel ke Musa?' Musa ne 'haan' kaha aur poocha: 'Kya main aapke saath rahoon taake aap mujhe woh ilm sikhaein jo aapko sikhaya gaya hai?' Khadir ne kaha: 'Tum mere saath sabr nahi kar sakoge, Aye Musa! Mujhe Allah ka woh ilm hai jo tumhe nahi, aur tumhe woh ilm hai jo mujhe nahi.' Musa ne kaha: 'Insha Allah, tum mujhe sabr karta paoge, aur main aapki kisi baat ki nafarmani nahi karunga.' Phir dono samundar ke kinare chal diye, kyunke unke paas kashti nahi thi. Ek kashti guzri, unhone sawari ke liye guzarish ki. Kashti wale Khadir ko jaan gaye aur bina kiraye ke unhe sawar kar liya. Ek chidiya aayi aur kashti ke kinare baith kar apni chonch samundar mein ek-do baar dubaayi. Khadir ne kaha: 'Aye Musa! Mera aur tumhara ilm Allah ke ilm ko utna hi kam nahi kar saka jitna is chidiya ne apni chonch se samundar ka paani kam kiya.' Phir Khadir ne kashti ka ek takhta ukhad diya. Musa ne kaha: 'Inhone humein muft sawari di aur aapne unki kashti tod kar unhe dubane ki koshish ki?' Khadir ne kaha: 'Kya maine nahi kaha tha ke tum sabr nahi kar sakoge?' Musa ne kaha: 'Jo main bhool gaya uska mujhse hisaab na lena.' Yeh Musa ka pehla bahana tha. Phir woh chal diye, ek bacche ko doosre bacchon ke saath khelte paaya. Khadir ne uska sar pakad kar ukhad diya (use qatl kar diya). Musa ne kaha: 'Kya aapne ek be-gunah jaan ko qatl kar diya jisne kisi ko qatl nahi kiya?' Khadir ne kaha: 'Kya maine nahi kaha tha ke tum sabr nahi kar sakoge?' Phir dono proceeded till when they came to the people of a town, unhone khana maanga magar unhone inkaar kiya. Wahan unhe ek deewar mili jo girne ke qareeb thi. Khadir ne apne haathon se use theek kar diya. Musa ne kaha: 'Agar aap chahte to iski mazdoori le sakte the.' Khadir ne kaha: 'Yahi mera aur tumhara judaai ka waqt hai.'" Nabi ne farmaya: "Allah Musa par reham kare, kaash woh aur sabr karte to unki Khadir wali kahani ke baare mein aur bhi jaante."

Sahih al-Bukhari 122 · Book 3, Hadith 64