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1. Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p), was asked by an atheist,
The Atheist: How can the status of the Prophets and Apostles be
proved?
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): When it is already established that there
is for us a Creator Who is far above us and all that has been created,
and that the Creator is All-Wise and All-Pervading, and that it
is not possible for the created beings to see Him, or to touch Him
so that He may contact them and vice versa, and that He does not
converse with them and they cannot converse with Him, then it is
established that He sent His Prophets to His created beings so that
they may explain to them His Greatness and guide them in their well
being in which lies their salvation, and in ignoring them, their
perdition. It is then proved that on behalf of the All-Wise, All-Knowing,
they issue commandments and restrictions for the created beings
and tell them about Him, the Glorious and the Powerful. They are
the Prophets (p). They are the chosen ones from among His creations,
sages and teachers of wisdom and are appointed (by Him) for this
purpose. Although they resemble the (common) people in creation
and composition, they are not like them. They are endowed with wisdom
by the All-Wise, All-Knowing. And it is also proven that Prophets
were raised in every era and in every age, possessing manifest evidence
and proof, so that the world might not remain devoid of the manifest
evidence who possesses such (extraordinary) knowledge and justice
that establishes the truth and authenticity of their declaration.
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| 294.
2. Mansur Ibn Hazim said to Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): Verily God
is too Majestic and Exalted to make Himself known to His creations.
Instead, His creation should seek knowledge about Him.
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): What you say is true.
Mansur: Whoever has learnt that there is a Lord for him, should
also know that there are things which please God and things which
displease Him, His pleasure and His displeasure cannot be known
except through revelation or through His Prophets. Thus, one who
does not receive revelation should seek out the Prophets, and when
he finds them, he should know that they are the Proofs, and to them
belongs absolute obedience.
Mansur further states that once he asked the people: Do you know
that the Prophet Muhammad (p) was the Proof of God for His creation.
The People: Yes.
Mansur: Who would be the Proof of God after the Prophet Muhammad
(p) was gone.
The People: ‘The Noble Quran.’
Mansur: The Noble Quran without a custodian cannot be regarded as
a Proof since it is disputed by the Murjiites, the Qadarites and
the Zindiqs, and they argue about the contents of the Noble Quran
and try to convince others with their own argument. However, if
there is a custodian who knows the Noble Quran so well that whatever
he says is true, then the Noble Quran can be regarded as Proof whereas
the people thought that Ibn Masud, Umar and Hudhayfa knew the Noble
Quran, Mansur: I had found nobody who knew the entire Noble Quran
except Imam Ali (p).
Mansur then accepted that Imam Ali (p) was the custodian of the
Noble Quran and he was the Proof of God for mankind after the Prophet
Muhammad (p), and that obedience to him (p) was essential.
Hearing this account, the Imam (p) said: May God be merciful to
you.
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295.
3. One day Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p) asked Hisham Ibn Hakam about his
recent debate with Amar Ibn Ubayd, an eminent Mutazalite. Hisham replied
that when he learnt that Amar Ibn Ubayd was delivering his sermon
in the Basra mosque, he went to the mosque. There was a large gathering,
and Amar wearing black headgear and draped in a woolen blanket, was
answering questions. Hisham said that he managed to get closer to
Amar, and narrated the following dialogue that took place between
him and Amar.
Hisham: O learned scholar, I am a stranger here. May I ask you a question?
Amar: Yes.
Hisham: Do you have eyes?
Amar: What kind of question is that? How can you ask that when you
can see it for yourself?
Hisham: Well, this is my question.
Amar: My son, ask; although your question may be foolish.
Hisham: Then answer my question. Do you have eyes?
Amar: Yes.
Hisham: What are they for?
Amar: To see colours and things.
Hisham: Do you have a nose?
Amar: Yes.
Hisham: What is it for?
Amar: To smell odours.
Hisham: Do you have a mouth?
Amar: Yes.
Hisham: What is it for?
Amar: To taste food.
Hisham: Do you have ears?
Amar: Yes.
Hisham: What are they for?
Amar: To hear.
Hisham: Do you have a heart?
Amar: Yes.
Hisham: What is it for?
Amar: To discriminate between things that came across various organs
and senses.
Hisham: Are not these organs independent of the heart?”
Amar: No.
Hisham: How is it that you are not without the need of a heart when
all your organs are sound and healthy?
Amar: My son, when these organs have any doubt about what they smell,
taste or hear, they refer it to the heart so that the doubt turns
into conviction.
Hisham: So God has appointed the heart to remove doubts?
Amar: Yes.
Hisham: Heart then is necessary; otherwise the other parts of the
body cannot be sure about their functions.
Amar: Yes.
Hisham: O Abu Marwan! When God, the Blessed, the Sublime, did not
leave the parts of the body without appointing for them a guide who
verifies truth and removes doubts, how could He leave His creations
in confusion and doubt without appointing a guide (Imam) for His creations,
who could act as a referee in cases of doubt and confusion?
Hisham continued that upon hearing this argument, Amar was silent
for some time and then asked,
Amar: Are you Hisham Ibn Hakam?
Hisham: No.
Amar: Are you one of his companions?
Hisham: No.
Amar: Where are you from?
Hisham: I am from Koofa.
Amar: Then you are surely him!
Hisham says that Amar then embraced him and vacated his seat for him,
and remained silent until Hisham rose to leave.
Hearing this account the Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p) smiled and asked
Hisham: O Hisham who taught you this?
Hisham replied that it was from the Imam (p).
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): By God, this (type of argument) is written
in the books of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) (p) and Prophet Musa (Moses)
(p).
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296.
4. Yunus Ibn Yaqub reports of a debate that took place between a
man from Syria and Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p), and later between the
Syrian and various students of the Imam (p), notably Hisham Ibn
Hakam.
A Syrian came to the Imam (p), and the following dialogue took place:
Syrian: I am an expert in Islamic theology and jurisprudence, and
in the law of inheritance, and I have come here to debate with your
companions.
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): Whatever you say will it be from the Prophet
Muhammad (p), or from yourself?
Syrian: Both, from the Prophet Muhammad (p) as well as from me.
The Imam (p): Are you then a partner of the Prophet Muhammad (p)?
Syrian: No
The Imam (p): Have you then received any revelation from God?
Syrian: No.
The Imam (p): Is obedience due to you similar to that due to the
Prophet Muhammad (p)?
Syrian: No.
At this point the Imam (p) turned to the reporter (Yunus Ibn Yaqub).
The Imam (p): O Yunus! This man has defeated himself before he started
talking. You had been a good debater if you would have debated with
him yourself.
Yunus: How great is my misfortune! May I be made your ransom! I
have heard that you forbid disputation (in religion) and you said
that woe unto the experts in disputation who say that this is acceptable
and that is not, this can be deduced from that and that cannot,
this can be understood and that cannot.
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): I had said ‘woe upon those who abandon
what I say and follow their own liking.’
The Imam (p) then asked Yunus to bring in the debaters waiting outside.
Yunus Ibn Yaqub reports that there were Humran Ibn Ayan al-Ahwal,
Hisham Ibn Salim, and also Qais Ibn al-Masir, who in the opinion
of Yunus Ibn Yaqub, were the best debaters. Qais Ibn al-Masir had
learnt this art from Imam Zainul Abideen (p). The Imam (p) then
noticed a camel racing towards the tent where the Imam (p) had camped
and said,
Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p): (It is) Hisham, by the Lord of Kaba! Hisham
Ibn Hakam, the youngest among us whose beard had just begun to grow,
arrived.
Imam (p) made room for Hisham.
The Imam (p): He is our full fledged friend.
After the Syrian had conversed with all the debaters, the Imam (p)
said to the Syrian to argue with Hisham, and the following discussion
took place:
Syrian: O young man! Question me regarding the Imamate of this person.
Hisham got angry at this.
Hisham: O you, does your Lord understand His creations or the creations
understand better about themselves?
Syrian: My Lord understands His creations better.
Hisham: What has He done for them as a result of His understanding?
Syrian: He has established His proof and guidance for His creations
so that they may not quarrel with one another.
Hisham: Then who is this (Proof)?
Syrian: The Prophet Muhammad (p).
Hisham: And after the Prophet Muhammad (p)?
Syrian: The Noble Quran and the Sunnat.
Hisham: Did the Book and the Sunnat resolve our differences?
Syrian: Yes.
Hisham: Why then still there are differences between you and us
that made you come all the way from Syria.
At this point, the Syrian remained silent and the Imam (p) spoke:
The Imam (p): Why are you not speaking?
Syrian: If I say that we have no differences, it would be a lie.
If I say that the Noble Quran and the Sunnat have solved the differences
that would also be untrue. And if I say that we do have differences,
and each one of us claims to be on the right path, then what benefit
have we derived from the Noble Quran and the Sunnat? I therefore
yield to his argument.
The Imam (p): O Syrian, now you ask Hisham the same questions.
Syrian: O Hisham, does God understand His creations or the creations
understand themselves better?
Hisham: God.
Syrian: Has God done anything to unite His creations on a focal
point so that their differences are removed and has He told them
how to distinguish right from wrong?
Hisham: In the days of the Prophet Muhammad (p) or now?
Syrian: In the days of the Prophet Muhammad (p), it was the Prophet
(p), how about now.
Hisham: This (pointing towards Imam Jafar as-Sadiq (p)) is the Proof
of God who is sitting in front of you. People come from distant
lands to learn the secrets of the heavens and the earth. He has
inherited this knowledge from his father and forefathers.
Syrian: How would I know that (he is what you say he is)?
Hisham: Ask him anything you wish.
Syrian: You have provoked me to ask him a question.
The Imam (p): O Syrian! I will tell you about your journey and the
routes you took.
The Imam (p) then narrated the details of the journey. The Syrian
heard the description of his journey given by the Imam (p) and then
declared:
Syrian: You are absolutely right. I submit to God right now.
The Imam (p): No. You believe in God now. Submission (Islam) comes
before belief (Iman). On the basis of Islam, one inherits and marries,
and it is on the basis of belief that one gains divine rewards.
Syrian: You are right. I bear witness that there is no god but God,
and that Prophet Muhammad (p) is the Servant and Messenger of God,
and that you are the successor of the successors (of the Prophet).
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