Al-Khidr (Al-Khadir, The Green One) Arab (Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Western Sahara) A legendary Islamic hero. According to legend, he was given the name “the Green One” when he sat on some barren land and it turned green with vegetation. Al-Khidr was associated with the sea and became the patron saint of wayfarers. In some legends, he was a companion of Alexander the Great. He accompanied Alexander in his search for the Fountain of Life. Alexander did not find the Fountain of Life, but alKhidr did. He became immortal after he drank from (or fell into) the fountain. In the Qur’an (Koran), al-Khidr appears as a servant of Allah (God) who was sent to test the prophet Musa (Moses). Moses and al-Khidr met on the shores of Algeria. Al-Khidr had the ability to see the future. Moses wanted to follow him, but al-Khidr warned him that this would be difficult for Moses. He said that if Moses followed him, he must be patient and refrain from asking any questions, no matter what happened.  aja Moses was tested when al-Khidr scuttled a boat, killed a young boy, and repaired the wall of a city whose inhabitants had refused them food. On each occasion, Moses lost patience with al-Khidr and demanded an explanation for his strange actions. Finally, al-Khidr told Moses that they had to separate, because Moses was unable to see the wisdom of al-Khidr’s actions. Al-Khidr then explained that everything he had done was on Allah’s orders. He had scuttled the boat to hide it from a tyrant who would steal it; the tyrant was going to die the next day, and the boat’s owners could then retrieve it. He had killed the boy because he would have caused his parents to turn away from the true religion. He repaired the wall because it hid a treasure that would have been lost if people saw it. Through these tests, Moses learned humility.

Taken from African Mythology A to Z – Library Binding – May 1, 2010- Second Edition – Written by Patricia Ann Lynch (Author), Jeremy Roberts Dr (Editor) – Copyright © 2004, 2010 by Patricia Ann Lynch