Khiḍr

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Khiḍr. In Islam, the mystical guide. He is at once human and angelic, mundane and celestial. Authorities such as al-Tabarī and al-Nawawī consider him immortal. He is associated with the colour green, the highest of colours in Islamic cosmology. The starting-point for traditions about Khiḍr is the account in the Qurʾān (18. 60–82), in which the prophet Moses meets Khiḍr and they set out on a journey. According to the Sūfīs, Khiḍr is the immortal guide possessing wisdom and powers beyond human understanding. He can manifest himself at many places at the same time, become invisible at will, and fly through the air.