The allegory of Hazrat Musa and Hazrat Khidr's encounter in the Holy Quran

It is the eighteenth chapter of the Holy Quran, called Surah Al-Kahf or "The Cave", which narrates the mystical tale of the meeting between two men of God. One is the Prophet-Messenger of that time, Hazrat Musa a.s and the other is the Prophet-Guide Hazrat Khidr a.s. Scholars are not agreed on whether he was a prophet or not, but most are convinced that the mysterious man that Hazrat Musa a.s encounters in the parable mentioned in Surah Al Kahf is Hazrat Khidr. It may be noted that he is not mentioned by name in the Quran. Hazrat Khidr is one who is supposed to have drunk from the water of eternal life and so is alive. He is said to guide seekers on the Way and many spiritual masters have reported encounters with him. I have called him Prophet-Guide based on my understanding that as he is a figure to whose authority and Hikmah or wisdom, Hazrat Musa a.s was asked to submit by Allah, therefore his walayat has to be compounded with nubuwwa, for otherwise a nabi would necessarily be of a higher station than just a wali. A nabi is necessarily a wali but a wali is not necessarily a nabi. This places a nabi at a higher degree of knowing than a wali. So a nabi who is asked to submit to another can only be a prophet of a higher understanding. There are degrees of knowledge and so in the Quran Allah mentions that He has exalted some above others.

As a background to this story it is related that once Allah asked Hazrat Musa a.s whether he knew who was the most knowledgeable in his time. To this Hazrat Musa a.s replied that it was surely him for he was the Prophet and Allah spoke to him. Allah, however, surprised Hazrat Musa a.s by saying that it was another who had been given knowledge of the mysteries by Him. Thus there was born in Hazrat Musa a.s the desire to learn of the higher things and the greater knowledge that he did not possess.

In Surah eighteen, verse sixty, it is said, "And when Moses said unto his servant: I will not give up until I reach the point where the two rivers meet, though I march on for ages." If we reflect we understand that the servant represents the nafs and the two rivers represent the two kinds of knowledge, the exoteric and the esoteric. Hazrat Musa a.s is asserting his resolve to strive tirelessly until he arrives at the union of knowledge, inner and outer. A place where contradictions are resolved and opposites complement each other. In other words going back to the source of knowledge, the very base from which it has come forth. This is the place where polarities do not exist.

Verse sixty-one says, "And when they reached the point where the two met, they forgot their fish, and it took its way into the water, being free." Hazrat Musa a.s had been told that he would meet the Guide at the place in the water where the fish would take its course. But Hazrat Musa only remembers the fish when he gets hungry in the course of the journey and he asks his servant to bring out the meal. At this point the servant remembers, verse sixty-three, "He said: Didst thou see, when we took refuge on the rock, and I forgot the fish, and none but Satan caused me to forget to mention it, it took its way into the waters by a marvel." The fish represents the intellect, and so when the intellect dissolves into the infinitude of existence and thereby into the knowledge of the Real, symbolized by water, that is where the two waters meet. But here the nafs becomes forgetful, is beguiled by Satan, and therefore fails to recognise the confluence. When the conscience hungers greatly for satisfaction that is when the nafs recalls its error.

Verse sixty-four-sixty-five, "he said: This is that which we have been seeking, So they retraced their steps again. Then found they, one of Our slaves, unto whom We had given mercy, and had taught him knowledge from Our Presence." Here we notice that conscious recognition takes man back to the source from which he can learn the Truth. The Conscience and the Ego become united in the pursuit of True Knowledge. This verse also mentions the "knowledge from Our Presence" which is the Ilm-e-Laduni of the mystics. This is not the knowledge that is acquired by books or any other human or worldly source, but in fact is the knowledge inspired in man directly by Allah.

The difference between Hazrat Musa's knowledge and Hazrat Khidr's is that the former's knowledge and seeking relied on secondary and acquired tools such as intellect and self-effort, The latter's aspect of the perennial guide however distinguishes him from the former by virtue of two qualities: Bestowal of Mercy or Grace from the Divine and the Gift of Direct Knowledge from Divine Presence.

Next, Hazrat Musa a.s asks Hazrat Khidr when he meets him at the conjunction of the two rivers, "May I follow thee on the footing that thou teach me something of the Higher Truth which thou hast been taught." This indicates that the soul realizes the need to submit to this Higher source of guidance speaking in it's depth. It knows that there is a knowledge that remains unlearned and unknown to the ordinary consciousness supported by intellect. This is where the Higher-Self leaves the comradeship of the lower-self and wants to enter into the higher service of Divine Guidance.

Hazrat Khidr responds as, "Verily thou wilt not be able to have patience with me." This refers to the challenge the soul faces. As this is the arena where great paradoxes have to be faced, the soul is warned against haste and advised about patience.

Hazrat Khidr further warns, "And how can thou have patience about things about which thy understanding is not complete." The source of higher understanding realizes the handicap suffered by the uninitiated soul of reconciling apparent paradoxes of reality. Intellectual understanding does not have the capacity for this comprehension.

Hazrat Musa says: thou wilt find me, if Allah so will, truly patient, nor shall I disobey thee.
The faithful soul adopts the true attitude of learning and promises to remain obedient to the voice of guidance with the aid of Allah.

Hazrat Khidr says: If then thou wouldst follow me, ask me no questions about anything until I myself speak to thee concerning it.
This is an indication toward silently having to bear the discomfort of conflicting ideals at the stage of transition, until the initiation into the mysteries is complete enough that they become self-explanatory.

It is further related: So they both proceeded until when they were in the boat he scuttled it. Said Moses: Hast thou scuttled it in order to drown those in it? Truly a strange thing hast thou done.

When one takes the path of higher guidance and takes the Spirit as guide, the first thing that happens is that the "boat is scuttled." The boat symbolizes the mould of safety or security carrying the different aspects of consciousness. The Self is aware of its personal bankruptcy and wants to save itself from the tyranny of the ego. When the mould of safety is broken, apparently one is thrown unprotected into the storms of life, but the suffering brought therefrom is infact a guard against greater sorrow: the feared king of corruption. The tyrannical nafs is duped into believing the unworthiness of what it wanted to usurp for personal control.

The next step is when Hazrat Khidr upon meeting a youth, embarks upon slaying him. This represents the killing of the ego. The common understanding thinks that the outrageous acts leading to this killing are unjust and unfair. It does not realize that for the birth of a soul-body more righteous , it was necessary for the nafs to be killed so that the "father" "mother" in the tale, the creative principles of our being were not put to shame by the unworthiness of the wicked creation.

Further on we see that they enter a town and ask the inhabitants for food but are refused and treated inhospitably. Being refused hospitality refers to denial of comfort and satiation. This is the strange place or seat of higher consciousness. The inhabitants of this place are indifferent. There is no good or bad according to our ordinary judgment. There is only Justice. Everything is as it should be. We come to the realization that the good we do is not bound by ordinary conditions of return. And therefore the benefit does not accrue to us but infact we do it only as a service in the line of action. Unconditional service.

The orphan whose buried treasure is saved by the act of Hazrat Khidr reconstructing the broken wall over it indicates the soul and its consciousness. The buried treasure is the fruit of realization that would have been dispersed unfairly because of being plucked before the ripened stage. Hazrat Musa is appalled at the act of kindness rendered by Hazrat Khidr in the face of such impudence shown by the inhabitants of the town, not knowing the reality behind the outward act.

In conclusion we may say that the above allegory teaches us that suffering is actually a necessary guard. It preserves the modesty and self-respect of the soul inadvertently. The lack of it makes one more susceptible to the takeover by lower forces of nature compelling toward evil and complacency. The eradication of the tyrannical nafs and its replacement by the purified soul is a necessary step in attaining felicity and joy. No matter how outwardly cruel and absurd the factors seem which aid the killing of the nafs, equally vital are they for the ultimate success and triumph.

Lastly, returning good for evil may seem outwardly unreasonable but from the esoteric point of view it is nothing but justice to your own self. It is so because it guards the treasure that will sustain the mature soul in its life of service.