‘Ali and the Jews — part 2/2

Imam ‘Ali continued the story as such: There were fruitful trees and springs with wholesome water near the cave. They ate from the fruits of trees, drank from the wholesome water of springs, went to the cave at night and slept. The dog too slept at the entrance of the cave, keeping watch on them. At that time, God Almighty gave the angel of death a mission to grasp their souls. When this was done, God appointed two guardian angels for each to turn them from one side to the other and ordered sun to shine on the cave every morning and afternoon. The sun too carried out its mission accordingly.

When Decius returned to his palace from the venue of festival, he saw no sign of those six youths. Hence, he asked after them. A man who knew about the escape of the youths, said: Your majesty, they have fled your territory and have a God other than you! Hearing this, Decius who was furious, pursued them with a thousand army men and tracked them down to the top of mountain where the cave was. When they reached the entrance to the cave, having the impression that they had gone to sleep, Decius arrogantly said: They have been afflicted with a punishment worse than the one I wished to carry out about them. He immediately ordered the entrance to the cave to be blocked with stone and plaster, saying to his companions: If this heaven and earth has a God, let him save them from this situation!

The believing youths slept in that cave for 309 years without any soul. Then God Almighty at a dawn of a day, when the sun started shining, blew spirit into their bodies. They immediately rose up and saying to one another: Last night, we defaulted out prayer to God. Let us go to the spring of water! Going to the spring, they amazingly found that the spring had disappeared and the trees had dried up! They said with amazement: Has something happened during the night as a result of which the springs and green trees have dried up!?

At this time, God made them feel hungry. So one of them said: Which one of you will go to city to buy some bread? Be careful the bread is not mixed with the fat of pig!

كَهْفٍ.

فَوَثَبَ الْيَهُودِيُّ وَقالَ: يَا عَلِيُّ، مَا اسْمُ ذَلِكَ الْجَبَلِ وَمَا اسْمُ الْكَهْفِ؟

فَقالَ: يَا أَخَا الْيَهُودِ، إسْمُ الْجَبَلِ نِيكْلُوسُ، وَاسْمُ الْكَهْفِ الْوَصِيدُ. وَإِذَا بِفِنَاءِ الْكَهْفِ أَشْجَارٌ مُثْمِرَةٌ وَعَيْنٌ غَزِيرَةٌ، فَأَكَلُوا مِنَ الثِّمَارِ وَشَرِبُوا مِنَ الْمَاءِ. وَجَنَّهُمُ اللَّيْلُ فَآوَوْا إلَى الْكَهْفِ وَرَبَضَ الْكَلْبُ عَلَى بَابِ الْكَهْفِ وَمَدَّ يَدَيْهِ عَلَيْهِ. وَأَمَرَ اللهُ تَعالَى مَلَكَ الْمَوْتِ بِقَبْضِ أَرْوَاحِهِمْ وَوَكَّلَ اللهُ تَعالَى بِكُلِّ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ مَلَكَيْنِ يَقْلِبَانِهِ مِنْ ذَاتِ الْيَمِينِ إلَى ذَاتِ الشِّمَالِ وَمِنْ ذَاتِ الشِّمَالِ إلَى ذَاتِ الْيَمِينِ. وَأَوْحَى اللهُ تَعالَى إلَى الشَّمْسِ فَكَانَتْ تَزَاوَرُ عَنْ كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ إذَا طَلَعَتْ وَإذَا غَرَبَتْ تَقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ.

فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ الْمَلِكُ دَقْيَانُوسُ مِنْ عِيدِهِ سَأَلَ عَنِ الْفِتْيَةِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ: إِنَّهُمُ اتَّخَذُوا إِلَهاً غَيْرَكَ وَخَرَجُوا هَرَباً مِنْكَ. فَرَكِبَ فِي ثَمَانِيَن أَلْفِ فَارِسٍ وَجَعَلَ يَقُصُّ آثَارَهُمْ حَتَّى صَعِدَ الْجَبَلَ وَشَارَفَ الْكَهْفَ فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهِمْ مُضْطَجِعِينَ فَظَنَّ أَنَّهُمْ نِيَامٌ، فَقالَ لأَصْحَابِهِ: أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أُعَاقِبَهُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مَا عَاقَبْتُهُمْ بِأَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَاقَبُوا بِهِ أَنْفُسَهُمْ فَائْتُونِي بِالْبَنَّائِينَ. فَأُتِيَ بِهِمْ فَرَدَمُوا عَلَيْهِمْ بَابَ الْكَهْفِ بِالْكِلْسِ وَالْحِجَارَةِ. ثُمَّ قَالَ لأَصْحَابِهِ: قُولُوا لَهُمْ يقُولُوا لإِلَهِهِمُ الَّذِي فِي السَّمَاءِ إِنْ كَانُوا صَادِقِينَ أَنْ يُخْرِجَهُمْ مِنْ هَذَا الْمَوْضِعِ.

فَمَكَثُوا ثَلاَثَمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعَ سِنِينَ فَنَفَخَ اللهُ فِيهِمُ الرُّوحَ وَهَبُّوا مِنْ رُقْدَتِهِمْ كَمَا بَزَغَتِ الشَّمْسُ. فَقالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ: لَقَدْ غَفِلْنَا هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةَ عَنْ عِبَادَةِ اللهِ، قُومُوا بِنَا إلَى الْمَاءِ. فَقَامُوا فَإِذَا الْعَيْنُ قَدْ غَارَتْ وَالأَشْجَارُ قَدْ جَفَّتْ. فَقالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ: إنَّ أَمْرَنَا هَذَا لَفِي عَجَبٍ؛ مِثْلُ هَذِهِ الْعَيْنِ قَدْ غَارَتْ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَمِثْلُ هَذِهِ الأَشْجَارِ قَدْ جَفَّتْ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَاحِدَةٍ. فَأَلْقَى اللهُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْجُوعَ فَقَـالُوا: أَيُّكُمْ يَذْهَبُ بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَـذِهِ إلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَيَأْتِينَـا

In this relation, God states:

“Now send one of you with this silver (coin) of yours to the city, then let him see which of them has purest food” (18:19).

Temlikha said to them: You stay here, for no one but I can buy the bread. He then said to the shepherd: Give me your clothes and I will give you my clothes. He put on the shepherd’s clothes and headed for the city. On his way, he saw scenes and ways he had never seen before. Reaching the gate of the city, he caught sight of a green banner with the inscription: “There is no god but Allah, Jesus is Allah’s messenger” installed over the gate!

Looking with amazement at the banner, and rubbing his eyes, Temlikha said to himself: Am I dreaming? He paused there for a long time and then entered the city. He passed by a group of people who were reading Gospel (Injil) and saw people he did not know. At any rate, he decided to go to the market to buy bread. He asked the baker: What is the name of this city? He said: Ephesus. Temlikha asked: What is the name of the king? He said: Abd al-Rahman. Temlikha said: If what you say is the truth, then I am facing a strange situation! Temlikha gave the money to him, saying: Give me bread for the value of this money. As Temlikha’s Dirhams were bigger and heavier than the current ones, the baker was surprised!

The Jew interrupted Imam ‘Ali for the fourth time, saying: O ‘Ali, what was the weight of those Dirhams? Imam ‘Ali said: My beloved, the Messenger of Allah informed me of it. The weight of each Dirham was equal to the weight of ten and one third of Dirhams.

The baker said: I believe you have found a treasure! Should you not give some of it to me I will surrender you to the king. Temlikha said: I have found no treasure. The Dirhams you see with me is the money for the dates I sold three days back and fled the city of the tyrant Decius! Being furious and surprised, the baker said: You have found a treasure, do not give anything from it to me, making fun of me, and mentions the name of a tyrant man who claimed to be God and died more than three hundred and odd years ago!

Then, the baker caught his hand to take him to the king. A large group of people gathered round them too.

بِطَعَامٍ مِنْهَا وَلْيَنْظُرْ ألاَّ يَكُونَ مِنَ الطَّعَامِ الَّذِي يُعْجَنُ بِشَحْمِ الْخِنْزِيرِ؟ فَذَلِكَ قَوْلُهُ تَعالَى: ﴿فَابْعَثُوا أَحَدَكُمْ بِوَرِقِكُمْ هَذِهِ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَيُّهَا أَزْكَى طَعَاماً﴾ أَيْ: أَحَلَّ وَأَجْوَدَ وَأَطْيَبَ. فَقالَ تَمْلِيخَا: يَا إِخْوَتِي، لاَ يَأْتِيكُمْ بِالطَّعَامِ غَيْرِي، وَلَكِنْ أَيُّهَا الرَّاعِي إدْفَعْ إِلَيَّ ثِيَابَكَ وَخُذْ ثِيَابِي. فَلَبِسَ ثِيَابَ الرَّاعِي وَمَضَى. فَكَانَ يَمُرُّ بِمَوَاضِعَ لاَ يَعْرِفُهَا وَطَرِيقٍ يُنْكِرُهَا حَتَّى أَتَى بَابَ الْمَدِينَةِ فَإِذَا عَلَيْهِ عَلَمٌ أَخْضَرُ مَكْتُوبٌ: لاَ إِلَهَ إلاَّ اللهُ عِيسَى رَسُولُ اللهِ. فَطَفِقَ الْفَتَى يَنْظُرُ وَيَمْسَحُ عَيْنَيْهِ وَيَقُولُ: أَرَانِي نَائِماً. فَلَمَّا طَالَ عَلَيْه ذَلِكَ دَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ فَمَرَّ بِأَقْوَامٍ يَقْرَأُونَ الإِنْجِيلَ وَاسْتَقْبَلَهُ أَقْوَامٌ لاَ يَعْرِفُهُمْ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إلَى السُّوقِ فَإذَا هُوَ بِخَبَّازٍ فَقالَ: يَا خَبَّازُ، مَا اسْمُ مَدِينَتِكُمْ هَذِهِ؟ قَالَ: أَفْسُوسُ. قَالَ: مَا اسْمُ مَلِكِكُمْ. قَالَ: عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ. قَالَ تَمْلِيخَا: إِنْ كُنْتَ صَادِقاً فِإِنَّ أَمْرِي عَجِيبٌ، إدْفَعْ إِلَيَّ بِهَذِهِ الدَّرَاهِمِ طَعَاماً. وَكَانَتْ دَرَاهِمُ الزَّمَانِ الأَوَّلِ ثِقَالاً كِبَاراً، فَتَعَجَّبَ الْخَبَّازُ مِنْ تِلْكَ الدَّرَاهِمِ.

فَوَثَبَ الْيَهُودِيُّ وَقالَ: يَا عَلِيُّ، إِنْ كُنْتَ عَالِماً فَأَخْبِرْنِي كَمْ كَانَ وَزْنُ دِرْهَمٍ مِنْهَا.

فَقالَ: يَا أَخَا الْيَهُودِ، حَدَّثَنِي حَبِيبِي رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ أَنَّ كُلَّ دِرْهَمٍ مِنْهَا عَشَرَةُ دَرَاهِمَ وَثُلُثا دِرْهَمٍ. فَقالَ لَهُ الْخَبَّازُ: يَا هَذَا، إِنَّكَ أَصَبْتَ كَنْزاً فَأَعْطِنِي بَعْضَهُ، وَإِلاَّ ذَهَبْتُ بِكَ إلَى الْمَلِكِ. فَقالَ تَمْلِيخَا: مَا أَصَبْتُ كَنْزاً، إِنَّمَا هَذَا مِنْ ثَمَنِ تَمْرٍ بِعْتُهُ بِثَلاَثَةِ دَرَاهِمَ مُنْذُ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ، وَقَدْ خَرَجْتُ مِنْ هَذِهِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَهُمْ يَعْبُدُونَ دَقْيَانُوسَ الْمَلِكَ. فَغَضِبَ الْخَبَّازُ وَقالَ: أَلاَ تَرْضَى إِنْ أَصَبْتَ كَنْزاً أَنْ تُعْطِيَنِي بَعْضَهُ حَتَّى تَذْكُرَ رَجُلاً جَبَّاراً كَانَ يَدَّعِي الرُّبُوبِيَّةَ قَدْ مَاتَ مُنْذُ ثَلاَثِمِائَةٍ وَتِسْعِ سِنِينَ وَتَسْخَرُ بِي؟ ثُمَّ أَمْسَكَهُ وَاجْتَمَعَ النَّاسُ.

At this time, the king who was a wise and farsighted man arrived and asked about the event. People said: This man has found a treasure! The king asked Temlikha: If you have found any treasure, it will be yours. We follow the religion of Jesus. He has instructed us to receive only one fifth of it! So do not fear, for we will not harm you. Temlikha said: Your majesty! I assure you that I have not found a treasure. I am a native of this city. The king asked: Are you really a native of this city? Temlikha said: Yes.

The king said: Name some of the people you know. Temlikha named a thousand persons whom neither the king nor the people knew! The king said: We do not know these people, for they do not live in our time. Then the king asked: Do you have a house in this city? Temlikha said: Yes, send someone with me to show him my house. The king appointed an agent to go with people to Temlikha’s house. They went from one street to another and from one alley to another till they reached the highest building.

Temlikha said: This is my house and knocked the door. An old man whose eyebrows had fallen on his eyes due to senility appeared at the threshold. Being horrified, he said: What do you want from me? The king’s agent said: This young man claims this house belongs to him! The old man said angrily: What is your name? The young man said: Temlikha the son of Festin. The old man said: Say it again! He repeated his name and that of his father.

All of a sudden, the old man hugged and kissed him, saying: By the Lord of Ka’bah, this young man is my grandfather. He is one of the six men who fled the tyrant Decius and took refuge with the Lord of the heaven and the earth. The proof is that prophet Jesus (a.s) has told us about them saying: One day they will be raised to life. They told the story to the king who rode on the horse heading for them. Reaching Temlikha, the king dismounted from the horse and put Temlikha on his shoulder. People kept on kissing his hands and feet, asking him: O Temlikha! Where are your friends? Temlikha said: They are safe and sound in the cave.

In those days, the city of Ephesus was jointly run by a Muslim and a Christian. They mounted their horses and accompanied Temlikha up to the cave. Addressing them, Temlikha said: You wait here. I fear that if my friends hear the sound of horses’ hooves, feeling that Decius is chasing them, they will faint. Stay here for a short while so that I will inform them. People stopped outside the cave. Temlikha went to his friends who were pleased to see him, hugged him and said: Thanks God, you are safe from the evil of Decius. Temlikha said: Forget Decius and tell me how long you were in this cave.

ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ أَتَوْا بِهِ إلَى الْمَلِكِ، وَكَانَ عَاقِلاً عَادِلاً، فَقالَ لَهُمْ: مَا قِصَّةُ هَذَا الْفَتَى؟ قَالُوا: أَصَابَ كَنْزاً. فَقالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ: لاَ تَخَفْ، فَإِنَّ نَبِيَّنَا عِيسَى أَمَرَنَا أَنْ لاَ نَأْخُذَ مِنَ الْكُنُوزِ إِلاَّ خُمُسَهَا، فَادْفَعْ إِلَيَّ خُمُسَ هَذَا الْكَنْزِ وَامْضِ سَالِماً. فَقالَ: أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ، تَثَبَّتْ فِي أَمْرِي. مَا أَصَبْتُ كَنْزاً، وَإِنَّمَا أَنَا مِنْ أَهْلِ هَذِهِ الْمَدِينَةِ. فَقالَ لَهُ: أَنْتَ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: أَتَعْرِفُ مِنْهَا أَحَداً؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: فَسَمِّ لَنَا. فَسَمَّى لَهُ نَحْواً مِنْ أَلْفِ رَجُلٍ، فَلَمْ يَعْرِفُوا مِنْهَا رَجُلاً وَاحِداً. فَقَالُوا: يَا هَذَا، مَا نَعْرِفُ هَذِهِ الأَسْمَاءَ، وَلَيْسَتْ هِيَ مِنْ أَسْمَاءِ زَمَانِنَا، وَلَكِنْ هَلْ لَكَ فِي هَذِهِ الْمَدِينَةِ دَارٌ؟ فَقالَ: نَعَمْ، أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ، فَابْعَثْ مَعِيَ أَحَداً.

فَبَعَثَ الْمَلِكُ مَعَهُ، فَذَهَبَ وَالنَّاسُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى أَتَى بِهِمْ إلَى أَرْفَعِ دَارٍ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ. فَقالَ: هَذِهِ دَارِي. وَقَرَعَ الْبَابَ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْهِمْ شَيْخٌ هَرِمٌ قَدِ اسْتَرْخَى حَاجِبَاهُ عَلَى عَيْنَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِبَرِ فَزِعاً مَذْعُوراً. فَقالَ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، مَا لَكُمْ؟ فَقالَ رَسُولُ الْمَلِكِ: إِنَّ هَذَا الْغُلاَمَ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ هَذِهِ الدَّارَ دَارُهُ. فَغَضِبَ الشَّيْخُ وَالْتَفَتَ إلَى تَمْلِيخَا وَتَبَيَنَهُ وَقالَ: مَا اسْمُكَ؟ قَالَ: اسْمِي تَمْلِيخَا بْنُ فِسْطِينَ. قَالَ: أَعِدْهُ عَلَيَّ. فَأَعَادَهُ عَلَيْهِ. فَانْكَبَّ الشَّيْخُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ وَرِجْلَيْهِ يُقَبِّلُهُمَا وَقالَ: هَذَا جَدِّي، وَرَبِّ الْكَعْبَةِ. وَهُوَ أَحَدُ الْفِتْيَةِ الَّذِينَ هَرَبُوا مِنْ دَقْيَانُوسَ الْمَلِكِ الْجَبَّارِ إلَى جَبَّارِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ، وَلَقَدْ كَانَ عِيسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ أَخْبَرَنَا بِقِصَّتِهِمْ وَأَنَّهُمْ سَيَحْيَوْنَ.

فَأُنْهِيَ ذَلِكَ إلَى الْمَلِكِ فَرَكِبَ الْمَلِكُ وَحَضَرَهُمْ. فَلَمَّا رَأَى تَمْلِيخَا نَزَلَ عَنْ فَرَسِهِ وَحَمَلَ تَمْلِيخَا عَلَى عَاتِقِهِ. وَجَعَلَ النَّاسُ يُقَبِّلُونَ يَدَيْهِ وَرِجْلَيْهِ وَيقُولُونَ لَهُ: تَمْلِيخَا، مَا فَعَلَ أَصْحَابُكَ؟ فَأَخْبَرَهُمْ أَنَّهُمْ فِي الْكَهْفِ.

وَكَانَتِ الْمَدِينَةُ قَدْ وَلِيَهَا رَجُلاَنِ؛ رَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ وَرَجَلٌ نَصْرَانِيٌّ. فَرَكِبَا فِي أَصْحَابِهِمَا وَأَخَذا تَمْلِيخَا، فَلَمَّا صَارُوا قَرِيباً مِنَ الْكَهْفِ قَالَ لَهُمْ تَمْلِيخَا: يَا قَوْمُ، إنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يَحُسُّوا بِوَقْعِ حَوَافِرِ الْخَيْلِ والدَّوَابِّ وَصَلْصَلَةِ اللُّجُمِ وَالسِّلاَحِ فَيَظُنُّوا دَقْيَانُوسَ قَدْ غَشِيَهُـمْ فَيَمُوتُوا جَمِيعـاً. قِفُوا قِلِيلاً حَتَّى أَدْخُلَ عَلَيْهِـمْ فَأُخْبِرَهُمْ. فَوَقَفَ النَّاسُ وَدَخَلَ

They said: One day or less than a day. Temlikha said: It is not so. We have been sleeping in this cave for 309 years! Now I should tell you that Decius is dead and the people of Ephesus believe in God after the passage of three centuries and they are now waiting to see you outside the cave! His friends said: Temlikha, are you going to put us to test by people? Temlikha said: What do you desire? They said: Raise your hands for prayer. They raised their hands for the same purpose, saying: O Lord! Through what you cast in our hearts and showed us, make us die and do not disclose our secret to anyone.

God gave the death angel the mission to grasp their souls and then God hid the entrance to cave in a way that the two Muslim and Christian men went round the cave for seven days but found no trace of the cave. They were ascertained that this event depended on the grace of God so that these youths will be a lesson for us and others. At that time, the Muslim governor said: These youths died in my religion, hence, a mosque must be built on the site of the cave, and the Christian man said: They died in my religion and a covenant must be built there! The dispute between the two ended in fighting and finally the Muslim man became victorious. Therefore, they built a mosque there. In this relation, the Holy Qur’an says:

“Those who prevailed in their affair said: We will certainly raise a Masjid over them” (18:21).

When the story came to here, Imam ‘Ali said: O Jewish man! This was the story of the companions of cave. Is this story conforming to your Torah? The Jewish man said: Yes, it conforms to the letter, but Abul Hasan, do not call me a Jew from now, for I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger and you are the most knowledgeable man of this Ummah.¹⁵¹