# Who was al-Khidr and why is he called the green one?

*Who is al-Khidr? His names according to Mulla Ali al-Qari*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yy74xfro_e4/s/1/
- Date: 2019-01-14 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Who Was Khidr (a.s.)? -Mufti Abu Layth (0:00–2:35)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy74XfRo_E4&t=0s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yy74xfro_e4/

**Topics:** Stories of the prophets; Jinn, angels and the devil

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Al-Khidr is a figure of Islamic literature and folk belief whose name means the green one, said to be because the ground turned green where he sat. Earlier scholars preferred the pronunciation al-Khadir.

## Longer summary

After some joking about how the name is pronounced, Mufti Abu Layth says people have asked him about al-Khidr and introduces a book on him by Mulla Ali al-Qari, whom he calls a great Hanafi scholar of a few centuries ago. He describes al-Khidr as a character in Islamic literature and especially in Islamic folk belief. He says earlier scholars preferred the pronunciation al-Khadir while al-Khidr is more popular now, and that al-Qari gives his actual name as Balya [?] with a kunya he does not recognise. He explains that Khidr means the green one, said to be because the ground where he sat turned green, or because he carried something green.

## Sources and names cited

- al-Khidr
- Mulla Ali al-Qari
- al-Qari's treatise on al-Khidr [?]
- Hanafi school

## Transcript (machine tier, 0:00–2:35)

[0:00] people have asked me about Hitler those of you have heard about no not sometimes people say his er and from there in English Kaiser Kaiser does sound sleek though yeah you gotta say Kaiser Kaiser Soze [Laughter] that boy that was a Don movie usual suspects ah a pig people epic right but right so I thought well let's lean in on this book well Heather the Amaral all had their fee I'm real happy now this

[0:39] was written by Malala Lodi great Hanafy scholar from few centuries back who wrote on the topic of hurdle now Hitler Ali Salam who was leader okay Heather is this character that exists in Islamic literature and in Islamic belief and especially in Islamic folk belief right so first of all what's his name a lot of the people in the past the scholars tend to prefer the name how

[1:17] they're now his nowadays what seems to be more popular amongst people is hidden it can be said as Hitler it can be said as hid or it can be said as hard there it can be I mean people have used any of these and many of these kind of names his this wasn't his actual name per se his name once again we're gonna come to whether what his actual name people have allegedly said so Mullaly little party fields in this book that his name was

[1:54] Bell yeah valia sounds of it this he doesn't he like a desi nickname Ballia his name was bull yeah I don't know why where on earth he got that from and his Cunha was apparently able a bus know where we go from but so who was this hidden hater oh ha there means the one to do with green why they call him green is apparently because where he would sit that piece of land that piece of soil would turn green so this is what some people say some

[2:34] people say no because he would carry something that's green and and they've got different versions for why he was called her there now what is this whole story about what is this merchants and this is important because he is the the character the person that people say Allah is referring to in Surat al-kahf so if I open for us if we go to Surat al-kahf right how to be lemon Shaitaan or a team when we approach verse 60 in surah kahf

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment yy74XfRo_E4/s/1. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/yy74xfro_e4/s/1/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.