Chapter 6: The Life of Jesus – His Successor

1. One of the companions of the Commander of the Faithful said that some of his companions said, “O Commander of the Faithful! The executor of Moses showed the signs to his companions after Moses and the executor of Jesus showed the signs to his companions after Jesus. So, will you not show us?” He said, ‘You do not remain [in your belief.]’ They insisted on it and said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful!’ Then he took the hands of nine persons among them and took them out toward the houses of Hajars until he overlooked a salt marsh. Then he spoke slowly and said to his hand, ‘Disclose what you have covered.’ Then everything in the Heaven that has been described by Allah, was before their eyes with its gladness and beauty. Then four of them came back and said, ‘Magic! Magic!’ One of them remained [in his belief], as Allah wills, and sat somewhere (in an assembly) and reported some of it. So the people gathered around him and brought him to the Commander of the Faithful.” (Al-Ikhtisàs, 326)

2. Al-Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar said, “Abu ‘Abd Allah (‘a) said to me, ‘On the Resurrection Day four days hurry to Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent, like the bride who hurries to her quarters of the tent, al-Fitr, al-‘Adhà, al-Jum‘ah (Friday) and Ghadír Khum. Ghadír Khum is between al-Fitr and al-‘Adhà. Friday is like the moon among the stars. Allah puts the cherubim, the prophets of Allah who are apostles, the chosen executors and the friends of Allah on Ghadír Khum. On that day, the master of the angels is Gabrielu, the master of the prophets is Muhammad, the master of the executors is the Commander of the Faithful and the masters of the friends of Allah are Salmàn, Abudhar, al-Miqdàd and ‘Ammàr. These days bring them into heaven just as the shepherd brings his sheep to the water and grassland.’ I said to him, ‘O my master! Do you order me to fast on it?’ He answered, ‘Yes, By Allah. Yes, By Allah. Yes, By Allah. Verily it is the day on which Allah accepted the repentance of Adam (‘a) and he abstained on it to thank Allah. It is the day on which Allah, the Exalted, saved Abraham from the fire and he abstained on it to thank Allah, the Exalted. It is the day on which Moses established Hàrun (‘a) like a flag, and he abstained on it to thank Allah, the Exalted. It is the day on which Jesus (‘a) revealed his executor Simon al-Safà and he abstained on it to thank Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent.

It is the day on which the Apostle of Allah established ‘Alí like a flag for the people and revealed his favor and his being the executor, and he abstained on it to thank Allah, the Blessed and Exalted. It is the day of fasting, vigil, feeding [the poor], and visiting with the brothers, and in it there are the satisfaction of al-Rahmàn and the dislike of Satan.'” (Al-‘Iqbàl, 466)

3. Ibn ‘Abbàssaid, “When Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, sent the verse,

“…And fulfill My covenant, so I will fulfill your covenant.” (2, 40)

The Apostle of Allah said, ‘By Allah, Adam made a covenant with his people concerning his son, Seth and went out from this world, but his people did not fulfill it. Noah made a covenant with his people concerning his executor, Sàm and went out from this world, but his people did not fulfill it. Abraham made a covenant with his people concerning his executor, Ismà‘íl and went out from this world, but his people did not fulfill it.

Moses made a covenant with his people concerning his executor, Yusha‘ ibn Nun and went out from this world, but his people did not fulfill it. Jesus the son of Mary made a covenant with his people concerning his executor Simon ibn Hamun al-Safà and was raised to heaven, but his people did not fulfill it.

Also I will separate from you soon and will leave you. I have made a covenant with my community concerning ‘Alí ibn Abu Tàlib, but they will continue with the rites of the previous communities in opposing my executor and disobeying him….'” (Ma‘àní al-Akhbàr, 373)

4. It is reported that Qays, the servant of ‘Alí ibn Abí Tàlib (‘a) said, “Once when ‘Alí, the Commander of the Faithful, was near the mountain at Siffín, the time for the evening prayers came. So, he went farther away and called for the prayers. When he finished the call to prayer, a man appeared from near the mountain with grey hair and beard, and a bright white face. He said, ‘Peace be with you, O Commander of the Faithful, and mercy and blessings from Allah! Welcome to the successor of the last of the prophets, leader of the ones with bright, brilliant faces, magnanimous and protected, excellent and one who has the reward of the truthful, master of all the successors!’

So, the Commander of the Faithful said, ‘And peace be with you. How are you?’

He replied, ‘I am well, waiting for the Holy spirit. I do not know of any name that is greater in the estimation of Allah, His Name is Mighty and Magnificent, at the time of an ordeal than yours, nor of any who has earned more rewards than you, nor of anyone who has an elevated place higher than yours. Put up with all that your face, O my brother, until you meet the beloved. Verily, I have witnessed whatever happened to our companions in the past at the hands of the children of Israel. They cut them apart with the saw and carried them over the bier.’ And then pointing towards the people of Syria, he said, ‘And if these poor, ugly faces knew what chastisement and exemplary punishment awaited them for fighting against you, they would withdraw.; And then pointing to the people of Iraq, he said, ‘And if these bright faces knew that award awaited them for having obeyed you, they would love to be cut by scissors. And peace and His mercy and blessings be with you.’ Then he disappeared. At that time, Ammàr ibn Yàsir, ‘Abdul Haytham ibn al-Tíhan, Abu Ayyub al-Ansàrí, ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Sàmit, Khuzayma ibn Thàbit and Hàshim al-Marqal, among a group of his followers, having heard what the man had said, stood up and said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful! Who was that man?’ The Commander of the Faithful said, ‘He is Simon, the successor of Jesus (‘a). Allah sent him to me to give me solace for this confrontation with His enemies.’ They said, ‘May our parents be your ransom! By Allah! We will help you the way we helped the Apostle of Allah (‘s), and none from the Muhàjirín nor Ansàr shall desert you, except the unfortunate one.’ Then the Commander of the Faithful said some kind words to them.” (Amàlí, 1, 104-106, 5)

5. Imam Bàqir (‘a) said, “Verily, Allah sent Muhammad (‘s) to the genies and the people, and after him He put twelve exectutors (waSíy). Some of them have gone and some remain. Each executor put a way (sunnah) into practice, and the executors after Muhammad (‘s) followed the way of the executors of Jesus, who were also twelve, and the Commander of the Faithful followed the way of the Messiah.” (Kàfí, 1, 532, 10)

6. Musà ibn Ja‘far narrated from his fathers, peace be with them, that ‘Alí (‘a) said to Salmàn, “Will you not inform us about the beginning of your matter?” He said, “I am from Shíràz and I was a dear boy to my father. I was with him in a cloister on one of their festival days. Then one in it called, ‘I testify that there is no god but Allah, Jesus is the Spirit of Allah and Muhammad is the beloved of Allah.’ Then the loveliness of him entered into my flesh and blood. My father said, ‘Why do you not prostrate for the rise of the sun?’ I argued with him until he became silent. When I came back to my house I saw a book hung below the ceiling. I said to my mother, ‘What is this book?’ She said, ‘O Ruzbih! When we returned from our festival, we saw this book that was hung. So do not approach that place. If not, your father will kill you.’ I implored her until the darkness of night came and my father and mother went to sleep. Then I stood and took the book. Written in it was, ‘In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. This is a covenant from Allah to Adam that He will create from his loins a prophet, who will be named ‘Muhammad.’ He will command noble virtue and prohibit the worship of idols. O Ruzbih! Go to the executor of the executor of Jesus and be at his service. He will guide you to your aim. ‘Then I lost my consciousness. My parents understood and put me in a well and said, ‘Do not come back, otherwise we will kill you.’ I said, ‘Do to me what you want. The love of Muhammad will not go from my breast.’

I did not know Arabic, but Allah taught me on that day. They sent small loaves of bread to me. I spent a long time in the well, and I raised my hands to the sky and said, ‘O My Lord! You evoked the love of Muhammad and his executor in me. By the right of his means, may You hasten my emergence.’

Then one who wore white clothes came to me and said, ‘O Ruzbih! Stand up.’ Then he took my hand and brought me to the cloister. I went up to it. The monk said, ‘Are you Ruzbih?’ I answered, ‘Yes.’ I stayed near him two years and served him. When he was in the throes of death, he directed me to a monk in Antioch and gave me a tablet on which the attributes of Muhammad were written. When I came to the monk of Antioch and went up to his cloister, he said, ‘Are you Ruzbih?’ I answered, ‘Yes.’ He welcomed me and I served him for two years, too. He informed me of the attributes of Muhammad and his executor.

When he was in the throes of death, he said to me, ‘O Ruzbih! The raising of Muhammad is near.’ After his death, I went out with a group to Hijàz and served them. Once they killed a sheep with a blow, roasted it, prepared wine and said to me, ‘Eat and drink.’ I refused. They wanted to kill me. I said, ‘Do not kill me. I confess that I will be a servant to you.’

Then they bought me to a Jew. He asked me about my story. I told him the matter from the beginning to the end. He said, ‘I hate you and Muhammad.’ and brought me out of his house. There was much sand near the door of his house. He said, ‘If you do not transfer all of this sand from here to there, I will kill you.’ I began to carry it during the night. When I became tired, although I had moved but a little of it, I would say, ‘O My Lord! You evoked the love of Muhammad and his executor in me. By the right of his means, give me rest from this.’ So Allah raised a wind by which the sand moved from its place to the place that the Jew had said. In the morning the Jew said to me, ‘You are a witch. I will bring you out of this village for you cannot destroy us.’ He brought me out and sold me to a good woman. She loved me. She put me in a garden for her and said, ‘Eat, grant and give alms from it.’ One day when I was in the garden, I saw that seven groups were coming and a cloud was shading them and went with them. I said, ‘Verily there is a prophet among them.'”(Al-Kharà’ij wa al-Jarà’ih, 3, 1078, 1081)