Debate With Prophet

~AN INTERESTING DEBATE WITH A PROPHET~ *Narrated by:Imam ali a.s*    Once  said that people belonging to five religions gathered around the Holy Prophet  (s.a.w.s.)  Jews, Christians, atheists, fire-worshippers and polytheists in Arabia.         The Jews said: We believe that Uzair is the son of God. What have you to say in this matter? If you follow us, we have overtaken you in gaining the right path and if you oppose us, we will hold a big dialogue with you.  The Christians also said: Jesus Christ is God’s son and is united with God. What do you have to say? If you agree with us, we have won the race on the right path and if you disagree, we will discuss everything with you at length.      The Atheist said: All that exists in this Universe is from the beginning and will remain like it forever. Without any beginning or end, automatically. If you lose in argument, we are in advance on true thinking and if you don’t agree, we will hold prolonged dialogue with you.     The Magians said: Light and darkness are the two powers ruling this universe. What do you say? If you agree with us, we are ahead of you and if you disagree, we will have long discussions with you.     The Arab polytheists said: O Muhammad! We believe that our idols are gods (deities worth worshipping). If you agree, we are above you in finding the path but if you oppose our stand, we will argue with you for a settlement.  When all had completed their statements, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: I have faith in only one Allah. There is no partner with Him. I deny all gods except Him. The Almighty Allah has sent me to all human beings making me a giver of glad tidings and a warner. He has made me Proof for the entire universe. He will very soon overcome all disbelievers, throwing their mischiefs and deceits against themselves.            Then addressing the Jews, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Do you want me to agree with you without any argument or evidence?  They replied: No. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) asked: Then what prompted you to say that Uzair is the son of God?  They replied: It is because we are of the belief that he brought Torah again after Bani Israel had lost it. This could happen only because he is son of God. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) questioned: How Uzair became God’s son and not Musa (a.s.) who had first brought Torah for Bani Israel? He also showed miracles you are aware of. If in your opinion, Uzair became worthy of being God’s son due to his re-enlivening the Torah, then Musa (a.s.) being the original bringer of the holy book is more worthy of being His son. Rather Musa’s merits are enough to make him, according to your thinking, higher than the position willfully granted to him by you. It is so, because if you mean by ‘son’ a child resulting by man-woman union, then you have become a denier because in this way, you made God like humans (creation) and you believed that worldly attributes are also in the Almighty Allah and that it again, according to your thinking, makes Him a creation which has been created by someone else (father or mother). The Jews replied: No, no. We do not call Uzair, God’s son in the meaning inferred by you. It indeed is infidelity to believe so. In fact, we call him son of God as a sign of his miraculousness. Our scholars also call someone their son by way of the latter’s specialties (not as one born through man- woman union). So God has made Uzair His son in the manner of giving him grace due to his goodness. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied: Again it is the same that I told you earlier. Even in the meaning expressed by you, Musa (a.s.) is more worthy of being called God’s son. It is imperative that the Almighty Allah causes the defeat of every falsehood on the basis of their arguments. Your adamancy will drag you even lower because, according to your manner of thinking, you can also say that (due to greatness) Musa (a.s.) is God’s brother, His elder, His father or even His chief. Is it then, as per your wayward thinking, proper to say that Musa (a.s.) should be God’s brother or uncle or father or even His ruler?!  When the Jews heard these solid arguments they fell in wonder and deep thought and said: O Muhammad! Give us some time to think over your arguments. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Do ponder on this with a justice-loving heart and Allah will guide you.  Thereafter the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) turned to the Christians and said: You say that the Almighty Allah, Who is eternal, is united with His son, Jesus Christ? Tell me, what do you mean by saying this?  Do you intend to say that Jesus has become eternal because of God’s being eternal, that is, as you say, ‘become united’; which means that God selected him (Jesus) for such a miracle which He has not given to anyone else. And if you say that Eternal became newly created then your word has become invalid. As it is impossible for an eternal to become new creation. And if you say new creation has become eternal then it is also impossible because the becoming of a new thing ‘old’ is also unimaginable. And if by your saying that Almighty Allah has made him distinct, selecting him from all others,   then you became believers in Isa (a.s.) being created not eternal and it also means that you accept the meaning in which he has united with God is also new. It means that as per your imagination, Isa is ‘created’ in the meaning which also is ‘created’ and that due to all those new deeds, Isa (a.s.) joined with God as he (Isa) became distinct from all other creations of God. Therefore, this second word of yours is against your first statement.  The Christians said: O Muhammad! The Almighty Allah caused many strange things to happen by Isa’s hands and due to this greatness, Allah made Isa His son. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: O Christians! You have already heard my reply to Jews in response to this argument. At this juncture, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) repeated what he had said to the Jews.  All kept silent but one of them got up and said: O Muhammad! You say that Ibrahim (a.s.) is Allah’s friend, why then you prevent us from calling Isa (a.s.) as Allah’s son?  The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: The two are not same. We say that Ibrahim (a.s.) is friend of Allah (Khaleel). The word Khaleel is derived from Khallat or Khullat. If from Khallat, which means poverty and starvation, then Khaleelullaah means Ibrahim (a.s.) is needy and he has cutting off himself from everyone and everything, turned only towards Allah, that is, he is not inclined towards anyone, except only one God. This is established from the event when he was about to be thrown into a huge well of fire. At that time the Almighty Allah had sent His angel, Jibraeel, who asked Ibrahim (a.s.) as to what he needed at that hour of calamity? That Allah Himself had sent him (Jibraeel) for inquiring. Ibrahim Khaleelullah replied very calmly: Allah is enough for me as He is the best supporter, I need nothing from anyone else. I need Him and only Him. This is why the Almighty Allah named him Khaleelullaah. And if Khaleelullaah is derived from Khullat which means he became aware of secrets of Allah which none else was able to know, then the title Khaleelullaah .means he knows Him and His affairs. This never denotes God’s similarity with His creation. Had he (Ibrahim) not left all and had he not turned only towards Allah, he would not have become Khaleel and if one who is born from the seed of man will not cease to be his father’s son however much the father may hate him or drive him away from him. Now, since Allah has called Ibrahim ‘Khaleelullaah’ and because of this analogy you call Isa (a.s.) son of God, then you must call Musa (a.s.) also son of God because the miracles of Musa (a.s.) were by no means lower than those of Isa (a.s.). Likewise it can also be admissible (according to your thinking) to call him his elder and chief and uncle as I told the Jews. Then a Christian said: It is written in Injeel: Isa said: Now I am going to my father. The Prophet said: If you have proper knowledge of this Book then you must also have seen that it also is written in it: I am going to my father and your father.