Advanced Differences Surah: Al-Kahf (77)

Verse: "If you wished, you could have taken (la-ttakhadhta / latazidhta) a wage for it" — Al-Kahf: 77.
Moses said this to Al-Khidr after he repaired the wall for free.

The two readings:

• La-ttakhadhta (tashdid — iftacala form): Hafs from Asim, Hamza, Khalaf
• Latazidhta (takhfif — fa'ila form): Nafi', Ibn Kathir, Abu Amr, Ibn Amir, Al-Kisa'i

Morphological and semantic difference:

• Ittakhadha (tashdid): To take something for oneself — deliberate acquisition and retention. "If you wished you could have kept a wage for yourself"
• Takhidha (takhfif): An ancient Arabic form meaning to acquire or earn. Al-Farra': "takhidhtu al-shay'" is an old Arabic expression meaning "I earned it." Emphasizes earning and acquisition

Context: Moses reproving Al-Khidr for repairing the wall without charge — you could have sought or earned a wage for this work.

Source: Al-Nashr (2/314); Al-Dani (p.54); Al-Farra', Ma'ani Al-Quran (2/148)

Tags: لتخذتلاتخذتالكهفموسى والخضرفروق الرواياتالصرف والقراءات