Khidr
Description
Khidr is a Qur'anic figure of Islam. He is described in Surah al-Kahf as a righteous servant of God possessing great wisdom or mystic knowledge. In various Islamic and non-Islamic traditions, Khidr is described as an angel, prophet, or wali (saint), who guards the sea, teaches secret knowledge and aids those in distress. He prominently figures as patron of the Islamic saint Ibn Arabi. The figure of al-Khidr has been syncretized over time with various other figures including Dūraoša and Sorūsh in Iran, Sargis the General and Saint George in Asia Minor and the Levant, Elijah in Judaism and among the Druze, John the Baptist in Armenia, and Jhulelal in Sindh and Punjab in South Asia. He is commemorated on the holiday of Hıdırellez.
Facts
| Venerated in | Islam, Druze |
| Predecessor | Yusha bin Nun |
| Successor | Luqman |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| Etymology | The name al-Khiḍr shares exactly the same triliteral root as the Arabic al-akhḍar or al-khaḍra, a root found in several Semitic languages meaning "green" or "verdant" (as in al-Qubbah al-Khaḍrā’ or the Green Dome). |
| Quranic narrative | In the Quran 18:65–82, Moses meets the Servant of God, referred to in the Quran as "one of our slaves whom We had granted mercy from Us and whom We had taught knowledge from Ourselves". |
| Reports in the Hadith | Al-Khiḍr is a figure in Islamic tradition who is believed to have the appearance of a young adult but with a long, white beard. |
| Islamic perspectives | In Sunni Islam Persian scholar, historian and exegete of the Qur'an Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari, writes about Khidr in a chapter of his The History of al-Tabari, called "The Tale of al-Khiḍr and His History; and the History of Moses and His Servant Joshua." Al-Tabari describes several versions of the traditional story surrounding al-Khiḍr. |
| In Druze faith | Druze venerate Elijah, and he is considered a central figure in Druzism. |
| In Zoroastrianism | There are many figures in Iran whose place Khidr took by the Islamization process. |
| Theories on origin | The source of the Quranic episode of Moses' journey with al-Khiḍr has been the subject of different opinions of various scholars. |
| Comparative mythology | In various accounts al-Khidr has been linked to the figure of Dhu al-Qarnayn, who is commonly identified as Alexander the Great, although many Islamic scholars have rejected this claim as Alexander the Great was a polytheist. |
Prophecies
Key prophetic utterances and visions attributed to Khidr, with sources.
| Prophecy / vision | Source |
|---|---|
| How can you bear with what you cannot comprehend? — Moses and the servant of God | Quran 18:67-72 |
| I did it not of my own will: the boat, the wall, the orphan — the outward and the inward | Quran 18:79-82 |