بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
والصلاة والسلام على خاتم النبيين
The beautiful story of Prophet Moses’s encounter with Khidr عليهما السلام as mentioned in the Eighteenth Surah of the Quran has many lessons and mystical secrets contained within it. However, in this article I want to discuss my belief that this entire episode transpired not in this world but in another dimension—the world of spirits or the realm of similitude.
Firstly, this story of Moses and Khidr عليهما السلام is nowhere mentioned in the scriptures or literature of the Jews and Christians that preceded the revelation of the Quran, including in the holy Torah.
Secondly, there are strong indications within the story itself that this episode did not occur in this world, for example:
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِفَتَاهُ لَا أَبْرَحُ حَتَّىٰ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِيَ حُقُبًا
And when Moses said to his young companion, ‘I will not stop until I reach the junction of the two seas, or I will journey on for ages.’
(Surah 18:60)
This is the Ayah that starts the story of Moses and Khidr عليهما السلام. We begin with Prophet Moses explaining that his destination in a travel is the juncture of two seas, and he will not cease trying to reach there even if it takes ages upon ages. Right here is an indication that this was not a worldly travel but a travel occurring in another plane of existence where it might take ages to reach the destination. The juncture of two seas is a similitude which symbolizes the place or person in which the two seas of knowledge are combined, these being the sea of the knowledge of the exoteric and the sea of the knowledge of the esoteric. By exoteric is meant the knowledge of the outer aspects of the divine Law and by esoteric is meant the knowledge of the inner aspects of the Path, also known as mysticism.
The story goes on to mention that when Prophet Moses عليه السلام discovered that the fish they were carrying had slipped out back into the sea that he realized he needed to retrace his steps back to the point, the rock, where the fish had slipped away because that is the location of the junction of the two seas. How is it that the fish was suppose to slip away at that point to indicate their arrival at their destination if it was a worldly journey?
And when they retraced their steps back to the rock they found a man regarding whom Allah says He gave him knowledge from Himself, and Prophet Moses requested that he should be allowed to follow him. This is another indication that it was not a journey in this world, for in the time of Prophet Moses عليه السلام there was no other man who was superior to him including in terms of knowledge.
Next, the various acts of the man, who is identified as Khidr according to the Prophetic tradition, are at face value contrary to the divine Law. For example, making a hole in a ship which would cause it to sink and drown its crew and passengers and killing a young boy without due cause. However, as symbolic lessons and secrets pointing to the esoteric meaning it makes sense that these acts transpire in another plane of existence.
Finally, I shall quote a statement of the Prophet’s companion and second successor, sayyidina Umar al-Faruq رضى الله عنه which appears to indicate that this journey of the Prophet Moses عليه السلام was a spiritual ascension:
When the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم died, some of the people began saying:
إِنَّمَا عُرِجَ بِرُوحِهِ كَمَا عُرِجَ بِرُوحِ مُوسَى
Verily, he has ascended in his spirit like how Moses ascended in his spirit
Sayyidina Umar رضى الله عنه likewise began repeating this statement and declaring it to be true:
وَقَامَ عُمَرُ خَطِيبًا يُوعِدُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ قَالَ وَقَالَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَمْ يَمُتْ وَلَكِنْ إِنَّمَا عُرِجَ بِرُوحِهِ كَمَا عُرِجَ بِرُوحِ مُوسَى
Umar stood up, addressing and threatening the hypocrites, saying, ‘the Apostle of Allah peace be upon him has not died, rather he has ascended with his spirit like how Moses ascended in his spirit’ (Tabaqat al-Kubra; v.2 p.204; Sunan ad-Darimi #90):
This statement of sayyidina Umar رضى الله عنه is usually interpreted as a reference to the journey of Prophet Moses to Mount Sinai to receive the Tablets, in which he was absent from his people for forty nights. During his absence the hypocrites and perhaps some others from the Israelites began thinking that Prophet Moses had died and would not return. However, the difficulty with this interpretation is that Prophet Moses عليه السلام ascended Mount Sinai physically, in his corporal body. It was not a spiritual ascension. Therefore, the only other possible event in the life of Prophet Moses where he was absent from his people and on a journey was during his encounter with Khidr. Therefore, we can deduce that it was that journey which sayyidina Umar رضى الله عنه was referring to when he said Prophet Moses ascended with his spirit, and not his corporal body.
According to another version of sayyidina Umar’s statement:
لا أَسْمَعَنَّ أَحَدًا يَقُولُ إِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا قَدْ مَاتَ وَلَكِنَّهُ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِ كَمَا أُرْسِلَ إِلَى مُوسَى بْنِ عِمْرَانَ فَلَبِثَ عَنْ قَوْمِهِ أَرْبَعِينَ لَيْلَةً
I don’t want to heard any of you saying ‘indeed, Muhammad has died’ rather he was sent unto Him like how Moses son of Amram was sent for, and stayed away from his people for forty nights (Tabaqat al-Kubra v.2, p.204)
Although this version mentions forty nights which matches the duration of Prophet Moses’s stay on Mount Sinai, it does not make sense to compare that to the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, because the body of the Prophet Muhammad was present and observed by sayyidina Umar and the other Companions, so as the previous version indicates, they believed the absence of Prophet Moses from his people that is being compared to the absence of the Prophet Muhammad was an absence of his spirit and not corporal body.
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