Prophet Mūsā: Part 6 — His Last Days and al-Khaḍir
Section 9 of 21 · Lives of the Prophets
How Can You Be Patient?
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
“Mūsā said to him, “May I have your company so that you teach me some of the rightful knowledge you have been given.” He said, “You can never bear with me patiently. And how would you keep patient over something your comprehension cannot grasp?” He (Mūsā) said, “You will find me patient, if Allah wills, and I shall not disobey any order from you.” He said, “Well, if you follow me, do not ask me about anything unless I myself start telling you about it.”” (18:66–70)
Mūsā said: I want to follow you — attabiʿuka — I want to follow you. Al-Khaḍir said: you will not be able to follow me, because you will have no patience. Wa kayfa taṣbiru ʿalā mā lam tuḥiṭ bihī khubrā — how can you have patience about something you do not know? You are going to see things that are amazing and astonishing, and you are not going to have patience. Mūsā said: let me follow you; let me follow you.
Al-Khaḍir did not want to reject this student of knowledge, but he set a condition. He said: fa-in ittabaʿtanī fa-lā tasʾalnī ʿan shayʾin ḥattā uḥditha laka minhu dhikrā — if you follow me, ask me about nothing until I myself mention it to you. This is the condition: you follow me, but you do not question my actions. You accept what you see; do not argue. Mūsā said: I agree. So this was their agreement.