Khethre

A Quranic Name for Boys

Khethre is variant of Khidr and has the exact same meaning and pronunciation (see below for full meaning). You can use either Khethre or Khidr, both are correct and acceptable. If you like this variant more and you'd like to pronounce it the way it is spelled (different than the original name), this is perfectly acceptable. For more details please see the main entry at: Khidr.

Full Meaning of Khethre

Khethre, which is originally al-Khethre, is a man mentioned in Surat al-Kahf (chapter 18 of the Quran). The name itself is not mentioned in the Quran, but it is mentioned in Sahih al-Bukhari in a saying of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah upon him (Sahih al-Bukhari / Prophets / 3221). The saying mentions that the name al-Khethre, which etymologically related to “green”, “greenness”, came from the fact that wherever he stood on the ground, the ground would become green (with plants).

Khethre is considered by many scholars to have been a prophet, and some consider him a very long-lived son of Prophet Adam.

The story of Khethre is mentioned in the Quran in verses 18:60-82, some of which are below for your enjoyment. Verse 65 is where the mention of Khethre is made:

60. Recall when Moses said to his servant, “I will not give up until I reach the junction of the two rivers, even if it takes me years.”

61. Then, when they reached the junction between them, they forgot about their fish. It found its way into the river, slipping away.

62. When they went further, he said to his servant, “Bring us our lunch; we were exposed in our travel to much fatigue.”

63. He said, “Do you remember when we rested by the rock? I forgot about the fish. It was only the devil who made me forget it. And so it found its way to the river, amazingly.”

64. He said, “This is what we were seeking.” And so they turned back retracing their steps.

65. Then they came upon a servant of Ours, whom We had blessed with mercy from Us, and had taught him knowledge from Our Own.

66. Moses said to him, “May I follow you, so that you may teach me some of the guidance you were taught?”