RECORD OF HANTALAH THE RIGHTEOUS, AND SEDUCTION
OF THE PEOPLE OF I’SA BY YÛNAS THE JEW.

It is related that after the ascension of I’sa, Hantalah the righteous was commanded to invite [to the Faith] the inhabitants of Hadhûra, which is a town in Yaman. Some of the people of that locality believed, but others accused him of falsehood, until at last the idolaters slew Hantalah; and his companions, who fought against the unbelievers, were put to flight. After that the Sole Conqueror raised up one of the kings of Bâbel to avenge the murder of Han­talah. This king assembled a numerous army and marched towards Hadhûra; the unbelievers likewise made prepara­tions for war, but were routed after much struggling. Whilst fleeing from their country they were overtaken by angels, who shouted to them: ‘Perchance you would be willing to return to what you left, or to your abodes? Or would you ask about the murder of your prophet?’ Then they thought of their iniquity, and said: ‘Woe to us; we have been unrighteous!’ Nor did they cease to lament until the angels annihilated them.

Ebn A’bbâs—may Allah reward him—relates that the people of I’sa remained steadfast in the Law eighty years after his ascension, but that then Yûnas the Jew led them astray and precipitated them into the abyss of infidelity and aberration, which took place as follows: Yûnas arrived in the garb of an ascetic and monk in the community of the Christians, and having remained four months in the house of one of them without showing his unhallowed countenance to anyone, the Christians began to place great faith in Yûnas, on account of his surprising piety. After the expira­tion of the just-mentioned time he said to the Christians: ‘Bring me those of your U’lâma in whose words you place the greatest confidence, that I may communicate a Divine mystery to each of them separately.’ Accordingly the Christians brought Nastûr, Ya’qûb, and Malak to Yûnas, who took one of the three apart, and said: ‘I am an apostle of the Messiah unto the people, to comfort them concern­ing his messages.’ He also said: ‘Thou knowest that I’sa resuscitated a dead man, and had worked also other miracles.’ The learned man replied: ‘Yes.’ Yûnas then asked: ‘Can anyone besides the Most High do such acts?’ He replied: ‘No.’ Yûnas continued: ‘Be therefore aware that I’sa is the [Omnipotent] Cherisher of mankind, who, having come down from heaven, fulfilled his intention on earth, and has again returned to heaven.’ He then took the second U’lâma aside, and spoke to him as follows: ‘It is evident to thee that the lord I’sa had performed certain acts, the like of which no one but the Almighty Creator can do?’ Receiving an affirmative reply, Yûnas continued: ‘Thou knowest that the Lord of Glory is exempted from motion?’ He replied: ‘Yes.’ Yûnas said: ‘Thou must believe that I’sa is the son of God, whom He sent down upon earth, and again took up to heaven.’ Having like­wise taken the third scholar apart, Yûnas said to him: ‘He is the God of the earth, who, when the people wanted to slay him, concealed himself, but will soon come back to the people. I’sa has sent me to convey this message to you.’ After having promulged similar nonsense, he retired to his cell, and locked the door; but having that very night committed suicide, he departed to hell. In the morning the Christians asked their three scholars what Yûnas had told them, but each of them narrated a story contradicting that of the others. Hereon the people deter­mined to hear the statement from Yûnas himself, but when they entered his cell they found him dead. After that the Christians divided themselves into three sects, each adopt­ing the tenets of one of the above-mentioned U’lâma, and Allah the Most High has said: ‘Yet the sectaries differ among themselves,’ etc.* Let it not remain concealed, that what has been narrated concerning the division of Christians is the tradition of historians, because the allega­tions of rhetoricians are contradictory, and the reader is referred to the Mellal wa Nakhal of Muhammad Sharas­tani,* and to other works.