خبر اليهود والنصارى
Concerning their question to our lord, the Imam al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, Commander of the Faithful, may God's blessings rest upon him, about a matter of their religion to which they objected; and his answer, by which he defeated them in argument and silenced them, so that they departed vanquished. Praise belongs to God, Lord of the Worlds.
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful.
A trustworthy person, whose account was accepted and whose report became widely known at the time, related that he had been present at one of the public appearances of the Master of the Age, our lord the Imam al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him.
While he was standing at al-Qarafa, among the graves known as the Domes of the Birds, a group approached him and offered their greetings.
He stopped for them, as was his custom when someone greeted him.
They explained that they belonged to the protected communities, that they were Jews and Christians, and that they had a request.
He said, "State your request."
They replied, "We shall state it if you guarantee our personal safety."
He said, "A person asking for something has no need of a guarantee of safety."
They answered, "It is a difficult matter and a grave question."
He said, "Ask whatever you wish, even if it concerns sovereignty itself."
They replied:
"O Commander of the Faithful! This matter does not concern worldly affairs, but religion, and it is a matter of great consequence.
"If you grant us safety, we shall explain it and ask you about it. If you do not, we shall ask your pardon and depart in safety.
"Your justice and security have filled the East and the West, and your generosity and gifts have encompassed all creation."
He said:
"Ask whatever you wish. You are safe under the protection of God Most High, the protection of our forefather Muhammad, and our own protection. None of these guarantees shall be broken or interpreted away to your disadvantage."
They said:
"O Commander of the Faithful! Our question is dangerous and the matter is serious. You possess the sword and sovereignty. We do not doubt your guarantee, but we fear the foolish among the people."
He replied:
"Speak. You are safe from all the people and the entire community."
They said:
"O Commander of the Faithful! You know that the founder of the religious Law was Muhammad ibn Abd Allah, the Messenger sent to the Arabs, whose migration took place so many years ago."
They then stated the number of years between his migration and the year in which they were addressing the Imam.
"When he was sent to the Arabs and fought against the other nations, he did not compel us to enter his religion. He permitted us to choose whether to enter it or to pay the poll tax, without coercion. He required nothing beyond this.
"Likewise, those who succeeded him in the leadership of his religion and the administration of his Law did not impose upon us what you have imposed.
"You have demolished our churches and monasteries, torn apart the books revealed by our Lord to our messengers, containing the wisdom of what is lawful and unlawful and the rules of retribution.
"You have even permitted the Torah and Gospel to be used for wrapping bath oils and soap, and to be sold in the markets at the price of blank paper.
"Yet the founder of the religion and Law himself declared, in what was revealed to him from his Lord, that the Torah contains the wisdom of God.
"Furthermore, in several passages of the Book revealed to him, he exalted our messengers and the excellent men among their followers, just as they are honored in our own books.
"Much of the Qur'an revealed to him mentions Moses, Jesus, Joshua, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Zechariah, and John. All these are our prophets and the leaders of our religious laws.
"He also mentioned the virtuous among us, such as the successors of Moses and the disciples of Jesus.
"He praised our priests and monks, saying that among them are priests and monks, and that when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, their eyes overflow with tears because of the truth they recognize.
"If we were to enumerate everything in the revealed Book concerning the excellence of our messengers and the greatness of our scriptures, we would find a great abundance of such passages.
"Furthermore, among the caliphs of his religion and the imams of his Law were your praiseworthy ancestors, as well as their enemies and yours, such as the Umayyads and Abbasids.
"These rulers exercised power over vast territories, and their names were proclaimed in every region reached by the religion of the Messenger.
"Yet they did not impose new obligations upon us or violate our agreements. They followed the example of the founder of their religion and Law, knowing that their Prophet had honored our messengers, scriptures, religion, and Law.
"How, then, O Commander of the Faithful, is it permissible for you to go beyond the judgment of the founder of the religion and Law, and beyond the actions of the caliphs and imams who governed the lands and the community before you?
"You are not yourself the founder of the Law! Rather, you are one of its imams and successors, charged with completing it and strengthening its foundations.
"You have declared this yourself in many of your public pronouncements, and those closest to you among your followers have made it widely known.
"Yet you have done to us what neither the founder of the Law nor any of his imams and successors did.
"This is the matter about which we have asked you, and the purpose for which we sought your protection.
"We wish to hear your answer.
"If what you have done is right and just, we shall believe it and acknowledge its truth. But if it concerns only sovereignty, government, and political power, we shall remain upon our religions without doubting our beliefs.
"We shall thereby remove uncertainty from the hearts of the weak among our people.
"We have come only to seek understanding, without doubting your justice, mercy, or fairness.
"Upon this condition we obtained your guarantee of safety. We have spoken what was upon our minds and discharged the obligation imposed upon us by our religions.
"The matter is now yours. If you speak, we shall listen, obey, and answer. If you permit us to leave without answering, we shall depart under the protection you have granted us."
He replied:
"Your guarantee of safety remains in force.
"As for your question, you have asked nothing except what people in your position have a right to ask. We shall answer you, God willing.
"But depart now and return to this place tomorrow night. Let each group, Jews and Christians, bring the most learned person they can find among their own community in this city, so that the answer may be given to them and the discussion conducted with them."
***
The following night, the people returned to the same place. They stood before him, greeted him, and said:
"We have brought those whom the Commander of the Faithful requested."
They presented eleven men, having presented seven previously.
The Commander of the Faithful, may God's blessings rest upon him, asked:
"Are these the men you have chosen and brought forward?"
They all replied:
"Yes, O Commander of the Faithful."
He asked the assembled representatives:
"Have you agreed to speak on behalf of your religious communities and to represent them?"
They answered:
"Yes."
He asked:
"Do you know anyone in this city, belonging to your religion, who is more learned than you?"
They replied:
"No."
He asked:
"Do you know the Torah, the Gospel, and the accounts of the prophets?"
They answered:
"Yes."
He continued:
"Are you acquainted with the mission of the founder of the Law whose religion I uphold, whose Law I defend, and with his life and history?
"Do you know what took place between him and the leaders of your communities, the earlier Jews and Christians, concerning their arguments, questions, and disputes?
"Do you know who accepted his authority and who refused it, from the beginning of his mission until his death?"
They replied:
"We do not know everything concerning these matters, but we know most of what we are required to preserve and understand.
"The accounts of what occurred between him and our scholars, concerning the correctness of our religion and Law, are preserved among us in written records.
"Our learned men have inherited them from the learned men who preceded us, until they reached us. They shall continue to be transmitted to others after us, just as they were transmitted to us, until God inherits the earth and all who dwell upon it."
He said:
"Your companions asked me a question yesterday, after obtaining my guarantee of safety.
"I promised to answer them when their scholars appeared.
"You have now come, and your companions have acknowledged your knowledge and excellence. You have confirmed their judgment, and when I asked whether anyone in this city was more learned than you concerning the founder of the Islamic Law, his ancestry, followers, knowledge, and Law, you answered that there was no one.
"Now I shall question you. At the end of my questions, I shall answer what your companions asked me.
"My guarantee of safety remains in force for you and for them, on one condition.
"Whenever I ask you something concerning your religion and Law, or concerning the religion and Law of the founder of Islam, you must answer according to what is transmitted in your scriptures revealed to your prophets and recorded in the writings of your leaders, scholars, and religious authorities.
"Whatever you do not possess, do not know, and cannot find in a revealed book or the words of a wise messenger, you may reject and dispute with whatever arguments you would use against anyone else.
"But whatever you know and understand, you must not deny, for its evidence shall stand against you."
They answered:
"Yes."
He said:
"If you speak truthfully, my protection shall encompass you. But if you lie, my protection shall be withdrawn, and I shall punish you. Your punishment shall be the consequence of your falsehood.
"Do you agree?"
They answered:
"Yes."
He said:
"Have you heard that, at a certain time after the migration of the Messenger, the founder of the Islamic Law was approached by leaders and scholars of your two communities, Jews and Christians?"
He named several of their rabbis and monks, and then stopped.
They replied:
"Yes, O Commander of the Faithful. And so-and-so, and so-and-so, and so-and-so."
They completed the remaining names until they had enumerated them all.
He said:
"It is now established to my satisfaction that you have spoken truthfully, for you completed the names of the men whom I began to mention.
"Do you have any doubt or uncertainty concerning this?"
They answered:
"No."
He asked:
"When he summoned them into his presence, what did he say to them?"
They replied:
"Let the Commander of the Faithful speak, and we shall listen. Whatever we recognize, we shall acknowledge and accept. Whatever we do not recognize, and which is not preserved among us, we shall tell the Commander of the Faithful."
He said:
"The founder of the religion and Law said to them:
'Were you not awaiting my time and expecting my person, hoping for deliverance through my appearance?
'Yet when I appeared among you, proclaimed my mission, and made known the command of my Lord, you called me a liar, denied me, and acted hypocritically toward me.
'Some of you fought against me, while others departed from my vicinity through envy and hatred.
'Thus have rebellious nations acted in earlier times whenever someone like me appeared, following a custom established by the unjust, beginning with the accursed Iblis in his opposition to noble Adam.'
"Did he speak to them in this way?"
They answered:
"Yes."
He said:
"If you know that he spoke thus, what answer did they give him after hearing his words?"
They replied:
"We have already said that it is for the Commander of the Faithful to speak and for us to listen.
"We remain bound by the first condition you imposed upon us. Whatever we recognize, we shall acknowledge; whatever we do not recognize, we shall reject.
"Thus we shall preserve our religions by acknowledging the truth, and preserve our lives by adhering to the condition."
The Commander of the Faithful said:
"Their answer was this:
'You are not the one whose time we were awaiting, whose person we expected, or through whose appearance we hoped for deliverance.'
"He asked them:
'What proof do you have that I am not that person?'
"They replied:
'What has been transmitted to us, preserved in our books, and foretold by our prophets to their communities.'
"He asked:
'What is it? Explain it.'
"They answered:
'Three characteristics.
'The first is that his name is not your name. You yourself proclaimed this during your prophethood, made it known to your companions, and counted it among your merits.
'We therefore take the proof from your own words, when you related the saying of the Messiah:
"Bringing good news of a messenger who shall come after me, whose name is Ahmad."
'He permits for you good things and prohibits for you evil things, and removes from you your burden and the fetters that were upon you.
'Therefore, as we have said, you are not the person named in this prophecy. Your name is Muhammad, whereas the person you announced, according to your own statement and ours, is named Ahmad.
'The second characteristic is that four hundred years remain between the beginning of your mission and the appearance of the awaited one.
'Thus you differ from him both in name and in time.
'The third characteristic is that the awaited one shall call people to the unity of his Lord, without denying His attributes or likening Him to created things, and without imposing burdens upon our souls.
'This accords with what you yourself have mentioned in your revelation concerning the permission of good things, the prohibition of evil things, and the removal of our burdens and fetters.
'What proof, then, remains to you against us?
'Your name is not the name of the one awaited according to your own words. Your actions are not his actions, and your time is not his time.
'You differ from him in name, time, and action.
'If you merely call us to another religious Law, it is preferable and better for us to remain within our own Law.
'For according to what we know, the awaited one shall remove imposed religious obligations, bring evils to an end, remove misfortunes and doubts, and permit neither unbeliever nor hypocrite to prevail against him in his age.
'Yet most of your companions outwardly display hypocrisy toward you. They submit to your command only because of the strength of your sword.
'If that is so, why do you blame us for opposing you and refusing to obey you or enter your Law?'
The Commander of the Faithful asked the scholars:
"Was this what occurred?"
They answered:
"Yes. It occurred in this way, and all that you have said is true."
He asked:
"What answer did he give them?"
They replied:
"Let the Commander of the Faithful speak, as has been our custom. We shall listen and acknowledge the answer if we recognize it, and reject it if we do not."
He said:
"Since you know and recognize these matters, you must also know what happened next, God willing."
Then the Commander of the Faithful continued:
"His answer to them was this:
'I do not fight you merely because you refuse to enter my religion, call me a liar, or turn away from my command.
'You possess religious laws and scriptures, and you hold fast to them and proclaim them. I do not fight people of this description.
'Nor am I the one who abolishes the religious laws, for that matter does not belong to me.
'Rather, whenever I conquer by the sword a land inhabited by idol-worshippers and those who oppose the true religion, I have the right to require them to enter my religion and to fight them.
'As for those of you who live in a conquered city, I offer you the choice between entering my religion and following my command and Law, or paying the poll tax.
'Whoever pays the tax I permit to remain in his place. Whoever wishes to depart I allow to leave. Whoever fights against me on this account, I fight.
'As for you, I await the judgment of my Lord.'
"They replied:
'You have the right to do this. You have spoken nothing but truth, and we see nothing but truthfulness in your words.'
"He then said to them:
'Since this matter has been established between us, and since you have interpreted my position against me and denied the rank and excellence bestowed upon me by my Lord, and since you claim that the one you await has a known name, known actions, and an appointed time four hundred years after the beginning of my mission, let us write an agreement between us.
'Let this agreement contain all these matters, and let it stipulate that you shall pay me the poll tax throughout the period during which you claim another messenger will appear.
'If I am among the lying impostors, you shall be freed of the burden of supporting me, and sovereignty shall return to you when the one you await appears.
'But if he does not appear, and my authority remains established, my Law continues in force, and my judgment remains binding, then the leader of my religion, the one who upholds my mission, and the Imam who lives in that age shall have the right to call you to what I call you to today.
'If you answer him, submit to his command, and enter my Law and his obedience, you shall have submitted and attained safety.
'But if you refuse him as you have refused me, turn away from him, and act arrogantly, he shall have the right to enforce the condition you have imposed upon yourselves and to fight you.
'If you fight him, he shall kill you. No excuse shall be accepted from you.
'He shall have the right to suppress your religion, overthrow your Law by demolishing your places of worship, and render your books inoperative.
'No excuse shall remain by which you may defend yourselves, no falsehood upon which you may rely, and no devil upon whom you may depend.
'He shall be victorious over you and shall eradicate you and all the unjust.
'This is the text of the agreement. Is it as we have stated?'
"They answered:
'Yes.'"
The Commander of the Faithful then said:
"This agreement continued to pass down after the founder of the religion and Law, from one truthful successor to a virtuous Imam, until it reached me. It is now in my possession.
"It was not permissible for him to break a condition he had established or a judgment he had made known, for he was recognized as Muhammad the Trustworthy even when he lived among the people of the Age of Ignorance.
"How could he revoke what he had granted you?
"Nor was it permissible for any of the imams of his religion or successors to his Law to revoke his command before the appointed period had expired. They were obliged to follow and submit to his judgment.
"But when authority came to me, and the years mentioned in the agreement expired during my age, and the appointed time was completed under my rule, I claimed from you what was due under his right.
"I called you to fulfill your condition and his condition, according to the obligation of fidelity and the judgment of the covenant.
"Is this how the matter has been transmitted to you?"
They answered:
"Yes. This is how it occurred."
He said:
"What argument, then, remains to you against him or against me after what we have explained?
"In what matter, according to your own claim, have I transgressed against you, when I have merely held you to your own condition?
"What you were awaiting I have now brought upon you.
"Yet I have treated you with great patience and justice, preserving your lives and possessions, and granting you time so that you might awaken from heedlessness and submit after the fulfillment of the covenant.
"What argument remains to you after what we have described?
"What right remains with you after what we have said?
"What excuse can you offer after what we have explained?
"Speak and ask. You shall be answered and treated fairly.
"But you have no further argument or proof."
They were defeated in argument, exposed as false, and overcome with regret, doubt, and disappointment.
He asked:
"What do you say?"
They all answered:
"By God, all of this is true and correct. We have no doubt or uncertainty concerning it.
"We have heard and understood.
"To God belongs the conclusive argument, Lord of the Worlds.
"May God bless His Prophet and his pure family."
Here ends the discourse in this section.
God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.
Praise belongs to God alone, and from Him I seek assistance.