Precedence of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) over Al-Khadir (علیہ السلام) ، his up-bringing and miracles In the next verse, it was said: فَلَمَّا بَلَغَا مَجْمَعَ بَيْنِهِمَا نَسِيَا حُوتَهُمَا فَاتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ سَرَبًا So, when they reached the meeting point of the two seas, they forgot their fish and it made its way into the sea as in a tunnel- 61. Before we explain the nature of the extraordinary happening there, it is appropriate to first refer to the distinct position bestowed upon Sayyidna Musa 1 in the comity of prophets. This has been mentioned explicitly in the Qur&an, and Sunnah. The special distinction of having conversed with Allah Ta` a1a is his hallmark. With al-Khadir (علیہ السلام) ، the matter is dif¬ferent. To begin with, the very fact of his being a prophet has been debat¬ed. Even if his prophet-hood (nubuwwah) is acknowledged, he does not hold the station of a Messenger (Rasul) of Allah (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم) . Neither is he credited with a Book, nor does he have a distinct community of followers. Therefore, considering all related aspects, Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) has marked precedence over al-Khadir (علیہ السلام) . But, Allah Ta` ala has His own wise ways to help those close to Him perform better. He would not let the least want or short coming go uncorrected and not amended. This pro¬cess of reform at the highest level would even bring serious displeasure from Allah and it is through an equally serious measure that they are made to repair for it. This whole story reflects the same mode of person-al training. By saying: اَنَا (and: I), he had said: &I am the foremost in knowledge.& Allah Ta` ala did not like it. So, as a measure of warning, he was given the whereabouts of a servant who had a field of knowledge specially given to him by Allah. This Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) did not have. Though the knowledge of Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) was far higher in rank than that given to him, but the truth of the matter was that Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) just did not have it. On the other side, Allah Ta` ala had blessed Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) with an intense desire to seek knowledge. As soon as he smelt the scent of knowledge elsewhere too, knowledge that he did not have, he was all set to go for it traveling like an ardent student and it was Allah Ta` ala Himself that he turned to for the ad-dress of that servant of His (al-Khadir علیہ السلام). Now, there is something worth pondering at this point. Had it been the will of Allah Ta’ ala that Musa (علیہ السلام) should meet al-Khadir (علیہ السلام) at that spot, He could have ar¬ranged that easily. Or, if Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) himself was Divinely destined to travel, he could have been given a clear address to help him reach it without any botheration. But, what happened here was different. The address given to him was far from being precise - &when you reach the place where the dead fish stirs and disappears, that will be the place you will find Our servant.& Just about what this Hadith of the Sahih al-Bukhari proves is that the command to put a fish in their basket came from Allah Ta’ ala. Bey¬ond that, it is not known whether the order was to carry a fish for eating or that it was to be carried as separate from what was to be eaten. Both probabilities exist. Therefore, some of the commentators said that this grilled fish was put in to eat and, during the course of the journey, the two travelers kept eating out of it as well. Eaten thus was almost half of it. After that, miraculously enough, this grilled and half-eaten fish came alive and went into the sea. Ibn ` Atiyyah and many others also observed that this fish kept sur¬viving in the world as a matter of miracle and there were those who even saw that it had only one side intact while the other was eaten. Ibn ` Atiyy¬ah has also put his personal sighting on record. (Qurtubi) And there are other commentators who have said that the command was to put a fish in a basket separate from that for food. The fish was put as commanded. Here too, at least this much is definite that the fish was dead. Its stirring up, becoming alive and going into the sea was nothing but a miracle. We have said a little earlier that the address of al-Khadir was left imprecise in a manner that it would not remain easy to pinpoint it. Obviously, this too was nothing but a trial and test for Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) . As though this was not enough, the scenario of an additional test was activated for them when they had reached the exact spot but forgot the fish. In the verse of the Qur&an, this act of forgetting has been attrib¬uted to Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) and his companion both: نَسِيَا حُوتَهُمَا (they forgot their fish - 61). But, as regards the story proved from the Hadith of al-Bukhari, it seems to indicate that Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) was asleep when came the time for the fish to become alive and go into the sea. This extraordinary event was witnessed by Yusha& ibn Nun only and he had intended that he would relate it to Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) as soon as he woke up. But, soon after that happened, Allah Ta’ ala cast a state of obliv¬ion on him and he forgot to do that. If so, the attribution of forgetfulness to both of them would be similar to the statement of the Qur’ an: اللُّؤلُؤ وَالمَرجَاںُ - 55:22. Here it has been said that pearl and coral are ex¬tracted from both sweet and brackish waters - although, these are col¬lected from the later only. But, saying something like this in usage is common. Then it is also possible that since both respected elders had for-gotten to take this fish along with them as far as the journey from that point onwards was concerned. Therefore, forgetfulness was attributed to both. Nevertheless, this was yet another test. After having reached the pro¬jected destination, the fish came alive and disappeared into the sea. The reality had unfolded and the place was pinpointed. But, that was not the end. The seeker of truth had to undergo yet another test. Therefore, for¬getfulness overtook both of them and it was only after having traveled one day and one night more that they realized hunger and fatigue. This was the third test, because any realization of fatigue and hunger should have naturally come earlier than that. If they had recalled the fish at that earlier time and place, they would have not suffered from such a long additional journey. But, such was the will of Allah Ta` ala that they had to face a little more of hardship. It was only after having gone through the grind of such a long journey that they felt hungry and thirsty and there it was that they remembered the fish and found out that they had come far ahead of their desired destination. Therefore, they returned back on the same footprints they had left earlier. The first mention of the fish going into the sea was made through the word: سَرَبَاً (saraba - 61). Sarab means a tunnel that is dug to open up a passage through the mountains or an underground subway in cities. This tells us that the fish when it went into the sea had a tunnel-like passage forming itself in whatever direction it moved. Water currents did not obstruct its passage at all, rather left it open - as made explicit by the narrative from the Sahih of al-Bukhari. The second time, when Yusha ibn Nun related this event before Sayyidna Musa (علیہ السلام) after their long journey, it was done in the following وَاتَّخَذَ سَبِيلَهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ عَجَبًا ، amazingly, it made its way into the sea - 63). There is no contradic¬tion between the two, because the incidence of a tunnel forming itself into the sea was by itself an extraordinarily amazing event.
