Part 2: KHIZR (ALAI HISALAAM) – HIS MYSTERIOUS PERSONALITY AND AURA

Shrine dedicated to Khwaja Khizr near Bukkur Fort - 1838.  (checkkout the story)

   Arabic and Turkish plaque at al-Khizr Santuary in  Samandag in Turkey

 The Rock where Moses and al-Khizr are said to have met.


From Layman's Desk -continued:


In the name of Allah, Most Beneficient, Most Merciful.


Khizr (a.s.) has been empowered by Allah with Divine Knowledge and this is proved beyond any doubt from Chapter Surah Kahaf of the Glorious Qur’an . He performs the Friday congretional prayers in Makkah Mukarrama, Madinah Munawwara, al-Quds and the Mount of Olives simultaneously. Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih (860-940 c.e.) a Moorish writer while discussing about the Traces of Prophets in Jerusalem mentions about the prayer-rug of al-Khizr. Khizr (a.s.) is reported to have told one of the saints said that he performed his obligatory prayers as follows:


Fajar Salah in Makkah, and he remains in the Hateem of the Ka’ba near Rukh-Shaami until sunrise; Zuh’r Salah in Madinah, As’r Salah in Baytul Muqaddas, Maghrib Salah in Mount Sinai, ‘Isha Salah at the walls of Isikandar.


Khizr (a.s.) appears in all times and climes on this physical earth as a human being sometimes to give company to Prophets and saints and sometimes even to the ordinary people in times of crises or the hour of need. It is said that he can change his shape at will, and travel faster than the speed of light. He symbolizes the depth and purity of water and can walk on water and work many wonders. Khizr (a.s.) is unanimously taken as the Guide not only to Moses but also to many saints and Awliya-Allah. In their spiritual quest, the Sufis generally cherish his saintly appearance since it becomes easier for them to make progress in their paths by the will of Allah.


Though it is important to have a Pir or Shaykh for guidance on the spiritual path so that the chain of succession (i.e. the Silsila) finally reaches Muhammad Mustafa (salla Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) it sometimes happen that those who walk the mystical path without being initiated by a living Shaykh (such as in the Owaisi Tariqa), Khizr (a.s.) becomes the hidden initiator and guide. For example, Hazarat Faqih Ali Makhdoom Shah Baba of Mahim, Mumbai (1372-1431) famed as Qutub-e-Konkan was also the one who followed ilm-e-Khizri and worked many marvels. Sometimes it is also advised by gnostics that in the absence of a Shaykh, it would be sufficient to follow the Kashful Mahjub of Hazarat Ali bin Usman al-Hajweri (Data Ganj-e-Baksh) as a guide.
Nizamuddin Auliya ( r) said: "... one who does not have a shaykh, may study the Kashful Mahjub, [not only will he receive guidance but eventually] through the blessing that God has kept in this book, one will find one's shaykh."

When we look to the Sufi literature, we find numerous stories where Khizr (a.s.) met with the Awliyal-Allah in different epochs of time. In this connection, the name of Ibrahim bin Adham comes readily to the fore. He was the ruler of the kingdom of Balkh. His conversion to Sufism is very well known. Khizr (a.s.) was instrumental in this conversion by the will of Allah. Once Ibrahim was sitting on his throne at the time of General Audience when the commoners could have their say before the ruler. The ministers were standing at their respective places, with the slaves drawn up in serried ranks. Khizr (a.s.) dressed up as a man with awful bearing advanced up to the king while the courtiers stood tongue-tied. The king asked the stranger what was it that he was looking for. The stranger said the he had just arrived at the caravanserai. The king was annoyed that his palace looked as a caravanserai to the new-arrival. “This is my palace and not any resting place for the caravan,” thundered the king.
The stranger asked: “Who was the owner of the palace before you?”
“My father,” replied the king.
“And before him?”
“My grandfather.”
“And before him?”
“The father of so and so.”
“Then is this not a caravanserai which one enters and another leaves?” Saying so the man disappeared.


There are other variations of the story. In short, this was followed by visions of the day and hearing of the voices by the night, establishing sure faith in him so that Ibrahim bin Adham of Balkh gave up his kingdom. Discarding the worldly garments, he donned the robe of poverty. He rose to great eminence and inherited the spiritual world. Thus a temporal ruler became a spiritual emperor at the hands of Hazrat Khwaja Khizr (a.s.).


Muhammed bin Ali al-Tirmidhi used to associate with Khizr (a.s.). According to his disciple, Abu Bakr Warraq, Khizr (a.s.) used to visit his Shaykh every Sunday when they used to converse with each other. Once his Shaykh asked Abu Bakr Warraq to thrown some of his writings into the River Oxus. Abu Bakr Warraq did not have the heart to do so. Therefore, he placed them in his own house and came back to his teacher and told him that he had thrown the writings into the river. “What did you see?” asked the Shaykh. “Nothing,” replied the disciple. He was thus found out. They Shaykh told him to carry out his instructions. Perplexed, Abu Bakr Warraq came home, collected the writings, and threw them into the Oxus. He was amazed to see that the water of the river parted and a chest appeared on its surface, with the lids open. As soon as the writings fell into the chest, the lids closed and the chest disappeared under the water. He went back to his teacher and described exactly what had happened. “Now you’ve thrown them into the river,” said the teacher. He also cleared up the mystery saying that he had composed a work on theology and mysticism which could hardly be comprehended by the intellect. “My brother Khizr desired it of me and Allah bade the water bring it to him.”


During his early life, the famous Awliya-Allah of Mayhana, Abu Sa’id Fazlullah ibn Abi’l Khayr, (967-1049 c.e.) used to wander alone in the desert and mountainous places, engaged in self-mortification and rigorous devotion to Allah. In this condition, he was sometimes seen in the company of an old man in white raiments. Many years later, he told those who questioned him about the old man, that he was Khizr (a.s.) and that Allah put in Khizr’s heart to accept him as a disciple. This shows that it is not necessary that Hazrat Khidr’s (a.s.) dress be always green.


Ibrahim al-Khawwas was a reputed disciple of Yusuf ibn al-Hussain. Once he heard a voice telling him that his Pir was rejected and that he should convey the message to him. He was so shaken that even if a mountain was flung at his head he would have found it easier to bear that than telling what he had been asked to convey. Since he did not convey the message, he heard the menacing voice for two more nights. On the third night, the voice threatened to annihilate him. Finally, he went to the Masjid where he saw his Pir seated inside the prayer-niche. Before he could convey the message, the Shaykh asked him to recite a verse in Arabic which he did. Delighted, the Shaykh rose up and remained on his feet for a long time, with tears of blood streaming down from his eyes. Then he turned to Ibrahim saying: “The voice of Divine Presence speaks truly, that I’m of the rejected. A man, who is so enraptured by a verse from a poem while the Qur’an makes no impression on him, is surely to be rejected.” Ibrahim’s belief in his Pir was shaken but for the timely advice of Khizr (a.s.) that Yusuf al-Hussain had a received a blow from Allah. But his place is in the topmost heights of Heaven….One should aspire for a love like his and for a status which he has attained.


In a direct contrast to Prophet Musa (a.s.) who sought the company of Khizr (a.s.), Ibrahim Khawwas (d.904 c.e.) did not desire the company of al-Khizr who begged of him to associate with him and accompany him – which he refused. This was because he feared he would become dependant on him rather than Allah, and his trust in Allah would be impaired by consorting with Khizr (a.s.) resulting in his failure to perform “Farz” and replacing it thus with a work of “Nawaafil” and this could also result in vitiating of his “Tawakkal” or reliance on Allah. This he did not want. In the same manner, once he beheld al-Khizr in the desert in the form of a flying bird. He lowered his head so that his God-reliance may not become void. Immediately he approached him and said, “If you had even looked at me, I would not have swooped on you.” However, the saint did not greet him, fearing that his trust in Allah should be impaired. Once Ibrahim Khawwas suffered thirst while travelling. Since the thirst was acute, he fell down unconscious. In that state he felt coolness of the water on his face. He regained his senses and lo and behold! He saw a very handsome man on a horseback. He gave him some water to drink and bade him to straddle behind him on the horseback. Ibrahim Khawwas accepted his offer and they travelled together for sometime. They had gone a short distance when his benefactor turned to him and asked him what was that place they had arrived at. “This is Madinah Munawwarah,” said the saint. The handsome man told him to get down from the horse. He also told him: “When you reach the Holy Grave of Rasoolullah (s) say to him that your brother Khizr sends his choicest salaam and greetings. This incident proves that Hazrat Khizr (a.s.) comes to the help of needy and thirsty travelers even in the remotest of the areas on the earth.


This does not mean that that Hazrat Khizr (a.s.) is always eager to meet the saints. He may even sometimes avoid company as it happened in the case of Hazrat Tirmidhi about whom we have related before. However, one day a maidservant had washed the baby’s clothes, filling a basin with baby’s excreta. In the meantime, the Shaykh was proceeding to the Masjid in all his fineries consisting of spotless turban and clean clothes. The girl, enraged by some trifling matter emptied the entire basin over the Shaykh’s head. Hazrat Tirmidhi swallowed his anger, saying nothing. Immediately, he rediscovered Hazrat Khizr (a.s.).


Maulana Zakariya al-Kandhalawi relates in his Fazail-Amaal that Hazrat Khizr (a.s.) was once asked by one of the Abdal (pr.abdaal -plural of Badal) whether he had met anyone among the saints higher than himself in rank. Confirming that among the saints of Allah there are some who are so exalted in rank that he cannot recognize them, Hazrat Khizr stated that once he was in the Masjidun Nabwi when he saw Shayk Abdur Razzaq (reh.) narrating prophetic traditions to his students. At that time, he also saw a young man sitting aside with his face buried in the knees which he had raised up to chest. He went up to him and asked him why he was not listening to the words of Rasulullah from Abdur Razzaq. Without changing his position, the youth answered that he was listening to the Hadith directly from the Razzaq (i.e. God the Sustainer), meaning thereby that why should he listen to the Hadith from the slave of Razzaq, i.e. Abdur Razzaq. When Hazrat Khizr asked the young man to identify him, he lifted up his head and said: “You are Khizr”. This is just an example cited to show that among the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (s) there are also unknown saints whose ranks are unknown even to Hazrat Khizr (a.s.). It may be observed here that existence of Abdal are proven through numerous prophetic traditions narrated by the Sahabas including Hazarat ‘Umar and Hazarat ‘Ali ®, and in fact many of ‘Ulema and Muhadditheen among the Khalafs have been regarded as Abdal or Awtaad.


We noted before that al-Sakhawi has in his biography of Imam Nawawi, where he calls him “Qutb al-Awliya al-Kiram among other titles, has mentioned that "It is well-known that al-Nawawi used to meet with al-Khizr and converse with him among many other unveilings (mukâshafât)."


It is said that the title of Shaykh al-Akbar or the Greatest Shaykh, was given by Hazrat Khizr (a.s.) to Shaykh Muhyuddin Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240 c.e.). It was he who guided Jafar son of Yahya of Lisbon, in seeking the greatest teacher of the Age. The man in Green Robe also told him that he should seek him in the West instead of in the East and it was wrong of him to seek him so early in point of time. Jafar continued his search but it took him nearly 30 years after he had met the young boy who had now grown up to be the Greatest Shaykh at Aleppo. The Shaykh al-Akbar has recounted his second meeting with Khizr (a.s.) thus: ‘On another occasion I was in a boat in the port of Tunis. I had a pain in my stomach but the people were sleeping so I went to the side of the boat and looked out over the sea. Suddenly I saw by the light of the moon, which was full that night, someone coming towards me on the surface of the water. Finally he came up to me and stood with me. First he stood on one leg and raised the other and I could see this leg was not wet. Then he did the same with other leg. After talking to me for a while, he bid me farewell and went off, making for a lighthouse on the top of a hill over two miles distant from us. This distance he covered in two or three steps. I could hear him praising God on the lighthouse…. When I returned to the town a man met me who asked me how my night with Khidr on the boat had been, what he said to me and what I said to him.’


Imam Jalaludin As-Sayuti who belonged to the Shadhili Tariqa was also a prolific writer as is universally known. He was the one who had written a spirited defence of Ibn ‘Arabi that he was a Wali (saint) by saying that his writings are to be read only by those who understand the terminologies used in the writings of Ibn ‘Arabi. As-Sayuti was of such a high standing scholar which can gauged from his own saying: There is not in our time, on the face of the earth, from East to West, anyone more knowledgeable than myself in hadith and the Arabic language, save al-Khizr, the Qutub-e-Awliya, or some other Wali – none of whom I include into my statement – and Allah knows best. In other words, it is not just the Sufis who acknowledge al-Khizr but also the ‘Ulema of a very high standing, though the fact remains that such ‘Ulema themselves fall into the category of the Sufis.


Abul Abbas al-Mursi (d.1286 c.e.) also said that Khizr (a.s.) is alive and that he has shaken his hand with his palm and taught him the supplication which if recited every morning would make the recite one of the Abdal. He even acquired from him the knowledge of the souls of the believers whether they are in the state of torture or bliss. According to him, even if a thousand scholars argued with him that khizr (a.s.) was dead, he would not believe them. When asked by the students, his master, Abu’l Hasan ash-Shadhili stated that Abul Abbas had spoken the truth.


For 22 years Shaykh Abd al-Aziz ad-Dabbagh would stay at the tomb of Ali bin Hirzihim every Friday night to read the Burda Shareef of al-Busiri with other. One night after he had finished reading, he found a man sitting near the tomb’s door, under the lote-tree. Soon he realized that the stranger was one of the Awliya Aarifeen since he knew everything about what he was thinking. That man kept ignoring him even after ad-Dabbagh made repeated request for a ‘Wird’ from him. In short, that man did give him a ‘wird’ to be recited seven thousand times every day on the oath that he would not give up reciting it. Then the caretaker of the tomb came there and the man told him to take care of ad-Dabbagh for him. The caretaker addressed that man as Master, saying I’ll consider him my master. The day the caretaker died and right before his soul left his body he revealed to ad-Dabbagh that the man who had taught him the zikr was Sayyidna al-Khizr (a.s.). Ad-Dabbagh continued to recite the wird for four years until he received the spiritual opening (fath). Eventually he became a great shaykh and Qutb (Pole) of his time.


Shah Husain was a Delhi merchant. Once he was traveling down the Indus river with his pretty daughter on their way to Makka. The ruler of Alor, Dalurai, called him to hand over his daughter to him. According to the folklore, Dulurai required every new bride to spend a night with him. It is said that in her anxiety to avoid this encounter, the girl prayed through the Wasila of Khwaja Khizr (a.s.) for deliverance. Khwaja Khizr diverted the course of the Indus towards Rohri so that the father and the daughter were brought to safety. The shrine in the sketch appeared to have been built around 925 c.e. (A.H.341) in gratitude by Shah Husain. The view was identified by Jackson as “Hajee Ka Tau” an island just above the fort of Bukkur on the Indus.


The Sufi literature with regard to Khizr (a.s.) is vast. There are hundreds of stories, anecdotes, happenings that relate to us about him. All of them cannot be related in this short article. I would like to wind up with an anecdote I read in Fazail Amaal:


One of the saints had been walking for three days in the desert without any food or conveyance on the way to Makkah. On the fourth day, with the harsh desert all around him and with no shade in sight and being without any food or water, the saint sat down facing the Qibla. Death seemed imminent. He fell into a swoon and dreamt that a man came to him with an outstretched hand and beckoned him to take hold of his hand. The saint stretched out his hand. The newcomer took his hand into his and shook it. Then he spoke, giving him the glad tidings that he would perform the Haj and also visit the Holy grave of Rasulullah (salla Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) safely and soundly. The saint asked him: “Who are you?” He replied: “I am Khizr.” The saint asked him to pray for him. Thereupon Hazarat Khizr (a.s.) told him that whenever he was in any trouble, he should recite the following supplication so that all his troubls would depart:


YA LATIFAN BE (pr.bay) KHALQIHI,
YA ‘ALEEMAN BE KHALQIHI,
YA KHABEERAN BE KALQIHI,
ULTOOF BINA,
YA LATIFO, YA ‘ALEEMO, YA KHABEER.
Translated, it means:


O Thou who art Most Gracious to His creatures,
O Thou who Knows the condition of His creatures,
O Thou who art Aware of his creatures,
Be Gracious to us, O the Most Gracious, the All-Knowing, the Aware.

Having taught him this supplication, Khizr (a.s.) disappeared saying: “This is a present to you and a medicine that will always suffice and be of benefit.”


Sure enough, all the troubles of the saint disappeared and he performed the Haj and also visited the Rasulullah Sallam’s grave in Madinah Munawwara and then the grave of Ibrahim (a.s.). Whenverhe met with any distress or difficulties, he used to recite the said Dua’ taught him by Hazarat Khizr (alay hissalaam) and he was most grateful to Allah.


By the way, I once asked a Sufi in Saudi Arabi about the above supplication. I was astonished to find that within a minute he just wrote it down for me in a clear legible Arabic.


NASIR

Part 1: KHIZR (A.S.) - HIS MYSTERIOUS PERSONALITY AND AURA.

From the Layman's Desk- 3: KHIZR (ALAI HISALAAM) – HIS MYSTERIOUS PERSONALITY AND AURA - PART 1.



In the name of Allah, Most Beneficient, Most Merciful.



There are certain questions commonly asked about Khizr (a.s.): Where does he live? Is he still alive? Is he a Prophet, or a Wali-Allah? Is his rank higher than Moses (Musa a.s.)?


Where does Khizr (a.s.) live?



According to Hazrat Shaykh Muhiyyudeen Abd al-Qadir Jilani ®, among the saints are those who during their sleep eat and drink from the food and drinks of the Paradise. They also see the contents of the Paradise. Among such saints are those who become free of any need for food and drink and who retreat from the creatures, become invisible to them, and live on earth without dying, such as Ilyas and Khizr (a.s.). Allah has a large number of them being a veil on this earth. They can see people, yet people cannot see them. The saints among them form a majority but the eminent represent only a minority – a few isolated individuals to whom everyone comes and draws near. The food and drinks of the angels is the remembrance and glorification of Allah and the recitation of “There is no god save Allah”. For these few individuals among the saints, this becomes their food.



According to the author of al-Insanu’l Kamil, Abd al-Karim Jili who was born exactly two hundred years after the passing away of the Saint of Jilan, the earth of the souls (ardu’l nafoos) was created by God as whiter than milk and sweeter than musk but when Adam walked in it after his Fall, it become dust-coloured except one region in the north which was never reached by any sinner. (Note: Adam a.s. cannot be called a “sinner”) This region is ruled by Khizr a.s. and inhabited by the men of the Unseen World (Rijalul Ghaib) who are exalted saints and angels of whom six classes are described which we need not mention here. According to Mathnavi, the Mithal World (i.e. the Alam-i-Ghayb or Alam-i-Mithal which is the World of Similitudes which is dimensional and characterized by colour like the world of dreams) is not open to the ordinary eyes. It has different sky and sun and also has clouds and rains of its own. But it is not the world which comes after death which is also called Mithal or Barzakh.

According to al-Tabari (i.442), he is believed to be living on an island, while according to Imam Bukhari (Tafsir Surah 18, Ch.3), he lives on a green carpet called "tinfisa" in the heart of the sea. 

According to some ‘Ulema, Khizr (a.s.) spends most of his time in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine. Some local populace even point out that he had stayed for a long time in the citadel of Salah al-Din Ayyubi in the city of Alleppo in Northern Syria, and in Amman in Jordan.



Is Khizr (a.s.) still alive?

We are told by the famous exegete of Qur’an,  Ibn Kathir  in his Tareekh, that Khizr (a.s.) was the son of Adam (a.s.) who prayed to Allah that his son may be granted a long life till the Day of Judgment. Adam (a.s.) then gave his son the tidings of his long life and instructed him to bury him after his death. Much later, during the time of Noah (Nuh a.s.) when there was destruction by the floods, and Noah had sailed in his ark with a handful of believers that included Khizr (a.s.).



However, Ibn Kathir, holds  that Khizr (a.s.) was alive from the time of Adam to Moses (Musa a.s.) but not thereafter,  which  is not supported by the majority of Islamic scholars. Even during the time of Taba’tabi’een i.e. the generation that came after that of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (s), and after the generation of the Tabi’een who had seen the Companions, it was common knowledge that Khizr a.s. was alive and that his death will occur only during the time of Dajjal the false prophet, whose appearance is considered among the greater signs of the imminent Qiyamat or the Day of Judgment. Accordingly in Sahih Muslim (i.e. the authentic compilation of the Hadiths or prophetic traditions according to Muslim) we find the following hadith narrated b Abu Ishaaq who was from the Taba’tabi’een:



Dajjaal will kill a person once and then bring him back to life, then he will ask him, “Do you believe that I am God?” That person will reply, “No! I am convinced that you are the Dajjaal of which the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) informed us”. Dajjaal will throw him in his fire, which in reality will be Paradise.The narrator of this Hadith is Abu Is-haaq who says: It is commonly known that this person would be Khidr (Alay hissalaam). (Sahih Muslim, Chapter on Dajjaal).  Imam Nawawi,  who has written a commentary ('Sharh') on Sahih Muslim, provides  many references as well as the statements of scholars  to prove that Khizr (a.s.) is alive.  



Then in a Hadith narrated by Abu Sa’id (r), Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) is reported to have said: "Dajjal will come but it will be prohibited and impossible for him to enter Madina. He will set up a camp in a barren land outside Madina. One person who will be the best of persons will confront him by saying: "I bear witness that you are the very Dajjal about whom Rasulullah (Salallahu Alayhi Wasallam) has informed us." Dajjal will say to his followers, "If I kill this person and then revive him, you people will still doubt me?" They will reply, "No." He will then kill this person, (according to another narration he will split this person in two) and thereafter revive him. This person will say, "I am totally convinced more than ever before that you definitely are Dajjal." Dajjal will attempt to kill this person again but his efforts will now be in vain. (According to a hadith, after this incident, Dajjal will not be able to harm anyone.) from: "Signs of Qiyamah" by Mohammed Ali Ibn Zubair Ali. 



The above hadith is mentioned with two chains in Abu Yala’s Musnad, in Hakim’s Mustadrak, Ibn Majah’s Sunan, Nu’aym’s and al-Dani’s Kitab al-Fitnah coming from different chains, and thus strengthening one another regarding the matter. Al-Barzanji (d.1103) confirms citing Ibn ‘Abbas and Mamar and others that the person who will be killed is al-Khizr.  Another famous Muhaddith, Ibnus Salaah too states that according to the majority of Islamic scholars and others, Khizr (a.s.) is alive. 


According to the modern  Islamic scholar, G.F. Haddad,  it is confirmed by the hadith related from Abu 'Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah whereby the Holy Prophet (s) said: "It may be that one of those who saw me and heard my speech shall meet the Dajjal." This is narrated by Ibn Hibban in his Sahih (15:181) with a weak chain according to Shaykh Shu'ayb Arna'ut.  He points out that according to Imam al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan, the latter  said since it is also narrated from three other Companions, he thus graded the hadith itself "fair and single-chained (hasan gharib) as narrated from Abu 'Ubayda.



The strongest transmitted proofs about the life of al-Khizr (a.s.) are:



1. A report narrated by Imam Ahmad in al-Zuhd whereby the Holy Prophet (s) is said to have stated that Ilyas and al-Khiḍr meet every year and spend the month of Ramadan in Jerusalem.



2. The other report narrated by Ya'qub ibn Sufyan from the 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz whereby a man he was seen walking with was actually al-Khiḍr.   Imam Dhahbi mentions in his biography of this saintly Caliph, that  al-Khizr had come to give him the glad tidings of his becoming a ruler of the Muslim world. 



3. A report narrated by ibn “Asakir from Abu Zur’a al-Razi stating that the latter met al-Khidr twice: once in his youth and again in his old age but that al-Khidr himself had not not changed.



Scholars inform us that Ibn Hajar declared the chain of the first fair and that of the second sound in Fath al-Bari (1959 ed. 6:435) and that the above third report is cited by himself stating it to be sound. The hadith-master, Al-Sakhawi, too indicated in his biography of Imam Nawawi that the latter used to meet with Khizr (a.s.) and converse with him. There are also reports that Khizr (a.s.) met with Hazrat Ali ® by the Ka’ba and instructed him about a supplication that is very meritorious when recited after the obligatory prayers. The Sufis unanimously agree that Khizr (a.s.) is alive. Ibn al-Jawzi who belongs to the school of ibn Taimiyya does admit that Bilal al-Khawas met with al-Khizr and asked him what he thought of al-Shafi’i and was told that he is one of the Awtaad (Pillar-Saint) and when he asked about Ahmad ibn Hanbal he was told that he is a Siddiq. Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani says in his A’sabah that Khidr’s name is in the list of Companions of our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace).



According to Hafiz Ibn Taimiyya, what has been narrated in Musnad Al-Shafi’i and other books is that Khidr (a.s.)  did meet the Prophet (s).  It has been stated that the Holy Prophet (s) who was also a repository of ‘Ilm Ladunni did teach Khizr (a.s.) who was himself called the Tutor of the Prophets.  Khizr (a.s.) appearance at the funeral of the Holy Prophet (s) also appears  on record:



There are reports from al-Bayhaqi in his Dala'il an-Nubawwah that al-Khiḍr was present at the funeral of Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam), and was recognized only by Abu Bakr and Ali from amongst the rest of the companions, and where he came to show his grief and sadness at the passing away of the Prophet (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam).   Al-Khiḍr's appearance at Muhammad's (s) funeral is related as follows: A powerful-looking, fine-featured, handsome man with a white beard came leaping over the backs of the people till he reached where the sacred body lay. Weeping bitterly, he turned toward the Companions and paid his condolences. Abu Bakr and 'Ali said that he was Khiḍr. (Ibn al-Jazari 1994, p. 228.). Hearing the voice of al-Khizr (a.s.) during this time by the Ahle Bait is also mentioned by Imam Ghazali in his Ihya. In Hisn-e-Haseen (Fortified Stronghold) which is a collection of invocations and devotional utterances, by ibn Muhammad al-Jazri ash-Shaafi'i, it is stated that Khizr (a.s.) actually came to visit the Companions ® , after the Holy Prophet (s) had passed away but before the burial.  Even the Najdi  Shaykh ibn Abdul Wahaab writes, “After the death of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) a voice was heard, ‘O family of the Prophet, be patient and peace be upon you.’” [Mukhtaser Sirat-ur-Rasool, Chapter ‘Death of Prophet’]Then there are many reports of al-Khizr interaction with the Awliya-Allah as we shall see later. In fact, it is reported in the Ihya that whenever any thought occurred in the mind of al-Khizr that there was no Awliya-Allah whom he did not know, then he would come across one whom he never knew before.


The dissenting opinion that Khizr (a.s.) was not alive after the time of Moses is based on a hadith in Bukhari's compilations, where the Holy Prophet (may Allah Bless him and grant him Peace) said:  Of all the people alive on the earth today, none will be living in a hundred years' time.  This has been explained by Islamic scholars that it is possible that at that juncture of time Khizr (a.s.) was present  in a location other than this material world.  The second reason for the dissenting opinion is the supplication made by the Holy Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace)  on the occasion of the Battle of Badr:  “There are three hundred and thirteen people with me. If we do not triumph then no one will be left to worship you O Allah.”  On this basis, those who conclude that if Khidr (Alay hissalaam) were alive,  then he would have joined the Muslim army, increasing the total number of the participants to three hundred and fourteen.  This, too, is easily explained: First, according to scholars, there is not even a single hadith, either Sahih or Dhaeef, to lend support to this opinion.  Secondly, just as there were thousands of angels present during the said battle but all their names have not been mentioned, likewise, it is possible that Khizr (a.s.)'s name too has not been mentioned.  Then, he being a person from the Unseen World, there is no confirmation whether he did join or did not join the Battle.  Taking the worst-case scenario that Khizr (a.s.) did not join the Battle, this does not detract from the fact that he is not alive because we know that 'Isa (a.s.) too is alive in the heavens and despite the primordial covenant with Allah (Qur'an 3:81) to believe and help the Messenger  (i.e. Mohammed Mustafa sallalahu alayhi wassallam) who will come to confirm the Scriptures,   'Isa (a.s.) did not come down to help  does not mean that he broke that covenant made in the spiritual world.  So there is nothing inappropriate even if Khizr (a.s.) did not join the Battle of Badr.   Therefore, the minority opinion cannot stand in the face of the overwhelming majority evidence which suggests  that Khizr (a.s.) is alive and will remain so till the days of Dajjal whose appearance is foretold in the many prophetic traditions.   Lastly, Ibn 'Ata' Allah in Lata'if al-Minan (1:84-98) showed that there is consensus of opinion among the Sufis that al-Khidr is alive, thus rejecting any evidence to the contrary. 



Is Khizr (a.s.) a Prophet or a Wali?



According to some scholars Khizr (a.s.) is an angel in the human form and therefore not bound by the laws of Shariah, and the words “Abdan min Ibaadana,” used in the Qur’an, are no proof that he was a human being – since the word “Abd” has also been used for angels in the Qur’an, e.g. Surah Anbiya (21:26) and Surah Zakhuruf (14:19). In the prophetic traditions, the word “Rajul,” has been used for Khizr (a.s.) which is generally translated as “human being”. However, we find the word “Rajul” being used for the Jinn also, as in Surah Jinn (22:6): “And persons from among men used to seek refuge with persons from among Jinn.” This view is held by some scholars of the present and the past, including Ibn Kathir (1301-1373 c.e.).   According to Dr. Muhammad Tahir al-Qadri, Khizr (a.s.) is a Wali according to the  majority of  scholars.   



Before we proceed further let us look into the Holy Qur’an in this regard.



Now, when we come to the Holy Qur’an, we don’t find the name of Khizr (a.s.) just as we don’t find the names of many other prophets. However, in Surah Kahf of the Holy Qur’an a reference is made to him as “a slave of Ours unto whom We had given mercy from Us and had taught him knowledge from Our Presence.” who is “one of our slaves, unto whom we had taught knowledge peculiar to us” (wa 'allalnnahu min ladunna ilmy)(18:66). Moses sought Hazrat Khizr and some of these references are found in the Holy Qur’an right from verses 61 to 83. The allusion is clearly to Sayyidna Khizr Abu’l Abbas. The events mentioned in the Surah do not find any place in the Bible.



The story of Moses and Khizr, based on prophetic traditions, in short is: Once Moses delivered a lecture in which he taught the people what God had taught him. During the lecture, a questioner asked him whether he found anyone lse more learned than him. He said, “No”. Then Allah was annoyed with him that he did not attribute the best knowledge to Him and then He revealed to him: “Yes, there is Our Servant at the junction of the two rivers who know more than thee.” Moses therefore asked for a way leading towards him. He was inspired that the way leading to him would be shown to him by a salted fish. He could not understand the reason why the salted fish would show him the way towards Hazrat Khizr. Moses and a young man, Yusha bin Nun (Joshua) set out in search of him. They took with them some cakes of barley, a salted fish in a basket and travelled till they reached a rock (Sakhra) but did not find a clue. So Moses went ahead and left his companion behind. The fish began to stir in water and the water assumed the form of an ark over the fish. The young man said that he should inform Allah’s Apostle. But he was made to forget and when they had gone beyond that place, Moses said to the young man: “Bring breakfast. We’ve been exhausted before the end of the journey. Actually, Moses was not exhausted up to the point where he was supposed to meet Hazrat Khizr and it was only after he had crossed that place that he felt exhausted. Then Joshua was reminded and said: “Did you not see that as we reached Sakhra I forgot the fish and it is Satan alone who has made me forgetful of it? It is strange that he has been able to find way in the ocean too.” He said: “This is what we sought for us.” They returned, retracing their steps, and his companion pointed to him the location where the fish had been lost. Moses began to search him there.



To continue with the story, suddenly Moses saw Khizr wrapped in a cloth and lying on his back. He said to him, “Assalaam Alaykum.”



He removed the cloth from his face and said: “Wa Alaykum Salaam. Who are you?”



He said: “I’m Moses of Bani Israil.”



He asked: “What brought you here?”



Surah Kahaf tells us further:



“Moses said unto him: May I follow thee, to the end that thou mayst teach me right conduct of that of which thou hast been taught?” (18:67)



“He said: Lo thou canst not bear with me. How canst thou bear with that whereof thou canst compass any knowledge?” (18: 68-69)



“He said: Allah willing, thou shalt find me patient and I shall not in ought gainsay thee.” (18:70)



“He said: Well, if thou go with me, ask me not concerning aught till I myself mention of it unto thee.” (18:71)



“So the twain set out till, when they were in the ship, he made a hole therein. (Moses) said: Hast thou made a hole therein to drown the folk threof? Thou verily hast done a dreadful thing.” (18:72)



“He said: Did I not tell thee thou couldst not bear with me?” (18:73)



“(Moses) said: Be not wroth with me that I forgot, and be not hard upon me for my fault.” (18:74)



“So the twain journeyed on till, when they met a lad, he slew him. (Moses said: What! Hast thou slain an innocent soul who hath slain no man? Verily thou hast done a horrid thing.” (18: 75)



“He said: Did I not tell thee that thou couldst not bear with me?” (18:76)



“(Moses) said: If I ask thee after this concerning aught, keep not company with me. Though hast received an excuse from me.” (18:77)



“So they twain journeyed on till, when they came unto the folk of a certain township, they asked its folk for food, but they refused to make them guests. And they found therein a wall upon the point of falling into ruin, and he repaired it. (Moses) said: If thou hadst wished, thou couldst have taken payment for it.” (18: 78)



“He said: This is the parting between thee and me! I will announce unto you the interpretation of that though couldst not bear with patience. As for the ship, it belonged to poor people working on the river* and I wished to mar it, for there was a king behind them who is taking every ship by force. And as for the lad, his parents were believers and We feared lest he should oppress them by rebellion and disbelief. And We intended that their Lord should change him for that for the one better in purity and nearer to mercy. And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and there was beneath it a treasure belonging to them, and their father had been righteous, and they Lord intended that they should come to their full strength and should bring forth their treasure as a mercy from their Lord, and I did it not upon my own command. Such is the interpretation of that wherewith thou couldst not bear.” (18:79 to 83)



(*could be “sea”. Some scholars state that since Moses lived in Egypt for 20 years, the probable location of the meeting was the confluence of River Nile at Khartum (Sudan). We also find the word “ocean” being used in traditions. Some say that it was the confluence of sea of Greece and Sea of Persia)



Muhyuddin Ibn ‘Arabi (1165-1240 c.e.) in his Fusoos al Hikam has discussed about al-Khizr in the chapter entitled The World of Moses (see Wisdom of the Prophets/Bezels of Wisdom). Briefly, it appears that when Moses reproached al-Khizr for slaying the boy, Moses had not recalled then that prior to his prophethood, he had murdered an Egyptian (28:14-15), without any affliction of his soul. This was because he had done this under Divine impulsion and with approbation of God deep inside him but without his perceiving it. As we know all prophets are interiorly preserved from sin without their being conscious about it, and Moses was not acquitted until he had received a Divine revelation on the subject. Such was the state of al-Khizr who said that he had not done the killing out of his own initiative. When Moses fled, it was apparently fleeing out of fear but was in truth the love of salvation. Perforation of the boat seemed on the surface as destruction of the folks but was really to save them from oppression of a violent man. Just the way the throwing of infant Moses into the waters of Nile seemed on the surface as an act of violence but was in fact done by his mother to save his life from the cruel Pharoah, being reassured by Divine inspiration ( see Qur’an: 28.6) which she did not realize then but lived with the hope and confidence that God would him back to her. When al-Khizr had repaired the wall of the house belonging to two orphans without any payment, this was to draw Moses’s attention to his own conduct, i.e. when after fleeing from Egypt and reaching Median he had helped the two girls by drawing water from the well without asking for a payment but attributing the essence of good that he did to God alone by withdrawing into the shade (Divine Shade) and saying: “Oh my Lord, I am poor with regard to the blessings thou has bestowest on me,” (Qur’an 28:24) and thus qualified himself as a faqir or needy towards God.



Some commentators and Islamic scholars find symbolisms in the story of the meeting between Moses and al-Khizr and a divine testing of Moses. Shafi’i in Maarif al-Qur’an says: Perhaps Joshua forgot due to the reason that his thoughts strayed away to his homeland since he was in a journey. According to Yusuf Ali, “Fish” is the fruit of secular knowledge, while according to some “Fish” is a way to knowledge, and the two oceans signify perfect knowledge or the combination of esoteric knowledge (of al-Khidr) and the exoteric knowledge (of Moses). Such wisdom is only attainable by the will, mercy and grace of Allah. As Yusuf Ali says: Overall, the episode of Khidr in the Qur’an is a reflection and representation of the paradoxes of life. Above all, it symbolizes the delicate balance between ‘patience and faith as they were enjoined” on Moses after he understood the meaning of those paradoxes explained to him by Khidr himself.   According to Dr. Tahir al-Qadri, where Dariya-e-Shariat and Dariya-e-Wilayat meet, there’s arises the Wilayah according to the principles of Irfani Tafseer.  The place where a dead fish became alive, i.e. where death finds life, there resides the real Wali: “jahaan maut ko hayaat mil jaaye wahaan wali asl rehta hai.” This proves the karamah of bringing dead to life by a Wali belonging to the Ummah of the Holy Prophet (s).  Again, existence of ilm-e-ladduni, or direct knowledge from Allah, is also proven from the Qur’an through the episode of Moses and al-Khizr.  The bottom line of the episode of Moses and Hazrat Khizr is Allah transcends all human calculations; that there are paradoxes in life; apparent loss may really be some gain; apparent cruelty may be real mercy; returning good for evil may really be justice and not generosity.


Not only a meaningful symbolism, this episode has gone on to form a basis of some jurisprudence too.  As, for example, when Ibn Abbas (r) was asked to give his opinion whether the children of enemy could be killed in war, he said that the Messenger of Allah (may Peace and Blessings be upon him) never killed children.  Then Ibn Abbas (r) stated:  and thou shouldst not kill them unless thou knew what the companion of Moses (i. e. Khadir) knew about the boy he had killed. (Sahih Muslim: Book 19:4458).  We also learn from traditions that the king who used to seize the ships was Hudad bin Budad.  The boy who was killed was known as Haisur, and his parents were thereafter compensated with a girl.  (See Sahih Bukhari: Vol.6, Book 60:250)



Additionally, the above narration is supported by authentic traditions such as reported in, for example, Sahih Muslim, which has long hadiths in the Chapter entitled Kitaab al-Fazaail, and reported by Ubayy bin Ka’b who heard it directly from the Holy Prophet (s), Sa’d bin Jubair, Ibn Abbas, Utba b.Mas’ud, and Abu Ishaq are included among the narrators.  (Details can also be had from various hadiths in Sahih Bukhari, including: Vol.1, Book 3:74; Vol.3, Book 50:888; Vol.6, Book 60:249,250 and 251; Sahih Muslim: Book 30:5864 and 5867).  We also learn from the above narration that when a sparrow flew down on the boat and perched on the wall of the boat and took water in its beak from the ocean, Hazrat Khizr a.s., said: My knowledge and your knowledge in comparison with the knowledge of Allah is even less than the water taken by the sparrow in its beak in comparison to the water of the ocean. According to Holy Prophet (s), if Moses could have shown some patience, a fuller story of them would have been told.



It may be stated here that Khizr (a.s.) is a prophet since Allah has called him as “whom We had blessed.” (18:65) Therefore, in this Qur’anic verse the word that has been used, namely, “Rehma” is usually attributed to Prophets of Allah. Fakhrudin al-Razi in his Tafseer attributes the view that Khizr (a.s.) is a Prophet. The way Moses, who was one of the mightiest Messengers and Prophets of Allah, humbled himself before him for seeking righteous knowledge, as well as Allah’s Mercy and imparting knowledge from His presence to Khizr (a.s.) who receives direct illumination from Allah without human mediation, suggest that he is a Prophet of Allah.


Does Khizr (a.s.) rank higher than Moses (Musa a.s.)?



Allah the Exalted said: Each one of the believers believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. They say, "We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers." and they say, "We hear nd we obey." We seek Your forgiveness, our Lord and to You is the return of all." (al-Qur’an: 2:285)


Therefore, no distinction between the prophets should be made. However, in the sight of Allah, He has exalted some over the others:


The prophets and messengers have different levels and degrees. Allah the Almighty stated: Those messengers! We preferred some to others; to some of them Allah spoke (directly); others he raised to degrees (of honor). (Ch 2:253) When the above verse speaks of Allah speaking directly to some, it's Moses.  Therefore, Moses holds a very high rank in comparison to Khizr (a.s.)., who was also blessed and given knowledge from His presence.  But his knowledge was different from the knowledge given to Moses.  It has been narrated in Imam Ghazali’s Ihya, that Moses asked al-Khizr why Allah has given him the knowledge of the Unseen.  Khizr replied: For giving up sins in order to incur the pleasure of Allah. He also advised Moses not to walk without necessity, to walk with a smiling face, be a benefactor rather than being an injurious person, not to laugh when not satisfied, not to accuse the sinners without sharing in their sins. “O son of Imran!” he said, “Weep for thy faults.”


According to Jili, Prophets like Muhammad (s) and Moses not only had the Prophecy of Saintship, i.e. Nubuwwatu’l Wilayat but also held Nubuwwatu’l Tashri, i.e. Prophecy of Institution, as they were sent to promulgate and establish a new religious code. However, Prophets such as Jesus and Hazrat Khizr having nothing more than the Prophecy of Saintship. The commentators have therefore held that the rank of Moses is higher than that of Khizr (a.s.). But that does not take us away from the fact that this conclusively proves that Hazrat Khizr (a.s.) is not an angel but that he belongs to the brotherhood of the Prophets many of whom have not been named or even referred to in the Qur’an, though Hazrat Khizr (a.s.) is on a better footing since an event pertaining to him has been related in the Holy Qur’an as shown above. In fact, as we noted before, Islamic tradition describes Khizr (a.s.) as the Tutor of Prophets, save and excepting the Holy Prophet (s) who taught Khizr (a.s.) since the Holy Prophet (s) too is a repository of knowledge (‘ilm ladunni) emanating from Allah.


Hazrat Khizr has special gifts from Allah: (1) Mercy from Him, and (2) Knowledge from him. The first freed him from the ordinary incidents of daily human life; while the second entitled him to interpret the inner meaning and mystery of events. Hazrat Khizr’s knowledge is fresh and green and drawn out from Allah’s own knowledge. He is a mysterious being who has to be sought out.  That going in search of a Wali is the Sunnah of the prophets is proven from the Qur'an and prophetic traditions, according to Dr. Muhammed Tahir al-Qadri.   He has the secrets of the paradoxes of life which ordinary people do not understand or understand it in a wrong sense.



We ask Allah ‘O Allah whatever we have said, if it is true accept it but if it is false we ask you to forgive us’. Amin! 


Allah and His Rasool (Sallallahu 'alaihi wa Sallam) knows Best.


NASIR.



TO CONTINUE…