Thereupon said the disciples: 'O master, it is thus
written in the book of Moses, that in Isaac was the promise made.'
Jesus
answered, with a groan: 'It is so written, but Moses wrote it not, nor Joshua, but rather
our rabbins, who fear not God. Verily I say unto you, that if ye consider the words
of the angel Gabriel, ye shall discover the malice of our scribes and doctors. For
the angel said: "Abraham, all the world shall know how God loveth thee; but how
shall the world know the love that thou bearest to God? Assuredly it is necessary that
thou do something for love of God." Abraham answered: "Behold the servant of
God, ready to do all that which God shall will."
'Then spoke
God, saying to Abraham: "Take thy son, thy firstborn Ishmael, and come up the
mountain to sacrifice him."
How is
Isaac firstborn, if when Isaac was born Ishmael was seven years old?
Then said the
disciples: 'Clear is the deception of our doctors: therefore tell us thou the truth,
because we know that thou art sent from God.'
Then answered Jesus:
'Verily I say unto you, that Satan ever seeketh to annual the laws of God; and therefore
he with his followers, hypocrites and evil-doers, the former with false doctrine, the
latter with lewd living, to-day have contaminated almost all things, so that scarcely is
the truth found. Woe to the hypocrites! for the praises of this world shall turn for
them into insults and torments in hell.
'I therefore say unto you that the
messenger of God is a splendour that shall give gladness to nearly all that God hath made,
for he is adorned with the spirit of understanding and of counsel, the spirit of wisdom
and might, the spirit of fear and love, the spirit of prudence and temperance, he is
adorned with the spirit of charity and mercy, the spirit of justice and piety, the
spirit of gentleness and patience, which he hath received from God three times more than
he hath given to all his creatures. O blessed time, when he shall come to the world!
Believe me that I have seen him and have done him reverence, even as every prophet hath
seen him: seeing that of his spirit God giveth to them prophecy. And when I saw him my
soul was filled with consolation, saying: "O Mohammed, God be with thee, and may he
make me worthy to untie thy shoelatchet, for obtaining this I shall be a great prophet and
holy one of God." '
And having said this, Jesus rendered his
thanks to God.
