The Cave (Al-Kahf)
Verses 71-74 GROUP_697 18.71-74
71
فَانطَلَقَا حَتَّى إِذَا رَكِبَا فِي السَّفِينَةِ خَرَقَهَا قَالَ أَخَرَقْتَهَا لِتُغْرِقَ أَهْلَهَا لَقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْئًا إِمْرًا
So they set out, but, when they got into a boat, the man made a hole in it. Moses exclaimed, ‘Have you made a hole in the boat to drown the people in it? You have indeed done a dreadful thing!’
72
قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبْرًا
He replied, ‘Did I not tell you that you would never be able to bear with me patiently?’
73
قَالَ لَا تُؤَاخِذْنِي بِمَا نَسِيتُ وَلَا تُرْهِقْنِي مِنْ أَمْرِي عُسْرًا
He said, ‘Do not take me to task for what I have forgotten, and do not be hard on me on account of what I have done!’
74
فَانطَلَقَا حَتَّى إِذَا لَقِيَا غُلَامًا فَقَتَلَهُ قَالَ أَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا زَكِيَّةً بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ لَّقَدْ جِئْتَ شَيْئًا نُّكْرًا
So they travelled on. Then they met a young boy and the man killed him. Moses said, ‘Have you slain an innocent person without his having slain anyone? Indeed, you have done a terrible thing!’
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Commentary
(a) Damaging a good boat and killing a child do not appear to be good deeds. But, as the ensuing verses show, a profound sagacity was hidden in them. These apparently wrong deeds were in reality correct and useful acts. This also provides an answer to what is known as the ‘problem of evil’. In this world of human beings, there are many things which at first sight appear to be evils in the system. Yet, they are based on deep wisdom. It is true that in the present world this wisdom is hidden behind a veil. But, in the life hereafter, this veil will not be there. At that time, man will come to know that whatever happened was done according to the highest standards of justice.