those superior to al-Khidr—such as Abraham, Moses and Jesus—had lived to see him, they would have been obliged to follow him. How much more so al-Khidr, whether he was a prophet or an ally of Allah! This is why al-Khidr said to Moses:

“There is knowledge from Allah that He has taught me which you do not know, and there is knowledge from Allah that He has taught you which I do not know.”

None of the jinn or humans whom the message of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has reached may say anything like this.

The second is that what al-Khidr did did not contravene the religious law of Moses, peace be upon him. Moses did not know the circumstances that made those actions permissible; once al-Khidr explained them to him, he agreed with him. Making a hole in the ship and then repairing it, for the benefit of its owners and out of fear that the oppressor would seize it, was an act of kindness towards them, and that is permissible. Killing an assailant is permissible, even if he is a minor. Someone who cannot be prevented from leading his parents into disbelief except by being killed may be killed.

When Najda al-Harūrī asked Ibn ‘Abbās, may Allah be pleased with them both, about killing boys, he told him: “If you know about them what al-Khidr knew about that boy, then kill them; otherwise, do not kill them.” Reported by al-Bukhārī.

As for showing kindness to an orphan without compensation and patiently enduring hunger, these are righteous deeds. Thus, none of this contravened Allah’s religious law.

When, however, “religious law” means a judge’s ruling, that ruling may be unjust or just, correct or mistaken. “Religious law” may also mean the opinions of the leading jurists, such as Abū Hanīfa, al-Thawrī, Mālik ibn Anas, al-Awzā‘ī and al-Layth ibn