The First Person to Travel to Seek Knowledge

Musa believed or said that there was nobody more knowledgeable than him, so he was then ordered to travel to al Khadir^[1]. Some of the people of knowledge stated that the fatigue that Musa – صلى الله عليه و سلم - went through by traveling, and the patience he had for the humility and subjection that he demonstrated to al Khadir after his wearisome journey, keeping in mind Musa's status with Allah, his dignity and the nobility of his prophet-hood, that this is evidence of the lofty status of knowledge as well as the lofty status of the people of knowledge. It is also evidence of the humility that one should have towards the person knowledge is sought and taken from.

If there were anyone who would be too great to humble himself due to his lofty status, it would have been Musa [at that time]. So when he exhibited his eagerness and seriousness for benefit, and left his land while acknowledging the need to learn some knowledge that is unknown to him, it demonstrates that there is nothing in creation that is higher than this state, nothing is greater than it.

And more than one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah - صلى الله عليه و سلم - traveled to distant lands to hear just one Hadeeth, as well as a number of Taabi'een after them. We will mention the stories that reached us with the aid of and will of Allah…

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[1]There is more than one way to pronounce the name (الخضر), in the books of Hadeeth, some of the narrators bare this name and its pronounced ‘Khidir’. However, with the companion of Musa – the one mentioned in this article – the correct pronunciation is al Khadir, with a fat-ha on the ‘Kha’ and a Kasra on the ‘Daad’.