قَالَ إِن سَأَلْتُكَ عَن شَىْءٍۭ بَعْدَهَا فَلَا تُصَـٰحِبْنِى ۖ قَدْ بَلَغْتَ مِن لَّدُنِّى عُذْرًا 76
Translations
[Moses] said, "If I should ask you about anything after this, then do not keep me as a companion. You have obtained from me an excuse."
Transliteration
Qala in sa'altuka 'an shay'in ba'daha fala tusahibni qad balaghta min ladunni 'uzran
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah records Khidr's (peace be upon him) final condition to Musa (Moses), stating that if Musa asks him about anything after this point, their companionship must end. Khidr indicates that Musa has already received sufficient excuse or justification from him for his previous actions (the ship's repair, the boy's killing, and the wall's restoration), and further questioning would breach their agreement. Classical scholars like Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir emphasize that this represents Khidr's patience exhausted and his setting a clear boundary, reflecting the Divine wisdom that some matters are beyond human comprehension and must be accepted with trust in Allah's plan.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs near the conclusion of the Kahf narrative (18:60-82), which presents the journey between Musa and Khidr. The context involves Khidr performing three seemingly inexplicable actions, and Musa questioning each one despite earlier warnings. This final statement serves as the culmination of their interaction, emphasizing lessons about patience, humility before Divine wisdom, and respecting boundaries in seeking knowledge.
Related Hadiths
The story of Musa and Khidr is extensively detailed in Sahih Bukhari (3:50, Hadith 3401), where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) narrates the complete account, highlighting that Khidr's actions were divinely guided despite appearing harmful on the surface. Another relevant tradition in Sahih Muslim discusses patience in accepting Divine decree even when wisdom is not immediately apparent to us.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches us that not all Divine actions and decisions are immediately comprehensible to human intellect, and we must cultivate patience and trust rather than constant questioning; it also reminds us that there are limits to human understanding, and accepting these limits with grace is a sign of wisdom and faith.