We can learn from the Qura’nic verses that some apostles where endowed with knowledge over and above the one they needed to preach, guide, and to protect the human society. Some are enumerated below:

Verse 23 of Surah Kahf describes the event of Moses in a very lucid manner. Moses had to go an acquire knowledge from a person whose name has not been mentioned in the Qura’n. In reality however, he is Khizr. (Verses 60 to 82 of Surah Kahf).

This narration clearly states the Moses had to go to this divine teacher to gather the knowledge that he did not have. When he met him Moses said as in verse 6 of Surah Kahf:

“I shall follow you on condition that you teach me the (greater) truth that you have been taught.”

So Khizr agreed and Moses joined him and then occurred the three events were seemingly contradictory to the truth (This was because of Moses being unaware of their truth)

The First was the scuttling of the boat which was a means of their residence; second was the killing of the young man and third was the incident of the wall that he wanted to break for no reason seemingly.

Moses objected in each of these events and this he did because he found them against God’s laws. He questioned Khizr about the destruction of an asset of some people and then the prominence of a human life and thirdly the destruction of something that was useless like that particular wall which was done uselessly according to him.

In the end Khizr informed him about all the hidden reasons for his actions. He said that the tyrant would have usurped the boat if he had not scuttled it and thus oppressed the boat owners. Had he not slain that young man then he would have mislead his believing parents. There was a great treasure under the dilapidated wall and it belonged to the orphans of a righteous person and God desired that their treasure should be protected so that they could claim and use it when they came of age. Moses seemingly was aware of all that was manifest and Khizr had other responsibilities. He knew the hidden reasons behind each of these events but Moses though he had knowledge was only aware of that which was manifest. Our knowledge is very scanty but we declare things to be unwarranted without even knowing the causes and reasons behind them. (1)

(1) Study Tafsir Amthal for the details of these verses and events under verses 60 to 82 of Surah Kahf.