Mouood Mouood English Edition
Ali (A.S): If you hear the right answer, will you embrace Islam?
The archbishop said: “yes, by God! If you answer my questions correctly, I and all my companions will accept Islam.”
Ali (AS) replied: God carries the Throne (Arsh) and the skies. He has stated in the Qur’an that God the Almighty prevents the skies and the earth from clashing against each other.
The archbishop: O the great wise man! Tell me where is God the Almighty?
Ali (AS): “Above and beneath, in the North, South, West, and East and He is dominant over all creatures. He encloses everyone everywhere and this aayat of the Qur’an is a witness to my words: “There is no secret talk among three but God is their fourth, nor among five but He is their sixth. God is with them (even if) less than that or more and wherever they may be. Then on the Day of Judgment, He will inform them about what they have done.”(Mujadelah: 7)
The archbishop: “I swear by God! His words are perfectly true he speaks with divine grace, exactly like Jesus (A.S), prophets and their heirs by the grace of God.
O the wise intellectual! Let me know whether Paradise is in this world or in the Hereafter and truly where are these worlds situated?
Imam Ali (A.S) answered:” This world is in the Hereafter and the Hereafter has enclosed or surrounded this world. The Hereafter is the place of comfort for life. There a human being resembles a person in sleep while his soul is on excursion. Our body dies but our soul is eternally alive.
God says: The abode of the Hereafter is indeed life, if you comprehend.(Annkabut:64).
Then the archbishop Jasleeq asked: “O great intellectual! Your Quran states: The entire earth will be in His fist on the Day of Resurrection and skies will be folded or scrolled in His right hand. (Zumar: 67)
So when the earth is under full dominance of God and the skies are folded by Him, where would Heaven and Hell exist?”
Ali (A.S) asked for a paper and ink and wrote “Heaven and Hell” on it and folded the paper and gave it to Jasleeq and asked:”Haven’t I folded the paper?”
They all answered :”Yes, you did.”
Ali(A.S) asked :”Unfold it”and they did.
Ali(A.S) asked :Has the writing disappeared or vanished?
They replied:”No”.
Ali(A.S) said: As the writing “heaven and hell” has not vanished, heaven and hell themselves won’t disappear when God folds the skies.
The archbishop: “You the great intellectual! It is stated in your Qur’an ‘Kulla Shayin Halikun illa wajhah’ “ All things shall perish except God.” What does it mean and what is its reason?
Imam Ali (AS) asked a Muslim to get some logs of wood and to kindle them with fire. The Imam asked the archbishop to tell him the direction of the fire.
The archbishop Jasleeq replied: “you can assume it to be in any direction.”
Ali(A.S) answered: It is God’s creation and you cannot assume its direction or face. How could you recognize the nature of God when eyes cannot see Him and mind cannot imagine Him. (laysa kamithlihi shay wa huwa Samiun Haleem) “There is nothing like God and He is All Hearing and Forbearing.”
The archbishop was deeply influenced by Ali’s discussion and strong logic behind his words and said: You the true successor of the prophet! Have answered all my questions and I am guided through you.
The Roman Archbishop Jasleeq accepted Islam and became a Muslim.
He then turned to his companions and said: “Oh my friends! We have finally found the person we were in search of and reached our goal. We should all follow Ali to be blissful, Here and in the Hereafter”.
Actually, the archbishop’s confirmation was considered really important by Salman who had the experience of church and Christian teachings. He actually knew the rank of an archbishop and how his conversion to Islam would affect the Christian world?
The archbishop and all his companions became Muslims and entered Islam through its gateway Ali bin Abi Talib (AS) the prophet’s successor.
So Muslims were full of happiness and Ali’s face gleamed with joy. Ali (AS) humbly stated with pleasure: “I praise God the Almighty, who illuminated his finalized religion and helped Muslims prevail in the discussion.”
Abu Bakr and his disciples were also happy on seeing this scene when Ali (AS) wiped off all misery and humiliation from their faces and saved Islam from the danger of extinction forever.
The Muslims said: “Abul Hasan! May God, the Almighty reward you.”
Salman Farsi who has written this event so precisely says: when the newly converted Roman Muslims wanted to leave Madinah, they all visited Ali’s house to bid him farewell.
Ali (AS) sat next to them.
The Roman archbishop, who had embraced Islam, said: O the prophet’s successor! , the people who have usurped the caliphate are like Israelites, who destroyed everything intentionally and deserve hell!
NOTE: Imam Ali(A.S) has reported that once a Jew had detained Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) because he had no money at that time to pay off his debt to the Jew. So the prophet (S.A) sat there only; and said his daily prayers, from noon to morning prayers the next day. His companions came there and threatened the Jew .The Holy Prophet (SAWA) told them that he was not sent as God’s messenger to be tyrannical against anyone under pledge or with no pledge. On hearing these words ,the Jew recited:” There is no God except Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His messenger” and became a Muslim. The Jew said he had not acted with impudence, but only wanted to identify Muhammad(SAWA)with what he had read in Torah that Muhammad bin Abdullah will be born in Makkah and shall migrate to Madinah, and he is not harsh nor evil in conduct and never speaks with a rude high tone, he does not scold and abuse and is gentle and polite. Then the rich Jew placed all his wealth at the disposal of Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) to spend it as directed by God. (Biharul Anwar V:16 Page16)
The archbishop then said we frankly ask you to decide for us whether we should return to our cities, or stay here and fight for your right.
After a long discussion, Ali (AS) said:” It’s better you return to your cities. Our late prophet (SA) has asked me to be patient as it is more important to protect true Islam. Whoever accompanies me at the proper time to fight will be praised and whoever dies before the warfare may be considered as a victim of tyranny.”
Tears dropped from Ali’s eyes when the Roman Muslims left for their cities, weeping over Ali’s helplessness.
This debate which forms a part of Salman’s book was recorded authentically by some of the great intellectuals of Islam:
1.Sheykh Tusi, in Fehrist .
2.Sheykh Najjashy in his book ‘Mosannafeen and Mosannafaat’.
3. Sheikh Mohammad Deylamie in ‘ Irshad al-Qoloob’.
4. Ibn Babewyh in his book ‘ Al-Tawheed’ .
5. Sheikh Mufid in ‘Amali’.
6. Majlesi in ‘Bihar al Anwar’ .
7. Ibn Shahr Ashoob in his book “Ma’alem al Ulama”
Ibn Shahr Ashoob writes that the first person who has written on Islam and compiled the traditions of the Holy Prophet (SAWA) was Amir al-Mu’mineen Ali (AS) and then the second person was Salman e Farsi…….
Salman guided people to Ali’s house
During the caliphate of the Shaikhs, Salman-e-Farsi constantly tried to make people aware of the rank of Ali (A.S.) as a divinely nominated Imam and caliph and whenever these caliphs elected by people were helpless and unable to solve people’s problems, Salman-e-Farsi guided them to Ali’s house although disliked by the ruling party.
