Surah Kahf ayat 81 Tafsir Quran 18:81

﴿فَأَرَدْنَا أَن يُبْدِلَهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا خَيْرًا مِّنْهُ زَكَاةً وَأَقْرَبَ رُحْمًا﴾
[ الكهف: 81]

18:81 So we intended that their Lord should substitute for them one better than him in purity and nearer to mercy.

So We desired that their Lord should give them in exchange read yubaddilahumā or yubdilahumā one better than him in purity that is in righteousness and God-fearing and closer than him to mercy read ruhman or ruhuman in other words it is to be understood as rahmatan ‘by way of mercy’ namely closer to dutifulness towards his parents. Thus God exalted be He gave them in exchange a girl who afterwards married a prophet and gave birth to a prophet through whom God guided an entire community.

We decided, -Allah decrees and I am the instrument- to replace him by another child who would be a symbol of faith and stands manifest of kindness and mercy

Interpretation of why the Boy was killed Ibn `Abbas narrated from Ubayy bin Ka`b that the Prophet said:
«الْغُلَامُ الَّذِي قَتَلَهُ الْخَضِرُ طُبِعَ يَوْمَ طُبِعَ كَافِرًا»
( The boy Al-Khidr killed was destined to be a disbeliever from the day he was created. ) It was recorded by Ibn Jarir from Ibn `Abbas.
He said: فَكَانَ أَبَوَاهُ مُؤْمِنَيْنِ فَخَشِينَآ أَن يُرْهِقَهُمَا طُغْيَـناً وَكُفْراً ( his parents were believers, and we feared he would oppress them by rebellion and disbelief ) Their love for him might make them follow him in disbelief.
Qatadah said, "His parents rejoiced when he was born and grieved for him when he was killed.
If he had stayed alive, he would have been the cause of their doom.
So let a man be content with the decree of Allah, for the decree of Allah for the believer, if he dislikes it, is better for him than if He were to decree something that he likes for him." An authentic Hadith says;
«لَا يَقْضِي اللهُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ مِنْ قَضَاءٍ إِلَّا كَانَ خَيْرًا لَه»
( Allah does not decree anything for the believer except it is good for him. ) And Allah says: وَعَسَى أَن تَكْرَهُواْ شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ( and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you. ) 2:216. فَأَرَدْنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا خَيْراً مِّنْهُ زَكَـوةً وَأَقْرَبَ رُحْماً ( So we intended that their Lord should exchange him for them for one better in righteousness and nearer to mercy.
) A child who was better than this one, a child for whom they would feel more compassion.
This was the view of Ibn Jurayj.

Interpretation of why the Boy was killed Ibn `Abbas narrated from Ubayy bin Ka`b that the Prophet said: «الْغُلَامُ الَّذِي قَتَلَهُ الْخَضِرُ طُبِعَ يَوْمَ طُبِعَ كَافِرًا» ( The boy Al-Khidr killed was destined to be a disbeliever from the day he was created. ) It was recorded by Ibn Jarir from Ibn `Abbas.
He said: فَكَانَ أَبَوَاهُ مُؤْمِنَيْنِ فَخَشِينَآ أَن يُرْهِقَهُمَا طُغْيَـناً وَكُفْراً ( his parents were believers, and we feared he would oppress them by rebellion and disbelief ) Their love for him might make them follow him in disbelief.
Qatadah said, "His parents rejoiced when he was born and grieved for him when he was killed.
If he had stayed alive, he would have been the cause of their doom.
So let a man be content with the decree of Allah, for the decree of Allah for the believer, if he dislikes it, is better for him than if He were to decree something that he likes for him." An authentic Hadith says; «لَا يَقْضِي اللهُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ مِنْ قَضَاءٍ إِلَّا كَانَ خَيْرًا لَه» ( Allah does not decree anything for the believer except it is good for him. ) And Allah says: وَعَسَى أَن تَكْرَهُواْ شَيْئًا وَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ( and it may be that you dislike a thing which is good for you. ) 2:216. فَأَرَدْنَآ أَن يُبْدِلَهُمَا رَبُّهُمَا خَيْراً مِّنْهُ زَكَـوةً وَأَقْرَبَ رُحْماً ( So we intended that their Lord should exchange him for them for one better in righteousness and nearer to mercy.
) A child who was better than this one, a child for whom they would feel more compassion.
This was the view of Ibn Jurayj.

( And We intended that their Lord should change him for them for one ) another child ( better in purity ) righteous ( and nearer to mercy ) who is more keen to keep ties of kinship. Allah gave them instead of him a girl who later married a prophet and from whom she gave birth to a prophet at whose hand a great number of people were guided. The son killed by Khidr, whose name was Jaysur, was, on the other hand, a disbeliever, a thief and a murderer. This is why Khidr killed him.

"So we intended that their Lord should change him for them for one better in righteousness and near to mercy.

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