Moses and Khidr (Freudian/Quranic Case Study)

This work aims to explain the dialect between the conscious and the unconscious and how it reveals itself through a Quranic narrative. A case study of this sorts has not been done to my knowledge concerning Islamic mythology. The complementary aim will expose how expansive and applicable Freuds concepts are in order to provide a new arena for understanding Islamic scripture under the scope of psychoanalysis.

Among the many mythological stories that are told in the Quran, I specifically chose Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave) for being the perfect chapter where the narrative of Moses and Khidr emerges. The historical context and the symbolic nature of Surah Al-Kahf is significant in the traditional practice of Islam where it is recommended to read this Surah every Friday ( the universal day for all Muslim worship), as well the famous allegory Plato’s Cave.

From here we begin, in this Surah, the cave, where we find the story of Moses and his search for the mysterious man of knowledge.

“And ˹remember˺ when Moses said to his young assistant, “I will never give up until I reach the junction of the two seas, even if I travel for ages.(Surah Al-Kahf, 18:60)

I will now provide the foundational Freudian map to makes sense of this line and the ones following. Moses symbolizes consciousness and his desire to reach the “junction of the two seas” which is representative of the meeting place between the conscious and the unconscious. The role of the young assistant either symbolizes Moses’s libido or memory. I have reason to believe it is the latter. “ Even if I travel for ages” is a powerful line that displays Moses’s ( the conscious) desire to know/find the unknown. But this is also historically true in the case of our sciences relentless pursuit to know the unknown.

“But when they ˹finally˺ reached the point where the seas met, they forgot their ˹salted˺ fish, and it made its way into the sea, slipping away ˹wondrously˺.

Here is the first instance of the dialect between the conscious and the unconscious. Where quite literally, a Freudian slip (the fish slipping away) occurs. The symbolism of the the salted fish represents something that was previously had or to put it quite simply a representation of a past experience that now slips away from consciousness ( Moses).

“When they had passed further, he said to his assistant, “Bring us our meal! We have certainly been exhausted by today’s journey.”

This is the conscious ( Moses) having a symbolic dialectical exchange with his memory ( assistant).

“He replied, “Do you remember when we rested by the rock? ˹That is when˺ I forgot the fish. None made me forget to mention this except Satan. And the fish made its way into the sea miraculously.”1

The Memory ( assistant) reminds Consciousness (Moses) about the last time they rested/slept and that is when the Memory (assistant) failed to recall a specific experience ( the fish). This censoring or blocking seems to take the role of Satan. Where Satan can prevent one from attempting to know the unknown ( the unconscious).

“Moses responded, “That is ˹exactly˺ what we were looking for.”1 So they returned, retracing their footsteps.”

The Consciousness (Moses) now attempts to retrace and examine further where and why the blocking occurred. For this is the tell sign to Moses ( consciousness) where one can meet the unconscious ( Khidr).

“There they found a servant of Ours, to whom We had granted mercy from Us and enlightened with knowledge of Our Own. Moses said to him, “May I follow you, provided that you teach me some of the right guidance you have been taught?”1

In this specific line Allah ( God ) is speaking about an enlightened one of “Our Own”. If we are entertaining that Khidr is the unconscious then perhaps, Allah ( God) is the unconscious that stays forever unknown and that Khidr is the unconscious that is capable of being known. Now, the second line is the Conscious (Moses) realization and willingness to learn from the Unconscious known(Khidr).

“He said, “You certainly cannot be patient ˹enough˺ with me.”

The Unconscious known (Khidr) knows already that Consciousness (Moses) will not be able to withstand what it will encounter. This a future allusion to the repulsion the Consciousness will experience.

“And how can you be patient with what is beyond your ˹realm of˺ knowledge?” Moses assured ˹him˺, “You will find me patient, Allah willing, and I will not disobey any of your orders.”

This displays Consciousness (Moses) naivety against the power of the unconscious known ( Khidr).

“He responded, “Then if you follow me, do not question me about anything until I ˹myself˺ clarify it for you.”

The Unconscious (Khidr) is willing to show the Conscious (Moses) that it should never assert that it knows more or better than the unconscious (Khidr) itself. Until the unconscious (Khidr) has willingly chose to clarify (bring it forth) to Consciousness(Moses).

“So they set out, but after they had boarded a ship, the man made a hole in it. Moses protested, “Have you done this to drown its people? You have certainly done a terrible thing!”

Here, we already see Consciousness (Moses) immediate repulsion from the act of the Unconscious (Khidr).

He replied, “Did I not say that you cannot have patience with me?”

The Unconscious then reminds Consciousness of it’s own unwillingness to confront what is needed to be confronted.

“Moses pleaded, “Excuse me for forgetting, and do not be hard on me.”

This line displays the constant dialectical tension of confronting what is repressed within. Consciousness (Moses) will continue to struggle against and forget in it’s attempt to learn from the Unconscious (Khidr). I will fast forward here a bit and summarize that Consciousness (Moses) ultimately, could not bear the acts from the Unconscious (Khidr) in the two additional instances of the narrative. Where repetitively ,Moses ( Consciousness) promises to have patience and Khidr (the Unconscious) once again reminds him that he was correct in not being able to have patience with what he was teaching him.

“He replied, “This is the parting of our ways. I will explain to you what you could not bear patiently. As for the ship, it belonged to some poor people, working at sea. So I intended to damage it, for there was a ˹tyrant˺ king ahead of them who seizes every ˹good˺ ship by force.( Quran, Surah Al-Kahf)

Consciousness (Moses) own failure to submit to the Unconscious known (Khidr) results in the parting of their ways. Where the failure to work with the Unconscious will lead to the furthering of repressed ideas and possible neuroses. But the significance of this narrative is the mercy of the Unconscious( Khidr) where he decides to bring forth the knowledge to Consciousness (Moses), despite failure. It seems that the implicit overall message of this mythological story is that one must confront and attempt a relationship with the Unconscious. For no matter how many times Consciousness may fail into penetrating into the Unconscious. The Unconscious will eventually bring forth something Consciousness and here lays it’s mercy and gift of having this continuous dialectical relationship and tension with the Unconscious.

Notes:

Quran: Surah Al-Khaf ( The Cave) ,18:60–82