Hazrath Khizar Alahissalam

Al-Khiḍr الخضر‎ "the Green One", also transcribed Khidr, Khidar, Khizr, Khizar and Khizar As is an enigmatic figure in Islam; some say he is a ‘Abdan Ṣālih (righteous servant of God) while others say he is a prophet. Al-Khiḍr is best known for his appearance in the Qur'an in sura al-Kahf.Although not mentioned by name in the āyah (verse), al-Khiḍr is assumed to be the figure that Musa (Moses) accompanies and whose seemingly violent and destructive actions so disturb Moses that he violates his oath not to ask questions.

Islamic tradition sometimes describes al-Khiḍr as Mu'allim al-anbiya (Tutor of the Prophets), for the spiritual guidance he has shown every prophet who has appeared throughout history. The one prophet whom al-Khiḍr did not teach is Muhammad; significantly, it is Muhammad who taught al-Khiḍr. This is an unsurprising reversal of the master-disciple relationship exemplified by al-Khiḍr and Moses. Having the young, unlettered Muhammad teach the wise, ancient al-Khiḍr underscores the superiority of Muhammad's prophethood and the fact that he too is a repository of divine knowledge (ilm ladunni).

Hızır is also an important figure in Alevism as well as the subject of a major Turkish holiday, Hindrellez. In the Jordanian city of Mahis there is a Mausoleum to al-Khiḍr.

Quranic narrative

In ayat 18:65-82, Moses meets al-Khiḍr, referred in the Quran as "one from among Our servants whom We had granted mercy from Us and whom We had taught knowledge from Ourselves,"at the junction of the two seas and asks for permission to accompany him so Moses can learn "right knowledge of what [he has] been taught".

Al-Khiḍr, realizing that Moses had the Torah and divine knowledge to draw upon, informs him in a stern manner that their knowledge is of different nature and that "Surely [Moses] cannot have patience with me." Moses promised to be patient and obey Al-Khiḍr, and they set out together.

After they board a ship, al-Khiḍr damages the vessel. Forgetting his oath to follow quietly, Moses says, "Have you made a hole in it to drown its inmates? Certainly you have done a grievous thing."

Al-Khiḍr reminds Moses of his warning, "Did I not say that you will not be able to have patience with me?" and Moses asks not to be rebuked.

Next, al-Khiḍr murders a young man. Moses again cries out in astonishment and dismay, again Al-Khiḍr reminds Moses of his warning, and Moses promises he will not violate his oath again. They then proceed to a town where they are denied hospitality.

This time, instead of harming anyone or thing, al-Khiḍr restores a decrepit wall in the village. Yet again Moses is amazed and violates his oath for the third and last time, asking why al-Khiḍr did not at least exact "some recompense for it!"

Al-Khiḍr replies, "This shall be separation between me and you; now I will inform you of the significance of that with which you could not have patience." Many acts which seem to be evil, malicious or somber, actually were merciful. The boat was damaged to prevent its owners from falling into the hands of "a king who seized every boat by force. ... And as for the boy, his parents were believers and we feared lest he should make disobedience and ingratitude to come upon them." God will replace the child with one better in purity, affection and obedience.

As for the restored wall, al-Khiḍr explained that underneath the wall was a treasure belonging to two hapless orphans whose father was a righteous man. As God's envoy, al-Khiḍr restored the wall, showing God's kindness by rewarding the piety of the orphans' father.

Al-Khiḍr (right) and Dhul-Qarnayn, here referring to Alexander the Great, marvel at the sight of a salted fish that comes back to life when touched by the Water of Life.

Reports in the Hadith

Among the strongest transmitted proofs about the life of al-Khiḍr are two reports, one narrated by Imam Ahmad in al-Zuhd whereby Muhammad is said to have stated that Ilyas and al-Khiḍr meet every year and spend the month of Ramadan in Jerusalem and the other 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. Ibn Hajar declared the chain of the first fair and that of the second sound in Fath al-Bari (1959 ed. 6:435). He goes on to cite another sound report narrated by ibn 'Asakir from Abu Zur'a al-Razi whereby the latter met al-Khiḍr twice, once in his young age, the other in his old age, but al-Khiḍr himself had not changed.

Al-Khiḍr is believed to be a man who has the appearance of a young adult but a long, white beard. According to some authors like Abdul Haq Vidhyarthi, al-Khiḍr is Xerxes (not to be confused with Xerxes I), who disappeared after being in the lake regions of Sijistan or Sistan that comprise the wetlands of the Irano-Afghan border today, and after finding the fountain of life, sought to live his entire remaining life in service of God and to help those in their path/journey to Him.

Bukhari reports that al-Khiḍr got his name after he was present over the surface of some ground that became green as a result of his presence there. There are reports from al-Bayhaqi in his Dala'il an-Nubawwah that al-Khiḍr was present at the funeral of Prophet Muhammad 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. Al-Khiḍr's appearance at Muhammad'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.)

In another narration al-Khiḍr met with Ali by the Kaabah and instructed him about a supplication that is very meritorious when recited after the obligatory prayers. It is reported by Imam Muslim that during the time when the false Messiah appears and as he approaches at the outskirts of the city of Medina, a believer would challenge him, whom the false Messiah will slice into two piece and rejoin, making it appear that he caused him to die and be resurrected, to which this man would proclaim the falsehood of the Dajjal who would try again to kill him (or make show of it) but would fail and thus his weakness and inability being made revealed. According to the commentators and transmitters of this narration the person who will challenge the Antichrist and humiliate him will be al-Khiḍr.

Sidi Abd al-Aziz ad-Dabbagh is reported in al-Ibriz to have said about al-Khiḍr, that he is not a prophet but rather a saint who has the same status as that of the ghawth (a level where the saint acquires resemblance to the heart of Israfel) and who attained this status in front of God as a direct blessing without the aid of any spiritual guide.

In Sufism

To Sufis, al-Khiḍr holds a very dear place. Although amongst the Sunni scholars there is a difference of opinion about him being still alive, amongst Sunni Sufis there is almost a consensus that al-Khiḍr is still alive, with many respected figures and shaykhs, and prominent leaders claiming having had personal encounters with him. Examples of those who had claim this are Ghawth Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, Imam an-Nawawi, Muhyideen Ibn Arabi, Sidi Abdul Aziz ad-Dabbagh and Ahmad ibn Idris al-Fasi. Ibn 'Ata' Allah in Lata'if al-Minan (1:84-98) states that there is consensus among the Sufis that al-Khiḍr is alive. In fact there are orders that claim origin with al-Khiḍr himself, or that al-Khiḍr was part of their chain, for example some of the Naqshbandiyya, the Muhammadiyyah, the Idrisiyyah, and the Sanusiyyah are tariqahs that had al-Khiḍr as one of the central figures connecting them to the spiritual outflow of the Prophet Muhammad.

In Sufi tradition, al-Khiḍr has come to be known as one of those who receive illumination direct from God without human mediation. He is the hidden initiator of those who walk the mystical path, like some of those from the Uwaisi tariqa. Uwaisis are those who enter the mystical path without being initiated by a living master. Instead they begin their mystical journey either by following the guiding light of the teachings of the earlier masters or by being initiated by the mysterious prophet-saint al-Khiḍr.

Al-Khiḍr has had thus gained enormous reputation and popularity in the Sufi tradition due to his role of an initiator. Through this way come several Sufi orders which claim initiation through al-Khiḍr and consider him their master. Al-Khiḍr had thus come to symbolize access to the divine mystery (ghayb) itself. In the writings of Abd al-Karim al-Jili, al-Khiḍr rules over ‘the Men of the Unseen' (rijalu’l-ghayb)—the exalted saints and angels. Al-Khiḍr is also included among what in classical Sufism are called the abdāl (‘those who take turns’). In a divinely-instituted hierarchy of such saints, al-Khiḍr holds the rank of their spiritual head.

Sufis draw many analogies supporting natural theology from this Qur'anic passage, such as the need for earthquakes to act in contrast to earth's stability, disease to contrast good health, and countless other analogies. The question of accountability raised by some is answered through the fact that al-Khiḍr was acting as God's envoy and not according to his personal judgment.

The Sri Lankan Sufi Bawa Muhaiyaddeen gives a unique account of al-Khiḍr. Al-Khiḍr was on a long search for God, until God, out of his mercy, sends the Archangel Gabriel to guide him. Gabriel appears to al-Khiḍr as a wise human sage, and al-Khiḍr accepts him as his teacher. Gabriel teaches al-Khiḍr much in the same way as al-Khiḍr later teaches Moses in the Qur'an, by carrying out seemingly unjust actions. Al-Khiḍr repeatedely breaks his oath not to speak out against Gabriel's actions, and is still unaware that the human teacher is actually Gabriel. Gabriel then explains his actions, and reveals his true angelic form to al-Khiḍr. Al-Khiḍr recognises him as the Archangel Gabriel, and then Gabriel bestows a spiritual title upon al-Khiḍr, by calling him Hayat Nabi, the Eternal Life Prophet.

The French scholar of Sufism, Henry Corbin, interprets al-Khiḍr as the mysterious prophet, the eternal wanderer. The function of al-Khiḍr as a 'person-archetype' is to reveal each disciple to himself, to lead each disciple to his own theophany, because that theophany corresponds to his own 'inner heaven,' to the form of his own being, to his eternal individuality. Accordingly, Al-Khidr is Moses' spiritual guide, who initiates Moses into the divine sciences, and reveals to him the secret mystic truth.

Relation to other stories

Al-Khiḍr also figures into the Alexander Romance as a servant of Alexander the Great. Al-Khidr and Alexander cross the Land of Darkness to find the Water of Life. Alexander gets lost looking for the spring, but al-Khiḍr finds it and gains eternal life. It was previously thought that Alexander was Dulqurnain but these were just assumptions.

Some scholars suggest that al-Khiḍr is also represented in the Arthurian tale, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, as the Green Knight. In the story, the Green Knight tempts the faith of Sir Gawain three times. The character of al-Khiḍr may have come into European literature through the mixing of cultures during the Crusades.

It is also possible that the story derives from an Irish myth which predates the Crusades in which Cuchulainn and two other heroes compete for the champion's portion at feasts; ultimately, Cuchulainn is the only one willing to let a giant—actually a king who has magically disguised himself—cut off his head, as per their agreement.

The story is also similar to one told in the Talmud of a journey made by the prophet Elijah and Rabbi Jochanan.The first house where they stay the night belongs to a pious old couple who give the prophet and the rebbe the best of their food and beds. However, the couple's cow dies in the night. Elijah later explains that the Angel of Death came and he persuaded the angel to take the cow instead of the wife. The next house, as in the al-Khiḍr story, is that of a rich miser, and Elijah repairs his wall so that he will not, in having it repaired, find the treasure hidden under it. This story could have been adapted by religious figures to suit Elijah, taking the essence away from Moses having to learn from someone else. This could have been seen to belittle Moses. Hence was adapted to suit someone else.

Al-Khidr is also said to be lord Vishnu of the Hindu religion by Riaz Ahmed Gohar Shahi.