RECORD OF THE GOING OF I’SA—U. W. B., ETC.—TO THE REGION OF NASSIBIN, AND THE RESUSCITATION OF SÂM THE SON OF NÛH—U. W. B., ETC.—BY THE PRAYERS OF HIS LORDSHIP, U. W. B., ETC.

Historians have reported that in the time of I’sa—u. w. b., etc.—there was a king in the country of Nassibin who was very arrogant and tyrannical. I’sa having been sent on a mission to him, started towards Nassibin. When he arrived in the vicinity, he halted and said to his apostles: ‘Which of you will enter the city and say: I’sa, who is a servant of Allah, His messenger and His word, is coming to you.’ One of them, whose name was Ya’qûb, exclaimed: ‘I will go, O spirit of Allah.’ The Lord I’sa said: ‘Go, although thou art the first who wilt separate thyself from me.’ After that another monotheist, Tûmân by name, asked permission to accompany Ya’qûb. I’sa allowed him to do so, but said: ‘O Tûmân, thou art predestined soon to be afflicted.’ Then Shima’ûn said: ‘O spirit of Allah, if thou wilt permit, I shall be the third of them, on condition that in case of trouble, when I invoke thy aid, thou wilt not withhold it.’ After he had also obtained leave the three men departed. Shima’ûn tarried outside the city, saying to his companions: ‘Enter ye, and do that which I’sa hath ordered you. If any misfortune befall you, I shall try to remedy it.’ Before they arrived in Nassibin the foes of religion had spread evil reports about I’sa and his mother, so that when Tûmân and Ya’qûb entered the city, and the latter individual raised the shout, ‘Verily now I’sa, the spirit of Allah, and His word, His servant and His mes­senger [or apostle], has come to you,’ the people turned towards him and asked: ‘Who of you two is the speaker of these words?’ Ya’qûb disavowed these words, and denied having uttered them, but Tûmân [on the contrary] said: ‘I have spoken these words.’ The people then accused him of falsehood, and uttered unbecoming sentiments with reference to I’sa and to Mariam. They led Tûmân to the king, who ordered him to revoke these words on pain of death. Tûmân refused to comply, whereon the tyrant commanded his hands and feet to be cut off, his eyes to be pierced with an awl, and his body to be thrown upon a dunghill. When Shima’ûn had heard what took place, he entered the city, waited upon the king, and said: ‘I hope the benignity of your majesty will grant me permission to ask a few questions from a man who has been punished.’ The king having assented, Shima’ûn went to the dunghill and asked Tûmân: ‘What are thy words?’ He replied: ‘I say that I’sa is the spirit of Allah, His servant, and His messenger.’ Shima’ûn continued: ‘What are thy argu­ments in favour of the truth of these words?’ Tûmân replied: ‘He heals those who are blind from birth, lepers, and all kinds of diseases.’ Shima’ûn continued: ‘Physicians do these things likewise, and are participators in such acts. What other sign does he possess?’ Tûmân said: ‘He knows what people eat in their houses, and what they put aside.’ Shima’ûn rejoined: ‘Soothsayers do this. Is there any other sign in him?’ Tûmân said: ‘He makes a bird of clay, breathes into it, and it begins to fly.’ Shima’ûn said: ‘This looks like sorcery. What other argument has he in favour of his pretension?’ He replied: ‘By the per­mission of Allah—w. n. b. e.—he can resuscitate a dead man to life again.’

Shima’ûn then made the following report to the king, saying: ‘This culprit speaks of great things performed by I’sa, and which can originate only from the Omnipotent and Absolute Sovereign, or from His prophet. Any act of a messenger [i.e., apostle] also depends upon the permission of the Lord of lords, nor would the Eternally-living One allow any sorcerer to work such miracles. If I’sa be not a messenger of Allah, he cannot revive a dead body; there­fore the best will be to call I’sa and to try him whether he can do all that this man asserts; but if I’sa refuses to com­ply, thou mayest [safely] chastise the man whom he has sent with any [additional] punishment thou mayest deem fit. If, on the other hand, I’sa resuscitates a dead man, we shall be obliged to believe in him, because the resuscitation of the dead will be a convincing argument and an invincible proof of his being a true prophet and a messenger [of God].’ The king approved of what Shima’ûn had said, and ordered the spirit of Allah [i.e., Jesus] to be produced. I’sa—u. w. b., etc.—came, and by his advent the assembly received new lustre and freshness. The king then ordered Shima’ûn to converse, and so dispute with I’sa, to whom Shima’ûn accordingly said in the presence of the king: ‘This thy envoy, who has incurred the wrath of our king, bears testimony that thou art a messenger of Allah.’ I’sa replied: ‘He speaks the truth.’ Shima’ûn continued: ‘He imagines thou art able to heal those who are blind from birth, and lepers, as well as that thou curest sick persons.’ I’sa replied: ‘His assertion is in conformity with facts.’ Shima’ûn rejoined: ‘It has been decided that if thou canst not perform that which Tûmân pretended con­cerning thee, we shall kill thee and thy companions.’ I’sa said, ‘Yes.’ Shima’ûn asked: ‘Then begin with thy com­panion.’ I’sa thereon placed the hands and feet of Tûmân, which had been amputated, upon their stumps, and drew his own hands over them, whereon, by the power of Allah, Tûmân became whole as before. Then he rubbed his blessed hands upon the eyes of Tûmân, and he began to see. Shima’ûn exclaimed: ‘O king, this is a sign of the signs of his being a prophet.’ Then Shima’ûn begged I’sa —u. w. b., etc.—to reveal what those present in the assembly had been eating last night, and what they had put aside. The Messiah—u. w. b., etc.,—then accosted each man separately, and told him what he had eaten the past evening, and what he had laid aside. Shima’ûn again said: ‘Thy envoy imagines that thou makest of clay the similitude of a bird, and after breathing into it, thou causest it to fly; and the king wishes to behold this strange event.’ I’sa asked: ‘The figure of what bird is wanted?’ They said, ‘The bat, because it is a strange bird.’ Accord­ingly he fashioned it, breathed on it, and it flew.

It is related after Solmân, the Persian, that when all the sick of Nassibin had been healed, the people requested I’sa to resuscitate a dead man. His lordship said: ‘Whatever deceased person you may point out, I shall recall him to life by the permission of the Living Immortal One.’ They said: ‘Sâm, the son of Nuh, is our ancestor; his corpse is not far from this place, if thou consentest to resuscitate it by thy sublime breathings.’ I’sa agreed, and the people conducted him to a tomb, where the spirit of Allah [i.e., Jesus] fell on his knees, raising his hands in supplication. After he had terminated his devotions, he called out to Sâm, by the command of the Creator of heaven and earth, whereon the soil moved and opened, when a man with a gray head and beard issued from the tomb, and said: ‘I obey, O spirit of Allah.’ Then he harangued those present as follows: ‘O people, this is I’sa, the son of the blessed virgin Mariam, the spirit of Allah, and His word which he is preaching. You must believe in his prophetic dignity, and follow him.’ I’sa asked Sâm: ‘In your time the hair of men never became gray; how is this [that yours is so]?’ He replied: ‘When I heard thy voice, I thought that the resurrection was at hand, and I was so awed that my hair turned gray.’ I’sa again asked: ‘How many years is it since thou art dead?’ Sâm replied: ‘Four thousand years.’ I’sa continued: ‘I shall pray that Allah—w. n. b. e.—may allow thee to live for some time.’ Sâm [however] replied: ‘Since it will, after all, be necessary to taste the unpleasant beverage of death, I wish not for this miserable life, and I still remember my agonies of death. I beseech thee to implore the Almighty—w. n. b. e.—to receive me into the propinquity of His mercy.’ I’sa then prayed, Sâm returned to his former condition, and the particles of earth again united [and covered him]. Solmân the Persian narrated that when the King of Nassibin and his people had witnessed this miracle, he with his army, followers and subjects believed in I’sa.