Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Kahf Verse 60

Mufti Taqi Usmani

(Recall) when Mūsā said to his young man, “I shall not give up until I reach the meeting point of the two seas, or else I shall go on traveling for years.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And ˹remember˺ when Moses said to his young assistant, “I will never give up until I reach the junction of the two seas, even if I travel for ages.”[[ It is reported in an authentic narration collected by Bukhâri that a man approached Moses after he gave a talk and asked him, “Who is the most knowledgeable person on earth?” Moses responded, “That would be me!” So Allah revealed to Moses that he should not have said this and there was in fact someone who was more knowledgeable than him. Moses was commanded to travel to meet this man, named Al-Khaḍir, at the junction of the two seas (which could be the northern part of Sinai between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, or the Southern part of Sinai where the Rea Sea splits into the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba). ]]

Ruwwad Translation Center

And [remember] when Moses said to his servant, “I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas, or I travel for ages.”

A. J. Arberry

And when Moses said to his page, 'I will not give up until I reach the meeting of the two seas, though I go on for many years.

Abdul Haleem

Moses said to his servant, ‘I will not rest until I reach the place where the two seas meet, even if it takes me years!’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And recall what time Musa said unto his page: I shall not cease until I reach the confluence of the two seas, or I shall go on for ages.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Behold, Moses said to his attendant, "I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travel."

Abul Ala Maududi

(And recount to them the story of Moses) when Moses said to his servant: "I will journey on until I reach the point where the two rivers meet, though I may march on for ages."

Ahmed Ali

When Moses said to his servant (Joshua): "I will not give up till I reach the confluence of two oceans, or I will journey on and on."

Ahmed Raza Khan

And recall when Moosa said to his assistant, “I will not give up until I reach the place where the two seas meet or until I have progressed for ages.”

Ali Quli Qarai

When Moses said to his lad, ‘I will go on [journeying] until I have reached the confluence of the two seas, or have spent a long time [travelling].’

Ali Ünal

(Now relate to them, O Messenger, the experience of Moses): When Moses said to his (young) attendant: "I will not give up (journeying) until I reach the junction of the two seas, though I may march on for ages."

Amatul Rahman Omar

And (recall the time) when Moses said to his (sincere) young (comrade), `I will not stop till I reach the confluence of the two rivers (the Niles at Khartoum); even if I must have to go on (journeying) for years.´

English Literal

And when Moses said to his youth/servant , I will not leave/depart until I reach the two seas`/oceans`/rivers` place of meeting (point of joint), or I pass/complete a period of time.

Faridul Haque

And recall when Moosa said to his assistant, “I will not give up until I reach the place where the two seas meet or until I have progressed for ages.”

Hamid S. Aziz

Such were the populations; We destroyed them when they were unjust (iniquitous); and for their destruction We set an appointed time.

Hilali & Khan

And (remember) when Musa (Moses) said to his boy-servant: "I will not give up (travelling) until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travelling."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And these towns -- We destroyed them when they did wrong. And We have appointed a time for their destruction.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And when Musa said to his servant: I will not cease until I reach the junction of the two rivers or I will go on for years.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And when Moses said unto his servant: I will not give up until I reach the point where the two rivers meet, though I march on for ages.

Muhammad Sarwar

(Consider) when Moses said to his young companion, "I shall continue travelling until I reach the junction of the two seas or have travelled for many years".

Qaribullah & Darwish

When Moses said to his (assisting) youth: 'I will not give up until I reach the point where the two seas meet even though I should go on for many years'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And (remember) when Musa said to his boy-servant: "I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two seas or a Huqub passes."

Wahiduddin Khan

Recall how Moses said to his servant, "I shall not give up until I reach the place where both seas meet, even if it takes me years!"

Talal Itani

Recall when Moses said to his servant, “I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two rivers, even if it takes me years.”

Tafsir jalalayn

And, mention, when Moses, son of Amram (`Imrn), said to his lad, Joshua son of Nun (Ysha` bin Nn), who used to follow him around, serve him and acquire knowledge from him, `I will not give up, I will not stop journeying, until I have reached the juncture of the two seas -- the point where the Byzantine sea and the Persian sea meet, beyond the east, -- though I march on for ages', for a very long time before reaching it, if it be far.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Story of Musa and Al-Khidr

Allah tells;

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَى لِفَتَاهُ

And (remember) when Musa said to his boy-servant;

The reason for Musa's conversation with the boy-servant, Yusha` bin Nun, was that he had been told about one of the servants of Allah at the junction of the two seas, who had knowledge which Musa had not been granted, so he wanted to travel to meet him. So he said to that boy-servant of his;

لَاا أَبْرَحُ

I will not give up,

meaning, I will keep on traveling,

حَتَّى أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ

until I reach the junction of the two seas,

meaning, the place where the two seas met.

أَوْ أَمْضِيَ حُقُبًا



or a Huqub passes.

meaning, even if I have to travel for a very long time.

Ibn Jarir (may Allah have mercy on him) said,

"Some of the scholars of the Arabic language said that Huqub means a year in the dialect of (the tribe of) Qays,"

then he narrated that Abdullah bin Amr said,

"Huqub means eighty years."

Mujahid said, "Seventy years."

Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said that;

it means a lifetime.

Qatadah and Ibn Zayd said likewise