During the affliction of Ibn Az-Zubair, two men came to Ibn `Umar and said, "The people are lost,
and you are the son of `Umar, and the companion of the Prophet, so what forbids you from coming
out?" He said, "What forbids me is that Allah has prohibited the shedding of my brother's blood."
They both said, "Didn't Allah say, 'And fight then until there is no more affliction?" He said "We
fought until there was no more affliction and the worship is for Allah (Alone while you want to fight
until there is affliction and until the worship become for other than Allah."
Narrated Nafi` (through another group of sub-narrators): A man came to Ibn `Umar and said, "O Abu
`Abdur Rahman! What made you perform Hajj in one year and Umra in another year and leave the
Jihad for Allah' Cause though you know how much Allah recommends it?" Ibn `Umar replied, "O son
of my brother! Islam is founded on five principles, i.e. believe in Allah and His Apostle, the five
compulsory prayers, the fasting of the month of Ramadan, the payment of Zakat, and the Hajj to the
House (of Allah)." The man said, "O Abu `Abdur Rahman! Won't you listen to why Allah has
mentioned in His Book: 'If two groups of believers fight each other, then make peace between them,
but if one of then transgresses beyond bounds against the other, then you all fight against the one that
transgresses. (49.9) and:--"And fight them till there is no more affliction (i.e. no more worshiping of
others along with Allah)." Ibn `Umar said, "We did it, during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) when
Islam had only a few followers. A man would be put to trial because of his religion; he would either
be killed or tortured. But when the Muslims increased, there was no more afflictions or oppressions."
The man said, "What is your opinion about `Uthman and `Ali?" Ibn `Umar said, "As for `Uthman, it
seems that Allah has forgiven him, but you people dislike that he should be forgiven. And as for `Ali,
he is the cousin of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and his son-in-law." Then he pointed with his hand and said, "That
is his house which you see."
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 65, Hadith 40
I said to Ibn `Abbas, "Nauf-al-Bakali " claims that Moses of Bani Israel was not Moses, the
companion of Al-Khadir." Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah's enemy tells a lie! Ubai bin Ka`b narrated to us
that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'Moses got up to deliver a sermon before Bani Israel and he was asked, 'Who
is the most learned person among the people?' Moses replied, 'I (am the most learned).' Allah then
admonished Moses for he did not ascribe all knowledge to Allah only (Then) came the Divine
Inspiration:-- 'Yes, one of Our slaves at the junction of the two seas is more learned than you.'
Moses said, 'O my Lord ! How can meet him?' Allah said, 'Take a fish in a basket and wherever the
fish is lost, follow it (you will find him at that place). So Moses set out along with his attendant
Yusha` bin Noon, and they carried with them a fish till they reached a rock and rested there. Moses
put his head down and slept. (Sufyan, a sub-narrator said that somebody other than `Amr said) 'At the
rock there was a water spring called 'Al-Hayat' and none came in touch with its water but became
alive. So some of the water of that spring fell over that fish, so it moved and slipped out of the basket
and entered the sea. When Moses woke up, he asked his attendant, 'Bring our early meal' (18.62).
The narrator added: Moses did not suffer from fatigue except after he had passed the place he had
been ordered to observe. His attendant Yusha` bin Noon said to him, 'Do you remember (what
happened) when we betook ourselves to the rock? I did indeed forget (about) the fish ...' (18.63) The
narrator added: So they came back, retracing their steps and then they found in the sea, the way of the
fish looking like a tunnel. So there was an astonishing event for his attendant, and there was tunnel for
the fish. When they reached the rock, they found a man covered with a garment. Moses greeted him.
The man said astonishingly, 'Is there any such greeting in your land?' Moses said, 'I am Moses.' The
man said, 'Moses of Bani Israel?' Moses said, 'Yes,' and added, 'may I follow you so that you teach me
something of the Knowledge which you have been taught?' (18.66). Al-Khadir said to him, 'O Moses!
You have something of Allah's knowledge which Allah has taught you and which I do not know; and I
have something of Allah's knowledge which Allah has taught me and which you do not know.' Moses
said, 'But I will follow you.' Al-Khadir said, 'Then if you follow me, ask me no question about
anything until I myself speak to you concerning it.' (18.70). After that both of them proceeded along
the seashore. There passed by them a boat whose crew recognized Al-Khadir and received them on
board free of charge. So they both got on board. A sparrow came and sat on the edge of the boat and
dipped its beak unto the sea. Al-Khadir said to Moses. 'My knowledge and your knowledge and all the
creation's knowledge compared to Allah's knowledge is not more than the water taken by this
sparrow's beak.'
Then Moses was startled by Al-Khadir's action of taking an adze and scuttling the boat with it. Moses
said to him, 'These people gave us a free lift, but you intentionally scuttled their boat so as to drown
them. Surely you have...' (18.71) Then they both proceeded and found a boy playing with other
boys. Al-Khadir took hold of him by the head and cut it off. Moses said to him, 'Have you killed an
innocent soul who has killed nobody? Surely you have done an illegal thing! ' (18.74) He said,
"Didn't I tell you that you will not be able to have patient with me up to ..but they refused to entertain
them as their guests. There they found a wall therein at the point of collapsing.' (18.75-77) Al-Khadir
moved his hand thus and set it upright (repaired it). Moses said to him, 'When we entered this town,
they neither gave us hospitality nor fed us; if you had wished, you could have taken wages for it,' Al-
Khadir said, 'This is the parting between you and me I will tell you the interpretation of (those things)
about which you were unable to hold patience.'...(18.78)
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'We wished that Moses could have been more patient so that He (Allah) could
have described to us more about their story.' Ibn `Abbas used to recite:-- 'And in front (ahead) of them
there was a king who used to seize every (serviceable) boat by force. (18.79) ...and as for the boy he
was a disbeliever. "
Sahih al-Bukhari Book 65, Hadith 249