Today we take a look at the third incident that occurred on the journey of Musa عليه السلام when he accompanied Khadir. They arrived at a village and were tired and hungry and therefore approached the people of the village to host them, but the people were arrogant and refused to entertain the visitors. Despite this hostile treatment, Khadir noticed a wall which was about to collapse and he repaired the wall without taking a fee for his labour. Musa عليه السلام questioned Khadir about this, and it led to the parting between the two. Later Khadir explained why he did it!

وَأَمَّا الْجِدَارُ فَكَانَ لِغُلَامَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ وَكَانَ تَحْتَهُ كَنزٌ لَّهُمَا وَكَانَ أَبُوهُمَا صَالِحًا فَأَرَادَ رَبُّكَ أَنْ يَبْلُغَا أَشُدَّهُمَا وَيَسْتَخْرِجَا كَنزَهُمَا رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَمْرِي ذَلِكَ تَأْوِيلُ مَا لَمْ تَسْطِع عَّلَيْهِ صَبْرًا
“And as for that wall, it belonged to two orphan boys [living] in the town, and beneath it was [buried] a treasure belonging to them [by right]. Now their father had been a righteous man, and so thy Sustainer willed it that when they come of age they should bring forth their treasure by thy Sustainer’s grace. “And I did not do [any of] this of my own accord: this is the real meaning of all [those events] that you were unable to bear with patience.” [Al Kahf 18: 82]

When young people reach an older age, in which there is more mental maturity and physical strength (يَبْلُغَا أَشُدَّهُمَا), they do not waste wealth if they find it in abundance. Rather, at this age, they put it to good use. Also, it is at a later, more mature age when a person needs wealth the most. Hence, it was Allah’s mercy upon the two orphan boys that He had a wall built over the hidden treasure that was there’s to begin with (their rightful inheritance), so that they reach mature age first before they found it buried there. In other words, Allah prevented them from the treasure/wealth, of which they were rightful owners, until a later time in their lives, when they’d make better use of it. And this was due to His special mercy upon them.

Look at the perks of doing righteous deeds and earning the pleasure of Allah that a father’s righteousness (أَبُوهُمَا صَالِحًا) benefits his offspring even after his death, during their worldly life, in the form of material wealth, provisions and blessings. So your good deeds and piety will not only benefit you but even your offspring will benefit from it.

Obviously this should not be our main intention when performing good deeds nor should children solely rely on the piety of their parents that it will get them straight into Jannah, but the piety of the parents will in sha Allah rub off on to the children and be of some benefit to them.

One can understand from this the importance of doing good to those who treat you bad. Indeed, the people of that town wronged them by not treating Khadir hospitably, yet he returned their ill treatment with good treatment by repairing the wall.
The scholars say that from the repairing of the wall, there is a deep message to the student of Deen with regards to the importance of implementing the Divine Legislation, that no matter who is involved they should never bend or mend the Laws of Shariah for anyone.

Khadir had done all the three above actions to others in obedience to Allah’s commands, not due to his own free will, and certainly NOT because he himself had any knowledge of the Unseen (وَمَا فَعَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَمْرِي).

It has been said that for everything that Musa عليه السلام repudiated Khadir, something similar had [previously] happened to him. And in that similarity, there was a proof against Musa عليه السلام.

That is, when Khadir repudiated him for damaging the boat, Musa عليه السلام was addressed, “O, Musa! Where was your directive when you were cast into the sea?”

And when Khadir rebuked him for killing the boy, it was said to Musa عليه السلام, “Where was your rebuke of your rigidness with the Egyptian and your judgement of him?”

And when Musa عليه السلام rebuked Khadir for erecting the wall, it was called to him, “Where was this when you lifted the stone for the daughters of Shu’ayb عليه السلام without wage?”

And Allah (Exalted is He) knows best.