301 Page Notes

18  Surah Al-Kahf (continued)

Page 301 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 301 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 301 of the Quran covers Surah Al-Kahf, verses 62 through 74. This page documents the heart of the journey between Prophet Musa (Moses) and Al-Khidr.

The passage records Musa and his servant realizing they passed the junction when they grew hungry (Verses 62–63), backtracking to find the fish gone (Verse 64), meeting Al-Khidr (Verse 65), Musa requesting to follow him for knowledge (Verse 66), Al-Khidr warning that Musa will not have patience (Verses 67–68), and Musa promising compliance (Verse 69). It then chronicles their first two trials: Al-Khidr damaging a ship they boarded (Verse 71) and Al-Khidr executing a young boy (Verse 74), both of which prompt instinctive objections from Musa.

A single, extensive, and extraordinarily detailed Hadith narrated by Ubayy ibn Ka'b provides the primary, authoritative behind-the-scenes explanation for nearly every single verse on this page.

1. The Long Hadith of Ubayy ibn Ka'b (The Master Narrative)

In Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ provides a comprehensive commentary on this exact text, detailing what occurred between the lines of the Quranic verses.

A. Waking Up, Hunger, and Backtracking (Verses 62–64)

"So when they had passed beyond [the junction], Moses said to his servant, 'Bring us our morning meal. We have certainly suffered in this, our journey, much fatigue.'" — Surah Al-Kahf 18:62

• The Prophetic Commentary: The Prophet ﷺ explained that Musa did not feel any fatigue until he bypassed the exact location Allah had designated for him.

• The Hadith Text: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Moses did not feel tired until he had surpassed the place which Allah had ordered him to seek. His boy-servant said to him, 'Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the rock? I indeed forgot the fish, and none but Satan made me forget to remember it...' Moses said, 'That is what we have been seeking.' So they went back retracing their footsteps..."

B. Meeting Al-Khidr and Requesting Knowledge (Verses 65–66)

"Then they found a servant from among Our servants to whom we had given mercy from us and had taught him from Ourselves a [certain] knowledge." — Surah Al-Kahf 18:65

• The Prophetic Commentary: The Hadith provides a vivid physical description of their first encounter with Al-Khidr on the rock and their opening conversation.

• The Hadith Text: "They found Al-Khidr covered with a garment. Moses greeted him. Al-Khidr replied, 'How can there be such a greeting in your land?' Moses said, 'I am Moses.' Al-Khidr asked, 'The Moses of the Children of Israel?' Moses replied, 'Yes, I have come to you so that you may teach me something of that knowledge which you have been taught.' Al-Khidr said, 'O Moses! I have a knowledge from the knowledge of Allah which He has taught me and which you do not know, and you have a knowledge which Allah has taught you and which I do not know...'"

C. The Incident of the Ship (Verse 71)

"So they set out, until when they had embarked on the ship, [Al-Khidr] tore it open. [Moses] said, 'Have you torn it open to drown its people? You have certainly done a grave thing.'" — Surah Al-Kahf 18:71

• The Prophetic Commentary: The Prophet ﷺ detailed the logistics of how they boarded the ship and the exact manner in which Al-Khidr damaged it.

• The Hadith Text: "They set out walking along the seashore when a boat passed by. They requested the crew to take them on board. The crew recognized Al-Khidr and took them on board without charging any fare. While on board, a sparrow came and stood on the edge of the boat, dipping its beak into the sea. Al-Khidr said, 'O Moses! My knowledge and your knowledge compared to Allah’s knowledge is like the amount of water taken by this sparrow from the sea with its beak.' Then Al-Khidr took a hammer and pulled out one of the planks of the ship. Moses said, 'These people gave us a free lift, yet you have broken their boat to drown them!'"

D. The Incident of the Boy (Verse 74)

"So they set out, until when they met a boy, [Al-Khidr] killed him. [Moses] said, 'Have you killed a pure soul for other than [retaliation for] a soul? You have certainly done a deplorable thing.'" — Surah Al-Kahf 18:74

• The Prophetic Commentary: The Hadith illuminates the setting and the nature of the boy, explaining why Musa reacted with even greater vehemence than he did during the ship incident.

• The Hadith Text: "They left the boat, and while they were walking on the shore, they saw a young boy playing with other boys. Al-Khidr caught him by his head, pulled it off with his hands, and killed him. Moses said to him, 'Have you killed an innocent soul who has killed nobody? Verily, you have committed a terrible thing!'"

• Source for all components of this narrative: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 60, Hadith 3401; Sahih Muslim, Book 43, Hadith 170.

2. Accompanying Hadiths Detailing specific Names and Rulings

A. The Identity of the Servant Boy

Verse 62 mentions Musa's servant (fatahu). The companion literature explicitly preserves his name, which is canonical in Islamic history.

• The Hadith: The Prophet ﷺ explicitly named him in several narrations of the master Hadith as Yusha ibn Nun (Joshua, the son of Nun).

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 3, Hadith 122.

B. The True Theological Status of the Executed Boy

Musa questioned Al-Khidr in verse 74 about killing a "pure soul" (nafsan zakiyyah), assuming the child was entirely blameless. A specific Hadith reveals how the child was registered in the divine decree.

• The Hadith: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The boy Al-Khidr killed was destined to be a disbeliever (Kafir) on the day he was created. Had he lived, he would have grieved his parents by his rebellion and disbelief."

• Source: Sahih Muslim, Book 46, Hadith 49; Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65, Hadith 4727.

3. The Prophetic Reflection on Musa's Patience

At the conclusion of the entire narrative, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ looked back on the events recorded across page 301 with a wistful reflection on human curiosity and knowledge, creating a famous Sunnah sentiment.

• The Hadith: After finishing the recitation and explanation of these verses, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "We wish that Moses had remained patient so that Allah might have told us more of their story."

• Source: Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 60, Hadith 3401; Sahih Muslim, Book 43, Hadith 170.

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. I. (n.d.). Sahih al-Bukhari.

• Al-Muslim, I. (n.d.). Sahih Muslim.

• Ibn Kathir, I. (2000). Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim (Vol. 5). Dar Thiba.

 (Note: "n.d." denotes classical texts where modern standardized publication years vary across publishers, cited instead by their universally recognized book and Hadith numbers).