Prophet Al-Khidr
Between the Qur'anic Text and Islamic Contexts- Authors:
- Publisher:
- 2022
Summary
The Qur’anic verses 18:60–82 in Sūrat al-Kahf present the story of Khiḍr and Moses as a lesson on the modalities of being and of knowing. Traditionally, the story is seen from a variety of vantage points that include historical, textual, literary, and allegorical, each of which is framed differently depending on the religio-cultural context. This book, in addition to examining the theological sources, traces the story’s mythical, mystical, and popular interpretations engendered by the Qur’anic story. The author argues that the story’s major contribution is its ability to communicate the importance of cultivating humility—a fundamental goal for any person of faith. Despite his importance in the Qur’an, Moses is not the main hero in this story; instead, he is used to point to an even higher truth pertaining to the spiritual dimensions of faith. This book suggests that Khiḍr’s Qur’anic story symbolizes these truths by providing a perspective on the tension between materiality and spirituality, the ẓāhir (exoteric) and the bāṭin (esoteric), and human and divine forms of knowledge. Additionally, in this work, the Khiḍr narrative is viewed as a source of nourishment for theories that speak to the intersectionality between Islam and other religious traditions.
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Bibliographic data
- Copyright year
- 2022
- ISBN-Print
- 978-1-4985-9591-9
- ISBN-Online
- 978-1-4985-9592-6
- Publisher
- Lexington, Lanham
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 142
- Product type
- Book Titles
Table of contents
- Contents No access
- Preface No access
- Acknowledgments No access
- Note on Transliteration No access
- Introduction No access Pages 1 - 14
- The Origins and Meanings of the Khiḍr Story No access Pages 15 - 34
- Khiḍr in Muslim Sources and Traditions of Piety No access Pages 35 - 56
- Khiḍr in Sufism No access Pages 57 - 78
- Khiḍr in Folklore No access Pages 79 - 102
- Khiḍr in Muḥammad Iqbāl’s Poetry No access Pages 103 - 116
- Conclusion No access Pages 117 - 122
- Works Cited No access Pages 123 - 134
- Index No access Pages 135 - 140
- About the Author No access Pages 141 - 142





