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The Cave (18:65)
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًۭا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ رَحْمَةًۭ مِّنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَـٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًۭا ٦٥
There they found a servant of Ours, to whom We had granted mercy from Us and enlightened with knowledge of Our Own.
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
Then they found one of Our servants whom We blessed with mercy from Us and whom We gave knowledge, a knowledge from Our own.
— T. Usmani
Then found they one of Our slaves, unto whom We had given mercy from Us, and had taught him knowledge from Our presence.
— M. Pickthall
So they found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed Mercy from Ourselves and whom We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence.
— A. Yusuf Ali
تو انھوں نے وہاں ہمارے بندوں میں سے ایک بندے کو پایا جس کو ہم نے اپنے پاس سے رحمت دی تھی اور جس کو اپنے پاس سے ایک علم سکھایا تھا
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
[https://quran.com/al-kahf/65]
Surah al-Kahf contains many unusual stories with subterranean references. One such story is the quest of Moses (Musa عليه السلام) for knowledge from someone whom The Quran simply refers to as 'Our servant' upon whom 'We had bestowed Mercy', and whom 'We had taught knowledge from Our own Presence'.
The first story in Surah al-Kahf is the young boys praying for something similar:
The Cave (18:10)
إِذْ أَوَى ٱلْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةًۭ وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًۭا ١٠
When the young men took refuge in the Cave and said, “Our Lord, bless us with mercy from Your own and provide us with guidance in our matters.”
— T. Usmani
جب ان نوجوانوں نے غار میں پناہ لی، پھر انھوں نے کہا کہ اے ہمارے رب، ہم کو اپنے پاس سے رحمت دے اورہمارے معاملے کو درست کردے
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
[https://quran.com/al-kahf/10]
These young people were seeking mercy (رَحْمَةًۭ), and legally correct actions (رَشَدًۭا). They were being called to polytheism. They resisted, stood firm on their faith in One God alone (Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), and then sought refuge in the pit cave (ٱلْكَهْفِ).
Now, in the story of Moses (Musa عليه السلام), we read that he, along with the young person with him, is seeking such a person who has been blessed with mercy and knowledge. Eventually, he finds him.
Where he finds him, the three missions he accompanies him in, and their explanation, are all narrated in ayaat 60-82.
When Moses (Musa عليه السلام) finds this person, he says to him:
The Cave (18:66)
قَالَ لَهُۥ مُوسَىٰ هَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمْتَ رُشْدًۭا ٦٦
Mūsā said to him, “May I have your company so that you teach me some of the rightful knowledge you have been given.”
— T. Usmani
موسیٰ نے اس سے کہا ” کیا میں آپ کے ساتھ رہ سکتا ہوں تاکہ آپ مجھے بھی اس دانش کی تعلیم دیں جو آپ کو سکھائی گئی ہے ؟
— Fe Zilal al-Qur'an
موسیٰ نے اس سے کہا، کیا میں آپ کے ساتھ رہ سکتا ہوں ، تاکہ آپ مجھے اس علم میں سے سکھادیں جو آپ کو سکھایا گیا ہے
— Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
[https://quran.com/al-kahf/66]
Moses (Musa عليه السلام) is seeking a certain type of knowledge, the knowledge of (رُشْدًۭا) from this person. The word is variously translated: by T.Usmani as 'the rightful'; in Fe Zilal al-Quran as 'اس دانش'; by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan as 'اس علم'; and as discussed in a previous post, I believe it means legally correct.
Interestingly, the name of this person is not mentioned in the text. He is only referred to as 'Our servant'.
Furthermore, Moses (Musa عليه السلام) finds him at the confluence of two water bodies, a place where a fish is able to pass through a rock. A place where the physics is different? A parallel realm? A secret place?
Yet, this person is able to freely move about in our world, and interact with people.
Yet, his behaviour, his actions, his interactions, all defy normal behaviour.
He seems to have some knowledge of the future, some intel, based on which he takes actions to modify the direction of the present, towards a better future. [all three missions]
He protects the property of the poor by damaging it. It is an initiative he takes himself. [first mission]
He also has the license to kill, and it is upon orders. So, he is sent as an assassin, to save a believing couple from a terrible offspring. [second mission]
The wealth of the orphans, the descendants of a reformer, is being protected as per the order of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى . Apparently, the service is being done in the town whose people even refuse to feed the hungry, but in reality, the service is to protect the wealth of the orphans till they are strong enough to take out their treasure. [third mission]
All this while, the name of this secret operative is not revealed.
He is secretly serving, based on the intelligence, and the commands, being given to him.
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