قالَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَستَطيعَ مَعِيَ صَبرًا

He said: ‘Indeed you cannot have patience with me!

EXEGESIS

The usage of inna (indeed) serves to emphasise that Moses (a) most certainly cannot bear patiently with what Khiḍr (a) will do. It has been argued that the indefinite ṣabran (patience) when combined with the negative lan (cannot) also serves this purpose as it denies even the slightest possibility.^{‎[1]Mizan, 13/342.}

EXPOSITION

As we said, it seems Khiḍr (a) was expecting Moses (a) and knew who he was and why he had come, as it is highly unlikely he would accept anyone to travel with him just like that. In any case, he warns Moses (a) that he knows already what the outcome will be, and that Moses (a) will not be able to endure seeing what Khiḍr (a) will do. At the same time, he is testing his determination and willingness to learn.

This is much like a master reciter telling a student: ‘I know you will make a mistake when reading this page.’ He knows for example that there is an exceptional grammatical usage on that page that is commonly confused. By informing his student in advance, he prepares the student to pay closer attention, and in the inevitable case when he does make the mistake, the student will have even more respect for the deep expertise of their teacher.

This does not mean that Moses (a) was an impatient man, but rather that it is difficult to be patient with regards to something one cannot understand.^{‎[2]Tibyan, 7/71.} This is because Khiḍr (a) would act based on the hidden outcomes of events, whereas Moses (a) judged them based on their apparent merits. Moses (a) would not be able to stand by in silence when witnessing something which he deemed to be unjust (without knowing that it is in fact something good). Thus, the statement means: you would not be able to patiently wait by in silence with what you witness. This is evidenced by what is said in the next verse, because if he was an impatient man he would not have been patient whether he knew or not.^{‎[3]See Tibyan, 7/71; Tabari, 15/183; Zamakhshari, 2/734; Baghawi, 3/206, who adds that prophets are tasked with not being silent in the face of injustice.} It is also evidenced by the fact that Khiḍr (a) says you cannot have patience with me and does not say ‘you cannot be patient with what I teach’.^{‎[4]Mizan, 13/342.}

This is why repeatedly in the Quran God reminds the Holy Prophet and the believers to be patient with regards to God’s plan, So submit patiently to the judgement of your Lord (52:48, 68:48, 76:24). As we are limited in our knowledge we do not properly understand the reason for many of the events unfolding around us, but we should know that it is all unveiling according to divine decree.

[1] Mizan, 13/342.
[2] Tibyan, 7/71.
[3] See Tibyan, 7/71; Tabari, 15/183; Zamakhshari, 2/734; Baghawi, 3/206, who adds that prophets are tasked with not being silent in the face of injustice.
[4] Mizan, 13/342.