al-Bukhārī relates (1):
al-Humaydī narrated to us, Sufyān narrated to us, ‘Amr ibn Dīnār narrated to us; Sāʿid ibn Jubayr informed me, saying:
I said to Ibn ʿAbbās, “Nauf al-Bikālī claims that the Moses who accompanied al-Khidr is not the Moses of the Children of Israel.” Ibn ʿAbbās replied, “The enemy of God has lied.”
Ubayy ibn Kaʿb narrated to us that he heard the Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—say:
“Moses once stood to address the Children of Israel, and he was asked, ‘Who among mankind is the most knowledgeable?’ He replied, ‘I am.’ God reproached him for not referring ultimate knowledge back to Him, and revealed to him: ‘Indeed, there is a servant of Mine at the meeting point of the two seas who is more knowledgeable than you.’
Moses said, ‘My Lord, how can I reach him?’
He said, ‘Take a fish with you and place it in a basket. Wherever you lose the fish, that is the place.’
So Moses took a fish, put it in a basket, and set out with his attendant Yūshaʿ ibn Nūn. When they reached a rock they laid down their heads and slept. The fish stirred inside the basket, slipped out, fell into the sea, and swam off, carving for itself a tunnel in the water. God held back the water around the fish so that it formed over it something like an arch.
When they awoke, the attendant forgot to tell Moses about the fish, and the two of them travelled on for the rest of that day and night. The next morning Moses said to his servant, ‘Bring us our morning meal; we have certainly grown weary on this journey of ours.’ Moses had not felt any fatigue until they had passed the spot God had appointed. The servant replied, ‘Did you see? When we took shelter by the rock, I forgot the fish—and none made me forget to mention it except Satan—and it made its way into the sea in a wondrous manner.’ The fish had its tunnel, and Moses and his servant had their astonishment. Moses said, ‘That is what we were seeking,’ and they retraced their steps, carefully following their footprints, until they reached the rock.
There they found a man lying wrapped in a garment. Moses greeted him with peace. al-Khidr said, ‘How can there be peace in your land?’ Moses said, ‘I am Moses.’ He asked, ‘Moses of the Children of Israel?’ Moses replied, ‘Yes; I have come to you so that you may teach me some of the sound judgment you have been taught.’ al-Khidr said, ‘You will never be able to bear with me, O Moses. I possess knowledge from God that He has taught me and which you do not know, and you possess knowledge from God that He has taught you and which I do not know.’ Moses said, ‘You will find me—if God wills—patient, and I shall not disobey you in any matter.’
al-Khidr said, ‘Then if you follow me, do not question me about anything until I myself mention it to you.’
So they set out, walking along the seashore. A boat passed by, and they spoke to its crew. They recognised al-Khidr and carried them without payment. Once on board, al-Khidr unexpectedly pulled out a plank from the boat with an adze. Moses said, ‘These people carried us free of charge, yet you have scuttled their boat to drown its passengers? You have certainly done a grievous thing!’ al-Khidr replied, ‘Did I not say that you would never be able to be patient with me?’ Moses said, ‘Do not take me to task for what I forgot, and do not burden me with hardship in my affair.’
The Messenger of God—may God bless him and grant him peace—added, ‘That first objection of Moses was due to forgetfulness.’
A sparrow then came and perched on the edge of the boat and pecked at the sea. al-Khidr said to Moses, ‘My knowledge and yours, compared with God’s knowledge, are only like the drop this sparrow has taken from the sea.’
They disembarked from the boat, and as they walked along the shore al-Khidr saw a boy playing with other boys. He seized the boy’s head, wrenched it off with his hand, and killed him. Moses exclaimed, ‘Have you killed a pure soul without [its having taken] another soul in requital? You have indeed committed a monstrous deed!’ al-Khidr said, ‘Did I not tell you…’