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Heart Soothers: Anas Bourak
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Lesson 11 From Surah Al-Kahf
Tafsir Verses 72-81
Alhamdulillah last session we were able to explore the meanings and lessons of verses 60-70. InshAllah, we'll try our best to cover the meanings of verse 71-82. As we learned in the last session, this passage of the Surah deals with a very unique and interesting episode from the life of Musa . It's the story of his encounter and journey with a man of God known as Khidr or Khadir. We reached the point in the story where Musa finally finds Khidr and asks with the utmost humility and respect to allow him to be his student. This highlights Musa's sincerity in seeking knowledge, his lack of pride and his willingness to humble himself in front of Khidr despite his own status as a Prophet.
But Khidr initially declined his request telling him, "Truly you will not be able to bear patiently with me. And how can you be patient with that which you have no knowledge?" Khidr recognized that he would do things that Musa would find to be illogical, irrational and even impermissible. Things that on the surface level seem to be horrible and despicable. Musa was sent as a Prophet of Divine Law, while Khidr had been entrusted with some unique knowledge and actions that seemed to be contradictory to that law. So he explained to Musa that he wouldn't be able to be patient with him and his actions. But Musa was extremely eager to learn. He resolved to be patient and obedient while relying upon the will of Allah ﷻ.
He tells Khidr, "You will find me patient, if Allah wills, and I shall not disobey you in any matter." Khidr finally gave in and both of them set off on their way. This is where we'll pick up the story again. Allah ﷻ says,
Verse 71: So they both went on till, when they had embarked upon a ship, he made a hole in it. He said, "Have you made a hole in it to drown its people? Certainly, you have done a grave thing."
They set out walking together along the shore looking for a ship to ride. As they were walking a ship of sailors passed by them and Khidr asked for a ride. The sailors knew Khidr so they let both him and Musa come on board without any charge. After traveling for a while Khidr got up and pulled out one of the planks from the bottom of the ship using an ax making a hole in it. This placed everyone on the ship in danger of drowning. Obviously, this seemingly absurd and cruel behavior surprised Musa . He was literally in shock. He couldn't understand why Khidr would do such a thing to someone who helped him out. This went against his moral compass of what's right and wrong. Musa forgot about the conditions of his teacher and objected. These people gave us a free ride and you're pulling a plank to drown their ship. You've done something bad. "Have you made a hole in it to drown its people? Certainly, you have done a grave thing." Khidr then reminded him gently with patience.
Verse 72: He said, "Did I not say that you can never bear with me patiently?"
Didn't I tell you that you wouldn't be able to be patient with me and my actions? The way he says this shows that he was willing to overlook and tolerate Musa's (as) impatience. Musa (as) felt a sense of regret and apologized to Khidr telling him that he completely forgot about his deal.
Verse 73: He (Musa) said, "Do not hold me responsible for what I forgot, and do not make my course too difficult for me."
Basically he apologized. He said please don't hold me responsible for what I forgot and allow me to continue travelling in your company. While telling the story the Prophet ﷺ says, "the first (question) was out of forgetfulness. While this conversation was taking place a bird came and sat on the side of the boat and took a sip of water from the ocean. Khidr said to Musa, 'my knowledge and yours combined in comparison to the knowledge of Allah is like the sip of water compared to the ocean.'" Khidr accepting his apology and they continued travelling on their way.
Verse 74: So, they moved ahead until when they met a boy, he killed him (the boy). He (Musa) said, "Did you kill an innocent soul while he did not kill anyone? You have committed a heinous act indeed."
"So they continued…" They both got off the ship and started walking along the shore until they came across a young boy playing with his friends. Khidr went up to this young boy and killed him by either strangling him to death or striking him on his head. This was too much for Musa (as) to handle. He objected even more vehemently. How can he kill an innocent young boy for no reason whatsoever? To Musa (as) this seemed absolutely absurd, cruel and unjustified. It was too much for him to tolerate patiently despite his promise not to question anything that he saw. So he said, How can you kill a pure innocent child for no reason whatsoever? You have done something unjustified and have committed a heinous act. Once again Khidr reminds him of the condition that he made and the promise that Musa (as) had given.
Verse 75: He said, "Did I not tell you that you can never bear with me patiently?"
Didn't I warn you that you wouldn't be able to handle what I would do? Didn't I tell you that you wouldn't be able to remain silent when I do certain things? In this reminder, Khidr added the word "laka" to show that this time his reminder is more severe and clearer. The first time someone forgets and makes a mistake it's overlooked. The second time it's also overlooked but with a sense of hesitation. Musa again feels a sense of regret for breaking his word and not sticking to the conditions of Khidr. He's now done this twice so he apologizes by saying,
Verse 76: He said, "If I ask you about something after this, do not keep me in your company. You have had enough excuses from me."
Musa (as) again apologizes but this time gives himself one last chance. He said if he questions Khidr one more time then Khidr can choose to part ways with him. Once again Khidr accepts his apology and they set off on their way. After commenting on this part ibn Kathīr narrates a hadīth from the Prophet ﷺ. He writes, "Ibn Jarir narrated from Ibn `Abbas that Ubayy bin Ka`b said: "Whenever the Prophet ﷺ mentioned anyone, he would pray for himself first. One day he said:
- «رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى مُوسَى لَوْ لَبِثَ مَعَ صَاحِبِهِ لَأَبْصَرَ الْعَجَبَ، وَلَكِنَّهُ قَالَ:
- ﴿إِن سَأَلْتُكَ عَن شَىْءٍ بَعْدَهَا فَلاَ تُصَاحِبْنِى قَدْ بَلَغْتَ مِن لَّدُنِّى عُذْراً﴾»
May the mercy of Allah be upon us and upon Musa. If he had stayed with his companion he would have seen wonders, but he said, (`If I ask you anything after this, keep me not in your company, you have received an excuse from me.'))" That brings us to the third and last adventure they had together.
Verse 77: Then, they moved on until they came to the people of a town and sought food from them. But they refused to show them any hospitality. Then, they found there a wall that was about to fall down. So he (Khidr) set it right. He (Musa) said, "If you wished, you could have charged a fee for this."
Musa and Khidr continued traveling until they came upon the people of a town that most commentators identify as the ancient city of Antioch. Being tired and hungry they asked them for some food but they refused to give them any or show them any hospitality whatsoever. As they were leaving the city they came across a wall that was about to fall down. Khidr stopped by it and repaired it. Now, this situation is also bizarre; Khidr is a complete stranger in a town that refused to give them food or host them yet he still stops and fixes their wall for nothing in return. Musa finds the situation full of irony. Why should a stranger exert so much effort in rebuilding a wall in a town where they were denied even a little food and all hospitality? He should have at least demanded some money for his labor and then they could have bought some food to eat.
Musa couldn't hold himself so he objected, "If you wished, you could have charged a fee for this." And that was the end of their relationship. Khidr responded,
Verse 78: He said, "This is the parting between me and you. I shall inform you of the meaning of that which you were unable to bear with patiently."
Meaning, this is the end of our relationship and this is where we'll part ways. But before we go our separate ways I'll explain to you the wisdom and hidden meaning behind everything I did. Up till this point in the story, we've probably been just as impatient as Musa ; we have no clue why Khidr did the things he did. But he then explains everything is detail; why he pulled a plank out of the bottom the ship, why he killed an innocent child and why he rebuilt the wall without taking anything in return.
Verse 79: As for the ship, it belonged to some poor people who worked at sea. I wanted to damage it, for just beyond them was a king who was seizing every ship by force.
Khidr is explained that his act of damaging the ship was, in reality, a means of saving it. It comes in a narration that these poor people were ten brothers, 5 of them were handicapped while the other five worked. The ship was their only source of income. The king was a cruel, tyrannical oppressor who would take ships by force. The damage done to the ship made it undesirable for the king and ultimately saved it for its owners. Had it been seaworthy, it would certainly have been confiscated by the tyrannical king. Perpetrating some small damage to the boat saved it from the greater harm and ruinous injustice which was certain to take place without it. Hence, causing such damage was a good and kindly action. So damaging the ship actually turned out to be a good thing.
Verses 80-81: And as for the young boy, his parents were believers and we feared that he would make them suffer much through rebellion and disbelief. So we desired that their Lord give them in exchange one who is better than him in purity, and nearer to mercy.
Although the young child seemed to be pure and innocent in reality the seeds of disbelief and wickedness were entrenched in his heart. If he had grown up he would have been a source of grief and sorrow for his parents who were believers. Their love for this child would have led them towards evil and wickedness as well. They would suffer because of the rebellion and disbelief. So Allah told Khidr to kill this boy to spare them that grief and to replace him with a child that would be better and more dutiful. Now obviously the parents weren't aware of this at this time so to them this was a huge loss and tragedy. They weren't aware of the future difficulties that they were saved from by his death.
Qatādah said, "His parents rejoiced when he was born and grieved for him when he was killed. If he had stayed alive, he would have been the cause of their doom. So let a man be content with the decree of Allah, for the decree of Allah for the believer, if he dislikes it, is better for him than if He were to decree something that he likes for him." That's why in connection to these verses ibn Kathīr رحمهم الله quotes the hadīth, "Allah does not decree anything for a believer, save that it is better for him."
- «لَا يَقْضِي اللهُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ مِنْ قَضَاءٍ إِلَّا كَانَ خَيْرًا لَه»
It is mentioned in a narration that the parents were blessed with a pious daughter who gave birth to a Prophet. So the murder of this child actually turned out to be something good in the long run.
Verse 82: And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city, and beneath it was a treasure belonging to them. Their father was righteous, and your Lord desired that they should reach their maturity and extract their treasure, as a mercy from your Lord. And I didn't do this upon my own command. This is the meaning of that which you couldn't bear with patiently.
Khidr explained to Musa that the wall that was about to fall that he rebuilt was covering a treasure that belonged to two orphan boys. If the wall had fallen down the treasure would be exposed and the orphan children would've been deprived of their wealth. By rebuilding the wall Khidr made it possible for them to access their treasure when they grew up. This was done partially because their father was a righteous and pious man. Khidr then explains to Musa that he didn't do any of these things based on his own accord or understanding. Rather he did them according to the Divine command, decree, and will of Allah ﷻ. "And I didn't do this upon my own command." He concludes by saying, "This is the meaning of that which you couldn't bear with patiently." Meaning, this is the explanation of my actions that you didn't understand and weren't able to be patient with.
1) One of the most powerful and profound lessons we learn from this entire episode is that oftentimes a tragedy is a blessing in disguise. Everything that happens in this world, whether good or bad, happens according to the Divine will and decree of Allah ﷻ. There's some deep divine wisdom behind every single thing that happens in this world. When something good happens we recognize it as a blessing. For example, if we get a good job, get a raise at work, purchase a new car or are blessed with the birth of a child. All of recognize this as something positive. On the other hand whenever we face setbacks, difficulties, hardships and tragedies we tend to lose patience.
This incident is teaching us that difficulties, tests, trials, and hardships are oftentimes blessing in disguise. The first thing to understand is that Allah isn't sending these difficulties our way to break us or destroy us. Rather he's sending them our way to test our patience and faith, as a source of mercy and a reminder. As a way of nurturing and training us. He's reminding us to turn back to Him, to hold on to our faith, to be steadfast, patient, strong, and to persevere. When we're struggling and going through difficult times we shouldn't assume that somehow Allah is displeased with us. Similarly, when we're comfortable and enjoying life we shouldn't assume that Allah is pleased with us. The opposite can be true. The Prophet said,
- « إِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِعَبْدِهِ الْخَيْرَ عَجَّلَ لَهُالْعُقُوبَةَ فِى الدُّنْيَا وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِعَبْدِهِ الشَّرَّأَمْسَكَ عَنْهُ بِذَنْبِهِ حَتَّى يُوَفَّى بِهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
"If Allah wants good for his servant, He hurries on His punishment in this world, and if He wills ill for a servant, he holds back punishing him for his sin so He can give it to him in full on the Day of Resurrection."
Everything we face in this world is actually a source of blessing for us. The Prophet said:
- «مَا يُصِيبُ المُسْلِمَ مِنْ نَصَبٍ،وَلاَ وَصَبٍ، وَلاَ هَمِّ، وَلاَ حُزْنٍ، وَلاَ أَذًى، وَلاَ غَمِّ، حَتَّىالشَّوْكَةِ يُشَاكُهَا؛ إِلاَّ كَفَّرَ الله بِهَا مِنْ خَطَايَاهُ»
"No fatigue, illness, anxiety, sorrow, harm or sadness afflicts any Muslim, even to the extent of a thorn pricking him, without Allah wiping out his sins by it."
Allah tells us that the main tool, the key to deal with the world and all the problems it contains is through patience and turning towards Him. When we're dealing with our problems we should turn to Allah. We should make dhikr, read Quran, spend time in prayer and reflection and try to be around good company. We should try to focus our attention, our spiritual and emotional energy on our relationship with Allah instead of our problem. By doing so we'll find peace and comfort. True contentment. Part of patience is recognizing that whatever we're going through is something that we can handle. Whatever we're going through will not last forever. That's why throughout the Quran whenever Allah consoles and comforts the Prophet He reminds him to be patient and to turn to him. "So be patient over what they say and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord." (20:130) "So be patient. Indeed, the promise of Allah is truth." (30:60) "So be patient, [O Muhammad], over what they say and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting." (50:39)
2) Being content with the Divine decree of Allah ﷻ.
Why I Turned to Tech to Catch Laylatul Qadr
Make sure you maximize your sadaqah
My life, just like yours, is sooo busy. So naturally, as the tech nerd I am, I turn to tech to help me manage my regular routine including project management apps to manage my daily tasks. I even have a sleeping app that wakes me up at the optimum time (whatever that means!). But even though tech has changed everything in all sectors and helped make efficiencies in my daily life, it had had little impact on my religious activities.
A few years ago, whilst I was preparing for the last 10 nights of Ramadan, it hit me – why doesn't something exist that automates my donations during these blessed nights to catch Laylatul Qadr. Rather than putting a reminder on my phone to bring out my bank card every night and inputting it into a website – why doesn't something exist that does it for me, solving the problem of me forgetting to donate. After all we are human and it's interesting that the Arabic word for human being is 'insan' which is derived from the word 'nasiya' which means 'to forget.' It is human nature to forget.
So the techie in me came out and I built the first scrappy version of MyTenNights, a platform to automate donations in the last 10 nights of Ramadan (took two weeks) because I wanted to use it myself! I thought it would be cool and my friends and family could use it too. That same year, nearly 2000 other people used it – servers crashed, tech broke and I had to get all my friends and Oreo (my cat) to respond to email complaints about our temperamental site!
I quickly realised I wasn't alone in my need – everyone wanted a way to never miss Laylatul Qadr! Two years down the line we've called it MyTenNights, and our team has grown to 10, including Oreo, senior developers, QA specialists, brand strategists, creative directors and more. It fast became a fierce operation – an operation to help people all over the world catch Laylatul Qadr!
Last year alone we raised almost $2 million in just 10 days – and that was just in the UK. We've now opened MyTenNights to our American, Canadian. South African and Australian brothers and sisters and we're so excited to see how they use it! We've made it available through all the biggest house name charities – Islamic Relief, Muslim Aid, Helping Hand, Penny Appeal, you name it! All donations go directly to the charity donors choose – all 100% of it.
Looking back at the last couple of years – it feels surreal: The biggest charities in the world and tens of thousands of users who share my need to be certain they've caught Laylatul Qadr. Although I hear many impressed with the sheer amount MyTenNights has raised for charity (and that excites me too!), it's not what motives me to go on. What excites me most is the growing number of people who catch Laylatul Qadr because we made it easier.
I often tell my team that the number of people that use MyTenNights is the only metric we care about, and the only metric we celebrate. It makes no difference to us whether you donate $1 or a million – we just want you to catch Laylatul Qadr and for you to transform your Akhirah, because (after Allah) we helped you do it.
Ismael Abdela is a Law & Anthropology graduate from the London School of Economics. He spent some years studying Islamic Sciences in Qaseem, Saudi Arabia. He is now a keen social entrepreneur. Ismael likes to write about spiritual reflections, social commentary, and tafsīr. He is particularly interested in putting religion in conversation with the social sciences.
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Take our Best for the World Challenge
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world;
indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." – Margaret Mead
If there's one thing we've learned roasting world-changing coffee over the past 20 years, it's that small actions, repeated often, can add up to real and significant change. It's why, in 2016, Salt Spring Coffee received B Corp's Best for Environment Award for the effectiveness of our sustainability programs and our commitment to the environment. It's why, in 2017, we're asking you to take the next step with us and say no to disposable coffee cups.
What's the Best for the World Challenge?
It's pretty simple. Say no to disposable coffee cups for 21 days for a chance to win a year's supply of organic, fair-to-farmer coffee beans and six handcrafted mugs from BC ceramicists. To help you get started and set you up for success, we'll give you 15% off a travel mug in our online shop right when you sign up.
Why does it matter?
According to Zero Waste Canada, an estimated 14 billion cups of coffee are consumed in Canada every year—and 35% of that coffee is taken to go. In 2010, the most recent year for which figures are available, Canadians used an estimated 1.5 billion disposable coffee cups—equivalent to more than half a million trees.
A number of coffee-related items—including disposable cups, plastic lids and stir sticks—regularly appear on the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup's "Dirty Dozen" list of items most commonly found littering our country's shorelines.
But I recycle. The reality is that the interior of most paper cups is coated with plastic or wax to make them more durable and help prevent leaking. Not all jurisdictions are equipped to deal with the kind of processing that requires. So those cups you've been "recycling" may actually be heading straight for the landfill.
How can I take part?
Joining Salt Spring Coffee's Best for the World Challenge is super easy:
- Commit to using a reusable coffee mug for 21 days beginning anytime between February 1 and April 1. We'll send you a travel mug discount code right away.
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- Show us your reusable mug in action on social media between now and April 22 with the hashtags #saltspringcoffee and #sscbestfortheworld.
p.s. Each new photo you post to social media with the appropriate hashtags earns you another entry in the grand prize draw.
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subset: commoncrawl


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100x total magnification
400x total magnification
The objects are morphologically suggestive of nematodes cross sections, possibly hook worm or Strongyloides stercoralis in an auto infection. O&P examinations of fecal material are suggested.
Florida Fan
Schistosoma mansoni egg?
I was thinking Schistosoma ova as well. Lee
Looks great for Schistosomiasis!- Jen
My vote is for Schistosoma mansoni.
Last two images have the lateral spine visible
I like for S mansoni too. Probably would do both stool O&P x several and serology depending on treatment history. [Most efficient testing I suspect is actually to ask a Pritt or similar actually and just treat.]
S.mansoni ova is the only thing that I feel it is reasonably likely to be. Bodies residing within granulomatous tissue, with a lateral spine (presumably) present on image 4; morphology is vaguely consistent but not definitive. Epidemiology is consistent as is presentation. Quite a tricky one to sign off.


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Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Q/A Location Workshop versus Business Workshop
Desert Black
Q: I like the topics covered in your business workshop. But I would like to do a private location workshop (with the Desert Black photo). My question is, can we combine the topics from the business workshop with the material from the location workshop? Or would this be too much?
A: I designed the 9-hour (DESERT BLACK) location private workshop to alleviate all fears of shooting outdoors. Whether it's with the sun or against the sun, with or without reflectors, with or without strobes, cloudy or sunny, we cover the fundamentals of shooting outdoors so you can confidently shoots on location on your own.
Some of these concepts include recognizing your source of light and what it does for your shot. Where and what is your main light? What angles does the main light come in and what lighting patterns are we presented with? Is the light source sensitive to fall off with increased distance? Does it cast colors? Does it produce a specular highlight or a diffuse highlight or is it just fill?
These are just a few of the considerations when shooting outdoors. And while they seem many and daunting, I teach you to "see the light" in this workshop.
I've probably said this before somewhere on my blog, but good fundamental knowledge of studio lighting facilitates managing complex lighting scenarios outdoors. It's good that you worked in a studio for 3 years. Because seeing what light does to your subject dictates the usage of fill and flags (black). Of course the challenge is that you can not always modify the light setup on location... but you can always moderate it.
A typical location workshop involves us staging nearby either in a parked car or at a covered location (hotel, studio, etc.). While the MUA, stylist and model prep makeup and wardrobe, you and I would discuss concept and then scout potential locations and then (if necessary) setup to shoot. On top of that, we would cover the fundamentals mentioned above. Location workshops are not very conducive to covering business workshop material. There is so much going on with location shoots that it would be distracting to discuss business strategy, websites and social media. Location workshops demand all our attention, all the time. Contrary to what one might think, there is little to no downtime. Plus we have to consider the time spent getting to and from the location(s).
In conclusion, I wouldn't try and cover business topics at a location workshop. While it's possible, I wouldn't recommend it because you wouldn't get 100% of the experience of learning how to light on location. I would highly recommend you separate the two workshops. The business workshop would ideally be done at my studio (or online if necessary) so we can hunker down and review your current website, strategies, marketing material, etc.
Posted by Charles Lucima at 1:46 PM
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