Hadith of Christians from al-Sham with al-Baqir,'Alayhim al-Salam

94. From him, from Ismail Bin Abaan, from Umar Bin Abdullah Al-Saqafy who said: ‘Hisham Bin Abdul Malik made Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام to go out from Al-Medina to Al-Shaam. He made him عليه الصلاة والسلام to stay in his accommodation, and he عليه الصلاة والسلام used to sit with the people in their gatherings. It so happened that he عليه الصلاة والسلام was sitting and in his عليه الصلاة والسلام presence was a group of people asking him, when he عليه الصلاة والسلام saw Christians entering inside a mountain over there. So he عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘What is with those, is it one of their festivities today?’ They said, ‘No, O son عليه الصلاة والسلام of the Rasool صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم Allah عز وجل, but they are going to one of their scholars who (stays) inside this mountain all year long, and on this day he has come out. So they are asking him questions what they want and what is to happen in their year’. So Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘And he has knowledge?’ They said, ‘He is one of the most knowledgeable of the people. He has met the companions of the disciples of Isa عليه السلام’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘Shall we go to him?’ They said, ‘That is up to you عليه الصلاة والسلام, O son عليه الصلاة والسلام of the Rasool صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم Allah عز وجل’. He (the narrator) said: ‘Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام covered his عليه الصلاة والسلام head by his عليه الصلاة والسلام cloth, and went with his عليه الصلاة والسلام companions. He عليه الصلاة والسلام mingled with the Christians until he عليه الصلاة والسلام came to the mountain. Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام sat down in the middle of the Christians along with his عليه الصلاة والسلام companions, and the Christians brought out a carpet and placed the pillows. Then they entered and brought him out with his eyes covered. His eyes stirred as if they were the eyes of a snake. Then he inadvertently turned towards Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام and asked, ‘O Sheykh, where are you عليه الصلاة والسلام from, or are you عليه الصلاة والسلام from the Mercied community?’ So Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘But, I عليه الصلاة والسلام am from the Mercied community’. He said, ‘Are you عليه الصلاة والسلام from their knowledgeable ones or from their ignorant ones?’ He عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘I عليه الصلاة والسلام am not from the ignorant ones’. The Christian said, ‘Shall I ask you or you will ask me?’ Abu Ja’far said: ‘Ask me عليه الصلاة والسلام’. So the Christian said, ‘O group of Christians, a man from the community of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم is saying, ‘Ask me!’. This one is full of answers’. Then he said, ‘O servant of Allah عز وجل, inform me about the hour which is neither from the night, nor from the day. Which hour is it?’ Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘That which is in between the dawn and sunrise’. So the Christian said, ‘So if it is neither an hour from the hours of the night, nor from the hours of the day, from which is it?’ Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘From the hours of the Paradise, and in which our patients are relieved (from pain). So the Christian said, ‘Shall I ask you عليه الصلاة والسلام or will you ask me?’ Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘Ask me عليه الصلاة والسلام’. The Christian said, ‘O group of Christians, this one here is full of knowledge. Inform me about the inhabitants of the Paradise. How would they be eating but will not be excreting? Give me their example in the world’. So Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘The unborn (baby) which is in the womb of its mother eats from what its mother eats but does not excrete’. So the Christian said, ‘Did you not say, ‘I عليه الصلاة والسلام am not from the knowledgeable ones?’ Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘But rather, I عليه الصلاة والسلام said to you that I عليه الصلاة والسلام am not from the ignorant ones’. So the Christian said, ‘Shall I ask you عليه الصلاة والسلام or will you عليه الصلاة والسلام ask me?’ Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘Ask me عليه الصلاة والسلام’. He said, ‘O group of Christians! By Allah عز وجل, I will ask him about a matter which would bog him عليه الصلاة والسلام down just as the donkey gets bogged down in the mud’. He عليه الصلاة والسلام said to him: ‘Ask’. He said, ‘Inform me about a man who approached his woman, so she became pregnant with twins in the same one hour, and gave birth to both of them in the same one hour, and they both died in the same one hour, and were buried in the same one grave. One of them lived for one hundred and fifty years whilst the other one lived for fifty years. Who were those two?’ So Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام said: ‘Uzayr and Uzrat. Their mother became pregnant with them both as you have described, and gave birth to both of them as you have described, and both Uzayr and Uzrat lived for such and such a time. Then Allah عز وجل Blessed and High Made Uzayr to die for a hundred years, then Resurrected him, and he lived with Uzrat for fifty years, and both of them died in the same one hour’. So the Christian said, ‘O group of Christians. I have not see with my eyes ever a more knowledgeable one than this man عليه الصلاة والسلام. Do not ask me about a single letter (anything at all) so long as this one is in Al-Shaam. Return me’. He (the narrator) said, ‘So they returned him to his cave, and the Christians returned with Abu Ja’far عليه الصلاة والسلام’.