RECORD OF THE ELEVATION OF THE LORD I’SA—U. W. B., ETC.—FROM THE GIBBET OF THE JEWS TO HEAVEN BY THE COMMAND OF THE BENIGN GOD.

Some authors deserving of confidence have asserted that during the time of the mission of I’sa there was an oppressive, obdurate, tyrannical, and Fara’ûn-like governor ruling the children of Esrâil. I’sa had been commanded to invite him to profess Islâm and monotheism; but when he entered his rebellious and sinful assembly, preached to him, exhorted and informed him of the promises and threats in store for him, that flagitious and impure individual refused to accept the word of Allah, and conceived the design to murder his lordship the prophet. I’sa—u. w. b., etc.— however, selected the corner of solitude and concealment, whereon the Almighty sent him the following revelation: ‘Verily I will cause thee to die, and I will take thee up unto Me.’* His lordship then said to the apostles, whose names are Yahia, Shima’ûn, Yûqna, Marbûs, Fattrus, Nakhas, Ya’qûb, Andrahas, Fibos, Bassrus, and Sarhus:* ‘The captivity of the shepherd, and the dispersion of the flock, are at hand.’* They understood these words, and deplored their approaching separation from I’sa. The Messiah said: ‘Now you are lamenting that we shall have to part, but in the end you will not act in conformity with the Divine command, and you will not ward off from me the insults of my foes.’ They replied: ‘As long as our souls are in our bodies, thy enemy shall not prevail over thee.’ His lordship then accosted Shima’ûn, saying: ‘Though thou art the prince and chief of these people, thou wilt, nevertheless, deny me thrice.’* When the appointed time had expired, the Jews entered the cave where I’sa was, by the direction of Yûda [Judas Iscariot], who was also an apostle—for according to some they were thirteen in number—and placed upon his head thorns, instead of a diadem,* and beating and insulting his lordship, they said: ‘If thou art a prophet of God, ask Him to deliver thee from the power of affliction.’ To Shima’ûn they said: ‘If thou wilt not renounce I’sa, be assured of thy own death.’ He complied with their wishes because he feared to endanger his life, and therefore they ceased to persecute him.

It is related after Ebn A’bbâs that when the blessed verse, ‘Verily I will cause thee to die, and will take thee up to Me,’ descended to I’sa, he informed his companions of it, and the apostles requested him to communicate to them his last will, which he did. Then they asked: ‘O prophet of Allah, will in future times any prophet more excellent than thyself appear?’ He replied: ‘Yes, an illiterate prophet, who will be more excellent than myself.’ ‘From what country will he be sent?’ He replied: ‘From the province of Tahâma.’ They inquired: ‘Of what tribe?’ He rejoined: ‘Of the tribe of Quraish.’ And after enumer­ating the qualities of the lord of prophecy [i.e., Muhammad], he continued: ‘The U’lâma of the people will be in lieu of prophets [among you]; and now my last injunction to you is to order your descendants from generation to generation to convey my salutation to him [i.e., to Muhammad].’

I’sa expressed one of his commandments as follows: ‘Allah—w. n. b. e.—has ordered me to appoint Shima’ûn to be my successor over you.’ After the apostles had accepted his successor, I’sa said: ‘After me the angels will convey to you vases and urns full of light, and when these lights have found their way into your internal parts, each of you will obtain the knowledge of the language of the nation to which he is to go on a mission.’ After he had completed his injunctions, those who opposed his religion succeeded in getting hold of his person, under the guidance of some who followed his law, but had apostatized therefrom afterwards.

All historians agree that on the said occasion Mariam was still living, but with reference to his ascension a great difference of opinions prevails. Some assert that when his lordship was captured he was guarded during the remainder of the night, and that in the morning the king of the children of Esrâil, who was endowed with no other qualities except rebellion and sin, ordered a gibbet to be erected for the crucifixion of I’sa. At the foot of this [cross] crowds of wicked and obstreperous persons assembled on that occasion. The sun was eclipsed to such an extent that darkness and obscurity prevailed, so that vision became impossible; and the Most High—w. n. b. e. —despatched angels, who rescued I’sa from his bonds, and bore that individual of exalted dignity to heaven, after having shackled Yûda in his stead. When the world became again illuminated [by the sun], Yûda appeared to the sight of the Jews in the semblance of I’sa, and they said: ‘This sorcerer wished to escape from our hands by his magic, but was unable to do so. Now we must quickly slay him, lest he devise another stratagem.’ Accordingly they proceeded to crucify Yûda, despite of his expostula­tions. He exclaimed: ‘I am Yûda, and have pointed out to you I’sa, whom the angels bore to heaven, and shackled me in his place.’ The people, however, did not believe these words, and suspended him by his throat.

He whose name be praised has said: ‘They slew him not, neither crucified him, but he was represented [by one] in his likeness.’* Some assert that when the Jews had captured I’sa they imprisoned him in the cave [in which they had found him], and that during the night a cloud descended, whereon the roof of the cavern opened, and the cloud drew I’sa up to heaven. At sunrise the Jews despatched a man to the cave to bring out I’sa, whom he was unable to find, but was himself transmuted into the semblance of I’sa. When he came out, he said to the people: ‘Though I searched much for I’sa, I could not find him.’ They replied: ‘Thou art I’sa, and wishest to escape from our hands by sorcery and magic.’ Despite of his saying, ‘I am the same man who has just now entered the cave by your command,’ they would not listen to him, but hung him that very moment by his throat. After having waited a long time uselessly for the appearance of their companion, they entered the cave, but the more they sought, the less they were able to find him. They then asked themselves: ‘If this crucified man be I’sa, then where is our friend? And if it be our friend, then where is I’sa?’ Allah—w. n. b. e.—has said: ‘Verily they were in doubt as to this [matter], and had no [sure] knowledge thereof, but followed only an [uncertain] opinion.’*

It is a tradition of other parties, that the Jews imprisoned I’sa in a house with eighteen persons, and that I’sa said to his friends: ‘Who of you will assume my figure, and will as a reward for this act be received into paradise by Allah the most magnificent and glorious?’ One of the apostles said: ‘I shall assume thy shape!’ He was accordingly transformed into the semblance of I’sa, whereon his lordship went to heaven. When it was morning, the Jews brought out these eighteen individuals from the house, and asked: ‘Together with I’sa you were nineteen persons; what has become of one of you?’ They replied: ‘The nineteenth of us was I’sa, who went to heaven.’ The Jews would not believe these words, and when they perceived the apostle Sarhus in the shape of I’sa, they were dubious as to which of them had dis­appeared, until at last they crucified Sarhus, under the impression that he was I’sa. The most magnificent of speakers has said: ‘And verily they who disagreed con­cerning him.’* ‘They did not really kill him, but Allah took him up unto Himself.’*

It is related in the Ma’arif Hassibi that three hours of the day had elapsed when I’sa was taken up [to heaven]. After some days he again came down, appointed his apostles to various affairs, and again went to heaven, where God—w. n. b. e.—caused him to die, again resuscitated him after the expiration of three hours from his decease, and made the face of his lordship resemble the face of angels.

Many trustworthy authorities inform us in their tradi­tions that I’sa sojourns in the heavenly tabernacle, where the Almighty—w. n. b. e.—has divested him of his human nature, and has vouchsafed to him the temperament of angels, with whom his lordship will abide in that place, engaged in adoration to the end of all time, until his lord­ship the Mahdi* —u. w. b., etc.—arrives, when I’sa will, by the command of the lord of the inhabitants of the world, descend from heaven, and make his appearance in the mosque of the great city of Mekkah at a time when the people will be standing in lines to recite their morning prayers with the Mahdi—u. w. b., etc.—on which occasion a herald will exclaim: ‘This man is I’sa the son of Mariam, who has come down from heaven.’ Then the people will approach I’sa, and will rejoice at his descension, and the Mahdi will request him to become the Emâm of the people of Ahmed [i.e., Muhammed],* but I’sa will say: ‘Go thou forward; because this day we must follow thee.’ The Mahdi will accordingly proceed to the altar, and the Moslems will perform their prayers under his guidance.

It is said that after his descent from the upper world, I’sa will live forty years more, will marry, will beget children, will fight the enemies of the Muhammadans, and will exterminate all the nations following other religions. In his time the lion and the camel, the tiger and the cow, the wolf and the sheep, will live together [in peace],* and children will play with snakes. When he has departed to the eternal world, the Musalmâns will, after having prayed over his body, bury it in the sepulchre of A’aisha—u. w. b., etc.—which is also the tomb of the lord of prophecy and of the two shekhs. May the blessing of Allah be upon our prophet, upon him, and upon all the prophets and [inspired] messengers, until the day of [the last] judgment!