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Al-Kahf - 18:81
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فَأَرَدْنَا أَن يُبْدِلَهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُ زَكَاةً وَأَقْرَبَ رُحْمًا
So we intended that their Lord should exchange him for them for one better in righteousness and nearer to mercy
A child who was better than this one, a child for whom they would feel more compassion.
This was the view of Ibn Jurayj
Al-Kahf - 18:82
Interpretation of why the Wall was repaired for no Charge
Allah says,
وَأَمَّا الْجِدَارُ فَكَانَ لِغُلَأمَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ تَحْتَهُ كَنزٌ لَّهُمَا
"And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the town; and there was under it a treasure belonging to them;
In this Ayah there is a proof that the word Qaryah (village) may be used to refer to a city (Madinah), because Allah first says,
حَتَّى إِذَا أَتَيَا أَهْلَ قَرْيَةٍ
(till when they came to the people of a town (Qaryah))
(18:77)
But here He says:
فَكَانَ لِغُلَمَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ
(it belonged to two orphan boys in the town (Al-Madinah)
This is like the Ayat:
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ هِىَ أَشَدُّ قُوَّةً مِّن قَرْيَتِكَ الَّتِى أَخْرَجَتْكَ
And many a town (Qaryah), stronger than your town which has driven you out We have destroyed.
(47:13)
and;
وَقَالُواْ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ
And they say:"Why is not this Qur'an sent down to some great man of the two towns (Al-Qaryatayn),"
(43:31)
Meaning Makkah and At-Ta'if.
The meaning of the Ayah:
"I repaired this wall because it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and underneath it was some treasure belonging to them."
Ikrimah, Qatadah and others said, "Underneath it there was some wealth that was buried for them."
This meaning is apparent from the context of the Ayah, and is the view chosen by Ibn Jarir (may Allah have mercy on him).
وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَالِحًا
Their father was a righteous man
Indicates that a righteous person's offspring will be taken care of, and that the blessing of his worship will extend to them in this world and in the Hereafter. This will occur through his intercession for them, as well as their status being raised to the highest levels of Paradise, so that he may find joy in them. This was stated in the Qur'an and reported in the Sunnah.
Sa'id bin Jubayr narrated from Ibn Abbas: "They were taken care of because their father was a righteous man, although it is not stated that they themselves were righteous."
فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَنْ يَبْلُغَا أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسْتَخْرِجَا كَنزَهُمَا
Your Lord intended that they should attain their age of full strength and take out their treasure
Here will is attributed to Allah, the Exalted, because no one else is able to bring them to the age of full strength and puberty except Allah.
In contrast, He said about the boy:
فَأَرَدْنَا أَن يُبْدِلَهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُ زَكَاةً
(So we intended that their Lord should exchange him for them for one better in righteousness
(18:81))
and concerning the ship
فَأَرَدتُّ أَنْ أَعِيبَهَا
(So I wished to make a defective damage in it,
(18:79))
And Allah knows best.
Was Al-Khidr a Prophet
Khidr tells,
رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَمْرِي
As a mercy from your Lord. And I did them not of my own accord
Meaning, 'These three things that I did, come from the mercy of Allah for those we have mentioned, the crew of the ship, the parents of the boy and the two sons of the righteous man; I was only commanded to do these things that were enjoined upon me.'
This is proof and evidence in support of those who say that Al-Khidr, peace be upon him, was a Prophet, along with the Ayah which we have already quoted:
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَأ ءَاتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا
Then they found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed mercy from Us, and whom We had taught knowledge from Us.
(18:65)
Why he was called Al-Khidr
Imam Ahmad recorded that Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet said concerning Al-Khidr;
إِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ خَضِرًا لاَِنَّهُ جَلَسَ عَلَى فَرْوَةٍ بَيْضَاءَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَهْتَزُّ مِنْ تَحْتِهِ خَضْرَاء
He was called Al-Khidr because he sat on a barren Farwah that turned white, then it turned green (Khadra') beneath him
Imam Ahmad also recorded this from Abdur-Razzaq.
It was also recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari from Hammam from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah said,
إِنَّمَا سُمِّي الْخَضِرَ لاَِنَّهُ جَلَسَ عَلَى فَرْوَةٍ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَهْتَزُّ مِنْ تَحْتِهِ خَضْرَاء
He was called Al-Khidr because he sat on a barren Farwah and it turned green (Khadra') beneath him
The meaning of Farwah here is a patch of withered vegetation.
This was the view of Abdur-Razzaq.
It was also said that it means the face of the earth.
Then Khidr said to Musa,
ذَلِكَ تَأْوِيلُ مَا لَمْ تَسْطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًا
That is the interpretation of those (things) over which you could not be patient
Meaning, 'this is the explanation of the things which you could not put up with or be patient with until I took the initiative of explaining them to you.'
When he explained them and made them clear and solved the confusion, he used a milder form of the verb,
تَسْطِع
(you could)
When the matter was still confusing and very difficult, a more intensive form was used,
سَأُنَبِّيُكَ بِتَأْوِيلِ مَا لَمْ تَسْتَطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًا
(I will tell you the interpretation of (those) things over which you were unable to be patient with).
(18:78)
The intensity of the verbal form used reflects the intensity of the confusion felt. This is like the Ayah:
فَمَا اسْطَـعُواْ أَن يَظْهَرُوهُ
So they (Ya'juj and Ma'juj) were not able to scale it,
(18:97)
Which means ascending to its highest point,
وَمَا اسْتَطَـعُواْ لَهُ نَقْبًا
Nor are they able to dig through it
(18:97)
Which is more difficult than the former.
The intensity of the verbal form used reflects the difficulty of the action, which has to do with the subtleties of meaning. And Allah knows best.
If one were to ask, what happened to the boy-servant of Musa who appears at the beginning of the story but then is not mentioned?
The answer is that the objective of the story is what happened between Musa and Al-Khidr.
Musa's boy-servant was with him, following him. It is clearly mentioned in the Sahih Hadiths referred to above that he was Yusha' bin Nun, who was the one who became the leader of the Children of Israel after Musa, peace be upon him
Al-Kahf - 18:83
The Story of Dhul-Qarnayn
Allah says to His Prophet,
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ
And they ask you, (O Muhammad)
عَن ذِي الْقَرْنَيْنِ
About Dhul-Qarnayn
i.e., about his story.
We have already mentioned how the disbelievers of Makkah sent word to the People of the Book and asked them for some information with which they could test the Prophet. They (the People of the Book) said, 'Ask him about a man who traveled extensively throughout the earth, and about some young men who nobody knows what they did, and about the Ruh (the soul),' then Surah Al-Kahf was revealed.
قُلْ سَأَتْلُو عَلَيْكُم مِّنْهُ ذِكْرًا
Say:"I shall recite to you something of his story."
Al-Kahf - 18:84
Dhul-Qarnayn had great Power
Allah tells,
إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُ فِي الاَْرْضِ
Verily, We established him in the earth
Means, 'We have given him great power, so that he had all that kings could have of might, armies, war equipment and siege machinery.' So he had dominion over the east and the west, all countries and their kings submitted to him, and all the nations, Arab and non-Arab, served him.
Some of them said he was called Dhul-Qarnayn (the one with two horns) because he reached the two "Horns" of the sun, east and west, where it rises and where it sets.
وَاتَيْنَاهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا
And We gave him the means of everything
Ibn Abbas, Mujahid, Sa'id bin Jubayr, Ikrimah, As-Suddi, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and others said, "This means knowledge."
Qatadah also said,
وَاتَيْنَاهُ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًا
(and We gave him the means of everything)
"The different parts and features of the earth."
Concerning Bilqis, Allah said,
وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ
She has been given all things.
(27:23)
Meaning all things that monarchs like her are given.
Thus too was Dhul-Qarnayn: Allah gave him the means of all things, meaning the means and power to conquer all areas, regions and countries, to defeat enemies, suppress the kings of the earth and humiliate the people of Shirk. He was given all that a man like him would need.
And Allah knows best
Al-Kahf - 18:85
His traveling and reaching the Place where the Sun sets (the West)
Allah tells,
فَأَتْبَعَ سَبَبًا
So he followed a way
Ibn Abbas said that; he followed different routes to achieve what he wanted.
Mujahid said that; he followed different routes, east and west.
According to one report narrated from Mujahid, he said:
سَبَبًا
(a way)
Means, "A route through the land."
Qatadah said, "It means he followed the routes and landmarks of the earth.
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