had been among the polytheists and had not concealed himself from them. Moreover, Muslims have no need of him or others like him, whether in their religious or worldly affairs. They received their religion from the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace—who taught them the Book and wisdom. Their Prophet said to them:

“If Moses were alive, and you then followed him and abandoned me, you would go astray.”

When Jesus son of Mary—peace be upon him—descends from heaven, he will judge among them only according to their Lord’s Book and their Prophet’s Sunnah. Given this, what need have they of al-Khidr or anyone else? The Prophet—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace—told them that Jesus would descend from heaven and be present among the Muslims. He said:

“How could a nation perish when I am at its beginning and Jesus at its end?”

If, then, these two noble prophets—who, together with Abraham, Moses, and Noah, are the best of the messengers, with Muhammad—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace—being the master of the children of Adam—have not concealed themselves from this nation, neither from its ordinary members nor from its elite, how could someone who is not their equal conceal himself from them? If al-Khidr has remained alive throughout, why did neither the Prophet—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace—nor his rightly guided caliphs ever mention this or inform his nation of it?

As for the claim, “He is the chief of Allah’s allies,” the claimant should be asked: “Who appointed him chief, when the best of Allah’s allies are the Companions of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and his family and grant them peace?” Al-Khidr is not among them.

Of the accounts commonly related on this subject, some are lies, while others rest on someone’s supposition—for example, someone who saw a man and assumed that he was al-Khidr