one of those foremost in truthfulness, as the Quran ranks them, and as it is reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“The sun has neither risen nor set upon anyone superior to Abu Bakr al-Siddīq, apart from the prophets and messengers.”

It is also reported that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“A man would indeed hear the sound and thereby be a prophet.”

Within this community, however, there are people who hear it and see the light without being prophets. Whatever such a person sees and hears must be assessed against what Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, brought. If it agrees with that, it is true. If it contradicts it, he knows with certainty that what has come from Allah is sure knowledge, untainted by doubt, and needs no corroboration through agreement with anything else.

As for whether al-Khidr is alive: he is alive. The hadith mentioned has no basis, and no chain of transmission is known for it. Rather, what is reported in Musnad al-Shāfi‘ī and elsewhere is that he met the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Anyone who says that he did not meet the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has spoken without knowledge, for this is a matter that cannot be known exhaustively.

Whoever argues that he has died on the basis of the Prophet’s statement, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“Consider this night of yours: at the end of a hundred years, none of those who are on the face of the earth today will remain upon it.”

This provides no proof, for it is possible that al-Khidr was on the face of the earth at that time. Furthermore, the correct view is that the Dajjāl—and likewise al-Jassāsah—was alive and in existence