He said: Outwardly, the matter was as Moses said: “Have you killed an innocent soul who has killed no one?” Allah then made known to al-Khidr the boy’s state according to the innate disposition upon which He had created him, and that there is no changing Allah’s creation. He therefore commanded that he be killed, for he had been fashioned a disbeliever on the day he was fashioned.’

Ishāq narrated the hadith of Ubayy ibn Ka'b, who reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Allah fashioned the boy whom al-Khidr killed as a disbeliever on the day He fashioned him.”

This hadith was narrated by Muslim.

Al-Bukhārī and others narrated ‘from Ibn ‘Abbās that he used to recite it as follows:

“As for the boy, he was a disbeliever, and his parents were believers.”

Ishāq said: Had the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left people without explaining to them the ruling concerning children, they would not have known which of them were believers and which were disbelievers, for they do not know the disposition upon which each was formed when he was brought forth from Adam’s back. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, therefore explained the ruling concerning