The name of Al-Khadir is Balya, the son of Malkan, from the children of Sam the son of Noah. His kunyah (a name generally saying that he is the father of his first son) is Abul-^Abbas. He was called Al-Khadir (the one who makes things green) because he sat on a piece of bare land and it became green with plants.
The life of Al-Khadir is very long. It is said that he was a leader at the front of the army of Dhul-Qarnayn, the pious Muslim who trapped the two evil tribes of Gog and Magog (Ya’juj and Ma’juj). Al-Khadir reached a source of water called the water of life. Al-Khadir drank from this water and God made his life long, as God willed eternally.
There is a difference among the scholars about the status of Al-Khadir. Some scholars said that Al-Khadir is a Prophet and Messenger; some said that he is a Prophet and not a Messenger. Others said that he is not a Prophet, but is a waliyy (a righteous follower of a Prophet). The saying with the most weight is that Al-Khadir is a Prophet.
The reason that it is most probable that Al-Khadir is a Prophet is due to a conversation Prophet Moses had with Al-Khadir. Prophet Moses asked Al-Khadir, “How did you know that I am Moses?” Al-Khadir responded, “The One Who made you know that I am Al-Khadir, also made me know that you are Moses”. This saying of Al-Khadir carries a sign that Al-Khadir receives Revelation. Al-Khadir received special orders from God that surprised Prophet Moses.
Prophet Al-Khadir has a very Long Life
Most of the scholars say that Al-Khadir is still alive and lives on Earth. A Shaykh named ^Amr Ibnus-Salah said that Al-Khadir was alive, and the Muslims at large joined with him in that belief. An-Nawawiyy and others said the same. As said, and cited in the Qur’an, Al-Khadir is the pious slave who met with Prophet Moses. Once a person told Ibn ^Abbas, “A person claims that Prophet Moses is not the same Moses in the story of Moses and Al-Khadir (in Suratul-Kahf)”. Ibn ^Abbas said, “This is wrong.” Then Ibn ^Abbas narrated a long story. We narrate this story in the chapter about Prophet Moses (Musa).
Some say that the man that Prophet Muhammad said would be killed by Ad-Dajjal was Prophet Al-Khadir. If confirmed, then it is another support for those who say that Prophet Al-Khadir is still alive. This is so, because that event of Ad-Dajjal sawing a man in half has not happened yet.
It is said that Al-Khadir mostly stays on the water. Many of the pious salaf and khalaf met with Al-Khadir and benefited from him.
The Story of a Pious Man Meeting Al-Khadir
It was related that long ago a pious man named Bilal Al-Khawwas was walking in the place where the Children of Israel had been lost for 40 years. Suddenly he found a man walking with him. It occurred to Bilal that the man next to him was Al-Khadir. This man said to Bilal, “What do you say about Malik the son of Anas?” Bilal said, “He is the leader of the imams of this nation (Imamul-a’immah).” Then the man asked him about ash-Shafi^iyy. Bilal said, “He is among the high ones of the Awliya’ (Awtad).” He asked about Ahmad Ibn Hambal and Bilal said, “He is Siddiq” (a high status). He asked him about Bishr al-Hafi, and Bilal said, “There is no one like him after him.”
Bilal asked, “Who are you”. The man said, “I am Al-Khadir.” Bilal asked, “What is it that I did to earn seeing you?” Al-Khadir said, “It is due to your being so good to your mother.” Then Al-Khadir was gone. Bilal said, “I turned around and did not find Al-Khadir anymore.”
Similar to that there are many narrations about other pious people meeting Al-Khadir, including the pious Caliph of the 100th Islamic year, ^Umar ibn ^Abdil-^Aziz. These reports are sound narrations.
