Al-Jawāb as-Sahīh li-man baddala dīn al-Masīh - Ibn Taimiya - (4/230)

[Section: Continuation of Ibn al-Batriq’s Account about the Christians and Discussion of His Statements on This Matter]

He said:

The emperor ordered that no Jew was to reside in Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) or even pass through it, and that anyone who refused to embrace Christianity be put to death. Large numbers of Jews therefore converted, and the religion of nasrāniyya (Christianity) became dominant.

It was then reported to Emperor Constantine: “The Jews are only converting out of fear of execution, while inwardly they remain upon their own religion.”

The emperor asked, “How can we find that out from them?”

Patriarch Paul replied, “The pig is forbidden in the Torah, and the Jews do not eat pork. Order that pigs be slaughtered, their meat cooked, and that they be given this food; anyone who refuses to eat it will be known to have stayed upon Judaism.”

The emperor said, “If the pig is prohibited in the Torah, how is it permissible for us to eat its meat and give it to the people?”

Patriarch Paul answered, “Our master the Messiah has abrogated everything in the Torah; he has brought another law and a new scripture, namely the Injīl (Gospel). In his holy Gospel it is written:

‘Nothing that enters the stomach is forbidden or defiles; rather, what defiles a person is what comes out of his mouth.’”

[فَصْلٌ: مُتَابَعَةُ حِكَايَةِ كَلَامِ ابْنِ الْبِطْرِيقِ عَنِ النَّصَارَى وَمُنَاقَشَتُهُ فِي ذَلِكَ] قَالَ: وَأَمَرَ الْمَلِكُ أَنْ لَا يَسْكُنَ يَهُودِيٌّ بَيْتَ الْمَقْدِسِ وَلَا يَجُوزَ بِهَا، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَتَنَصَّرْ يُقْتَلْ. فَتَنَصَّرَ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ، وَظَهَرَ دِينُ النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ. فَقِيلَ لِـ قُسْطَنْطِينَ الْمَلِكِ: إِنَّ الْيَهُودَ يَتَنَصَّرُونَ مَنْ فَزِعِ الْقَتْلِ وَهُمْ عَلَى دِينِهِمْ. قَالَ الْمَلِكُ: كَيْفَ لَنَا أَنْ نَعْلَمَ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُمْ؟ قَالَ بُولُسُ الْبَتْرَكُ: إِنَّ الْخِنْزِيرَ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ حَرَامٌ وَالْيَهُودُ لَا يَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمَ الْخِنْزِيرِ، فَأْمُرْ أَنْ تُذْبَحَ الْخَنَازِيرُ وَتُطْبَخَ لُحُومُهَا وَتُطْعِمَهُمْ مِنْهَا، فَمَنْ لَمْ يَأْكُلْ مِنْهُ عَلِمْنَا أَنَّهُ مُقِيمٌ عَلَى دِينِ الْيَهُودِيَّةِ. فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ: إِذَا كَانَ الْخِنْزِيرُ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ حَرَامًا، فَكَيْفَ يَجُوزُ لَنَا أَنْ نَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَنُطْعِمَهُ لِلنَّاسِ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ " بُولُسُ " الْبَتْرَكُ: إِنَّ سَيِّدَنَا الْمَسِيحَ قَدْ أَبْطَلَ كُلَّ مَا فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَجَاءَ بِنَامُوسٍ آخَرَ وَبِتَوْرَاةٍ جَدِيدَةٍ وَهُوَ الْإِنْجِيلُ، وَفِي إِنْجِيلِهِ الْمُقَدَّسِ: (أَنَّ كُلَّ مَا يَدْخُلُ الْبَطْنَ لَيْسَ بِحَرَامٍ وَلَا يُنْجِسُ، وَإِنَّمَا يُنْجِسُ الْإِنْسَانَ الَّذِي يَخْرُجُ مِنْ فِيهِ) .