The short answer
Surah Al-Kahf 18:60 to 82 tells how Musa, peace be upon him, travelled with a servant to meet one of Allah's servants, whom the verses do not name. Sahih al-Bukhari 122, graded sahih (authentic), names him al-Khidr, peace be upon him. The verses do not say whether he was a prophet; this page reports the named views without choosing.
Who is the servant Musa meets?
Musa sets out with his servant and says he will not stop until he reaches the place where the two seas meet: "I will not give up until I reach the point where the two seas meet" (18:60). The passage then describes the man they find only as "one of Our slaves, to whom We had given mercy from Us" (18:65).
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِفَتَىٰهُ لَآ أَبْرَحُ حَتَّىٰٓ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ ٱلْبَحْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِىَ حُقُبًا فَلَمَّا بَلَغَا مَجْمَعَ بَيْنِهِمَا نَسِيَا حُوتَهُمَا فَٱتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُۥ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ سَرَبًا فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَا قَالَ لِفَتَىٰهُ ءَاتِنَا غَدَآءَنَا لَقَدْ لَقِينَا مِن سَفَرِنَا هَـٰذَا نَصَبًا قَالَ أَرَءَيْتَ إِذْ أَوَيْنَآ إِلَى ٱلصَّخْرَةِ فَإِنِّى نَسِيتُ ٱلْحُوتَ وَمَآ أَنسَىٰنِيهُ إِلَّا ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَنْ أَذْكُرَهُۥ ۚ وَٱتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُۥ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ عَجَبًا قَالَ ذَٰلِكَ مَا كُنَّا نَبْغِ ۚ فَٱرْتَدَّا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَارِهِمَا قَصَصًا فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَـٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا قَالَ لَهُۥ مُوسَىٰ هَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمْتَ رُشْدًا قَالَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِىَ صَبْرًا وَكَيْفَ تَصْبِرُ عَلَىٰ مَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِۦ خُبْرًا قَالَ سَتَجِدُنِىٓ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ صَابِرًا وَلَآ أَعْصِى لَكَ أَمْرًا قَالَ فَإِنِ ٱتَّبَعْتَنِى فَلَا تَسْـَٔلْنِى عَن شَىْءٍ حَتَّىٰٓ أُحْدِثَ لَكَ مِنْهُ ذِكْرًا
The verses do not name him. The background comes from a report in Sahih al-Bukhari 122. Ubayy ibn Ka'b, may Allah be pleased with him, reports the account of Musa from the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Asked who was the most learned of people, Musa said that he was. Allah admonished him for not referring knowledge to Him, and told him of a servant at the junction of the two seas who was more learned than him. Musa set out with his servant boy, Yusha' ibn Nun, peace be upon him. The report names the man they found as al-Khidr, peace be upon him.
1AuthenticSahih al-Bukhari 122
What happens next?
Musa asks whether he may follow the man, so that he can be taught from what he has been taught (18:66). The man replies that Musa "you cannot bear with me" (18:67), and sets a condition: "ask me not concerning anything till I myself make mention of it to you" (18:70).
فَٱنطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا رَكِبَا فِى ٱلسَّفِينَةِ خَرَقَهَا ۖ قَالَ أَخَرَقْتَهَا لِتُغْرِقَ أَهْلَهَا لَقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْـًٔا إِمْرًا قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِىَ صَبْرًا قَالَ لَا تُؤَاخِذْنِى بِمَا نَسِيتُ وَلَا تُرْهِقْنِى مِنْ أَمْرِى عُسْرًا فَٱنطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا لَقِيَا غُلَـٰمًا فَقَتَلَهُۥ قَالَ أَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا زَكِيَّةًۢ بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ لَّقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْـًٔا نُّكْرًا ۞ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِىَ صَبْرًا قَالَ إِن سَأَلْتُكَ عَن شَىْءٍۭ بَعْدَهَا فَلَا تُصَـٰحِبْنِى ۖ قَدْ بَلَغْتَ مِن لَّدُنِّى عُذْرًا فَٱنطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَيَآ أَهْلَ قَرْيَةٍ ٱسْتَطْعَمَآ أَهْلَهَا فَأَبَوْا۟ أَن يُضَيِّفُوهُمَا فَوَجَدَا فِيهَا جِدَارًا يُرِيدُ أَن يَنقَضَّ فَأَقَامَهُۥ ۖ قَالَ لَوْ شِئْتَ لَتَّخَذْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا قَالَ هَـٰذَا فِرَاقُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنِكَ ۚ سَأُنَبِّئُكَ بِتَأْوِيلِ مَا لَمْ تَسْتَطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًا
Three things happen. In the first, the verse says "he made a hole therein" (18:71), and Musa asks whether he meant to drown the people on board. In the second, the man slays a lad, and Musa objects that he has killed an innocent soul (18:74). In the third, at a town whose people refuse to make them guests, the man repairs a wall that is about to fall, and Musa says he could have asked for payment (18:77). After the first two objections the man reminds Musa of the condition (18:72 and 18:75). The journey ends with the words "This is the parting between you and me" (18:78).
What reasons do the verses give?
The man explains each act in the verses that follow. Here they are, as the verses give them.
أَمَّا ٱلسَّفِينَةُ فَكَانَتْ لِمَسَـٰكِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ فَأَرَدتُّ أَنْ أَعِيبَهَا وَكَانَ وَرَآءَهُم مَّلِكٌ يَأْخُذُ كُلَّ سَفِينَةٍ غَصْبًا وَأَمَّا ٱلْغُلَـٰمُ فَكَانَ أَبَوَاهُ مُؤْمِنَيْنِ فَخَشِينَآ أَن يُرْهِقَهُمَا طُغْيَـٰنًا وَكُفْرًا فَأَرَدْنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُ زَكَوٰةً وَأَقْرَبَ رُحْمًا وَأَمَّا ٱلْجِدَارُ فَكَانَ لِغُلَـٰمَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِى ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ تَحْتَهُۥ كَنزٌ لَّهُمَا وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَـٰلِحًا فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَن يَبْلُغَآ أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسْتَخْرِجَا كَنزَهُمَا رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۚ وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُۥ عَنْ أَمْرِى ۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَأْوِيلُ مَا لَمْ تَسْطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًا
Of the ship, the verses say it belonged to poor people working at sea, and that a king behind them was taking every ship by force (18:79). For the lad, his parents were believers, and the reason given is that he would have oppressed them by rebellion and disbelief (18:80). The wall belonged to two orphan boys in the town; a treasure lay beneath it, their father had been righteous, and their Lord willed that they reach their full strength and bring out the treasure (18:82). Of the wall he says that he did it "I did it not upon my own command" (18:82), and he calls the explanation "Such is the interpretation of that which you could not bear".
Neither the king nor the town is named, and the passage gives no date or location.
Was al-Khidr a prophet?
Nothing in the verses calls him a prophet, and the Quran and the report above do not settle his status either. The honorific "peace be upon him" used on this page follows common Sunni usage and does not decide the question.
Ibn Kathir (d. 774 AH), in his Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim, vol. 5 p. 168, on Al-Kahf 18:82, says that the words "I did it not upon my own command" give an indication for those who hold al-Khidr's prophethood. He then reports that others said he was a messenger, that it was said he was an angel, a view he traces to al-Mawardi's commentary, and that many held he was not a prophet but a saint. 2 Ibn Kathir ends the passage with "Allah knows best". This page reports the views and does not choose among them.
Is al-Khidr still alive?
The verses do not say whether he is alive, and the report above does not say either.
Ibn Kathir, in vol. 5 p. 168 of his Tafsir, reports that al-Nawawi, in Tahdhib al-Asma' wa al-Lughat, and others related two views on whether al-Khidr still lives until now and until the Day of Resurrection. He reports that al-Nawawi and Ibn al-Salah inclined to the view that he survives. 3 This page does not decide between the two views.
What does the name Khidr mean?
The verses do not give the name, and the report above gives no meaning for it. The English translation of the hadith spells the name Khadir; the Arabic is al-Khadir, commonly written al-Khidr in English. This page gives no explanation of the name.
What can readers take from the account?
These are reading prompts drawn from the verses. They are not promises about the reader's own life.
| Theme to notice | What the passage shows |
|---|---|
| Asking to learn, with patience | Musa asks to follow, and is told he will not be able to bear with the man (18:66 to 68). |
| Waiting for an explanation | The condition not to ask until the man explains (18:70), and the explanations given afterwards (18:79 to 82). |
| Acts that look wrong at first | Each of the three acts is explained only after Musa has objected to it (18:71 to 82). |
A teacher read us the Musa and Khidr passage from Al-Kahf at a Friday circle. When we reached the boy, the room went silent and my hand went straight up. He told me to wait until the end of the passage. I still think about how hard that wait was.
Try it: three questions
Pick an answer; each one explains itself.
1In which verse does the man say that he did one of the acts "not upon my own command"?
Answer: Al-Kahf 18:82. Verse 82 has him say "I did it not upon my own command", and it is the verse that explains the wall.
2Does Surah Al-Kahf name the servant whom Musa meets?
Answer: No, the verses leave him unnamed. Verse 65 calls him "one of Our slaves" and does not give a name. The name al-Khidr comes from the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari 122.
3Which of the three acts does verse 79 explain as sparing the boat from a king who takes every ship by force?
Answer: The hole in the ship. Verse 79 says the ship belonged to poor people working at sea, and that a king behind them was taking every ship by force, so the man wanted to mar it.
Questions people ask
Is al-Khidr named in the Quran?
No. Surah Al-Kahf 18:65 calls him one of Allah's servants, to whom Allah gave mercy and knowledge, without giving a name. The name al-Khidr comes from the hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari 122.
Was al-Khidr a prophet?
The verses do not call him a prophet. Ibn Kathir, in his Tafsir (vol. 5 p. 168), reports views that he was a prophet, a messenger, an angel or a saint. This page sets out the reported views with their sources and does not choose between them.
Is al-Khidr still alive?
Nothing in the verses says whether he is alive. Ibn Kathir, in his Tafsir (vol. 5 p. 168), reports two views from al-Nawawi and others, and this page does not decide it.
What does the name Khidr mean?
Neither the verses nor the hadith on this page explain the name, so this page gives no meaning for it.
Sources
Every claim on this page comes from one of these. Gradings are reported with the scholar's name; we do not grade hadith ourselves.
- 1
Ubayy ibn Ka'b reported the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, account of Moses: asked who was the most learned, he said 'I'; Allah told him of a servant at the junction of the two seas more learned than him; Moses set out with his servant boy Yusha' ibn Nun and met al-Khidr.
Sahih al-Bukhari 122 Book 3, Hadith 64
Authentic: in Sahih al-Bukhari
- 2
Ibn Kathir, on Al-Kahf 18:82, reports that the words 'I did it not upon my own command' give an indication for those who hold al-Khidr's prophethood, reports the views that he was a messenger, an angel (from al-Mawardi's commentary) and a saint, and says many held he was not a prophet.
Ibn Kathir (d. 774 AH), Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim, vol. 5 p. 168, on 18:65 to 82 Electronic copy read on 26 October 2026 (shamela.ws, Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya edition). Print verification outstanding. Record: scholarly-ibnkathir-18-65-khidr-prophethood.
- 3
Ibn Kathir reports that al-Nawawi, in Tahdhib al-Asma' wa al-Lughat, and others related two views on whether al-Khidr still lives, and that al-Nawawi and Ibn al-Salah inclined to his survival.
Ibn Kathir (d. 774 AH), Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim, vol. 5 p. 168, on 18:65 to 82, quoting al-Nawawi (Tahdhib not read) Electronic copy read on 26 October 2026 (shamela.ws, Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya edition). Print verification outstanding. Record: scholarly-ibnkathir-18-65-khidr-alive.
- Q
Quran Arabic and English for Al-Kahf 18:60 to 82, shown in three passages and quoted in the text.
Tanzil Project Uthmani text, CC BY 3.0. English: adapted from Marmaduke Pickthall's translation (1930), modernised and checked against modern translations.
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