Surah 18. Al-Kahf

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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]

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Quran Text of Verse 60-70وَ 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

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Translation of Verse 60-70

60. And ˹remember˺ when Moses said to his young assistant, "I will never give up until I reach the junction of the two seas, even if I travel for ages." ⁵⁶⁰

61. But when they ˹finally˺ reached the point where the seas met, they forgot their ˹salted˺ fish, and it made its way into the sea, slipping away ˹wondrously˺.

62. When they had passed further, he said to his assistant, "Bring us our meal! We have certainly been exhausted by today's journey."

63. He replied, "Do you remember when we rested by the rock? ˹That is when˺ I forgot the fish. None made me forget to mention this except Satan. And the fish made its way into the sea miraculously." ⁵⁶¹

64. Moses responded, "That is ˹exactly˺ what we were looking for." ⁵⁶² So they returned, retracing their footsteps.

65. There they found a servant of Ours, to whom We had granted mercy from Us and enlightened with knowledge of Our Own.

66. Moses said to him, "May I follow you, provided that you teach me some of the right guidance you have been taught?"

67. He said, "You certainly cannot be patient ˹enough˺ with me.

68. And how can you be patient with what is beyond your ˹realm of˺ knowledge?"

69. Moses assured ˹him˺, "You will find me patient, Allah willing, and I will not disobey any of your orders."

70. He responded, "Then if you follow me, do not question me about anything until I ˹myself˺ clarify it for you."

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Commentary

560. It is reported in an authentic narration collected by Bukhâri that a man approached Moses after he gave a talk and asked him, "Who is the most knowledgeable person on earth?" Moses responded, "That would be me!" So Allah revealed to Moses that he should not have said this and there was in fact someone who was more knowledgeable than him. Moses was commanded to travel to meet this man, named Al-Khaḍir, at the junction of the two seas (which could be the northern part of Sinai between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, or the Southern part of Sinai where the Red Sea splits into the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba).

561. Another possible translation: "The ˹salted˺ fish must have made its way into the sea. How strange!"

562. Moses was given a sign: when he and his assistant Joshua (or Yûsha' ibn Nûn) lost their food (a salted fish), this would be the place where they would find the man of knowledge.