Who was the mysterious servant of God whom Moses (as) met?

The Holy Qur’an does not give his name. It describes him as a servant of God to whom God granted mercy and knowledge from Himself. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) called him Khidr. The encounter is best understood as a vision and should be interpreted in that light.

The story is found in the eighteenth chapter of the Holy Qur’an. Moses (as) sets out to meet a servant of God who has special knowledge. He is allowed to accompany him on condition that he stays patient and asks nothing. But the servant of God does things that seem incomprehensible and even wrong to Moses (as), and Moses (as) cannot keep silent.

At the end the servant of God explains each of his actions. Behind everything lay a hidden purpose, a mercy that Moses (as) could not see. And he stresses that he did nothing of his own will. Everything happened at God’s command.

Many details of this account are hard to understand as ordinary outward events. It is best read as a vision, a spiritual sight that God granted to Moses (as). In a vision, images carry a meaning that goes beyond what is seen. Understood this way, the whole story looks different, and its images become pointers to God’s plans.

The message is clear. Even a great prophet does not know everything. God’s actions often have a purpose that a person recognises only later, or not at all. Whoever understands this learns patience and trust, especially when something in life seems incomprehensible or hard.