It is a report of unusual tenor and belongs to the body of Isrā’īli narratives.

Isrāʾīl transmitted—from Abū Ḥuṣayn, from Khaythamah—that he said:

“Jesus son of Mary and John son of Zechariah were maternal cousins. Jesus wore wool, while John wore coarse hair. Neither of them possessed a single dinar or dirham, a male or female servant, or even a fixed dwelling; wherever night overtook them, there they would seek shelter.

“When they were about to part, John said to Jesus, ‘Advise me.’
“Jesus replied, ‘Do not become angry.’
“John said, ‘I cannot help becoming angry.’
“Jesus then said, ‘Do not accumulate wealth.’
“John answered, ‘Perhaps I can manage that.’”

The reports from Wahb ibn Munabbih diverge on whether Zechariah, peace be upon him, died a natural death or was killed; there are two versions.

ʿAbd al-Munʿim ibn Idrīs ibn Sinān related—from his father, from Wahb ibn Munabbih—that he said:

“He fled from his people and entered the trunk of a tree. They came and set a saw upon it; when the saw reached his ribs he groaned. Allah revealed to him: ‘If you do not restrain your groan, I shall overturn the earth and all who are upon it.’ He then stifled his groan until he was sawn in two.”

This account is also reported in a Prophetic ḥadīth that we shall cite later, God willing.

Isḥāq ibn Bishr narrated—from Idrīs ibn Sinān, from Wahb—that he said, “The prophet for whom the tree split was Isaiah, whereas Zechariah died a natural death. Allah knows best.”

Imām Aḥmad said: ʿAffān narrated to us; Abū Khalaf Mūsā ibn Khalaf—who was counted among the Budalāʾ—narrated to us; Yaḥyā ibn Abī Kathīr narrated to us, from Zayd ibn Salām, from his grandfather Mamṭūr, from al-Ḥārith al-Ashʿarī, that the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Allah commanded John son of Zechariah with five words: to act upon them himself and to instruct the Children of Israel to act upon them. John delayed in carrying them out, so Jesus son of Mary said to him, ‘You have been commanded with five words: to act upon them and to order the Children of Israel to do likewise. Either you proclaim them, or I will proclaim them.’

“John replied, ‘My brother, I fear that if you precede me, I shall be punished or the earth will swallow me.’

“So John gathered the Children of Israel in Jerusalem until the mosque was filled. He sat upon a balcony, praised Allah and extolled Him, then said: ‘Allah has commanded me with five words to act upon them and to command you to act upon them.

“‘The first is that you worship Allah and associate nothing with Him. The likeness of this is that of a man who bought a slave with his own pure silver or gold, yet the slave works and delivers his earnings to someone other than his master. Which of you would be pleased to have his slave behave in such a way? Allah created you and provided for you, so worship Him alone and do not associate anything with Him.

“‘I also command you to perform the prayer, for Allah turns His Face toward His servant so long as he does not turn away; therefore, when you pray, do not turn away.

“‘I command you to fast, for the parable of that is like a man who carries a pouch of musk among a company of people, all of them perceiving its fragrance.

“‘And I command you to give charity, for the likeness of that is a man whom the enemy captured, bound his hand to his neck, and brought him forward to strike him…’”