Al-Khidr
Definition
Al-Khidr — literally 'the green one,' named for the tradition that greenery sprang up wherever he walked or sat — is the mysterious servant of Allah who possessed a form of divinely-granted knowledge described as 'mercy from Allah' and 'knowledge from Our presence.' Ibn Kathir presents al-Khidr with characteristic scholarly care: was he a prophet? Was he an angel? Was he a long-lived righteous man? Different scholars held different positions, and Ibn Kathir presents them without forcing a definitive answer. What is uncontested is the nature of his knowledge: it was not acquired through learning or prophetic revelation but given directly, enabling him to see the hidden divine wisdom in events that appeared, to ordinary moral perception, as harm or injustice.
As understood in the classical tradition of Ibn Kathir and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
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