I said to Ibn `Abbas, "Nauf Al-Bukah claims that Moses, the companion of Al-Khadir was not Moses(the prophet) of the children of Israel, but some other Moses." Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah's enemy (i.e.Nauf) has told a lie. Ubai bin Ka`b told us that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Once Moses stood up and addressedBani Israel. He was asked who was the most learned man amongst the people. He said, 'I.' Allahadmonished him as he did not attribute absolute knowledge to Him (Allah). So, Allah said to him,'Yes, at the junction of the two seas there is a Slave of Mine who is more learned than you.' Mosessaid, 'O my Lord! How can I meet him?'Allah said, 'Take a fish and put it in a large basket and you will find him at the place where you willlose the fish.' Moses took a fish and put it in a basket and proceeded along with his (servant) boy,Yusha` bin Noon, till they reached the rock where they laid their heads (i.e. lay down). Moses slept,and the fish, moving out of the basket, fell into the sea. It took its way into the sea (straight) as in atunnel. Allah stopped the flow of water over the fish and it became like an arch (the Prophet (ﷺ) pointedout this arch with his hands). They travelled the rest of the night, and the next day Moses said to hisboy (servant), 'Give us our food, for indeed, we have suffered much fatigue in this journey of ours.'Moses did not feel tired till he crossed that place which Allah had ordered him to seek after. His boy(servant) said to him, 'Do you know that when we were sitting near that rock, I forgot the fish, andnone but Satan caused me to forget to tell (you) about it, and it took its course into the sea in anamazing way?.' So there was a path for the fish and that astonished them. Moses said, 'That was whatwe were seeking after.' So, both of them retraced their footsteps till they reached the rock.There they saw a man Lying covered with a garment. Moses greeted him and he replied saying, 'Howdo people greet each other in your land?' Moses said, 'I am Moses.' The man asked, 'Moses of BaniIsrael?' Moses said, 'Yes, I have come to you so that you may teach me from those things which Allahhas taught you.' He said, 'O Moses! I have some of the Knowledge of Allah which Allah has taughtme, and which you do not know, while you have some of the Knowledge of Allah which Allah hastaught you and which I do not know.' Moses asked, 'May I follow you?' He said, 'But you will not beable to remain patient with me for how can you be patient about things which you will not be able tounderstand?'(Moses said, 'You will find me, if Allah so will, truly patient, and I will not disobey you in aught.') So,both of them set out walking along the sea-shore, a boat passed by them and they asked the crew ofthe boat to take them on board. The crew recognized Al-Khadir and so they took them on boardwithout fare. When they were on board the boat, a sparrow came and stood on the edge of the boat anddipped its beak once or twice into the sea.Al-Khadir said to Moses, 'O Moses! My knowledge and your knowledge have not decreased Allah'sKnowledge except as much as this sparrow has decreased the water of the sea with its beak.' Thensuddenly Al-Khadir took an adze and plucked a plank, and Moses did not notice it till he had pluckeda plank with the adze. Moses said to him, 'What have you done? They took us on board charging usnothing; yet you I have intentionally made a hole in their boat so as to drown its passengers. Verily,you have done a dreadful thing.' Al-Khadir replied, 'Did I not tell you that you would not be able toremain patient with me?' Moses replied, 'Do not blame me for what I have forgotten, and do not behard upon me for my fault.' So the first excuse of Moses was that he had forgotten. When they had leftthe sea, they passed by a boy playing with other boys.Al-Khadir took hold of the boys head and plucked it with his hand like this. (Sufyan, the sub narratorpointed with his fingertips as if he was plucking some fruit.) Moses said to him, "Have you killed aninnocent person who has not killed any person? You have really done a horrible thing." Al-Khadirsaid, "Did I not tell you that you could not remain patient with me?' Moses said "If I ask you aboutanything after this, don't accompany me. You have received an excuse from me.' Then both of themwent on till they came to some people of a village, and they asked its inhabitant for wood but theyrefused to entertain them as guests. Then they saw therein a wall which was just going to collapse(and Al Khadir repaired it just by touching it with his hands). (Sufyan, the sub-narrator, pointed withhis hands, illustrating how Al-Khadir passed his hands over the wall upwards.) Moses said, "These arethe people whom we have called on, but they neither gave us food, nor entertained us as guests, yetyou have repaired their wall. If you had wished, you could have taken wages for it." Al-Khadir said,"This is the parting between you and me, and I shall tell you the explanation of those things on whichyou could not remain patient." The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "We wished that Moses could have remainedpatient by virtue of which Allah might have told us more about their story. (Sufyan the sub-narratorsaid that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy on Moses! If he had remained patient, wewould have been told further about their case.")