18. Sūrat al-Kahf

١٨۔ سُورَةُ الكهْف

Qurʾān > Chapter 18 > Section 14
القرآن > كتاب ١٨ > باب ١٤

18.14 The Prophet Moses travelled to find Khidhr to learn some of the knowledge given to him by God Almighty and Khidhr warned Moses that he would not be able to bear with him.

١٨۔١٤ مقطع في سُورَةُ الكهْف

quran:18:60 –

And ˹mention˺ when Moses said to his servant, "I will not cease ˹traveling˺ until I reach the junction of the two seas or continue for a long period."  

And, mention, when Moses, son of Amram (‘Imrān), said to his lad, Joshua son of Nun (Yūsha‘ bin Nūn), who used to follow him around, serve him and acquire knowledge from him, ‘I will not give up, I will not stop journeying, until I have reached the juncture of the two seas — the point where the Byzantine sea and the Persian sea meet, beyond the east, — though I march on for ages’, for a very long time before reaching it, if it be far.
القرآن:١٨:٦٠ –

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِفَتَاهُ لَا أَبْرَحُ حَتَّىٰ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِيَ حُقُبًا  

{و} اذكر {إذ قال موسى} هو ابن عمران {لفتاهُ} يوشع بن نون كان يتبعه ويخدمه ويأخذ عنه العلم {لا أبرح} لا أزال أسير {حتى أبلغ مجمع البحرين} ملتقى بحر الروم وبحر فارس مما يلي المشرق أي المكان الجامع لذلك {أو أمضي حقبا} دهرا طويلاً في بلوغه إن بعد.
quran:18:61 –

But when they reached the junction between them, they forgot their fish, and it took its course into the sea, slipping away.  

So when they reached a juncture between the two, between the two seas, they forgot their fish — Joshua forgot his luggage ˹leaving it behind˺ at the moment of departure, and Moses forgot to remind him — and so it, the fish, made its way into the sea, that is, it formed it — through God’s forming it — by burrowing, that is, like ˹through˺ a burrow, which is a passage that is long and enclosed; this was ˹so˺ because God, exalted be He, held back the flow of the water ˹preventing it˺ from ˹engulfing˺ the fish and it ˹the water˺ withdrew from around it ˹the fish˺ and remained thus like a cleft without closing, and what was beneath it ˹the cleft˺ stood still.
القرآن:١٨:٦١ –

فَلَمَّا بَلَغَا مَجْمَعَ بَيْنِهِمَا نَسِيَا حُوتَهُمَا فَاتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ سَرَبًا  

{فلما بلغا مجمع بينهما} بين البحرين {نسيا حوتهما} نسي يوشع حمله عند الرحيل ونسي موسى تذكيره {فاتخذ} الحوت {سبيله في البحر} أي جعله بجعل الله {سربا} أي مثل السرب، وهو الشق الطويل لا نفاذ له، وذلك أن الله تعالى أمسك عن الحوت جري الماء فانجاب عنه فبقي كالكوة لم يلتئم وجمد ما تحته منه.
quran:18:62 –

So when they had passed beyond it, ˹Moses˺ said to his boy, "Bring us our morning meal. We have certainly suffered in this, our journey, ˹much˺ fatigue."  

And when they had made the traverse, of that location, having journeyed until the morning of the following day, he, Moses, said to his lad, ‘Bring us our breakfast, (ghadā’) that ˹meal˺ which is consumed at the beginning of the day. We have certainly encountered on this journey of ours much fatigue’, exhaustion, which took its effect ˹on them˺ after the traverse.
القرآن:١٨:٦٢ –

فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَا قَالَ لِفَتَاهُ آتِنَا غَدَاءَنَا لَقَدْ لَقِينَا مِنْ سَفَرِنَا هَٰذَا نَصَبًا  

{فلما جاوزا} ذلك المكان بالسير إلى وقت الغداء من ثاني يوم {قال} موسى {لفتاهُ آتينا غداءنا} هو ما يؤكل أول النهار {لقد لقينا من سفرنا هذا نصبا} تعبا وحصوله بعد المجاوزة.
quran:18:63 –

He said, "Did you see when we retired to the rock? Indeed, I forgot ˹there˺ the fish. And none made me forget it except Satan - that I should mention it. And it took its course into the sea amazingly".  

He said, ‘Do you see? — in other words, remember, when we sheltered at the rock, in that location, indeed I forgot the fish — and none but Satan made me forget (al-shaytān, ‘Satan’, substitutes for the ˹suffixed pronoun˺ hā’ ˹of ansānī-hu˺) to mention it (an adhkurahu, an inclusive substitution, in other words ˹it should be understood as˺ ansānī dhikrahu, ‘he ˹Satan˺ made me forget the mentioning of it’) — and it, the fish, made its way into the sea in an amazing manner’ (‘ajaban constitutes the second direct object), that is to say, Moses and his lad were amazed by it, because of what has already been explained concerning it.
القرآن:١٨:٦٣ –

قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ إِذْ أَوَيْنَا إِلَى الصَّخْرَةِ فَإِنِّي نَسِيتُ الْحُوتَ وَمَا أَنْسَانِيهُ إِلَّا الشَّيْطَانُ أَنْ أَذْكُرَهُ ۚ وَاتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ عَجَبًا  

{قال أرأيت} أي تنبه {إذ أوينا إلى الصخرة} بذلك المكان {فإني نسيت الحوت وما أنسانيهُ إلا الشيطان} يبدل من الهاء {أن أذكره} بدل اشتمال أي أنساني ذكره {واتخذ} الحوت {سبيله في البحر عجبا} مفعول ثان، أي يتعجب منه موسى وفتاه لما تقدم في بيانه.
quran:18:64 –

˹Moses˺ said, "That is what we were seeking." So they returned, following their footprints.  

Said he, Moses, ‘That, namely, our losing the fish, is what we have been seeking!’, what we have been after, for it is a sign for us of the presence of the one whom we seek. So they turned back, retracing their footsteps, until they reached the rock.
القرآن:١٨:٦٤ –

قَالَ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنَّا نَبْغِ ۚ فَارْتَدَّا عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِمَا قَصَصًا  

{قال} موسى {ذلك} أي فقدنا الحوت {ما} أي الذي {كنا نبغ} نطلبه فإنه علامة لنا على وجود من نطلبه {فارتدا} رجعا {على آثارهما} يقصانها {قصصا} فأتيا الصخرة.
quran:18:65 –

And they found a servant from among Our servants to whom we had given mercy from us and had taught him from Us a ˹certain˺ knowledge.  

So ˹there˺ they found one of Our servants, namely, al-Khidr, to whom We had given mercy from Us — according to one opinion this ˹mercy˺ was prophethood; according to another it was authority, and this ˹latter˺ is the opinion of the majority of scholars — and We had taught him knowledge from Us (‘ilman is the second direct object), in other words, some knowledge of unseen things; al-Bukhārī reports the ˹following˺ hadīth: ‘Moses was delivering a sermon among the Children of Israel and was asked, “Who is the most knowledgeable of people?”, to which he ˹Moses˺ said, “Myself”. God then reproached him for not having attributed ˹his˺ knowledge as ˹coming˺ from Him. God then revealed to him the following: “Truly, there is a servant of Mine at the juncture of the two seas; he is more knowledgeable than you”. Moses then asked, “My Lord, how do I reach him?” He ˹God˺ said, ‘Take a fish with you and place it in a basket and ˹the place˺ where you lose the fish will be ˹the place˺ where he is.” He ˹Moses˺ took a fish and placed it in a basket and departed together with his lad Joshua son of Nun until they reached the rock. ˹There˺ they placed their heads back and fell asleep. The fish began to move about in the basket, until it escaped from it and fell into the sea, and it made its way into the sea in an amazing manner. God then held back the flow of the water ˹preventing it˺ from ˹engulfing˺ the fish, forming a kind of arch over it. When he awoke, his companion ˹Joshua˺ forgot to inform him of ˹what had happened to˺ the fish, and so they journeyed on for the remainder of that day and night until on the morning ˹of the second day˺ Moses said to his lad, ‘Bring us our breakfast’, to where he says, and it made its way into the sea in an amazing manner’. He ˹Bukhārī˺ said, ‘For the fish, it ˹the way into the sea˺ was ˹by˺ ‘burrowing’ (saraban), and for Moses and his lad it ˹this way˺ was ‘amazing’ (‘ajaban) …’ ˹and so on˺ to the end ˹of Bukhārī’s report˺.
القرآن:١٨:٦٥ –

فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِنْدِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِنْ لَدُنَّا عِلْمًا  

(فوجدا عبدا من عبادنا) هو الخضر (آتيناه رحمة من عندنا) نبوة في قول وولاية في آخر وعليه أكثر العلماء (وعلمناه من لدنا) من قبلنا (علما) مفعول ثان أي معلوما من المغيبات، روى البخاري حديث "" إن موسى قام خطيبا في بني إسرائيل فسئل أي الناس أعلم؟ فقال: أنا، فعتب الله عليه إذ لم يرد العلم إليه، فأوحى الله إليه: إن لي عبدا بمجمع البحرين هو أعلم منك قال موسى: يا رب فكيف لي به قال: تأخذ معك حوتا فتجعله في مكتل فحيثما فقد الحوت فهو ثم، فأخذ حوتا فجعله في مكتل ثم انطلق وانطلق معه فتاه يوشع بن نون حتى أتيا الصخرة ووضعا رأسيهما فناما واضطرب الحوت في المكتل فخرج منه فسقط في البحر "" فاتخذ سبيله في البحر سربا "" وأمسك الله عن الحوت جرية الماء فصار عليه مثل الطاق فلما استيقظ نسي صاحبه أن يخبره بالحوت فانطلقا بقية يومهما وليلتهما حتى إذا كانا من الغداة قال موسى لفتاه آتنا غداءنا إلى قوله واتخذ سبيله في البحر عجبا قال وكان للحوت سربا ولموسى ولفتاه عجبا إلخ "".
quran:18:66 –

Moses said to him, "May I follow you on ˹the condition˺ that you teach me from what you have been taught of sound judgement?"  

Moses said to him, ‘May I follow you for the purpose that you teach me of what you have been taught ˹in the way˺ of probity?’, namely, ˹something˺ of right conduct through which I might be rightly-guided (a variant reading ˹for rashadan˺ has rushdan, ‘probity’); he asked him this because to increase ˹one’s˺ knowledge is ˹something which is˺ always sought.
القرآن:١٨:٦٦ –

قَالَ لَهُ مُوسَىٰ هَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَىٰ أَنْ تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمْتَ رُشْدًا  

{قال له موسى هل أتَّبعك على أن تعلَّمن مما عُلمت رَشَداً} أي صواباً أرشد به وفي قراءة بضم الراء وسكون الشين وسأله ذلك لأن الزيارة في العلم مطلوبة.
quran:18:67 –

He said, "Indeed, with me you will never be able to have patience.  

Said he, ‘Truly you will not be able to bear with me.
القرآن:١٨:٦٧ –

قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَنْ تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبْرًا  

{قال إنك لن تستطيع معي صبرا}.
quran:18:68 –

And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in knowledge?"  

And how can you bear with that whereof you have never been informed?’: in the above-mentioned hadīth ˹of Bukhārī˺ after this verse ˹there is the following statement˺: ‘O Moses, I possess knowledge which God has taught me and which you do not have, and ˹equally˺ you possess knowledge which God has taught you and which I do not have’. (His saying khubran, ‘informed’, is a verbal noun meaning that which you have never encompassed, in other words, the truth of which you have never been informed of.)
القرآن:١٨:٦٨ –

وَكَيْفَ تَصْبِرُ عَلَىٰ مَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ خُبْرًا  

(وكيف تصبر على ما لم تحط به خبرا) في الحديث السابق عقب هذه الآية "" يا موسى إني على علم من الله علمنيه لا تعلمه وأنت على علم من الله علمكه الله لا أعلمه، وقوله خبرا مصدر بمعنى لم تحط أي لم تخبر حقيقته.
quran:18:69 –

˹Moses˺ said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in ˹any˺ order."  

He said, ‘You will find me, God willing, patient, and I will not disobey, in other words, and ˹you will also find me˺ non-disobedient ˹towards˺, you in any matter’, with which you charge me. He ˹Moses˺ made this ˹statement˺ conditional upon the Will ˹of God˺ because he was not confident of himself in what he had committed himself to. Indeed, this is the custom of prophets and saints, namely, that they do not put their trust in themselves for a single moment.
القرآن:١٨:٦٩ –

قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِي إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ صَابِرًا وَلَا أَعْصِي لَكَ أَمْرًا  

{قال ستجدني إن شاء الله صابرا ولا أعصي} أي وغير عاص {لك أمرا} تأمرني به، وقيد بالمشيئة لأنه لم يكن على ثقة من نفسه فيما التزم، وهذه عادة الأنبياء والأولياء ألا يثقوا إلى أنفسهم طرفة عين.
quran:18:70 –

He said, "Then if you follow me, do not ask me about anything until I make to you about it mention."  

He said, ‘If you follow me then do not question me (lā tas’alnī, a variant reading has lā tas’alannī) concerning anything, that you might find objectionable in what I do, according to your ˹limited˺ knowledge, and be patient, until I ˹myself˺ make mention of it to you’, in other words, ˹until˺ I mention it to you with ˹an explication of˺ the reason for it. Moses accepted his precondition bearing in mind the respect which a student should exercise in the presence of a teacher.
القرآن:١٨:٧٠ –

قَالَ فَإِنِ اتَّبَعْتَنِي فَلَا تَسْأَلْنِي عَنْ شَيْءٍ حَتَّىٰ أُحْدِثَ لَكَ مِنْهُ ذِكْرًا  

{قال فإن اتبعتني فلا تسألني} وفي قراءة بفتح اللام وتشديد النون {عن شيء} تنكره مني في علمك واصبر {حتى أحدث لك منه ذكرا} أي أذكره لك بعلته، فقبل موسى شرطه رعاية لأدب المتعلم مع العالم.