In this post I will be citing specific narrations taken from the Shia hadith collections in respect to the existence and identity of the Gospel, which the Quran states was given to Jesus and which is said to have been in the possession of the Christians at Muhammad’s time. These collections can be accessed here: Thaqalayn.
محمد بن سنان عن بسطام الزيات عن أبي عبد الله عليه السلام قال: لما قدم جعفر بن أبي طالب من الحبشة قال لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله أحدثك يا رسول الله: دخلت على النجاشي يوما من الأيام وهو في غير مجلس الملك وفى غير رياشه وفى غير زيه فهييته بتحية الملك وقلته له: يا أيها الملك مالي أراك في غير مجلس الملك وفى غير رياشه وفى غير زيه؟ فقال: انا نجد في الإنجيل من أنعم الله عليه بنعمة فليشكر الله ونجد في الإنجيل ان ليس من الشكر لله شئ يعدله مثل التواضع وانه ورد على في ليلتي هذه ان ابن عمك محمد صلى الله عليه وآله قد أظفره الله بمشركي أهل بدر فأحببت ان اشكر الله تعالى بما ترى
5. Muḥammad ibn Sinān narrated from Bisṭām al-Zayyāt, from Abū ʿAbdillāh who said, “When Jaʿfar ibn Abī Ṭālib returned from Abyssinia, he said to the Messenger of Allah (ṣ), ‘Should I tell you about something that happened, O Messenger of Allah? I went to visit al-Najāshī one day and found that he was neither seated on his royal throne nor was he dressed in his kingly attire, and he appeared different than he normally would. So I greeted him the way kings are greeted and said to him, “O king, why is it that I see you seated in a different place, dressed in different apparel, and having an altered appearance?” He replied, “Verily we find in the Gospels: whoever is given a blessing by Allah, let him show gratitude to Allah [for that blessing]. We also find in the Gospels: there is no form of gratitude to Allah which is comparable to humility. And verily I have received word on this night that my cousin Muḥammad has been granted victory by Allah over the polytheists at Badr, so I wanted to thank Allah, the Exalted, in the way that you see.”’”
There is no god but the One God
1. My father said: Ahmad ibn Idris and Muhammad ibn Yahya al-`Attar said, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Ahmad, on the authority of Ibrahim ibn Hashim, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Hammad, on the authority of al-Hasan ibn Ibrahim, on the authority of Yunus ibn `Abd al-Rahman, that Hisham ibn al-Hakam related the story of the Catholicos, primate of the Armenian church of the Christians, who was named Burayhah, and had been the Catholicos for seventy years. He used to research Islam, and sought to debate those Muslims who were familiar with the Christian gospels, and who were familiar with the Messiah, his attributes, arguments, and signs…
Then they both departed together until they arrived at Medina. The woman was with them. They both wanted to see Abu `Abd Allah. However, they met Musa ibn Ja`far, so Hisham related to him the account. When he finished, Musa ibn Ja`far said: “O Burayhah! How is your knowledge of your Book (the Bible)?” He answered, “I am knowledgeable of it.” The Imam asked, “How is your faith in its interpretation?” He replied. “I am confident that I am knowledgeable about it.” The reported says: Musa ibn Ja`far began reading the Bible. Burayhah responded, “The Messiah must have read like this, and no one has read this recitation but the Messiah.” Burayhah then said: “I have been seeking you or someone like you for the past fifty years.”
The reporter says: Therefore, he embraced Islam and so did the woman, and both were expediently faithful. The Hisham, Burayhah, and the woman entered the presence of Abu `Abd Allah. Hisham related the account and the discussion that took place between Musa and Burayhah. Thus Abu `Abdillah read: Offspring one of the other; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing. So Burayhah asked, “May I be your ransom! How do you view the Torah, the Bible and the Books of the Prophets?” Abu `Abdillah replied: “We are their Heirs. We read them the way they were originally read, and we convey them as they were originally conveyed. Verily, Allah does not place a Proof [hujjat] on His earth who, when questioned about something, answers: `I do not know.’”
“… Al-Nawfali added, ‘The Imam then smiled, and told me, “O Nawfali! Do you fear that they will defeat my arguments?” Al-Nawfali said: “No, by Allah! I have no worries about you. Allah willing, I hope that Allah will make you victorious over them!” The Imam asked again, “O Nawfali! Would you like to know when Al-Ma`mun will regret his actions?” He answered, “Yes.” The Imam said: “When he hears me argue with the people of the Torah quoting their own Torah, with the people of the Gospel quoting their own Gospel with the people of the Psalms quoting their own Psalms, with the Sabians in their own Hebrew language, with the Zoroastrian priests in their own Persian, with the Romans in their own Latin, and with the rhetoricians using their very own languages. So, if I close the avenues of argument in the face of each arguing party and disprove his claim, making him renounce his statement from its onset and referring to my own statement, then al-Ma`mun will realize that he has not achieved what he aspires to achieve. It is then that he will feel regret. And there is no power and no strength save in Allah, the Most High, the Most Great…”’”
“… O `Ali! Your mention is in the Torah, and the mention of your Shi`a was in all goodness before they were created; and it is the same in the Gospel, so ask the people of the Gospel and the People of the Book about Iliya and they will inform you of what you [already] know of the Torah and the Gospel and that which Allah gave you from the knowledge of the Book. Surely, the people of the Gospel magnify Iliya, yet they do not recognize him, nor do they recognize his Shi`a; but they will recognize them by what they find in their books…” (Al-Amālī, Book 1, Chapter #83, The Eighty-Third Assembly, the Assembly of Friday, the Fourteenth of Rajab, 368 AH.)
… When `Ali assumed the Caliphate and the people pledged their allegiance to him, he went out to the Mosque turbaned in the turban of the Messenger of Allah, cloaked in the cloak of the Messenger of Allah (s), wearing the sandals of the Messenger of Allah, and equipped with the sword of the Messenger of Allah. So, he climbed the pulpit and sat upon it masterfully. Then, he folded his hands and placed them under his stomach. Then, he said: O people! Ask me before you lose me. This is the vessel of knowledge. This is the saliva of the Messenger of Allah. This is the sustenance that the Messenger of Allah has sustained me with. Ask me, for I have the knowledge of the former and latter peoples. By Allah, if a cushion were folded for me, I could give judgments to the people of the Torah with their Torah until the Torah is made to say: “`Ali has spoken the truth and he has not lied. He has given you judgments by that which Allah has revealed”; and I could give judgments to the people of the Gospel with their Gospel until the Gospel is made to say: “`Ali has spoken the truth and he has not lied. He has given you judgments by that which Allah has revealed”; and I could give judgments to the people of the Quran with their Quran until the Quran is made to say: “`Ali has spoken the truth and he has not lied. He has given you judgments by that which Allah has revealed.” If it were not for one verse in the Book of Allah, I could have informed you of what was, what will be, and what is, until the Day of Resurrection; and it is this verse, “Allah erases what He wishes and confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.” (13:39)
Then, he said: Ask me before you lose me, for by Him who split the seed and gave life, if you were to ask me about any verse – whether it were revealed in the night or revealed in the day, in Mecca or in Medina, while travelling or while present; whether it is abrogating or abrogated, decisive or allegorical; or about its interpretation or its exegesis – I would have informed you of it. So, a man named Dha`lab, who had a sharp tongue, who was eloquent in speech, and who had a bold heart, said: Ibn Abi Talib has risen to a difficult station, so I will embarrass him today in my questions posed to him. So, he said: O Amir al-Mu’minin! Have you seen your Lord? So, he said: Woe to you, Dha`lab, I am not one who would worship a Lord that I haven not seen. He said: So, how did you see Him? Describe Him to us. He said: Woe to you! Eyes do not see Him by way of sight, but rather, hearts see Him by the realities of faith. Woe to you, Dha`lab, surely, my Lord is not described with proximity, nor with movement, nor with stillness, nor with standing – standing physically – nor with coming, nor with going. He is the Most Subtle of the subtle, but He is not described with subtlety. He is the Most Great of the great, but He is not described with greatness. He is the Most Grand of the grand, but He is not described with grandness. He is the Most Majestic of the majestic, but He is not described with difficulty. He is kind in mercy, but He is not described with gentleness; the Protector, but not [gained] through worship. He perceives, but not through touching. He speaks, but not through pronouncement. He is in the things, but not interwoven, and He is outside of them, but not contrasting. He is above everything, and nothing is to be said to be above Him. He is in front of everything, but He is not to be said to be in front. He is inside the things, but not like a thing inside another thing. He is outside the things, but not like a thing outside another thing.
So, Dha`lab fell unconscious. Then, [he awoke] and said: By Allah, I have never heard an answer like this. By Allah, I will not repeat [a question] like it. Then, he said: Ask me before you lose me. So, al-Ash`ath b. Qays went to him and said: O Amir al-Mu’minin! Why is the jizya taken from the Zoroastrians when no Book was revealed to them and no prophet was sent to them? So, he said: O Ash`ath! Allah revealed a Book to them and sent a prophet to them. They had a king who was drunk one night. He called his daughter to his bed and had intercourse with her. When he awoke, his people had heard what had happened and had gathered at his door. So, they said: “O king! You have dirtied our religion and you have destroyed it. Get out, so that we may purify you by establishing the penalty on you.” So, he said to them: “Gather and listen to my words. If there is no way out for me, then do as you wish.” So, they gathered. So, he said to them: “Do you know that Allah did not create a creation more noble than our father Adam and our mother Hawwa’?” They said: “You have spoken the truth, king.” He said: “Did he not marry his sons to his daughters, and his daughters to his sons?” They said: “You have spoken the truth. This is the religion.” So, they contracted [marriages] based on that. So, Allah erased knowledge from their hearts and raised the Book from them, so they became disbelievers who enter the Fire without judgment – and the hypocrites are in a more severe condition than them. So, al-Ash`ath said: By Allah, I have never heard an answer like this. By Allah, I will not repeat [a question] like it.
Then, he said: Ask me before you lose me. So, a man from the furthest end of the Mosque came to him, leaning on a staff. He did not stop surpassing the people until he came close to him and said: O Amir al-Mu’minin! Lead me to a practice which, if I did it, Allah would deliver me from the Fire. So, he said to him: Listen, so-and-so, then understand, then ascertain. The world is upheld by three: a speaking scholar whose knowledge is acted upon, a wealthy person who is not stingy in his wealth with the people of the religion of Allah, and patient poor person. If the scholar hides his knowledge, and the wealthy becomes stingy, and the poor person is not patient, then at that will be woe and devastation. At that, those that know Allah will know that the abode will revert to its incipience – meaning, to disbelief after faith. O asker! Do not be deceived by the number of mosques, nor by the gatherings of people who are united in their bodies but disunited in their hearts. O people! Surely, there are only three types of people: the ascetic, the hedonist, and the patient. As for the ascetic, he is not gladdened by anything of the world that comes to him, nor is he saddened by anything of the world that misses him. As for the patient, he wishes for it (the world) in his heart, but when he comes by anything of it, he avoids it because he knows its evil consequences. As for the hedonist, he does not mind taking it lawfully or unlawfully.
He said: O Amir al-Mu’minin! What is the sign of the believer in that time? He said: He looks to what Allah has obliged him and he fulfills it, and he looks to what is contrary to it and dissociates from it, even if it is beloved and near to him. He said: You have spoken the truth, by Allah, O Amir al-Mu’minin. Then, the man disappeared, and we did not see him. The people went out looking for him, but they did not see him. So, `Ali smiled on the pulpit and said: What are you doing? This is my brother al-Khidr. Then, he said: Ask me before you lose me. So, no one went to him. So, he praised Allah and commended Him, blessed His Prophet (s), then said to al-Hasan: O Hasan! Stand, climb the pulpit, and speak, so that Quraysh are not ignorant of you after me, lest they say: “Al-Hasan has not beautified (yuhsin) anything.” Al-Hasan said: O father! How can I climb [the pulpit] and speak when you are among the people listening and watching? He said: May my mother and my father be your sacrifice! I will hide myself from you, so you will neither hear nor see me. So, al-Hasan climbed the pulpit, praised Allah in an eloquent and honourable way, blessed the Prophet and his Family briefly, then said: O people! I heard my grandfather the Messenger of Allah (s) say: “I am the City of Knowledge and `Ali is its Gate. A city can only be entered by its gate.” Then, he descended; and `Ali leapt toward him, embraced him, and held him to his chest. Then, he said to al-Husayn : O my son! Stand, climb the pulpit, and speak, so that the Quraysh are not ignorant of you after me, lest they say: “Al-Husayn b. `Ali has no insight in anything”, and so that your words may follow your brother’s. So, al-Husayn climbed, praised Allah and commended Him, blessed His Prophet and his Family briefly, then said: O people! I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “Surely, `Ali is the City of Guidance. Whoever enters it is saved, and whoever turns away from it is destroyed.” So, `Ali leapt toward him, embraced him, and held him to his chest. Then, he said: O people! Bear witness that these two are the younglings of the Messenger of Allah (s) whom he entrusted to me, and I am entrusting them to you. O people! The Messenger of Allah (s) will question you regarding them. (Al-Amālī, Book 1, Chapter #55, The Fifty-Fifth Assembly, the Assembly of Friday, the Fourth of the Month of Rabi` al-Akhir, 368 AH.)
Here’s the final example:
The Imam said: When he hears me argue with the people of the Torah quoting their own Torah, with the people of the Gospel quoting their own Gospel with the people of the Psalms quoting their own Psalms, with the Sabians in their own Hebrew language, with the Zoroastrian priests in their own Persian, with the Romans in their own Latin, and with the rhetoricians using their very own languages. So, if I close the avenues of argument in the face of each arguing party and disprove his claim, making him renounce his statement from its onset and referring to my own statement, then al-Ma`mun will realize that he has not achieved what he aspires to achieve. It is then that he will feel regret. And there is no power and no strength save in Allah, the Most High, the Most Great. On the following day, al-Fadl ibn Sahl went in a hurry to see the Imam and told him, “May I be your ransom! Your cousin is waiting for you. The people have gathered together. When will you go to him?” Al-Rida told him, “You go ahead, Allah willing, I will come to you.” Then he made ablutions for praying, drank some sawiq, quenched us from it as well, and then we all left. When we reached al-Ma`mun’s place, the meeting was full of people. Muhammad ibn Ja`far, some of the Talibites and Hashimites, and the Commanders of the Army were among those present. When al-Rida entered, al-Ma`mun stood up, Muhammad ibn Ja`far, and all the Hashimites who were present there, also stood up for him. The Imam and alMa`mun sat down while all the people were still standing, until al-Ma`mun ordered them to sit down. Al-Ma`mun talked to the Imam for a while. Then al-Ma`mun turned to the Catholicos and said: “O Catholicos! This is my cousin `Ali ibn Musa ibn Ja`far. He is one of the children of Fatimah, the daughter of our Prophet, and `Ali ibn Abu Talib . I would like you to debate with him, but be fair with him.” The Catholicos said: “O Commander of the Faithful! How can I argue with a man who argues with me using a Book I reject, and who believes in a prophet who I do not believe in? Al-Rida told him, “O Christian! Will you accept to debate with me if I present proofs from your Gospel?” The Catholicos answered, “How could I reject the words of the Bible? I swear to God that I will accept your arguments, even if I dislike them.” Al-Rida told him, “Ask whatever you wish, and you shall receive an answer.” The Catholicos said: “what is your opinion about the Prophethood of Jesus and his Book? Do you deny either one of them?” Al-Rida said: I accept the Prophethood of Jesus. I accept his Book. And I accept what he taught his nation, and what was accepted by his disciples. However, I reject the Prophethood of any Jesus who has not professed the Prophethood of Muhammad, his Book, and what he taught his people. The Catholicos said: “Two witnesses are required to validate a testimony. Is that correct?” The Imam said: “Yes.” The Catholicos Archbishop said: “if that is the case, I challenge you to select who witnesses who are neither Muslim nor Christian, but who do not reject the Prophethood of Muhammad. Likewise, you may ask a similar question from people other than our own nation.”
Al-Rida said: “O Christian! Now you are speaking fairly. Do you accept a just person who was given preference (over others) by the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary?” The Catholicos replied, “Who is the just one? Name him for me.” The Imam said: “What is your opinion of John al-Daylami?” The Catholicos responded, “Bravo! Bravo! You have mentioned the person most loved by the Messiah.” The Imam said: Then I ask you to swear by God, and tell me whether or not the Bible says that John said: `The Messiah has informed me of the religion of Muhammad, the Arab, and has given me the glad tidings about him who will be (a Prophet) after him. Therefore, I have the glad tidings of him to the disciples and they believed in him.’ The Catholicos said: “John did quote this from the Messiah. He did give the glad tidings concerning the coming of a Prophet, his Household, and his Successor. He has not specified when this would happen, and has not named them so that we could identify them.” Al-Rida said: “If we bring someone here who can recite the Bible, and he recites to you Muhammad’s name, his Household, and his nation, will you believe in him?” The Catholicos replied, “What a sound suggestion!” Al-Rida turned to Nestus the Roman, and asked him, “have you memorized the third Book of the Bible?” He answered, “I have thoroughly memorized it.” Then the Imam addressed the Catholicos and said: “Can you recite the Bible?” The Catholicos said: “Yes, of course.” The Imam said: “Then I will recite to you (some verses from) the third Book. If Muhammad, his Household , and his nation were mentioned in it, then bear witness! And if they have not been mentioned therein, then do not bear witness.” Then the Imam recited to him some of the verses of the third Book until he reached the reference to the Prophet. He stopped reading and said: “O Christian! I challenge you to swear by the Messiah and his mother. Have you realized that I have knowledge of the Bible?” He replied, “yes.” The Imam recited to him some verses from the third Book concerning the reference to the Prophet, his Household, and his nation. Then the Imam said: O Christian! What do you think now? These are the words of Jesus, the son of Mary. If you deny what the Bible says, then you will deny both the Jesus and Moses. If you deny them, then it is incumbent to kill you for blasphemy against your Lord, your Prophet, and your Book. The Catholicos said: “I do not deny the clear things in the Bible. On the contrary, I profess them.”
The Imam asked others who were present, “Bear witness to his profession.” Then the Imam said to the Catholicos, “O Catholicos! Ask me any other question that you wish to ask.” The Catholicos asked, “What about the disciples of Jesus, the son of Mary? How many were they? And tell me about the scholars of the Bible. How many were then?” Al-Rida said: You have found the expert! As for (the number of) the disciples, they were twelve men. The best and the most learned of them was Aluqas (Luke). As for the (number of) Christian scholars, there were three men: John (Yohanna), `the great’ at Aj, John at Qirqisiya, and john al-Daylami at Zijan, who made reference to Prophet Muhammad, his Household and his nation. It is he who gave glad tidings to the nation of Jesus and the Children of Israel about him. The Imam added, “O Christian! By Allah, we believe in Jesus, who believed in Muhammad. We have nothing against Jesus except for his weakness and the paucity of his fasting and prayer. The Catholicos replied, “By Allah, you have corrupted your knowledge! You affair has become weak! I though that you were the most learned of the Muslims!” Al-Rida asked, “Why?” The Catholicos said: “You said that Jesus was weak in fasting and prayer when, in fact, he never broke fasting during the day, and never slept during the night. He always fasted during the day, and he always prayed throughout the night.” Al-Rida said: “For whom did he fast and pray?” The Catholicos did no answer, not knowing what to say. Al-Rida said: “I want to ask you a question.” The Catholicos said: “Ask. I will respond if I have the answer.” Al-Rida asked, “Why do you deny that Jesus gave life to the dead with the permission of Allah, the Mighty and High?” The Catholicos said: “I deny that because whoever is able to give life to the dead, and to heal the blind and the leprous is a Lord worthy of service.” Al-Rida said: Very well. However, Elijah [al-Yasa’] performed the same miracles as Jesus did. He walked on water, gave life to the dead, and healed the blind and the leprous Why did his nation not adopt him as a Lord? Why did no anyone worship him as a god other than Allah? The Prophet Ezekiel [Hizqil] did just what Jesus did. He gave life to thirty-five men sixty years after their death. Then the Imam turned towards the Head of the Rabbis and asked him, O Head of the Rabbis! Do you find the following about some of the youth of the Children of Israel in the Torah? When Nebuchadnezzar [Bakht Nasr] invaded Jerusalem, he enslaved the Children of Israel and brought them to Babylonia. Then Allah, the Mighty and High, sent al-Yasa` from them, and he gave life to them. This is in the Torah. No one but an unbeliever of you would deny it. The Head of the Rabbis said: “I have heard about this and know it.” The Imam said: “You have spoken the truth.” Then the Imam said: “O Jewish man! See if I read from the following Book of the Torah properly.” The Imam then recited some of the verses from the Torah for us. The Jewish man, who was surprised at hearing how the Imam was reciting the Torah, kept moving his body.
He then faced the Christian and asked, “O Christian! Were these words revealed before Jesus or were they revealed after him?” The Catholicos answered, “They were revealed before him.” Al-Rida said: The people of Quraysh gathered around the Messenger of Allah and asked him to give life to their dead. He sent along `Ali ibn Abu Talib with them and told him, “go to the cemetery, and loudly call the people about whom they have asked, say, “O so and-so, so-and-so, etc.” Tell them, “Allah’s Messenger Muhammad says, `Rise with the permission of Allah, the Mighty and High’ Then they all rose and brushed off the dust from their heads.” The people from the tribe of Quraysh walked towards them and asked them about their affairs. They told them that Muhammad has been raised as a Prophet. The people who had risen from the dead said: “We wish we had lived in his age and believed in him!” He healed the blind, the leprous, and the insane. He spoke with the beasts, the birds, the jinn, and demons. Still, we do not adopt him as a Lord other than Allah, the Mighty and High. We do not deny the miracles of the prophets. Since you have adopted Jesus as a Lord, why do you not adopt al-Yasa` and Hizqil as lords, for they performed the same miracles as did Jesus, the son of Mary, such as giving life to the dead? Moreover, thousands of the Children of Israel left their homeland in fear of death due to the plague. Allah made them die immediately. The people of the village build a fence around them, and left them there until their bones decayed. One of the prophets of the Children of Israel passed by, and he was amazed when he saw so may decayed bones. Allah, the Mighty and high, revealed to him, “Would you like Me to bring them to life so that you can admonish them?” The Prophet said: “Yes, O Lord!” Then Allah, the Mighty and High, revealed to him, “Then call them.” He said: “O decayed bones! Rise with Allah’s permission.” They all rose while brushing off the dust from their heads.” Likewise when Abraham, the friend of the Most Compassionate, took the birds, cut them into pieces, and put each piece on a mountain top. He called out to them and they came towards him. Also Moses the son of `Imran, his companions, and seventy of the men whom he had chosen went to the mountain. They told Moses, “You have seen Allah. So show Him to us like you have seen Him.” Moses told them, “I have not seen Him.” But they said: “We shall never believe in you until we see Allah manifestly.” A thunderbolt struck them, and burned them all up. Only Moses survived. Moses said: `O my Lord! I chose seventy men from among the Children of Israel and brought them to the mountain. Shall I return by myself? How shall my people believe what I must tell them? If You desired You could have destroyed al of us long before. Would you destroy us all for the deeds of the foolish ones among us?’ Then Allah, the Mighty and High, gave life to them after their death. You cannot deny all these things which I have told you, for the Torah, the Bible, the Psalms and the Qur’an have mentioned them. If all those who gave life to the dead, healed the blind, the leprous and the mad, were adopted as lords other than Allah, then you should also adopt them as Lords. O Christians! What is your opinion? The Catholicos said: “Yes. You are right. There is no god but Allah.”
Then the Imam turned towards the Head of Rabbis and told him. O Jewish man! Turn to me. Swear to me by the Ten Commandments which were sent down to Moses, the son of `Imran, that the following statement about the Prophet Muhammad and his nation is not found in the Torah: When the people of the last nation, who are followers of the Rider of the Camel, who glorifies the Lord enormously, new glorification in new churches (implying mosques), then let the Children of Israel flee towards them and their dominion so that their hearts may be tranquil, since there will be swords in their hands with which they will take revenge on the unbelievers around the globe. Is this not written in the Torah? The Head of the Rabbis said; “Yes, we have found that written in this manner.” Then the Imam asked the Catholicos, “O Christian! How is your knowledge of the Book of Sha`ya? He answered, “I know it letter by letter.” Then the Imam asked them both, “Do you know that the following statement is made by him, `O people! I have seen the picture of the Donkey. He was wearing gowns of light. And I have seen the Rider of the Camel, who is as bright as the moon.’” They answered, “Verily, Sha`1ya did say that!” Al-Rida said: O Christian! Do you know that Jesus said: `I am going to my Lord and your Lord, and the Paraclete [farqilita] is coming who shall testify to my truth just as I testified for him, and he shall explain everything to you, and he shall be the one to expose all the sins of nations, and he shall be the one to smash down the pillars of unbelief?’ The Catholicos said: “We accept whatever you cite from the Bible.” The Imam said: “O Catholicos! Have you found this in the Bible?” The Catholicos said: “Yes.” Al-Rida said: “O Catholicos, when you lost the first Bible, with whom did you find it?”
The Catholicos said: “We only lost the Bible for one day. Then we found it fresh (in its original state). John and Matthew brought it back to us.” Al-Rida asked him, How little you know of the Bible and its scholars! If what you say is correct, then why do you have so many disputes between yourselves regarding the Bible? The source of controversy lies in the Bible which you have IN YOUR HANDS TODAY. Had it been the same as the first Bible, there would be no dispute over it, However, I will prove this for you myself. Know that when the first Bible was lost, the Christians gathered around their scholars and said to them, `Jesus the son of Mary has been killed, and we have lost the Bible. You are the scholars. What do you have?’ Luke, Mark and John told them, `We have memorized the Bible. Do not worry about it. Do not forsake the churches. We will recite each Gospel of the Bible for you on each Sunday until we put it all together.’ Then Luke, Mark, John and Matthew gathered together and put together this Bible after you had lost the first one. These four students were of the first students. Did you know that?” The Catholicos said: “I did not know this before. Now I have learned it from you due to your noble knowledge of the Bible. I heard things from you which I knew deep down, and which my heart acknowledges to be the truth. As a result, I have grown in understanding.” Al-Rida said: “Do you accept the evidence I have presented?” The Catholicos said: “I completely accept the evidence as correct, and bear witness that it is true.” Al-Rida then told al-Ma’mun, his family, and the others who were present, “Be witnesses to this.” They said: “We bear witness.” Then the Imam told the Catholicos, I swear by the Son and his Mother to tell us whether you know that Matthew said the following, `The Messiah is the son of David, the son of Abraham, the son of Isaac, the son of Jacob, the son of Yehuda, the son of Khadrun.’ Mark said the following regarding the lineage of Jesus, the son of Mary, `He is Allah’s Word placed in the human body. So it turned into the human form.’ Moreover, Luke said: `Jesus the son of Mary and his mother wee humans made of flesh and blood. Then the Holy Spirit entered into them.’ Testify as well that Jesus said the following about himself, `O disciples! I will tell you the truth. No one will ascend to Heaven, except for him who descends there from, except for the Rider of the Camel, the Seal of the Prophets, for he will ascend to the Heavens, and then will descend therefrom. What do you have to say about that? The Catholicos said; “These are the words of Jesus. We do not deny them.” Al-Rida said: “If so, what do you say about the testimonies of Luke, Mark and Matthew regarding Jesus and the lineage they attributed to him?” The Catholicos said: “They ascribed likes to Jesus.” Al-Rida said: “O people! Did he not just bear witness that they (Luke, Mark and Matthew) are the Scholars of the Bible, and what they said was the truth?” The Catholicos said: “O Scholar of the Muslims! I would like you to excuse me from discussing about these men.” Al-Rida said: “Fine, I will excuse you from that, O Christian! Ask me whatever you wish to ask.” The Catholicos said: “Let someone else ask you questions. By Jesus, I did not think that there was a scholar like you among the Muslims.”
Al-Rida turned towards the Head of the Rabbis and said: “Will you ask me questions or should I ask?” The Head of the Rabbis said: “I will ask. However, I will not accept any proofs from you except those from the Torah, the Bible, the Psalms of David, or the Scriptures of Abraham and Moses.” Al-Rida said: “Do not accept any of my proofs unless they are from the Torah as expressed by Moses, the son of `Imran, the Bible as expressed by Jesus, the son of Mary, or the Psalms of David as expressed by David.” The Head of the Rabbis said: “How can you prove the Prophethood of Muhammad?” Al-Rida said: “Moses, the son of `Imran, Jesus, the son of Mary and David, the Vicegerent of Allah on the Earth, have testified to his Prophethood.” The Head of the Rabbis said: “Provide evidence of the testimony of Moses, the son of `Imran.” Al-Rida told him, O Jewish man! Do you know that Moses said the following to the Children of Israel, `A prophet will come to you from among your brethren. Believe in him, and obey him.’ Do you know that the Children of Israel have no brethren other than the Children of Ishmael? Do you know about the ties of kinship between Israel and Ishmael and the relationship that existed between them from the past through Abraham? The Head of the Rabbis said: “These are the words of Moses. I do not deny them.” Al-Rida asked him, “Has any Prophet other than Muhammad come from among the brethren of the Children of Israel?” He replied, “No.” Al-Rida said: “Is this not correct in your opinion?” The Head of the Rabbis said: “Yes, but I want you to prove its correctness from the Torah.” Al-Rida asked him, “Do you deny that the Toray says the following to you? `There came light from Mount Sinai. Light shined upon us from Mount Sa`ir and it became apparent to us from Mount Faran.’” The Head of the Rabbis said: “I am familiar with these words, but I do not know what they mean.” Al-Rida said: I will inform you about them. What is meant when it says `There came light from Mount Sinai` is a reference to the revelations of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, to Moses on mount Sinai. And what is meant when it says, `Light shined upon us from Mount Sa`ir’ is a reference to the mountain upon which Allah, the Mighty and High, sent revelations of Jesus, the son of Mary. Jesus was on that mountain. And what is meant when it says, `and it became apparent to us from Mount Faran.’ Faran is a mountain that is one day away from Mecca. As you and your friends said: the Prophet Sha`ya has said in the Torah that `I have seen the picture of the Rider of the Donkey. He was wearing gowns of light. And I have seen the Rider of the Camel, who is as bright as the moon.’ Who is the Rider of the Donkey? Who is the Rider of the Camel? The Head of the Rabbis said: “I do not know who they are.” The Imam said: “The Rider of the Donkey is Jesus, and the Rider of the Camel is Muhammad. Do you deny that this is from the Torah?” The Head of the Rabbis said: “No, I do not deny that.” Then al-Rida said: “Do you know the Prophet Hayqua?” The Head of the Rabbis said: “Yes, I know him.” The Imam said: He said the following which your Book has also stated, `Allah brought down the Bayan from Mount Faran. The heavens are filled with the praise of Ahmad and his nation. He will lead his troops at sea just as he carries them on land. He will bring us a new Book after the destruction of the Holy House (in Jerusalem).’ Did you know the, and do you believe in it? The Head of the Rabbis said: “In fact, the Prophet Hayquq has said this. I will not deny his words.
Al-Rida said: David said in his Psalms which you have also read, `O my Allah! Appoint him who will establish the practice after the cessation (of the prophets). Did you know of any prophet other than Muhammad who has established the practice after the end of the period of prophecy? The Head of the Rabbis said: “this is what David said. We do not deny it. However, he was referring to Jesus, as it was with him that the age of prophecy came to a close.” Al-Rida told him, ‘You are wrong. In fact, Jesus endorsed the practices [sunnah] of the Torah until Allah raised him up to Himself. It is written in the Bible. The son of the pious woman will go, and the Paraclete will come after him. It is he who will preserve the bonds, explain everything to you, and testify to my truth just as I testified for him. I have brought you the examples, and he will bring you the interpretations. Do you believe that this statement is in the Bible? The Head of the Rabbis said: “Yes.” Al-Rida replied to him, “O the Head of the Rabbis! I want to ask you about your Prophet Moses.” The Jewish man said: “He brought miracles which the prophets before him had not brought.” The Imam asked, “Could you give me an example?” The Head of the Rabbis replied, “He split the sea, turned the cane into a slithering serpent, made springs gush from stones, showed his hand white and shining to the onlookers, and other signs the like of which other creatures were unable to bring.” Al-Rida replied to him, “You are right. They are proofs of his Prophethood. He brought the like of which other creatures were unable to brig. Is it obligatory on you to believe in whoever claims Prophethood, and performs something which all other creatures are unable to perform?” The head of the Rabbis said: “No, since there is no one like Moses considering his position near his Lord and his closeness to Him. It is not incumbent upon us to profess the Prophethood of whoever claims it, unless he brings us miracles similar to those brought by Moses. The Imam said: Then how come you admit the Prophethood of the other prophets who preceded Moses who did not split the sea; nor did they make twelve springs gush forth from the stones, nor did they show a white shining hand as Moses did, nor did they turn the came into a slithering serpent. The Jewish man replied: I told you that if they performed miracles as evidence for their Prophethood which all other creatures were unable to perform, and if they brought something the like of which Moses had brought, or they followed what Moses had brought, then it is incumbent upon us to believe in them.
Al-Rida replied to him, “O Head of the Rabbis! What has prevented you from professing (the Prophethood of) Jesus, the son of Mary? Jesus brought the dead to life, healed the blind and the leprous, made birds formed of clay and breathed life into them with Allah’s permission.’” The Head of the Rabbis said: “It is said that he did that but we did not see it.” Al-Rida said: “Have you seen the miracles performed by Moses? Have you not received the news by way of Moses’s closest trustworthy companions who said he did them?” The Head of the Rabbis said: “Yes. That is so.” The Imam said: “Well. The news about the miracles of Jesus, the son of Mary, have reached you in a similar fashion. Why then did you acknowledge Moses and believe in him, but you did not believe in Jesus?” The Head of the Rabbis did not answer. Al-Rida said: The same is true about Muhammad and his miracles. The same is true about any other prophet appointed by Allah. One of the miracles of Muhammad was that he was a poor hired shepherd. He had not been taught anything. He did not have any teachers. However, the Qur’an which he brought contains the stories of the prophets and the associated news letter by letter. It has narrated news of the past, and the things to come in the future all the way up until the Day of Resurrection. The Qur’an provided information about what people did in hiding or in their homes. The Prophet brought innumerable miracles. The Head of the Rabbis said: “Neither the account about Jesus nor that about Muhammad is considered correct by us. It is not permissible to admit their Prophethood through what is not correct.” Al-Rida (AS said: “Has the witness who testified for Jesus and Muhammad then given false testimony?” The Head of the Rabbis did not answer him.
Then the Imam called the Zoroastrian High Priest. Al-Rida said to him, “Let me know about Zoroaster who considered himself to be a prophet. What is your proof of his Prophethood?” The Zoroastrian High Priest said: “He performed miracles which no one ever had performed before him. Of course, I have not seen him, but the stories of our ancestors tell us that he made legitimate for us things which others had not made legitimate. Therefore, we follow him.” The Imam asked, “You believed in the stories which came to you about him, so you followed him, did you not?” He replied, “Yes.” The Imam said: This is the case with all other nations. Stories came to them about what the prophets had accomplished, and what Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad had all brought to them. So why did you not believe in any of these prophets, having believed in Zoroaster through the stories that came to you about him saying that he brought forth what others did not? The Zoroastrian High Priest froze in his place. Then al-Rida said: “O people! If any of you is opposed to Islam, and wants to ask me any questions, then they should ask me and not be shy.” `Imran the Sabian, who was an expert in theology, stood up and said: O Scholar of the people! I would not have asked you any questions if you had not invited me to ask. I have been to Kufa, Basra, Syria, and Algeria. There I have met many theologians. However, none of them have been able to establish for me the proof that there is One who has no second other than Him, and that he is One Sole Being. Will you permit me to ask you this question? Al-Rida said: “If `Imran the Sabian is present among the people here, it must be you.” He said: “Yes. It is I.” The Imam said: “O `Imran! Ask, but I advise you to be fair. Avoid vain talk and nonsense.”…
`Imran asked, “O my Master! By means of what can we recognize Him>” Al-Rida said: “By means of other than Him.” `Imran asked, “What is other than Him?” Al-Rida said: “His Will, His Name, His Attribute, and everything else that was created, has emerged and is managed (by Him).” `Imran said: “O my Master! Then what is He?” The Imam replied, “He is Light. That means that He guided His Creatures from among the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth. You have no rights incumbent upon me more than my professing His Unity to you.” `Imran said: “O my Master! Was He not silent before creating the creatures, and then He spoke?” Al-Rida said: Silence does not exist unless there is some utterance before it. An example of this is that it is not said that the lamp is silent and does not utter; not is it said that the lamp shines, implying that it want to do something to us. The light shining from the lamp is not considered to be the act of the lamp. It is not something separate from the lamp. Therefore, when it is illuminating us we say that it was lit for us, by which we found our way around. Through this example you can find what you are after and become enlightened in your affairs. `Imran said: “O my Master! I though that the Ever-Existent changed His State through the act of creation.” Al-Rida said: O `Imran! You claim that the Ever-Existent Being can change in some way as a result of His Action. O `Imran! Have you ever seen that the changes in fire change it? Have you ever seen heat burn itself? Have you ever seen an eye see itself? `Imran said: “No, I have not. O my Master! Will you let me know whether He is in the creatures or the creatures are in Him?” Al-Rida said: O `Imran! He is greater than that. He is not in the creatures; not are the creatures in Him. He is Exalted above that. I will teach you what you do not know. There is no power and no strength save Allah. Tell me about the mirror: are you in it or is it in you? O `Imran! If neither one of you are in the other; then, how can you see your reflection in it? `Imran said; “Through the light between me and the mirror.” Al-Rida said: “Can you see more light in the mirror than what you perceive with your own eyes?” He answered, “Yes.” Al-Rida said: “Then show it to us!” It was then that the man was too baffled to say a word. The Imam said: “I do not see the light except that it leads to both of you, the mirror and yourself, without being in either one of you. There are many more examples which the ignorant simply cannot comprehend. Allah is the highest such example.”
Then the Imam turned to al-Ma`mun and told him, “It is time to pray.” `Imran said: “O my Master! Do not interrupt my questions since I am feeling inclined towards you in my heart.” Al-Rida said: “We will pray and come back.” Then the Imam stood up. Al-Ma`mun got up as well. Al-Rida prayed inside and the people prayed outside, led by Muhammad ibn Ja`far. Then the Imam came out, returned to the meeting called out to `Imran, and said: “O `Imran! Ask your questions.” `Imran said: “O my Master! Will you let me know whether the Unity of Allah, the Mighty and High, is perceived through reality or through description?”
Al-Rida said: Certainly, Allah is the Only Initiator and the first Ever-Being. He has always been One without anything to accompany Him. He is the Peerless, and there is no second with Him. He is neither definite nor indefinite. He is neither decisive nor allegorical. He is neither mentioned nor forgotten. No name can describe Him. Time cannot measure His beginning. And time cannot measure His End. He has not been standing upon anything else, nor will He be standing upon anything. There is nothing which supports Him. There is nothing on which He leans. He has all these attributes before creating anything, when there was nothing but Him. Whatever you attribute to Him will be originated attributes which are the only means for understanding Him, which anyone possessing understanding can comprehend. Know that innovation, will, and intent are different words that express the same meaning. His foremost innovation, intent and will were the letters which He established as the origin of everything, the evidence for all perceived things, and the separator for all vague things. Everything was separated by these letters; thing such as the names for right and wrong, action and object, meaning and meaningless. All affairs were run based on them. He did not establish any limited meaning for them other than what they were themselves when He originated the letters. He did not establish for them any existence other than themselves since they were originated via innovation. Light is Allah’s first action. He is the Light of the heavens and the earth. It was through that action that the letters became object. They are the letters upon which speech is based. Expressions are all from Allah, the Mighty and High, who taught them to His Creatures. There are thirty-three letters. Twenty-eight of them are the letters on which the Arabic language is based. Twenty-two of Twenty-eight letters show the letters of the Assyrian and Hebrew languages. Five of them were separated, and are in the rest of the languages of non-Arabs in the regions. These are the five letters which were separated from the twenty-eight letters. Therefore, there are thirty-three letters. It is not permissible to mention more about them than what we have mentioned regarding these fie letters which were separated.
He then established the letters after counting them and numbering them as His own action, like the Word of the Mighty and High: `Be,’ and it is. Here `be’ refers to His Creation, and `what is created’ refers to the creature. Thus, the first creation by Allah, the Mighty and High, is innovation which has neither weight nor any movement. It is neither heard nor does it have color or touch. And the second thing that was created are the letters which have neither weight nor color. They are neither heard nor described. They are not visible. The third creature includes all the various kinds of things which are perceptible, touchable, tasteable, and visible. Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, existed before innovation as there has been nothing before the Mighty and High, and nothing with him. Innovation was created before the letters were created, and the letters do not indicate anything other than themselves. Al-Ma`mun asked, “How come they do not indicate anything other than themselves?” Al-Rida said: “Verily, Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, never combines any of them together unless to mean something, When He combines several letters together, say four, five or six or more, He uses them to originate a new meaning which did not exist before.” `Imran asked, “How can we understand them?” Al-Rida said: This is how it can be understood. When you only want to refer to the letters and not anything else, you mention them one by one and say, a b c d … to the end. Here you find no meaning in them other than themselves. But when you put several letters together by construct names and attributes for a meaning which you have in mind. They will not demonstrate the meaning for which they were intended. Did you understand this? `Imran said: “Yes.” Al-Rida said: Know that an attribute cannot be without what it describes. Also, a name cannot be without a meaning. A limit cannot be without the limited. All attributes and names indicate perfection and existence. They do not indicate encompassment, as the limits do. Limits make squares, make triangles, and make hexagons. Verily, the recognition of Allah, the Mighty and High, is perceived by attributes and names, not by limits such as length, width, smallness, largeness, color, weight, and the like. No such limits are applicable to Allah, the High and the All-Holy, so that His creatures could recognize Him by recognizing themselves. This is certain as I said: but the attributes of Allah, the Mighty and High, prove Him. He can be understood through His Names. He can be reasoned upon by referring to His creatures. A true seeker does not need to see Him with his own eyes, hear Him with his own ears, touch Him with his own hands, or encompass Him with his own heart. Were it not the case that His attributes proved Him, Exalted is His Praise, and His Names denoted Him, it was not possible for the taught knowledge of the creatures to perceive Him. Then the creatures would have worshipped His Names and Attributes instead of His meaning. Were it any different, the only worshipped one would have been other than Allah, the Exalted, since his Attributes and Names are other than Him. Did you understand?” `Imran said: “Yes, my Master, Please tell me more.” (Al-Tawḥīd, Book 2, Chapter 65, A Session of al-Ridha with Theologians from Among the Rhetoricians and Various Religions about Unity in the presence of al-Ma`mun)
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