will happen; nothing occurs contrary to His knowledge. But if a change occurs, it is precisely what He knew would occur; and if it does not occur, He knew that it would not.

As for his statement:

“The boy whom al-Khidr killed was stamped as a disbeliever on the day he was stamped.”

What is meant is that this was written and sealed, as when a document is stamped. By contrast, eliciting their response through His words:

“Am I not your Lord?” They said, “Yes.”

does not constitute stamping them, since it is neither predestination nor creation.

Since many people use the word tab‘ (stamping) to refer to nature, meaning innate constitution and disposition, some have assumed that this is what the hadith means.

Regarding this boy whom al-Khidr killed, it may be said that nothing in the Quran establishes that he was not subject to religious obligations, or even that he had not reached puberty. However, the authentic hadith states:

“The boy whom al-Khidr killed was stamped as a disbeliever on the day he was stamped. Had he reached maturity, he would have overburdened his parents with transgression and disbelief.”

This indicates that he had not yet reached maturity. If he had reached puberty—and had disbelieved—then he had become a disbeliever without dispute. And if he was subject to religious obligations before puberty under that revealed law—or according to the view that children of discernment are obliged to believe before puberty, as held by groups of speculative theologians and jurists among the followers of Abū Hanīfah, Ahmad, and others—then it is possible that he was