Tarikh (al-Tabari) 227
The story of Moses the one who spoke with Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)
وَقَدْ دَلَّ سِيَاقُ الْقِصَّةِ عَلَى نُبُوَّتِهِ مِنْ وُجُوهٍ أَحَدُهَا قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِنْدِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِنْ لَدُنَّا عِلْمًا [ الْكَهْفِ: 65 ]. الثَّانِي، قَوْلُ مُوسَى لَهُ: هَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَى أَنْ تُعَلِّمَنِي مِمَّا عُلِّمْتَ رُشْدًا قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَنْ تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبْرًا وَكَيْفَ تَصْبِرُ عَلَى مَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ خُبْرًا قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِي إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ صَابِرًا وَلَا أَعْصِي لَكَ أَمْرًا قَالَ فَإِنِ اتَّبَعْتَنِي فَلَا تَسْأَلْنِي عَنْ شَيْءٍ حَتَّى أُحْدِثَ لَكَ مِنْهُ ذِكْرًا [ الْكَهْفِ: 66 - 70 ]. فَلَوْ كَانَ وَلِيًّا وَلَيْسَ بِنَبِيٍّ، لَمْ يُخَاطِبْهُ مُوسَى بِهَذِهِ الْمُخَاطَبَةِ، وَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَى مُوسَى هَذَا الرَّدَّ، بَلْ مُوسَى إِنَّمَا سَأَلَ صُحْبَتَهُ لِيَنَالَ مَا عِنْدَهُ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ، الَّذِي اخْتَصَّهُ اللَّهُ بِهِ دُونَهُ، فَلَوْ كَانَ غَيْرَ نَبِيٍّ لَمْ يَكُنْ مَعْصُومًا، وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لِمُوسَى - وَهُوَ نَبِيٌّ عَظِيمٌ، وَرَسُولٌ كَرِيمٌ، وَاجِبُ الْعِصْمَةِ - كَبِيرُ رَغْبَةٍ، وَلَا عَظِيمُ طَلِبَةٍ فِي عِلْمِ وَلِيٍّ غَيْرِ وَاجِبِ الْعِصْمَةِ، وَلَمَّا عَزَمَ عَلَى الذَّهَابِ إِلَيْهِ، وَالتَّفْتِيشِ عَلَيْهِ، وَلَوْ أَنَّهُ يَمْضِي حُقُبًا مِنَ الزَّمَانِ، قِيلَ: ثَمَانِينَ سَنَةً. ثُمَّ لَمَّا اجْتَمَعَ بِهِ تَوَاضَعَ لَهُ، وَعَظَّمَهُ، وَاتَّبَعَهُ فِي صُورَةِ مُسْتَفِيدٍ مِنْهُ، دَلَّ عَلَى أَنَّهُ نَبِيٌّ مِثْلُهُ يُوحَى إِلَيْهِ كَمَا يُوحَى إِلَيْهِ، وَقَدْ خُصَّ مِنَ الْعُلُومِ اللَّدُنِّيَّةِ، وَالْأَسْرَارِ النَّبَوِيَّةِ، بِمَا لَمْ يُطْلِعِ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ مُوسَى، الْكَلِيمَ، نَبِيَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ الْكَرِيمَ، وَقَدِ احْتَجَّ بِهَذَا الْمَسْلَكِ بِعَيْنِهِ الرُّمَّانِيُّ، عَلَى نُبُوَّةِ الْخَضِرِ، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ. الثَّالِثُ، أَنَّ الْخَضِرَ أَقْدَمَ عَلَى قَتْلِ ذَلِكَ الْغُلَامِ، وَمَا ذَاكَ إِلَّا لِلْوَحْيِ إِلَيْهِ مِنَ الْمَلِكِ الْعَلَّامِ. وَهَذَا دَلِيلٌ مُسْتَقِلٌّ عَلَى نُبُوَّتِهِ، وَبُرْهَانٌ ظَاهِرٌ عَلَى عِصْمَتِهِ; لِأَنَّ الْوَلِيَّ لَا يَجُوزُ لَهُ الْإِقْدَامُ عَلَى قَتْلِ النُّفُوسِ بِمُجَرَّدِ مَا يُلْقَى فِي خَلَدِهِ، لِأَنَّ خَاطِرَهُ لَيْسَ بِوَاجِبِ الْعِصْمَةِ; إِذْ يَجُوزُ عَلَيْهِ الْخَطَأُ بِالِاتِّفَاقِ. وَلَمَّا أَقْدَمَ الْخَضِرُ عَلَى قَتْلِ ذَلِكَ الْغُلَامِ، الَّذِي لَمْ يَبْلُغِ الْحُلُمَ، عِلْمًا مِنْهُ بِأَنَّهُ إِذَا بَلَغَ يَكْفُرُ، وَيَحْمِلُ أَبَوَيْهِ عَنِ الْكُفْرِ; لِشِدَّةِ مَحَبَّتِهِمَا لَهُ، فَيُتَابِعَانِهِ عَلَيْهِ، فَفِي قَتْلِهِ مَصْلَحَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ تَرْبُو عَلَى بَقَاءِ مُهْجَتِهِ; صِيَانَةً لِأَبَوَيْهِ عَنِ الْوُقُوعِ فِي الْكُفْرِ وَعُقُوبَتِهِ، دَلَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى نُبُوَّتِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ مُؤَيَّدٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ بِعِصْمَتِهِ. وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ الشَّيْخَ أَبَا الْفَرَجِ ابْنَ الْجَوْزِيِّ طَرَقَ هَذَا الْمَسْلَكَ بِعَيْنِهِ فِي الِاحْتِجَاجِ عَلَى نُبُوَّةِ الْخَضِرِ وَصَحَّحَهُ. وَحَكَى الِاحْتِجَاجَ عَلَيْهِ الرُّمَّانِيُّ أَيْضًا. الرَّابِعُ، أَنَّهُ لَمَّا فَسَّرَ الْخَضِرُ تَأْوِيلَ تِلْكَ الْأَفَاعِيلِ لِمُوسَى، وَوَضَّحَ لَهُ عَنْ حَقِيقَةِ أَمْرِهِ، وَجَلَّى، قَالَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ: رَحْمَةً مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَمْرِي يَعْنِي: مَا فَعَلَتْهُ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِي، بَلْ أُمِرْتُ بِهِ، وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ فِيهِ، فَدَلَّتْ هَذِهِ الْوُجُوهُ عَلَى نُبُوَّتِهِ. وَلَا يُنَافِي ذَلِكَ حُصُولَ وِلَايَتِهِ، بَلْ وَلَا رِسَالَتَهُ، كَمَا قَالَ آخَرُونَ. وَأَمَّا كَوْنُهُ مَلَكًا مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ، فَغَرِيبٌ جِدًّا. وَإِذَا ثَبَتَتْ نُبُوَّتُهُ كَمَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ، لَمْ يَبْقَ لِمَنْ قَالَ بِوِلَايَتِهِ - وَإِنَّ الْوَلِيَّ قَدْ يَطَّلِعُ عَلَى حَقِيقَةِ الْأُمُورِ دُونَ أَرْبَابِ الشَّرْعِ الظَّاهِرِ - مُسْتَنَدٌ يَسْتَنِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ، وَلَا مُعْتَمَدٌ يَعْتَمِدُونَ عَلَيْهِ. وَقِيلَ: كَانَ نَبِيًّا فِي زَمَنِ سَبَاسِبَ بْنِ لَهْرَاسِبَ. قَالَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ: وَقَدْ كَانَ بَيْنَ أَفْرِيدُونَ وَبَيْنَ سَبَاسِبَ دُهُورٌ طَوِيلَةٌ، لَا يَجْهَلُهَا أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ بِالْأَنْسَابِ. قَالَ ابْنُ جَرِيرٍ، وَالصَّحِيحُ أَنَّهُ كَانَ فِي زَمَنِ أَفْرِيدُونَ، وَاسْتَمَرَّ حَيًّا إِلَى أَنْ أَدْرَكَهُ مُوسَى، عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، وَكَانَتْ نُبُوَّةُ مُوسَى فِي زَمَنِ مَنُوشِهْرَ، الَّذِي هُوَ مِنْ وَلَدِ إِيرَجَ بْنِ أَفْرِيدُونَ، أَحَدِ مُلُوكِ الْفُرْسِ وَكَانَ إِلَيْهِ الْمُلْكُ بَعْدَ جَدِّهِ أَفْرِيدُونَ لِعَهْدِهِ وَقَالَ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ: اسْتَخْلَفَ اللَّهُ عَلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ رَجُلًا مِنْهُمْ يُقَالُ لَهُ نَاشِيَةُ بْنُ أَمُوصَ، فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ لَهُمُ الْخَضِرَ مَعَهُ نَبِيًّا
Translation
✧ The context of the story indicates his prophethood in several ways. One of them is the statement of Allah, Exalted is He: "Then they found one of Our servants upon whom We had bestowed mercy from Us and whom We had taught knowledge from Ourselves" [al-Kahf: 65]. The second is the statement of Mūsā to him: "May I follow you so that you may teach me sound judgment from what you have been taught?" He said, "Indeed, you will never be able to have patience with me, and how can you be patient about what you have not encompassed in knowledge?" He said, "You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in any matter." He said, "Then if you follow me, do not ask me about anything until I myself mention it to you" [al-Kahf: 66–70]. For had he been a saint and not a prophet, Mūsā would not have addressed him with this address, nor would he have replied to Mūsā with this reply. Rather, Mūsā only sought his company to attain what he had of knowledge that Allah had singled him out with, to the exclusion of Mūsā. Had he not been a prophet, he would not have been protected from error, and Mūsā—who was a great prophet and noble messenger, necessarily protected from error—would not have had a great desire or a great request for the knowledge of a saint who was not necessarily protected. When he resolved to go to him and search for him, even if he had to travel for ages—it is said eighty years—and when they met he showed humility to him, honored him, and followed him in the form of one seeking benefit from him, that indicates that he was a prophet like him, to whom revelation came as it came to him. He had been singled out with knowledge from Allah and prophetic secrets that Allah had not disclosed to Mūsā, the one who spoke with Allah, the noble prophet of the Children of Israel. Al-Rummānī used this exact line of argument as proof for the prophethood of al-Khiḍr, ﷺ. The third is that al-Khiḍr proceeded to kill that boy, and that was only because of revelation that came to him from the All-Knowing King. This is an independent proof of his prophethood and a clear demonstration of his protection from error, because a saint is not permitted to proceed to kill souls merely on the basis of what occurs to his mind, since his thought is not necessarily protected from error, because error is possible for him by consensus. When al-Khiḍr proceeded to kill that boy, who had not reached puberty, knowing that if he reached puberty he would disbelieve and would cause his parents to disbelieve because of their intense love for him, and they would follow him in it, in killing him there was a great benefit that outweighed preserving his life: protecting his parents from falling into disbelief and its punishment. That indicates his prophethood and that he was supported by Allah with His protection from error. I have seen Shaykh Abū al-Faraj Ibn al-Jawzī take this exact line of argument as proof for the prophethood of al-Khiḍr and consider it sound. He also reported the argument from al-Rummānī. The fourth is that when al-Khiḍr explained the interpretation of those actions to Mūsā and clarified for him the true nature of his affair and made it clear, he said after all that: "As a mercy from your Lord. I did not do it of my own accord"—meaning: I did not do it on my own initiative; rather I was commanded to do it, and it was revealed to me in it. Thus these aspects indicate his prophethood. That does not negate his sainthood, nor even his messengerhood, as others have said. As for his being an angel from among the angels, that is very far-fetched. Once his prophethood is established as we have mentioned, there remains no support or reliance for those who say he was a saint and that a saint may attain knowledge of the true nature of things without those who follow the outward law. It is said: he was a prophet in the time of Sabāsib b. Lohrāsb. Ibn Jarīr said: Between Afrīdūn and Sabāsib there were long ages that no one among the people of knowledge of genealogies would be ignorant of. Ibn Jarīr said: The correct view is that he lived in the time of Afrīdūn and remained alive until Mūsā, ﷺ, encountered him. The prophethood of Mūsā was in the time of Manūshihr, who was one of the descendants of Īraj b. Afrīdūn, one of the kings of the Persians, and sovereignty came to him after his grandfather Afrīdūn according to his covenant. Ibn Isḥāq said: Allah appointed as successor over the Children of Israel a man from among them called Nāshiyah b. Amūṣā, and Allah sent al-Khiḍr to them as a prophet along with him.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.