Azami 250

Bukhari related it in the Book of Knowledge (122), and Muslim in the Book of Virtues (2380), both from the hadith of Sufyan bin Uyayna, who said, Amr bin Dinar told us, from Saeed bin Jubayr, who said, I said to Ibn Abbas, "Nawf Bikali claims that the Musa of Banu Israil is a different Musa." He said, "The enemy of Allah has lied. Ubayy bin Kaab told us," and then he related the hadith at length.Nawf is Ibn Fadala Himyari Bikali, with the ba pronounced with either fatha or kasra and the kaf unshaddaded, named after Bikal, a clan of Himyar. He was the son of the wife of Kaab Ahbar. Khalifa mentioned him among the first generation of the people of Sham. It is related from Abu Imran Jawni that Nawf, the son of Kaab's wife, was one of the scholars, and from Yahya bin Abu Amr Shaybani that Nawf was an imam for the people of Damascus. He is mentioned in this hadith in the Sahihayn. Ibn Abbas only called him a liar because he had related this from the People of the Book, who had lied about Musa, peace be upon him, not because Nawf himself was untrustworthy, for he was in fact a virtuous successor.As for his words, "What my knowledge and your knowledge have taken from the knowledge of Allah is no more than this," the word "taken" here is not to be understood in its apparent sense, since the knowledge of Allah cannot be diminished. Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Ibrahim Ismaili said this has two possible meanings.The first is that the sparrow's peck does not diminish the sea, and likewise our knowledge does not diminish anything from Allah's knowledge in the slightest. This is like what has been said in poetry, "There is no fault in us except that our swords bear notches from clashing with the enemy ranks," meaning there is truly no fault in us at all. In the same vein is the word of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, "They will hear no idle talk therein, only peace" [Maryam 19:62], meaning they will hear no idle talk therein whatsoever.The second meaning is that the sum of what we have both taken of knowledge, when measured against the knowledge of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, which encompasses all things, does not reach the measure of what He knows any more than what this sparrow took from the sea. It is a tiny fraction of something whose extent cannot be grasped. Likewise, the portion of knowledge that Allah, Exalted is He, has taught us, in relation to what He knows, is like this small portion taken from this sea. Allah is the source of all guidance to what is right. See Al-Asma wal-Sifat by Bayhaqi (1/297).Bayhaqi then said, "Habib bin Abu Thabit related it from Saeed bin Jubayr with clear detail, except that he stopped it at Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him." He then said, Abu Abdullah Hafiz informed us, Abu Abbas Muhammad bin Yaqub told us, Muhammad bin Ishaq told us, Ismail bin Khalil told us, Ali bin Mushir informed us, Amash informed us, from Habib bin Abu Thabit, from Saeed bin Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said, "While Musa was speaking with Khidr, Khidr said, 'Are you not the prophet of Banu Israil? You have been given enough knowledge to suffice you.' Musa said to him, 'I have indeed been commanded to follow you.' Khidr said, 'You will not be able to bear patiently with me.'"He said, while they were speaking, a sparrow came and landed at the shore of the sea, took a peck from it, then flew off and was gone. Khidr said to Musa, "Musa, did you see what the bird took from the sea?" He said, "Yes." Khidr said, "What you and I have taken of knowledge, compared to the knowledge of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, is no more than what this bird took from this sea." End of the account.