Al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah - Ibn Kathir - (2/352)

Al-Bidayah wa an-NihayahIbn Kathir

“You will be tested; should that trial come, do not reveal me.”

The boy then began to cure the congenitally blind, the lepers, and every kind of illness—Allah healed the people through his hands.

One of the king’s courtiers had gone blind. When he heard about the boy, he came to him with many gifts and said, “Heal me, and everything here shall be yours.”

The boy replied, “I do not heal anyone; it is Allah who heals. If you believe in Him, I will pray to Allah and He will cure you.” The man believed, the boy prayed, and Allah restored his sight.

He returned to the king and sat in his usual place. The king asked, “So-and-so, who restored your sight?” He answered, “My Lord.”

The king said, “I did.”

He replied, “No—my Lord and yours is Allah.”

The king asked, “Do you have a lord other than me?”

He said, “Yes—my Lord and your Lord is Allah.”

The king kept torturing him until he revealed the identity of the boy.

The boy was brought in, and the king said, “My son, has your magic reached the point that you cure the congenitally blind, the lepers, and these other ailments?”

The boy answered, “I do not heal anyone; it is Allah who heals.”

The king retorted, “I do.”

The boy said, “No.”

The king asked, “Do you have a lord other than me?”

He replied, “My Lord and your Lord is Allah.”

The king then tortured the boy until he pointed out the monk. The monk was brought in and the king said, “Recant your religion.” He refused, so the king placed a saw on the crown of his head and split him in two.

He then said to the formerly blind man, “Recant your religion.” He refused, and the king sawed him in two as well.

Finally he said to the boy, “Recant your religion.” He refused. The king therefore sent him with a group to a certain mountain, instructing them, “When you reach its summit, if he recants, let him go; otherwise, throw him off.”

After they had climbed the mountain, the boy prayed, “O Allah, protect me from them however You will.” The mountain shook, and they all tumbled to their deaths.

The boy returned and entered upon the king, who asked, “What became of your companions?” He said, “Allah spared me from them.”

The king then sent him out with another group in a small boat, saying, “When you reach the open sea, if he recants, release him; otherwise, drown him.” They set out to sea with him, and the boy prayed, “O Allah, protect me from them however You will.” All of them drowned.

The boy came back once more and entered upon the king. The king asked, “What became of your companions?” He replied, “Allah spared me from them.”

He then said to the king, “You will not be able to kill me unless you do what I command. If you do it, you will kill me; if not, you will never be able to kill me.”

The king asked, “And what is that?”

The boy said, “Gather all the people on an open plain, tie me to the trunk of a tree, take an arrow from my quiver, then say, ‘In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.’ If you do that, you will kill me.”

So the king did so: he placed the arrow on the bowstring, shot it, and said, “In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.” The arrow struck the boy in his temple; he put his hand to the wound and died.

At this the people exclaimed—

(1) The phrase “Allah is by His hands” does not appear in Ms. B or in the Musnad. (2) Ms. T reads “wada’awt, shafāk.” (3) It is not found in Ms. B. (4) Ms. T reads “ar-rahīb” (the monk). (5) Ms. B reads “dhurwat al-jabal” (the summit of the mountain). (6) The Musnad adds “min fawqihi” (from above it). The term al-dahdahah corresponds to al-dahrajah (rolling). (7) This reading appears in the Musnad and is correct. Mss. A, B, and T have “qarqara.” The term al-qarqur denotes “the ship.” (8) Ms. T reads “fa-aghraqūhu” (so they drowned him). (9) Ms. B reads “fawaḍa‘,” which agrees with the Musnad.

ستُبْتَلَى فإن ابتُلِيت فلا تدل عليَّ. فكان الغلام يُبرئ الأكمه والأبرصَ وسائر الأدواء ويشفيهم الله على يديه (١) وكان جليسٌ للملك فعمي، فسمع به، فأتاه بهدايا كثيرة، فقال: اشفني ولك ما هاهنا أجْمَع. فقال: ما أنا أشفي أحداً، إنما يشفي الله – Exalté soit-Il – ، فإن آمنت به دعوت الله فشفاك (٢) . فآمن، فدعا الله فشفاه. ثم أتى الملكَ، فجلس منه نحو ما كان يجلس، فقال له الملك: يا فلان من ردّ عليك بَصَرَك؟ فقال: ربي. قال: أنا. قال: لا ربي وربُّك الله. قال: ولك ربٌّ غيري؟ قال: نعم، ربي وربك الله. فلم يزل يعذبه حتى دلّ على الغلام، فأتى به فقال: أي بني! بَلَغَ من سحرك أن تُبرئ الأكمه والأبرص، وهذه الأدواء؟! قال ما أشفي أنا أحداً (٣) إنما يشفي الله – Exalté soit-Il – . قال: أنا. قال: لا. قال: أولك ربٌّ غيري؟ قال: ربي وربك الله. قال: فأخذه أيضاً بالعذاب، ولم يزل به حتى دَلَّ على الراهب، فأتي بالراهب (٤) فقال: ارجع عن دينك. فأبى. فوضع المنشار في مَفْرِق رأسه حتى وقع شِقَّاهُ. وقال للأعمى: ارجع عن دينك. فأبى. فوضع المنشار في مفرق رأسه حتى وقع شِقَّاه. وقال للغلام: ارجع عن دينك. فأبى. فبعث به مع نفر إلى جبل كذا وكذا. وقال: إذا بلغتم ذروته (٥) فإن رجع عن دينه، وإلا فدهدهوه (٦) ، فذهبوا به، فلما علوا الجبل قال: اللهم اكفنيهم بما شئت. فرجف بهم الجبل فدُهدِهوا أجمعون. وجاء الغلام يتلمس حتى دخل على الملك فقال: ما فعل أصحابك؟ فقال: كفانيهم الله. فبعث به مع نفر في قُرْقُوْر (٧) فقال: إذا لججتم البحر فإن رجع عن دينه، وإلا فغَرِّقوه (٨) في البحر، فلججوا به البحر، فقال الغلام: اللهم اكفنيهم بما شئت، فغرقوا أجمعون، وجاء الغلام حتى دخل على الملك فقال: ما فعل أصحابك؟ فقال: كفانيهم الله. ثم قال للملك: إنك لست بقاتلي حتى تفعل ما آمرُك به، فإن أنتَ فعلتَ ما اَمرك به قتلتني، وإلا فإنك لا تستطيع قتلي. قال: وما هو؟ قال: تجمعُ الناسَ في صعيد واحدٍ، ثم تصلبني على جذع، وتأخذ سهماً من كنانتي، ثم قل: بسم اللّه ربّ الغلام، فإنك إذا فعلت ذلك قتلتني، ففعل ووضع السهم في كبد القوس ثمّ رماه وقال: بسم الله ربّ الغلام، فوقع (٩) السهم في صدغه، فوضع الغلام يده على موضع السهم ومات، فقال الناس:

(١) قوله: الله على يديه ليس في ب، ولا في المسند. (٢) في ط: ودعوت. شفاك. (٣) ليست في ب. (٤) في ط: الراهب. (٥) في ب: ذروة الجبل. (٦) زاد في المسند: من فوقه. والدهدهة: الدحرجة. (٧) كذا في المسند. وهو الصواب. وفي أ، وب، وط، قرقرة. والقرقور: السفينة. (٨) في ط: فأغرقوه. (٩) في ب: فوضع. وهو موافق لما في المسند.