‫‪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.

He says: He had been known for that until he became famous among the Christians, Muslims, Jews, and Zoroastrians. The Christians use to be so proud of him that they would say: “If there was no one on earth in the Christian faith except Burayhah that would suffice us.” He was seeker of the truth and with that, of Islam. He had a woman with him that used to serve him and she had been with him for a long time. He use to secretly tell her about the weakness of Christianity and its weak proofs. He said: I came to know that from him. Thus, Burayhah put this matter behind him, and approached the various Muslim schools who differed a bout Islam, in search of the most learned one among them. He came asking about the Muslim leaders, their pious one, their scholars, and t heir leading intellectuals. He examined every Muslim school of though, and found nothing that satisfied him. He said: “If you leaders were on the true path, then they would have some truth with them!”

Finally, he learned about the Shi`ites from Hisham ibn al-Hakam. Yunus ibn `Abd al-Rahman says: Hisham said to me. I was sitting in my shop at the door of al-Karkh while a group of people were reciting the Qur’an to me. I was suddenly taken aback by a group of Christian clergymen. There were approximately one hundred men, dressed in the black clothing and chasubles (of the Coptic priests) and the Great Catholicos. Burayhah was among them. They came down around my shop and placed a chair for Burayhah to sit on. The bishops and monks stood learning over their staffs, and on their heads were their chasubles. Burayhah addressed me and said: “I have exhausted every single Muslim theologian in debate regarding Christianity, and they had nothing that impressed me. Hence, I have come to you wishing to debate Islam.” He says: Hisham laughed and said: “O Burayhah! If you expect me to give you the same type of signs that he Messiah gave, you have come to the wrong place as I am not the Messiah, not even close. I would never critics him, though, as he was one of the purified ones, who was humble in character, yet sublime in spirituality. The Signs of Allah wee manifest in him.”

Burayhah responded, “Your words astonish me.” Hisham said: “If you want to argue then go ahead.” Burayhah said: “Yes. I certainly want to question you: What is the physical tie between your Prophet and the Messiah?’ Hisham replied, “He is the son of his maternal grandfather, because Jesus is from the children of Ishaq, and Muhammad is from the children of Isma`il.” Burayhah asked, How do you relate him to his father?” Hisham answered, “If you want his lineage from your view, I will inform you of it, and if yo want his linage according to us, I will inform you of that.” Burayhah enquired, “I want his lineage according to us.” Burayhah says that I was thinking that if he described his lineage according to us, I would overpower him. So I said: “Describe his lineage the way we relate it.” Hisham explained, “Yes. You say: “He is without beginning from the one without beginning. Then who is the Father and who is the Son?” Burayhah said: “He who came unto the Earth is the Son.” Hisham asked, “He who came unto the Earth is the Father.” He said: “The Son is the messenger of the Father.” Hisham added, “Verily, the Father is wiser than the Son, because the Father is the Creator.” Burayhah said: “Verily, the Father and the Son are both the Creators.” Hisham continued, “What prevented them from coming down to Earth together like they were together when they created the world?” Burayhah replied, “How do they associate while they are both one thing? They differ only by name.” Hisham responded, “Verily, they unite with the name.” Burayhah said: “This statement is unknown.” Hisham said: “This statement is well-known,” Burayhah responded, “Verily, the Son is connected to the Father.” Hisham replied, “Verily, the Son is disconnected from the Father.” He replied, “This is contrary to what the people would think.”

Hisham explained, “If what the people think is true, then I have overcome you for the Father was when the Son was not. Is that what you are saying, O Burayhah?” He answered, “I do not say this.” Hisham responded, “Then why did you seek to confirm your beliefs on the beliefs of those whom you reject?” He said: “Verily, the Father is a name and the Son is a name, and the eternal has decreed them.” Hisham said: “Are the two names without beginning? Are they eternal like the Father and the Son? Burayhah declared, “No, The names are originated.” He responded, “You have certainly made the Father a Son, and the Son a Father. If the Son brought these names about, and not the Father, then he is the Father. And if the Father brought these names about, and not the Son, then he is the Father, and the Son is the Father. Thus, there is no Son here.” Burayhah said: “Verily, the Son is a name of the Holy Spirit when it came down to the Earth.” Hisham responded, “What was its name prior to coming down to Earth?” Burayhah continued on, baffled: “Its name is the Son whether it came down or did not came down.” Hisham advocated, “So before the coming down of this Spirit, it was all one but it had two names.” He said: “It is all one; one Spirit.” Hisham acclaimed, “You are pleased to make some of it the Son and some of it the Father.” Burayhah replied, “No, because the name of the Father and the name of the Son are one.” Hisham said: “Therefore, the Son is the Father of the Father, and the Father is Father of the Son, and there is one Son.”

The bishops said to Burayhah with one voice: “Nothing like this has ever happened to you, stand up!” Thus, Burayhah was confused and wanted to leave, so Hisham attached and said: What prevents you from embracing Islam? Is there any rancour in your heart? Then say it, otherwise I will ask you a question about Christianity. I will give you the night to think about it. Then, when you wake up, you will only be interested in me. The bishops said: “Do not ask him the question, for it may create doubts about your faith.” Burayhah said: “Say it, O Abu al-Hakam.” Hisham went on, “Tell me, does the Son know everything that the Father does?” He answered, “Yes.” Hisham asked, “Tell me, does the Father know everything that is with the Son?” He answered, “Yes.” Hisham asked, “Tell me, does the Son have power over everything that the Father has power over?” He answered, “Yes.” Hisham asked, “Tell me, does the Father have power over everything which the Son has power over?” He answered, “Yes.”

Hisham responded, “Then how can one of them be the Son of his partner, while they are both equal, and how does each one of them oppress his partner?” Burayhah said; “There is no oppression between them.” Hisham continued, “The truth between them is that the Son is the Father of the Father, and the Father is the Son of the Son. Spend the night thinking about this, O Burayhah.” The Christians dispersed, and they were wishing that they had never seen Hisham and his friends.

Yunus ibn `Abd al-Rahman says: Burayhah returned in grief and anxiety till he reached his home. The woman that served him asked him, “Why is it that I see you grieved and anxious!” Hence, he related to her the debate between Hisham and him. She asked, “Woe unto you! Do you want to follow truth or falsehood?” Burayhah replied, “Truth, of course.” She said to him, “Wherever you find truth, then turn to it. Be careful of obstinacy. For verily, obstinacy is doubt, doubt is calamity, and those with doubt are in Hell.” The reporter says: He agreed with her statement and decided to go to Hisham the next morning.

The next morning he went to Hisham when none of his companions were with him. He enquired, “O Hisham! Do you have someone whose views and words you turn to, and profess his obedience?” Hisham answered, “Yes, O Burayhah.” “What is his description?” “Are you asking about his lineage or his religion?” Hisham replied, He said: ”Both of them, the description of his lineage and his religion.” Hisham responded, As for his lineage, it is the best of the lineages: He is the leader of the Arabs, the best of the Quraysh, and the most distinguished of the Hashimites. Whoever argued about his lineage always found it to be better than his own, because the Quraysh are the best of the Arabs, and the Hashimites are the best of the Quraysh. And, as he is the best of the Hashimites, he is the most pious among them, and their master. He descends from the children of the master, who are better than all other children. He is the son of the master.

He said: “Describe his religion.” Hisham said: “His law or description of body and his purity?” He said: “Describe his body and his purity/” Hisham described, He is infallible; thus, he does not sin. He is generous; hence, he does not act miserly. He is brave; so he does not act cowardly. He has been bestowed with knowledge; therefore, he does not act ignorantly. He is the Protector of the Religion, firm in what is made mandatory. He is from the Progeny of the Prophets , and the Vessel of Prophetic Knowledge . He pardons when he is angry. He is fair in times of oppression. He helps when pleased, and is just towards both friend and foe. He does not ask of deviation for his enemy and foes not prohibit benefiting his friends. He practices the Book and speaks wonders. He is one of the Purified Ones. He relates the words of the Divinely Elected Leaders without violating their Proof. He is not ignorant of any question. He can derive a ruling [fatwa] from any tradition, and makes clear all darkness.

Burayhah responded, “You have described the Messiah in his attributes, and proved him by his proofs and signs, except that you have applied this description to another person. If there is a person who fits this description, we will believe in him.” Hisham said: “If you believe you will be guided, and if you follow the truth you will not be blamed.” He then added, “O Burayhah! There is not a proof which Allah establishes over the first of His Creation, except that He establishes it over the middle creation and the last creation. Therefore, Proofs do not become invalidated, just like nations and practices do not disappear.” Burayhah admitted, “How close is this to righteousness, and how near it is to the truth. This is the attribute of the wise. They establish proof that negates suspicion.” Hisham said: “Yes.”

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.’”

Hence, Burayhah remained with Abu `Abdillah until Abu `Abdillah passed away. Then he remained with Musa ibn Ja`far until Burayhah died in his time. The Imam washed his corpse with his own hands, shrouded his body, and placed him in the grave and said: “This is a disciple from the disciples of the Messiah, who recognized the right of Allah over him.” The reported says: Thus, most of the Companions of the Imam wished they were like him.