1 - حَدَّثَنا أَحْمَدِ بْنِ زِيادِ بْنِ جَعْفَر الهَمْدانِيَّ وَالحُسَيْنِ بْنِ إِبْراهيمِ بْنِ أَحْمَدِ بْنِ هاشِم المكتب وَعَلِىِّ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّه الوَرَّاقُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ قالُوا حَدَّثَنا عَلِىِّ بْنِ إِبراهِيمِ بْنِ هاشِم عَنْ صَفْوانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى صاحِبَ السابري قالَ
56-1 Ahmad ibn Ziyad al-Hamadani, Al-Husayn ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmad ibn Hashem al-Mokattib and Ali ibn Abdullah al-Warraq - may God be pleased with them - narrated that Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashem quoted on the authority of his father, on the authority of Safwan ibn Yahya - Al-Saberi’s friend,
سَأَلَنِي أَبُو قُرَّةَ صَاحِبُ الْجَاثَلِيقِ أَنْ أُوصِلَهُ إِلَى الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ أَدْخِلْهُ عَلَيَّ
“Abu Qorrah - a friend of al-Jaseliq - asked me to take him to the meeting held by Ar-Ridha’ (AS). I requested permission to do so. Then the Imam (AS) (granted permission and) said, ‘Bring him in.’
فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ قَبَّلَ بِسَاطَهُ وَقَالَ هَكَذَا عَلَيْنَا فِي دِينِنَا أَنْ نَفْعَلَ بِأَشْرَافِ أَهْلِ زَمَانِنَا
Then when Abu Qor’rah entered, he kissed the rug beneath the Imam’s (AS) feet and said, ‘This is how our religion has instructed us to treat the noble ones of our era.
ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَقُولُ فِي فِرْقَةٍ ادَّعَتْ دَعْوَى فَشَهِدَتْ لَهُمْ فِرْقَةٌ أُخْرَى مُعَدِّلُونَ
May God keep you healthy. What is your opinion about one group who has a claim and another group that are known to be just and acknowledge their claim?’
قَالَ الدَّعْوَى لَهُمْ
The Imam (AS) said, ‘Their claim is right.’
قَالَ فَادَّعَتْ فِرْقَةٌ أُخْرَى دَعْوَى فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا شُهُوداً مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ
Then Abu Qorrah asked, ‘What about another group who have a claim, but they cannot find any witnesses to prove their claim other than themselves?’
قَالَ لا شَيْءَ لَهُمْ
The Imam (AS) replied, ‘Their claim is rejected.’
قَالَ فَإِنَّا نَحْنُ ادَّعَيْنَا أَنَّ عِيسَى رُوحُ اللَّهِ. وَكَلِمَتُهُ فَوَافَقَنَا عَلَى ذَلِكَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ
Abu Qorrah man said, ‘Now we claim that Jesus is the Spirit of God and His Word which He induced into (the Blessed Lady) Mary (AS). The Muslims agree with us regarding this claim.
وَادَّعَى الْمُسْلِمُونَ أَنَّ مُحَمَّداً نَبِيٌّ فَلَمْ نُتَابِعْهُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَمَا أَجْمَعْنَا عَلَيْهِ خَيْرٌ مِمَّا افْتَرَقْنَا فِيهِ
However, the Muslims claim that Muhammad is a Prophet of God, but we do not acknowledge their claim. Therefore what both groups agree upon is better than what they disagree upon.’
فَقَالَ لَهُ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ مَا اسْمُكَ
Then Ar-Ridha’ (AS) asked him, ‘What is your name?’
قَالَ يُوحَنَّا
He said, ‘John.’
قَالَ يَا يُوحَنَّا إِنَّا آمَنَّا بِعِيسَى رُوحِ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتِهِ الَّذِي كَانَ يُؤْمِنُ بِمُحَمَّدٍ
The Imam (AS) replied, ‘O John! We believe in Jesus (AS) - the son of (the Blessed Lady) Mary (AS) and the Spirit of God - and His Word who believed in Muhammad (AS).
وَيُبَشِّرُ بِهِ وَيُقِرُّ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَنَّهُ عَبْدٌ مَرْبُوبٌ فَإِنْ كَانَ عِيسَى الَّذِي هُوَ عِنْدَكَ رُوحُ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ لَيْسَ هُوَ الَّذِي آمَنَ بِمُحَمَّدٍ وَبَشَّرَ بِهِ وَلا هُوَ الَّذِي أَقَرَّ لِلَّهِ بِالْعُبُودِيَّةِ وَالرُّبُوبِيَّةِ فَنَحْنُ مِنْهُ بِرَاءٌ
Jesus (AS) gave the glad tidings of Muhammad’s (AS) coming, and Jesus (AS) himself confessed that he was a servant who has a Lord. Then if the Jesus in whom you believe is not so, and he does not believe in Muhammad (AS) and does not believe in being a servant of God and does not accept God the Honorable the Exalted to be his Lord, then we reject such a Jesus.
فَأَيْنَ اجْتَمَعْنَا فَقَامَ فَقَالَ لِصَفْوَانَ بْنِ يَحْيَى قُمْ فَمَا كَانَ أَغْنَانَا عَنْ هَذَا الْمَجْلِسِ.
Then how could we reject him and you claim that we agree with each other?’ Then (John) Abu Qorrah stood up and told me (i.e. Safwan ibn Yahya), ‘Stand up. This meeting was not beneficial for us.’”
