One of the best stories in the Holy Qur'an besides the one of Prophet Youssef (Joseph) may the blessings of God be upon him, is the story of Moses with the mysterious (but real) person in Islamic tradition called Khidr.The Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him mentioned this story in one of his encounters with his companions:
"While Moses was sitting in the company of some Israelites, a man came and asked him. "Do you know anyone who is more learned than you? Moses replied: "No." So Allah sent the Divine Inspiration to Moses: 'Yes, Our slave Khadir (is more learned than you.)' Moses asked (Allah) how to meet him (Khadir). So Allah made the fish as a sign for him and he was told that when the fish was lost, he should return (to the place where he had lost it) and there he would meet him (Al-Khadir). So Moses went on looking for the sign of the fish in the sea. The servant-boy of Moses said to him: Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the rock, I indeed forgot the fish, none but Satan made me forget to remember it. On that Moses said: 'That is what we have been seeking? (18.64) So they went back retracing their foot-steps, and found Khadir. (And) what happenedfurther to them is narrated in the Holy Qur'an by Allah."
Obviously this Hadith narrates half of the story, which is the trip of Prophet Moses in search for Khidr and their final encounter beside a rock, where Khidr was lying down. Prophet Moses kept waiting for this man to wake up for fear of distrubing his peacefull sleep, but when he woke up both recognised each other and the trip went on. Once we ponder over the meanings of the Hadith and the encounter itself, we extract great lessons on the importance of knowledge, its absolutness, and most of all the necessity of modesty for the seeker of knowledger. When the man of the Israelites told Moses: Do you know anyone who is more learned than you? the Prophet said: No (I am the most learned) . God quickly admonished his Prophet and inspired Moses on the trip in search for Khidr, the Prophet reacted to the call and went in search for this man to quenchhis thirst of wisdom and knowledge. God says in Surah Kahf:
"Indeed, when Moses said to his servant-boy: I will not stay untill I reach the conjunction of the two seas or go further."
The Prophet learnt the lesson about the absolutness of knowledge, because it belongs only to God, who gives wisdom to whom He wills amognst his righteous servants. Had God wanted to faciliate the task, He would have made the encounter easier, but the trip all along the sea inspires us on the importance of seeking knowledge in Islam as the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said: "He who seeks the path of knowledge, Allah will facilitate for him the path to Paradise." One could ask, why God equates knowledge with paradise? Is it a worship? Here I recall the story of the creation of Adam may God bless him:
"And when your Lord said to the angels: I will make a sucessor (Khalifa) in the earth. The Angels said: Will you bring to it he who does corruption and shed blood while we praise Your favors and worship you? God replied: I know what you know not. and He taught Adam all the names (of living things) and exposed them to the angels, and said: inform me of the names of these (living things) if you have knowledge. They said: All the praise is to You: we have no knowledge except what you have taught us."
This is also one of the wonderfull anecdotes of creation in Qur'an which shows the purpose of our existence, which is that of dwelling on the earth, and control it (the whole earth and universe) according to the rules set by God, the Almighty, and how knowledge has been put at our service to reach this purpose. Knowledge is equated with Paradise, because a better control of the world, which is a responsibility trusted to us by God, is only attainable by means of knowledge. Seeing how much knowledge is important to us, make us understand the quest of Prophet Moses the best way possible.
At last, Prophet Moses meets Khidr and began the sea journey:
"They continued until they boarded a boat, and he (Khidr) made a hole in it. Then Musa said: "Did you make a hole in it so that its owners would be drowned? This is truly a dreadful thing that you have done!" (Surat al-Kahf, 71)
"So they went on until they met a youngster, whom he [Khidr (as) ] killed. Musa (as) said: "Have you killed a boy who has done no wrong, without it being in retaliation for someone else? This is truly an appalling thing that you have done!" (Surat al-Kahf, 74)
"So they went on until they reached the inhabitants of a town. They asked them for food, but they refused them hospitality. They found there a wall about to fall down, and he [Khidr] built it up. Musa said: "If you had wanted, you could have taken a wage for doing that." (Surat al-Kahf, 77)
These were three hard experiences which Moses had to face from Khidr, and everytime he interrupts him to make him know that what he has done wrong, Khidr admonishes him and asks him to wait till he explains the wisdom behind every action. The boat, which Khidr made a hole on it, belonged to two boys who had to face a tyrant king who ordered to strip all the firshermen of their boats. So, when he discovered the hole, he gave it back to the young boys. The youngster whom Khidr killed was a deviant son of a pious family , whom Khidr knew that he commits and will commit more crimes in the future. Khidr restored the wall, because it contained a treasure which belonged to two orphans whose father, was a pious man, and wanted to ensure that the people of the town would not discover it. The purpose behind every incident was a lesson that Moseslearnt: everything happens for a reason, and so many apparently-bad happenings, may contain so many good behind. Throughtout the verses, God praises Khidr to be one of his righteous devotees, who has been given knowledge and compassion and both qualities are used for a noble purpose, which is to serve humanity and especially the weak, and the less privileged people of society. In the Qur'anic story he protected the rights of the poor fishermen against the tyrant king, the old parents against the deviant, violent son, and the orphans against the uncompassionate people of the town.
Throughtout the Moses quest for truth and Prophethood, God revealed for him that the basics elements of a succesfull messenger are knowledge, patience and modesty, and compassion. A Prophet never quenches his thirst for knowledge, because he is a teacher; he should be patient because to spread the message requires getting along with obstacles; a Prophet has to be, as well, compassionate towards the weak and unpriviledged elements of society. Such a message was transmitted to us by the medium of the Qur'an as to teach us that our existence has a purpose behind. Every one of us holds a message to spread to others as the Prophet Muhammad said: the people of knowledge are the heirs of Prophets; ie we have to learn even more to spread the message to the whole world, and our mission on earth should hold in purpose speaking for the rights of theminority groups, learning and teaching good knowledge, because it what ensures a better future and it is the way leading towards paradise, and this the purpose behind creation which has been revealed to us in the verse of creation of Adam. Every good action is considered as a worship in Islam and has its reward in the eternal life.
A. Siham
Because to distribute the idea needs getting along with obstacles; a Prophet has to be, as well, careful towards the inadequate and unpriviledged elements of group. Such a idea was given to us by the medium
Posted by: gambling games online | 02/05/2012 at 14h12
visit my blog here:
http://www.blogster.com/waytoparadise/
Posted by: sula siham | 25/12/2011 at 18h55