أَمَّا ٱلسَّفِينَةُ فَكَانَتْ لِمَسَـٰكِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ فَأَرَدتُّ أَنْ أَعِيبَهَا وَكَانَ وَرَآءَهُم مَّلِكٌ يَأْخُذُ كُلَّ سَفِينَةٍ غَصْبًا 79
Translations
As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working at sea. So I intended to cause defect in it as there was after them a king who seized every [good] ship by force.
Transliteration
Amma al-safīnatu fakānat li-masākīn ya'malūn fī al-bahr fa-aradtu an a'ībahā wa-kāna warā'ahum malik ya'khudh kulla safīnah ghasbā
Tafsir (Explanation)
In this ayah, Khidr explains his action of damaging the ship: it belonged to poor people who worked on the sea, and he intentionally made it defective to protect it from a tyrant king who seized every ship by force. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this demonstrates Khidr's divine knowledge ('ilm) of hidden affairs—he knew of the impending danger and acted to preserve the poor people's livelihood through apparent harm that concealed true mercy. The ayah illustrates the principle that sometimes what appears as destruction or harm is actually protection and wisdom from Allah.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the story of Khidr and Musa (peace be upon them) in Surah Al-Kahf, a Meccan chapter. The broader context involves three actions by Khidr that initially puzzled Musa, but were later explained as containing divine wisdom and mercy. This narrative teaches believers about the limitations of human knowledge compared to divine knowledge.
Related Hadiths
The entire story of Khidr and Musa is referenced in Sahih Bukhari (Hadith 3401), where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explains Khidr's three actions and emphasizes that Khidr possessed special knowledge from Allah. Additionally, hadith collections contain the general principle: 'Perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you' (Quran 2:216), which reflects the wisdom embedded in Khidr's actions.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that apparent misfortunes or incomprehensible divine actions may conceal profound wisdom and mercy meant to protect us. Believers should cultivate trust in Allah's plan even when unable to understand the immediate reasoning behind events, recognizing that human knowledge is limited while Allah's wisdom is infinite and ever-encompassing.
Related Ayahs
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَعْثَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ وَأَنَّ ٱلسَّاعَةَ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهَآ إِذْ يَتَنَـٰزَعُونَ بَيْنَهُمْ أَمْرَهُمْ ۖ فَقَالُوا۟ ٱبْنُوا۟ عَلَيْهِم بُنْيَـٰنًا ۖ رَّبُّهُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِهِمْ ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ غَلَبُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِمْ لَنَتَّخِذَنَّ عَلَيْهِم مَّسْجِدًا
And similarly, We caused them to be found that they [who found them] would know that the promise of Allāh is truth and that of the Hour there is no doubt. [That was] when they disputed among themselves about their affair and [then] said, "Construct over them a structure. Their Lord is most knowing about them." Said those who prevailed in the matter, "We will surely take [for ourselves] over them a masjid."
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَـٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا
And they found a servant from among Our servants [i.e., al-Khiḍr] to whom We had given mercy from Us and had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge.
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِفَتَىٰهُ لَآ أَبْرَحُ حَتَّىٰٓ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِىَ حُقُبًا
And [mention] when Moses said to his boy [i.e., servant], "I will not cease [traveling] until I reach the junction of the two seas or continue for a long period."
إِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَهُۥ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ مِن كُلِّ شَىْءٍ سَبَبًا
Indeed, We established him upon the earth, and We gave him from everything a way [i.e., means].