Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ishaq ibn Ammar narrates: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: The likeness of Ali (peace be upon him) and of us Imams after him in this Ummah is the likeness of Musa and Khidr (peace be upon them) when Musa (peace be upon him) met Khidr (peace be upon him) and spoke with him and asked him for permission to accompany him. Allah has recounted the story of this meeting and this companionship in His Book for the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). In this story it is mentioned that Allah said to Musa (peace be upon him): "إِنِّی اصْطَفَیْتُکَ عَلَی النَّاسِ بِرِسالاتِی وَ بِکَلامِی فَخُذْ ما آتَیْتُکَ وَ کُنْ مِنَ الشَّاکِرِینَ [I have chosen you above the people with My messages and with My speaking (to you), so take what I have given you and be among the grateful]" (al-A'raf/144). Then He said: "وَ کَتَبْنا لَهُ فِی الْأَلْواحِ مِنْ کُلِّ شَیْءٍ مَوْعِظَةً وَ تَفْصِیلًا لِکُلِّ شَیْءٍ [And We wrote for him in the Tablets an admonition on every matter and an explanation of everything]" (al-A'raf/145). Khidr (peace be upon him) had knowledge that had not been written for Musa (peace be upon him) in the Tablets. Musa (peace be upon him) thought that everything he needed was in his Ark and that all knowledge had been written for him in the Tablets. Just like those who claim knowledge and jurisprudence and think that they have established whatever the Ummah needs of knowledge and jurisprudence, and that they have learned and memorised all the sound hadiths narrated from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). But that is not so: they have not inherited all the knowledge of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), nor has the knowledge of the Prophet reached them, nor have they learned the knowledge of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). For if they are asked about the lawful and the unlawful and the rulings, and they have no hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) on the matter, they fear that people will consider them ignorant. They dislike that anyone should ask them a question they cannot answer, with the result that people would then turn to the true source of knowledge. For this reason they interpret according to their own opinion, apply analogy (qiyas) in the religion of Allah, set aside the text, and introduce innovations (bid'ah). Yet the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Every innovation is misguidance." So if a religious question is put to them and they have no word from the noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) about it, if they were to refer it back to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and to the leaders who have sufficient discernment, they would come to know the roots of the matter. [That is, they should refer it back to the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)]. But what prevents them from seeking knowledge from us is their enmity and envy towards us. By Allah, Musa (peace be upon him) did not envy Khidr (peace be upon him). Musa (peace be upon him) was a prophet of Allah and a recipient of His revelation, yet he went to meet Khidr (peace be upon him), spoke with him, and acknowledged his knowledge. Musa (peace be upon him) did not envy Khidr (peace be upon him) the way the Ummah of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), after his passing, envies us for the knowledge and inheritance we inherited from the Prophet of Allah. And just as Musa (peace be upon him) was eager to acquire the knowledge of Khidr (peace be upon him) and desired to accompany him so that he might learn from him and be guided, this Ummah has no desire to learn from us or to accompany us. When Musa (peace be upon him) asked Khidr (peace be upon him) for permission to accompany him, Khidr (peace be upon him) knew that Musa (peace be upon him) did not have the endurance to accompany him and could not bear his knowledge, and he said to Musa (peace be upon him): "وَ کَیْفَ تَصْبِرُ عَلی ما لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ خُبْراً [And how can you be patient about a thing whose knowledge you do not comprehend?]" (al-Kahf/68). Musa (peace be upon him), being submissive to him and requesting him to accept his companionship, said: "سَتَجِدُنِی إِنْ شاءَ اللهُ صابِراً وَ لا أَعْصِی لَکَ أَمْراً [You will find me, if Allah wills, patient, and I will not disobey you in any matter]" (al-Kahf/69). But Khidr knew that Musa (peace be upon him) would not have patience with his knowledge. O Ishaq ibn Ammar! By Allah, the state of these jurists and scholars of theirs, and of the common people, is the same. By Allah, they cannot bear our knowledge, nor can they accept it, nor endure it, nor follow it, nor remain firm upon it — just as Musa (peace be upon him), when he was accompanying Khidr (peace be upon him) and witnessing the manifestations of his knowledge, could not endure, and the actions of Khidr (peace be upon him) seemed objectionable to him, even though Khidr (peace be upon him) was doing all those things by divine command. Our knowledge is the same: the ignorant find it objectionable, but in the sight of Allah it is approved and accepted.