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Tafsir Ishraq al-Ma'ani

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Introduction | Wiki
1. Al-Fatihah
2. Al-Baqarah
3. Al-Imran
4. Al-Nisa
5. Al-Maidah
6. Al-Anam
7. Al-Araf
8. Al-Anfal
9. Al-Taubah
10. Yunus
11. Hud
12. Yusuf
13. Al-Rad
14. Ibrahim
15. Al-Hijr
16. Al-Nahl
17. Bani Israil
18. Al-Kahf
19. Maryam
20. Ta-Ha
21. Al-Anbiya
22. Al-Hajj
23. Al-Muminun
24. An-Nur
25. Al-Furqan
26. Ash-Shuara
27. An-Naml
28. Al-Qasas
29. Al-Ankabut
30. Ar-Rum
31. Luqman
32. As-Sajdah
33. Al-Ahzab
34. Saba
35. Fatir
36. Yasin
37. As-Saffat
38. Saad
39. Az-Zumar
40. Al-Mumin
41. Ha-Meem-As-Sajdah
42. AShura
43. Az-Zukhruf
44. Ad-Dukhan
45. Al-Jathiyah
46. Al-Ahqaf
47. Muhammad
48. Al-Fath
49. Al-Hujurat
50. Al-Qaf
51. Adh-Dhariyat
52. At-Tur
53. An-Najm
54. Al-Qamar
55. Al-Rahman
56. Al-Waqiah
57. Al-Hadid
58. Al-Mujadalah
59. Al-Hashr
60. Al-Mumtahinah
61. As-Saff
62. Al-Jumuah
63. Al-Munafiqun
64. Al-Taghabun
65. At-Talaq
66. At-Tahrim
67. Al-Mulk
68. Al-Qalam
69. Al-Haqqah
70. Al-Maarij
71. Nuh
72. Al-Jinn
73. Al-Muzzammil
74. Al-Muddhththir
75. Al-Qiyamah
76. Ad-Dahr
77. Al-Mursalat
78. An-Naba
79. An-Naziat
80. Abas
81. At-Takwir
82. Al-Infitar
83. At-Tatfif
84. Al-Inshiqaq
85. Al-Buruj
86. At-Tariq
87. Al-Ala
88. Al-Ghashiyah
89. Al-Fajr
90. Al-Balad
91. Ash-Shams
92. Al-Lail
93. Ad-Duha
94. Al-Inshirah
95. At-Tin
96. Al-Alaq
97. Al-Qadr
98. Al-Bayyinah
99. Az-Zilzal
100. Al-Adiyat
101. Al-Qariah
102. At-Takathur
103. Al-Asr
104. Al-Humazah
105. Al-Fil
106. Al-Quraish
107. Al-Maun
108. Al-Kauthar
109. Al-Kafirun
110. An-Nasr
111. Al-Lahab
112. Al-Ikhlas
113. Al-Falaq
114. An-Nas
Surah 18. Al-Kahf
Verses [Section]: 1-12[1], 13-17 [2], 18-22 [3], 23-31 [4], 32-44 [5], 45-49 [6], 50-53 [7], 54-59 [8], 60-70 [9], 71-82 [10], 83-101 [11], 102-110 [12]

Quran Text of Verse 60-70
وَ اِذْAnd whenقَالَsaidمُوْسٰیMusaلِفَتٰىهُto his boyلَاۤNotاَبْرَحُI will ceaseحَتّٰۤیuntilاَبْلُغَI reachمَجْمَعَthe junctionالْبَحْرَیْنِ(of) the two seasاَوْorاَمْضِیَI continueحُقُبًا (for) a long period فَلَمَّاBut whenبَلَغَاthey reachedمَجْمَعَthe junctionبَیْنِهِمَاbetween themنَسِیَاthey forgotحُوْتَهُمَاtheir fishفَاتَّخَذَand it tookسَبِیْلَهٗits wayفِیintoالْبَحْرِthe seaسَرَبًا slipping away 18. Al-Kahf Page 301فَلَمَّاThen whenجَاوَزَاthey had passed beyondقَالَhe saidلِفَتٰىهُto his boyاٰتِنَاBring usغَدَآءَنَا ؗour morning mealلَقَدْCertainlyلَقِیْنَاwe have sufferedمِنْinسَفَرِنَاour journeyهٰذَاthisنَصَبًا fatigue قَالَHe saidاَرَءَیْتَDid you seeاِذْwhenاَوَیْنَاۤwe retiredاِلَیtoالصَّخْرَةِthe rockفَاِنِّیْThen indeed Iنَسِیْتُ[I] forgotالْحُوْتَ ؗthe fishوَ مَاۤAnd notاَنْسٰىنِیْهُmade me forget itاِلَّاexceptالشَّیْطٰنُthe Shaitaanاَنْthatاَذْكُرَهٗ ۚI mention itوَ اتَّخَذَAnd it tookسَبِیْلَهٗits wayفِیintoالْبَحْرِ ۖۗthe seaعَجَبًا amazingly قَالَHe saidذٰلِكَThatمَا(is) whatكُنَّاwe wereنَبْغِ ۖۗseekingفَارْتَدَّاSo they returnedعَلٰۤیonاٰثَارِهِمَاtheir footprintsقَصَصًاۙretracing فَوَجَدَاThen they foundعَبْدًاa servantمِّنْfromعِبَادِنَاۤOur servantsاٰتَیْنٰهُwhom We had givenرَحْمَةًmercyمِّنْfromعِنْدِنَاUsوَ عَلَّمْنٰهُand We had taught himمِنْfromلَّدُنَّاUsعِلْمًا a knowledge قَالَSaidلَهٗto himمُوْسٰیMusaهَلْMayاَتَّبِعُكَI follow youعَلٰۤیonاَنْthatتُعَلِّمَنِyou teach meمِمَّاof whatعُلِّمْتَyou have been taughtرُشْدًا (of) right guidance قَالَHe saidاِنَّكَIndeed youلَنْneverتَسْتَطِیْعَwill be ableمَعِیَwith meصَبْرًا (to have) patience وَ كَیْفَAnd how canتَصْبِرُyou have patienceعَلٰیforمَاwhatلَمْnotتُحِطْyou encompassبِهٖof itخُبْرًا any knowledge قَالَHe saidسَتَجِدُنِیْۤYou will find meاِنْifشَآءَAllah willsاللّٰهُAllah willsصَابِرًاpatientوَّ لَاۤand notاَعْصِیْI will disobeyلَكَyourاَمْرًا order قَالَHe saidفَاِنِThen ifاتَّبَعْتَنِیْyou follow meفَلَا(do) notتَسْـَٔلْنِیْask meعَنْaboutشَیْءٍanythingحَتّٰۤیuntilاُحْدِثَI presentلَكَto youمِنْهُof itذِكْرًا۠a mention
Translation of Verse 60-70

(18:60) And when Musa said to his (attendant) lad,82 ‘I will not cease until I reach the junction of the two seas,83 or I shall keep going for ages.’84

(18:61) But when they reached the junction between them, they forgot their fish85 which took its way into the river, burrowing.86

(18:62) When the two had passed over, he said to his lad, ‘Bring out our morning-meal. We have indeed encountered hardship from this our journey.’

(18:63) He replied, ‘Did you see?! When we took shelter at the rock, I forgot about the fish, and none but Shaytan made me forget that I should mention it. It took its way into the sea in an amazing manner.87

(18:64) He said, ‘That was what we were seeking after.’ So they returned, tracing back their footsteps.88

(18:65) They found a slave from among Our slaves89 on whom we had bestowed mercy from Us, and had taught him knowledge proceeding from Us.90

(18:66) Musa asked him, ‘May I follow you on condition that you teach me of what higher knowledge you have been taught?’91

(18:67) He answered, ‘Assuredly, you will never be able to have patience with me.

(18:68) How can you show patience over what you do not encompass in knowledge?’

(18:69) He said, ‘You will find me, Allah willing, patient; and I shall not disobey you in any command.’

(18:70) Said he, ‘If you follow me, then do not ask me about anything until I myself speak to you about it.’


Commentary

82. Musa was asked to seek a Servant of Allah who would instruct him in such knowledge as he did not possess. “This episode .. is meant to illustrate four points. (1) Moses was learned in (wisdom) .. Even so that wisdom did not comprehend everything, even as the whole stock of the knowledge of the present day, in the sciences and the arts, and in literature, (if it could be supposed to be gathered in one individual), does not include all knowledge. Divine knowledge .. is unlimited. Even after Moses received his divine mission, his knowledge was not so perfect that it could not receive further additions. (2) Constant effort is necessary to keep our knowledge square with the march of time, and such effort Moses is shown to be making. (3) The mysterious man he meets .. to whom Tradition assigns the name of Khidr .. has the type of that knowledge which is ever in contact with life as it is actually lived. (4) There are paradoxes in life; apparent loss may be real gain; apparent cruelty may be real mercy; returning good for evil may really be justice and not charity.. Allah’s wisdom transcends all human calculation (Yusuf Ali).

83. There is no consensus in opinion over the place. Majid writes, “The most probable geographical location .. is where the two arms of the Red Sea join together, viz., the Gulf of Aqabah and the Gulf of Suez. They enclose the Sinai Peninsula, in which Moses and the Israelites spent many years in their wanderings (AYA).”

84. Although there are varied opinions about the period that “huqbah” (pl. huqub, ahqab) covers, from one to eighty years, Ibn ‘Abbas, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd have said that it is used for a very long period, or maybe something running into eternity (Tabari, Ibn Kathir).

85. The construction of the earlier part of the verse is a beautiful way of putting together two sentences in one. It implies that Musa forgot to ask his companion about the fish and his companion forgot to mention its mysterious disappearance (Au.).

86. Ibn ‘Abbas explained the term “saraba” as meaning the fish left a trace of itself as it went into the water (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir).

87. Someone may ask, how could Yusha` forget such an important incident, that of fish coming alive and jumping into the river? Zamakhshari answers: We should not forget he was in the company of a great Prophet. How many strange occurrences he might not have been noticing in his company, all the while?

88. In all that preceded, it seems the hidden message is that knowledge requires some struggle to acquire. Allah could as well have arranged for Khadir to see Musa at the place he was. But rather, he was asked to travel to the junction of the two waters, at a precise point where his fish would disappear. But, after he reached the place, both he and his companion forgot about it. So, they moved on in their quest, until Musa felt truly fatigued. Yet, when they discovered the fish missing, they had to travel back, another cause of fatigue and the lesson that knowledge has its price (Mufti Shafi`, slightly modified).

89. That was Al-Khadir, (or, as some would say Khidr) meaning , “the Green One,” (implying, [according to popular legend] that his wisdom was ever-fresh: Asad). He was lying asleep, under a cloak covering himself from head to foot. He was given some knowledge of the hidden, unknown, and the unseen (Tabari, Zamakhshari).

According to a hadith in Bukhari narrated by Abu Hurayrah, Khadir was so named because once he sat down on a dry grassy belt and it became green by his touch (Ibn Kathir, Shawkani).

90. Alusi speaks on the new term introduced here in the Qur’an: “`ilm al-ladunni.” He points out that in truth there is no mystery about it. Al-Khadir was given a special knowledge through “wahyu ilham” (“revelation through inspiration,” or “revelation through the blow”) which can be experienced both by Prophets as well as non-prophets. In this kind of revelation, an angel does not appear to the eyes. He does not speak out words, remains concealed, but inspires the recipient with whatever Allah wishes to send across of knowledge. Our Prophet also occasionally experienced this kind of revelation. For example, he said, “The Ruh al-Quds (Jibril) blew into my heart that no soul will die without having obtained its share of provision. Therefore, fear Allah and employ fair means to obtain (it).” This too is “`ilm al-ladunni.” It is also known by the term “`ilm al-batin” (the hidden or esoteric knowledge) by which term it is merely meant to contrast it with “`ilm-azzahir” - the apparent or exoteric knowledge – which is so called because it is obtained by open means (such as study of books). In sharp contrast, “`ilm al-batin” requires practice of what one knows, which opens doors to gates of knowledge hitherto closed. Sheikh ‘Abdul Wahhab Sha`rani has written in his “Al-Durar al-Manthurah” the following: The special knowledge that the Sufis possess, is obtained by no other means than by putting into practice what one learns of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Since Sufis do this diligently and spiritedly, they are able to obtain an in-depth knowledge, of which they speak out, saying things that another cannot say. For, the closer one gets to Allah, the more difficult the transmission of knowledge that one has of this nature, and all the more difficult for those to understand who do not have similar footing in the field.”

Also see Surah Al-Ma’idah, note187 for related discussions.

91. If it is admitted that Khadir was a Waliyy, then, does it imply that a Waliyy can be more knowledgeable than a Nabiyy, as some Sufis claim? The answer is, says Alusi, such an implication is incorrect. For Khadir might have had greater knowledge than Musa in a certain department, but Musa’s knowledge exceeded Khadir’s in every other department. Also, Alusi warns, do not read too much in Musa’s exemplary humble attitude towards Kkadir. (That is how students must behave towards their masters: Razi).