Narrated Said bin Jubair (RA) :
I said to Ibn Abbas (RA), "Nauf-al-Bakali " claims that Moses (علیہ السلام) of Bani Israel was not Moses (علیہ السلام), the companion of Al-Khadir." Ibn Abbas (RA) said, "Allahs enemy tells a lie! Ubai bin Kab (RA) narrated to us that Allahs Apostle ﷺ said, Moses (علیہ السلام) got up to deliver a sermon before Bani Israel and he was asked, Who is the most learned person among the people? Moses (علیہ السلام) replied, I (am the most learned). Allah then admonished Moses (علیہ السلام) for he did not ascribe all knowledge to Allah only (Then) came the Divine Inspiration:-- Yes, one of Our slaves at the junction of the two seas is more learned than you.
Moses (علیہ السلام) said, O my Lord ! How can meet him? Allah said, Take a fish in a basket and wherever the fish is lost, follow it (you will find him at that place). So Moses (علیہ السلام) set out along with his attendant Yusha bin Nun, and they carried with them a fish till they reached a rock and rested there. Moses (علیہ السلام) put his head down and slept. (Sufyan, a sub-narrator said that somebody other than Amr said) At the rock there was a water spring called Al-Hayat and none came in touch with its water but became alive. So some of the water of that spring fell over that fish, so it moved and slipped out of the basket and entered the sea. When Moses (علیہ السلام) woke up, he asked his attendant, Bring our early meal (18.62).
The narrator added: Moses (علیہ السلام) did not suffer from fatigue except after he had passed the place he had been ordered to observe. His attendant Yusha bin Nun said to him, Do you remember (what happened) when we betook ourselves to the rock? I did indeed forget (about) the fish ... (18.63) The narrator added: So they came back, retracing their steps and then they found in the sea, the way of the fish looking like a tunnel. So there was an astonishing event for his attendant, and there was tunnel for the fish. When they reached the rock, they found a man covered with a garment. Moses (علیہ السلام) greeted him. The man said astonishingly, Is there any such greeting in your land? Moses (علیہ السلام) said, I am Moses (علیہ السلام). The man said, Moses (علیہ السلام) of Bani Israel? Moses (علیہ السلام) said, Yes, and added, may I follow you so that you teach me something of the Knowledge which you have been taught? (18.66). Al-Khadir said to him, O Moses (علیہ السلام)! You have something of Allahs knowledge which Allah has taught you and which I do not know; and I have something of Allahs knowledge which Allah has taught me and which you do not know. Moses (علیہ السلام) said, But I will follow you. Al-Khadir said, Then if you follow me, ask me no question about anything until I myself speak to you concerning it. (18.70). After that both of them proceeded along the seashore. There passed by them a boat whose crew recognized Al-Khadir and received them on board free of charge. So they both got on board. A sparrow came and sat on the edge of the boat and dipped its beak unto the sea. Al-Khadir said to Moses (علیہ السلام). My knowledge and your knowledge and all the creations knowledge compared to Allahs knowledge is not more than the water taken by this sparrows beak.
Then Moses (علیہ السلام) was startled by Al-Khadirs action of taking an adze and scuttling the boat with it. Moses (علیہ السلام) said to him, These people gave us a free lift, but you intentionally scuttled their boat so as to drown them. Surely you have... (18.71) Then they both proceeded and found a boy playing with other boys. Al-Khadir took hold of him by the head and cut it off. Moses (علیہ السلام) said to him, Have you killed an innocent soul who has killed nobody? Surely you have done an illegal thing! (18.74) He said, "Didnt I tell you that you will not be able to have patient with me up to ..but they refused to entertain them as their guests. There they found a wall therein at the point of collapsing. (18.75-77) Al-Khadir moved his hand thus and set it upright (repaired it). Moses (علیہ السلام) said to him, When we entered this town, they neither gave us hospitality nor fed us; if you had wished, you could have taken wages for it, Al-Khadir said, This is the parting between you and me I will tell you the interpretation of (those things) about which you were unable to hold patience....(18.78)
Allahs Apostle ﷺ said, We wished that Moses (علیہ السلام) could have been more patient so that He (Allah) could have described to us more about their story. Ibn Abbas (RA) used to recite:-- And in front (ahead) of them there was a king who used to seize every (serviceable) boat by force. (18.79) ...and as for the boy he was a disbeliever. "