The Hole That Saved the Boat

The Story

Before their journey began, Khidr asked Prophet Musa, peace be upon him, to wait before asking questions.

Allah had taught Khidr things about this journey that Musa did not yet know.

Musa agreed to be patient.

Then they stepped aboard a little boat.

Its owners were poor men who worked at sea. They welcomed the travellers without asking for payment.

But during the crossing, Khidr damaged their boat.

A piece of wood came loose.

A hole.

In the very boat carrying them.

“Have you made a hole to drown its people?” Musa asked.

These men had helped them. Why damage their boat?

Khidr reminded Musa to wait for his explanation.

Musa apologised for forgetting.

But there was still a hole.

And still no answer.

Later in their journey, the answer came.

A king was taking boats by force.

If a boat was in good condition, he took it. Its owners could not stop him.

The poor men’s boat was one he could take.

Except for one thing.

The hole.

The very thing Musa had worried about was what would make the king leave it behind.

Without the damage, the men could lose their whole boat.

With the damage, they could keep it.

Khidr explained that he had acted on Allah’s command.

Allah knew the danger.

And the little boat had been protected in a way Musa had never expected.

The little boat had been protected, and the men could keep earning their living at sea. What a wonderful thing to discover!

Allah knew what Musa could not yet see.

When we don’t understand something straight away, we can be patient, keep learning, and ask Allah to help us.

Dua of the Week: Dua When You Leave Home

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ، تَوَكَّلْتُ عَلَى اللَّهِ، لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

Bismillahi, tawakkaltu ‘alallah, la hawla wa la quwwata illa billah

"In the name of Allah. I put my trust in Allah. There is no strength and no power except with Allah."

Musa stepped onto the boat without knowing what was ahead. When we leave home, Muslims are taught to put their trust in Allah too.

Quran Verse: Surah Al-Kahf 18:79

أَمَّا السَّفِينَةُ فَكَانَتْ لِمَسَاكِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَعِيبَهَا وَكَانَ وَرَاءَهُم مَّلِكٌ يَأْخُذُ كُلَّ سَفِينَةٍ غَصْبًا

"As for the boat, it belonged to poor people working at sea, so I wanted to damage it, because behind them was a king who took every boat by force."

Family Discussion

Imagine you owned the little boat. What would you say when you first saw the hole, and what would you say after hearing about the king?

Good Deed Challenge

The boat owners kindly welcomed their visitors. Tonight, give the person reading with you a big high-five and say, “Thank you for reading with me!”

Sources: Qur’an 18:60–82 (Musa and the servant of Allah), Sahih al-Bukhari 3401 and 4725; Sahih Muslim 2380 (the hadith of Musa and Khidr)