Is Khidr still alive?

Muhammad is no more than a Messenger: many were the Messengers that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will you then turn back on your heels' If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah: but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude.
[3: Al-Imran-144]

Truly you will die (one day), and truly they (too) will die (one day).
[39: Az-Zumar-30]

And We granted not to any human being immortality before you (O Muhammad); then if you die, would they live forever?
[al-Anbiya’ 21:34]

“then they found one of Our slaves upon whom We had given mercy from Us, and We had taught him knowledge from Us”
(Al Kahf).

Khidr was gifted with the knowledge of the unseen but he was not a prophet. For the duties and responsibilities of a prophet are to call people to submit to God, to warn them and to spread what has been revealed to them, reiterating what has been revealed before.

In the story of Khidr and Musa as in surah Al Kahf, Khidr's harsh and misconstrued actions and character is not fitting for a Prophet of God.

“He said, "Indeed, with me you will never be able to have patience.” Al Kahf

If he is saying this to Musa as, a prophet, then how would he be able to fulfill his duty as a prophet, to successfully convey the message of God to people?
His character is a mystery in one of the most mystical surahs in the Qur'an alongside another mysterious figure in the same surah; Dhul Qarnayn. Who also wasn't a prophet but was given the ability to spread monothiesm “Verily, We established him in the earth, and We gave him the means of everything. “ Al Kahf.
Khidr was recognised by prophet musa as, not as another prophet but as someone whom Allah swt had chosen and gifted wth special insight and knowledge so that musa as may benefit from it.

Imam Ahmad narrated in his musnad from Jabir bin Abdullah ra saying that the prophet pbuh said
“By Him in whose hand my soul is, were moses to be alive, he would not have been spared from following me”

If khidr was to be alive today he would be one of this Ummah, a follower of the prophet muhammad pbuh. Even when Isa as returns he would not go beyond the shariah of prophet muhammad pbuh. There is also no evidence that Khidr as has ever met the prophet pbuh or even participated in any of the battles he fought with the enemy.

The belief that he is present but cannot be seen is merely imagination and delusion. For what purpose does it serve to our Ummah at this point in time to be invisible, and not come to our aid and give us any form of guidance?
Narrated from Al Bukhari and Muslim from Abdulah bin Umar ra that when the prophet pbuh finished his isha prayer one night he said

“Do you see this night of yours today? Noone who is alive on the earth today, will remain until the end of the next one hundred years”

Which clearly proves that the claim that Khidr is alive is false. This also applies to the claim that Elias as is still alive, and that Khidr and Elias as meet every year to perform Hajj. Which sounds ridiculous in itself because there is no logical correlation between the two.
And indeed, Elias was from among the messengers, When he said to his people, "Will you not fear Allah ? Do you call upon Ba'l and leave the best of creators - Allah , your Lord and the Lord of your first forefathers? And they denied him, so indeed, they will be brought [for punishment], Except the chosen servants of Allah .And We left for him [favorable mention] among later generations:"Peace upon Elias." Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good.Indeed, he was of Our believing servants. (37 :123-132)

Geneologists say that he was Elias an Nashabi, ibn Yas-in bin Phinehas bin Eleazar bin Aaron. In another narration: Elias bin Elazar bin Eleazar bin Aaron. It is said he is the cousin of prophet Elisha as. Historian Ibn Asakir said that he was Elisha bin Adi bin Shutlam bin Ephraim bin Joseph bin Jacob bin Issac bin Abraham.

“And mention Ishmael and Elisha and Dhul kifl, they were all of the best” (38:48)

Ibn Ishaq said that Qatadah narrated from Hasan Basri: Elisha came after Elias, peace be upon them. He called his people to the way of Allah and followed the laws and shariah revealed to Elias til he passed away. It is also said that Elisha was also hiding with Elias in the cave where he hid for fear of the King of Balbek, and when he came out of his hiding he accompanied Elias to return to his people, and when Elias died, Elisha overtook his mission and thus was sent by Allah as His prophet to his people.

Idris as is also another prophet which many claim to still be alive in heaven,

Ibn abbas asked Ka’b what was meant by the part of the verse which says, ”And We raised him to a high station.” Ka’b explained: Allah revealed to Idris: ‘I would raise for you every day the same amount of the deeds of all Adam’s children’ – perhaps meaning of his time only. So Idris wanted to increase his deeds and devotion. A friend of his from the angels visited and Idris said to him: ‘Allah has revealed to me such and such, so could you please speak to the angel of death, so I could increase my deeds.’ The angel carried him on his wings and went up into the heavens. When they reached the fourth heaven, they met the angel of death, who was descending down towards earth. The angel spoke to him, about what Idris had spoken to him before. The angel of death said: ‘But where is Idris?’ He replied, ‘He is upon my back.’ The angel of death said: ‘How astonishing! I was sent and told to seize his soul in the fourth heaven. I kept thinking how I could seize it in the fourth heaven when he was on the earth?’ Then he took his soul out of his body, and that is what is meant by the verse: ‘And We raised him to a high station.' (19:56-57)

And furthermore, the misconception many have when making claims that idris as is still alive by comparing him to Isa as's ascension to heaven is something which cannot be considered to be the same.
“Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; “ (an-Nisa) is not the same as “raised him to a high station”.

And for both accounts there is supporting hadeeth to differentiate between the two. The eschatological hadeeth which have prophecy of Isa as's return to earth is quite clear that God has preseved him in a temporary state until the appointed time.


And of course, Allah knows best.




~LV