A

debate between a Christian scholar and Imam Reza (PBUH&HP)

Imam

Reza (PBUH) -the eighth infallible successor of the final holy

Prophet (PBUH&HP)- was taken, against his will, from Medina to

the city of Marv by Ma'moon, the Abbasy ruler of the time. On the one

hand, Ma'moon -whom the love for money and power had encompassed his

soul- knew in his heart that the God-chosen leader of Muslims at that

time was Imam Reza (PBUH); but the true acceptance of this undeniable

fact would have meant, giving up his usurped ruler-ship. On the other

hand, although Ma;moon was totally aware of many Hadithes from the

Prophet Mohammad (PBUH&HP) which emphasized on the rightfulness

of Imam Reza (PBUH), but Ma'moon had not truly comprehended the

extent of Imam Reza's Divinly Bestowed Knowledge. Thus, Ma'moon

invited the top scholars of all religions to have debates with Imam

Reza (PBUH); but Ma'moon soon found out that the Imam's Knowledge was

not comparable to any one and no one could ever defeat the Imam ;

Imam Reza(PBUH)was the absolute winner, in every single debate.

Ma'moonn realized that he could never compete with the Imam and he

became more certain that he had to get rid of the Imam ....

The

following is a part of one of the debates which Imam Reza (PBUH) had

with a group of scholars. Here Imam Reza (PBUH) -in order to make the

Christin scholar think and to direct his thought to the correct

result- at first, expressed a questionable statement* regarding

Prophet Jesus (PBUH) and therefore, led the Christian scholar to

understand the true value and status of Prophet Jesus(PBUH); let us

read together:

Imam

Reza (PBUH) to the Christian scholar: Swear to Allah, we believe

in the Jesus(PBUH) whom Mohammad (PBUH&HP) believed in; we have

no objection to Jesus except for his weakness and his scant praying

and fasting.*

Gaathliq

(Christian scholar): Swear to

God, you just corrupted your knowledge and weakened your matter and

argument; I had thought that you were the most knowledgeable person

among Muslims!

Imam Reza (PBUH): How

come! Why do you say that?

Gaathliq:

You are saying that Jesus was weak and he prayed and fasted so

little; while, not a day of Jesus's life went by, without fasting and

not a night, without staying up and praying; Jesus fasted every day

and stayed awake and prayed every night.

Imam

Reza (PBUH): for (pleasing) whom, did he fast and pray?!

Gaathliq

became silent and had nothing to say.

Imam

Reza (PBUH): I want to ask you a question.

Gaathliq:

ask me; If I know its answer, I will reply.

Imam

Reza (PBUH): why do you deny that Jesus -by God's Permission (not

on his own)- revive the dead?

Gaathliq:

I deny this because anyone who raises the dead and cures the blind

and heals the leprous, is god and deserves to be worshiped.

Imam

Reza (PBUH): Surely, the Prophet Yasa' performed similar acts as

Jesus, he walked on water, raised the dead, healed

the blind and leprous, but his nation did not consider him God and

worshiped him not. Prophet Hezqil “1” (Ezekiel) raised the dead

like Jesus did, too; he revived 35000 people, after being dead for 60

years.

******************************************************************

“1”...

and God set me out down in the midst of the valley which was full of

bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there

were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And

he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live [1]?

And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me,

Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear

the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones;

Behold, I will cause breath [2]

to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you,

and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put

breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the

Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there

was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone [3]

to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up

upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath

in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind [4],

prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God;

Come from the four winds [5],

O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I

prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath [6]

came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an

exceeding great army. ...

(Bible,

Old Testament, book of Ezekiel, chapter 37, statement 1 to 10)

to be

continued ...