302 Page Notes

18  Surah Al-Kahf (continued)

Page 302 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 302 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 302 of the Quran covers Surah Al-Kahf, verses 75 through 83. This page contains the final act, climax, and resolution of the story of Prophet Musa (Moses) and Al-Khidr (Verses 75–82), before immediately introducing the next major historical narrative: the account of the great king Dhul-Qarnayn (Verse 83).

The passage documents their final trial in an inhospitable town where they repair a collapsing wall (Verses 76–77), Al-Khidr announcing their separation (Verse 78), and Al-Khidr unveiling the hidden divine wisdom behind his seemingly erratic actions (Verses 79–82).

The authoritative, multi-layered Hadith of Ubayy ibn Ka'b remains the primary source that explains the subtle details found on this page.

1. The Climax of Ubayy ibn Ka'b’s Long Hadith

In Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ provides the definitive commentary for the events recorded across verses 75–82.

A. The Inhospitable Town and the Wall (Verses 76–77)

"So they set out, until when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to offer them hospitality. And they found therein a wall about to collapse, so al-Khidr restored it..." — Surah Al-Kahf 18:77

• The Prophetic Commentary: The Prophet ﷺ added colorful detail regarding the nature of this city, describing it as a town of absolute stinginess.

• The Hadith Text: The Prophet ﷺ said: "They traveled on until they came to the inhabitants of a town who were so miserly that they refused to host them or offer them any food. There, Al-Khidr found a wall on the verge of falling down. Al-Khidr set it up straight with his own hands. Moses said to him, 'We came to these people and they neither fed us nor hosted us. If you had wished, surely you could have taken a wage for it!' Al-Khidr replied, 'This is the parting between you and me...'"

B. The Wisdom Behind the Damaged Ship (Verse 79)

"As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force." — Surah Al-Kahf 18:79

• The Prophetic Commentary: The Prophet ﷺ added a critical textual variant that clarified how the king selected which boats to confiscate.

• The Hadith Text: Ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet ﷺ used to recite this verse with an explanatory addition: "...there was a king after them who seized every faultless ship by force." By leaving a visible defect in the wood, Al-Khidr ensured the corrupt king's inspectors would deem it worthless and pass it by, leaving the poor fishermen with their primary source of livelihood intact.

C. The Wisdom Behind the Slain Boy (Verses 80–81)

"And as for the boy, his parents were believers, and we feared that he would overburden them by transgression and disbelief." — Surah Al-Kahf 18:80

• The Prophetic Commentary: In addition to the child's pre-ordained destiny, the Prophet ﷺ explained how Allah compensated the grieving parents for their loss.

• The Hadith Text: The Prophet ﷺ said: "In place of that child, Allah blessed them with a daughter who was deeply pious and became the mother of a prophet, through whom a whole nation was guided."

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

2. Legal and Spiritual Sunnah Rulings Derived from This Page

A. The Virtue of Righteous Ancestors (Verse 82)

"And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure for them, and their father had been a righteous man..." — Surah Al-Kahf 18:82

The phrase "and their father had been a righteous man" serves as a major theme in the Sunnah regarding the generational ripples of piety. The text establishes that a parent's righteousness acts as a shield over their offspring long after the parent passes away.

• The Companions' Commentary: Said ibn al-Musayyib, a leading early scholar of Madinah, told his son: "Verily, I increase my optional prayers for your sake, hoping that Allah will protect you because of it," and he would then recite this exact verse.

• The Hadith Connection: The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah protects the righteous man, his children, his grandchildren, and the homes around his household because of his piety."

• Source: Recorded in the Tafsir traditions of Ibn Abi Hatim and Al-Tabari; also cited by Ibn Kathir in his commentary on Verse 82.

B. The Sunnah of Choosing the "Lesser of Two Evils"

Islamic jurists derive a foundational rule of Islamic law (Qawa'id Fiqhiyyah) directly from Al-Khidr’s explanation on page 302: The lesser of two harms must be chosen to avoid the greater harm.

• Damaging a boat (minor harm) is better than losing the entire boat to a tyrant (major harm).

• Losing a child in youth (profound pain, but temporary) is better than losing one's faith and eternal life due to that child's future tyranny (ultimate spiritual ruin).

3. Transition to Dhul-Qarnayn (Verse 83)

"And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about Dhul-Qarnayn. Say, 'I will recite to you about him a report.'" — Surah Al-Kahf 18:83

This final verse of page 302 directly addresses the third and final historical test posed by the rabbis of Madinah via the pagan Quraysh envoys. The Sunnah outlines that the Prophet's detailed answer concerning a king who reached the eastern and western horizons was a definitive proof of his prophethood, given that an unlettered man in the Arabian desert had no natural access to ancient historical accounts of distant kings.

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.

• Al-Tabari, I. J. (2001). Jami' al-Bayan 'an Ta'wil ay al-Qur'an. Dar Hajar.

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