Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Kahf Verse 74

Mufti Taqi Usmani

So, they moved ahead until when they met a boy, he killed him (the boy). He (Mūsā) said, “Did you kill an innocent soul while he did not kill anyone? You have committed a heinous act indeed.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

So they proceeded until they came across a boy, and the man killed him. Moses protested, “Have you killed an innocent soul, who killed no one? You have certainly done a horrible thing.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

Then they proceeded until they met a boy, and the man killed him. Moses said, “Did you kill an innocent soul who killed none? You have done something monstrous!”

A. J. Arberry

So they departed; until, when they met a lad, he slew him. He said, 'What, hast thou slain a soul innocent, and that not to retaliate for a soul slain? Thou hast indeed done a horrible thing.'

Abdul Haleem

And so they travelled on. Then, when they met a young boy and the man killed him, Moses said, ‘How could you kill an innocent person? He has not killed anyone! What a terrible thing to do!’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Then the twain journeyed until when they met a boy, and he killed him. Musa said: hast thou slain a person innocent not in return for a Person Assuredly thou hast committed a thing formidable.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Then they proceeded; until, when they met a young man, he slew him. Moses said; "Hast thou slain an innocent person who had slain none? Truly a foul (unheard of) thing hast thou done!"

Abul Ala Maududi

Then the two went forth until they met a lad whom he slew, whereupon Moses exclaimed: "What! Have you slain an innocent person without his having slain anyone? Surely you have done a horrible thing."

Ahmed Ali

The two went on till they came to a boy, whom he killed. Moses exclaimed: "You have killed an innocent soul who had taken no life. You have done a most abominable thing!"

Ahmed Raza Khan

So they set out again; until when they met a boy, the chosen bondman slew him – Moosa said, “Did you slay an innocent soul not in retribution for another? You have indeed done an extremely evil thing.”

Ali Quli Qarai

So they went on until they came upon a boy, whereat he slew him. He said, ‘Did you slay an innocent soul, without [his having slain] anyone? You have certainly done a dire thing!’

Ali Ünal

So they went on until, when they met a young boy, he (al-Khadr) killed him. (Moses) said: "Have you killed an innocent soul (not in lawful retaliation but) without his having killed anyone? Assuredly you have done a horrible thing!"

Amatul Rahman Omar

Then they both set out again till when they met a boy, he (- the great man) slew him. (At this Moses) said, `Why have you slain an innocent person without (his having slain) any one. Most certainly, it is a strangely wondrous act you have committed.´

English Literal

So they (B) left/set out until when they (B) met/found a servant/boy , so he killed him. He (Moses) said: "Did you kill a pure self without a self? You had come (with) an awful/obscene thing."

Faridul Haque

So they set out again; until when they met a boy, the chosen bondman slew him - Moosa said, "Did you slay an innocent soul not in retribution for another? You have indeed done an extremely evil thing."

Hamid S. Aziz

Moses said (pleaded), "Rebuke me not for forgetting, and be not hard on me."

Hilali & Khan

Then they both proceeded, till they met a boy, he (Khidr) killed him. Musa (Moses) said: "Have you killed an innocent person who had killed none? Verily, you have committed a thing "Nukra" (a great Munkar - prohibited, evil, dreadful thing)!"

Maulana Mohammad Ali

He said: Blame me not for what I forgot, and be not hard upon me for what I did.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

So they went on until, when they met a boy, he slew him. (Musa) said: Have you slain an innocent person otherwise than for manslaughter? Certainly you have done an evil thing.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

So they twain journeyed on till, when they met a lad, he slew him. (Moses) said: What! Hast thou slain an innocent soul who hath slain no man? Verily thou hast done a horrid thing.

Muhammad Sarwar

They continued on their journey until they met a young boy whom he killed. Moses said, "How could you murder an innocent soul? This is certainly a horrible act".

Qaribullah & Darwish

and so they departed. Thereafter they met a boy and he killed him. He (Moses) exclaimed: 'What, have you killed a pure soul and it was not done (in retaliation) for a soul you have done a terrible thing'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

Then they both proceeded till they met a boy, and he (Khidr) killed him. Musa said: "Have you killed an innocent person without Nafs Verily, you have committed a thing Nukr!"

Wahiduddin Khan

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!"

Talal Itani

Then they set out. Until, when they encountered a boy, he killed him. He said, “Did you kill a pure soul, who killed no one? You have done something terrible.”

Tafsir jalalayn

So they set off, after leaving the ship, making their way on foot, until, when they met a boy, who had not yet reached puberty, playing with [other] boys, among whom his face was the fairest -- and he, al-Khidr, slew him, by slitting his throat with a knife while he lay down, or by tearing his head off with his hand, or by smashing his head against a wall, all of which are [different] opinions (the coordinating f' [of fa-qatalahu, `and he slew him'] is used here because [it indicates that] the slaying took place after the encounter; the response to idh, `when' is [the following statement, qla ...]) -- he, Moses, said, to him; `Have you slain an innocent soul, that is, a pure one that had not reached the age of [legal] responsibility (a variant reading [for zkiya] has zakiyya), [one slain] not in retaliation for another soul?, in other words, one that has not slain any soul. Verily you have committed an dreadful thing' (read nukran or nukuran), that is to say, an abomination.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Story of killing the Boy

Allah tells;

فَانطَلَقَا

Then they both proceeded,

means, after the first incident,

حَتَّى إِذَا لَقِيَا غُلَمًا فَقَتَلَهُ

till they met a boy, and he (Khidr) killed him.

It has been stated previously that this boy was playing with other boys in one of the towns, and that Al-Khidr deliberately singled him out. He was the finest and most handsome of them all, and Al-Khidr killed him. When Musa, peace be upon him, saw that he denounced him even more fervently than in the first case, and said hastily;

قَالَ أَقَتَلْتَ نَفْسًا زَكِيَّةً

He (Musa) said;Have you killed an innocent person,

meaning, a young person who had not yet committed any sin or done anything wrong, yet you killed him

بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ

without Nafs,

with no reason for killing him.

لَّقَدْ جِيْتَ شَيْيًا نُّكْرًا



Verily, you have committed a thing Nukr!

meaning, something that is clearly evil.

قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِي صَبْرًا