“Among his companions they were neither tempted nor did they alter anything; indeed, the followers of the Messiah remained upon his way and his guidance for two hundred years.” This ḥadīth is extremely unusual, even though Ibn Ḥibbān judged it sound.

Ibn Jarīr related from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq that Jesus, peace be upon him, before he was raised up, instructed the disciples to call mankind to worship Allah alone with no partner, and he assigned each of them to a particular people in one of the regions of Greater Syria, the East, or the lands of the West. It is said that each of them awoke speaking the language of the people to whom the Messiah had sent him.

Several scholars also report that the Gospel was transmitted from him by four men: Luke, Matthew, Mark, and John. Among these four, two—Matthew and John—actually met and saw the Messiah, whereas the other two—Mark and Luke—were companions of those companions. Great disparities exist among these four Gospels from manuscript to manuscript, with many additions and omissions when one is compared to another.

One of those who believed in and affirmed the Messiah from among the people of Damascus was a man named Ḍīnā. He concealed himself in a cave inside the Eastern Gate, near the Cruciform Church, out of fear of Paul the Jew, who was tyrannical and brutal, hating the Messiah and all that he had brought. Paul had shaved the head of his nephew when the latter believed in the Messiah, paraded him through the town, and then stoned him to death.

When Paul heard that the Messiah, peace be upon him, was on his way to Damascus, he prepared his mules (1) and set out to kill him. He met him at Kawkabā (2). When he confronted the companions of the Messiah, an angel appeared and struck Paul’s face with the edge of his wing, blinding him. Witnessing this, faith in the Messiah settled in his heart; he came to him, apologized for what he had done, and believed in him. The Messiah accepted him, and when Paul asked him to wipe over his eyes so that Allah might restore his sight, he said, “Go to Ḍīnā in Damascus, at the eastern end of the Straight Market; he will supplicate for you.” Paul went to him, Ḍīnā prayed for him, Allah restored his sight, and Paul’s belief in Jesus, peace be upon him, became sound—that he was Allah’s servant and His messenger. A church was built in Paul’s name, the famous Church of Paul in Damascus, which remained from the time the Companions (3) conquered the city until it fell into ruin in the period we shall mention, if Allah wills.