 ١ـ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ مَنْصُورٍ قَالَ قَالَ لِي هِشَامُ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ كَانَ بِمِصْرَ زِنْدِيقٌ تَبْلُغُهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَشْيَاءُ فَخَرَجَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ لِيُنَاظِرَهُ فَلَمْ يُصَادِفْهُ بِهَا وَقِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّهُ خَارِجٌ بِمَكَّةَ فَخَرَجَ إِلَى مَكَّةَ وَنَحْنُ مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله فَصَادَفَنَا وَنَحْنُ مَعَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فِي الطَّوَافِ وَكَانَ اسْمُهُ عَبْدَ الْمَلِكِ وَكُنْيَتُهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله فَضَرَبَ كَتِفَهُ كَتِفَ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) مَا اسْمُكَ فَقَالَ اسْمِي عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ قَالَ فَمَا كُنْيَتُكَ قَالَ كُنْيَتِي أَبُو عَبْدِ الله فَقَالَ لَهُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَمَنْ هَذَا الْمَلِكُ الَّذِي أَنْتَ عَبْدُهُ أَ مِنْ مُلُوكِ الارْضِ أَمْ مِنْ مُلُوكِ السَّمَاءِ وَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ ابْنِكَ عَبْدُ إِلَهِ السَّمَاءِ أَمْ عَبْدُ إِلَهِ الارْضِ قُلْ مَا شِئْتَ تُخْصَمُ قَالَ هِشَامُ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ فَقُلْتُ لِلزِّنْدِيقِ أَ مَا تَرُدُّ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَقَبَّحَ قَوْلِي فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله إِذَا فَرَغْتُ مِنَ الطَّوَافِ فَأْتِنَا فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله أَتَاهُ الزِّنْدِيقُ فَقَعَدَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله وَنَحْنُ مُجْتَمِعُونَ عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) لِلزِّنْدِيقِ أَ تَعْلَمُ أَنَّ لِلارْضِ تَحْتاً وَفَوْقاً قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَدَخَلْتَ تَحْتَهَا قَالَ لا قَالَ فَمَا يُدْرِيكَ مَا تَحْتَهَا قَالَ لا أَدْرِي إِلا أَنِّي أَظُنُّ أَنْ لَيْسَ تَحْتَهَا شَيْ‏ءٌ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَالظَّنُّ عَجْزٌ لِمَا لا تَسْتَيْقِنُ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله أَ فَصَعِدْتَ السَّمَاءَ قَالَ لا قَالَ أَ فَتَدْرِي مَا فِيهَا قَالَ لا قَالَ عَجَباً لَكَ لَمْ تَبْلُغِ الْمَشْرِقَ وَلَمْ تَبْلُغِ الْمَغْرِبَ وَلَمْ تَنْزِلِ الارْضَ وَلَمْ تَصْعَدِ السَّمَاءَ وَلَمْ تَجُزْ هُنَاكَ فَتَعْرِفَ مَا خَلْفَهُنَّ وَأَنْتَ جَاحِدٌ بِمَا فِيهِنَّ وَهَلْ يَجْحَدُ الْعَاقِلُ مَا لا يَعْرِفُ قَالَ الزِّنْدِيقُ مَا كَلَّمَنِي بِهَذَا أَحَدٌ غَيْرُكَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَأَنْتَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ فِي شَكٍّ فَلَعَلَّهُ هُوَ وَلَعَلَّهُ لَيْسَ هُوَ فَقَالَ الزِّنْدِيقُ وَلَعَلَّ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) أَيُّهَا الرَّجُلُ لَيْسَ لِمَنْ لا يَعْلَمُ حُجَّةٌ عَلَى مَنْ يَعْلَمُ وَلا حُجَّةَ لِلْجَاهِلِ يَا أَخَا أَهْلِ مِصْرَ تَفْهَمُ عَنِّي فَإِنَّا لا نَشُكُّ فِي الله أَبَداً أَ مَا تَرَى الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَاللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ يَلِجَانِ فَلا يَشْتَبِهَانِ وَيَرْجِعَانِ قَدِ اضْطُرَّا لَيْسَ لَهُمَا مَكَانٌ إِلا مَكَانُهُمَا فَإِنْ كَانَا يَقْدِرَانِ عَلَى أَنْ يَذْهَبَا فَلِمَ يَرْجِعَانِ وَإِنْ كَانَا غَيْرَ مُضْطَرَّيْنِ فَلِمَ لا يَصِيرُ اللَّيْلُ نَهَاراً وَالنَّهَارُ لَيْلاً اضْطُرَّا وَالله يَا أَخَا أَهْلِ مِصْرَ إِلَى دَوَامِهِمَا وَالَّذِي اضْطَرَّهُمَا أَحْكَمُ مِنْهُمَا وَأَكْبَرُ فَقَالَ الزِّنْدِيقُ صَدَقْتَ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَا أَخَا أَهْلِ مِصْرَ إِنَّ الَّذِي تَذْهَبُونَ إِلَيْهِ وَتَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُ الدَّهْرُ إِنْ كَانَ الدَّهْرُ يَذْهَبُ بِهِمْ لِمَ لا يَرُدُّهُمْ وَإِنْ كَانَ يَرُدُّهُمْ لِمَ لا يَذْهَبُ بِهِمُ الْقَوْمُ مُضْطَرُّونَ يَا أَخَا أَهْلِ مِصْرَ لِمَ السَّمَاءُ مَرْفُوعَةٌ وَالارْضُ مَوْضُوعَةٌ لِمَ لا يَسْقُطُ السَّمَاءُ عَلَى الارْضِ لِمَ لا تَنْحَدِرُ الارْضُ فَوْقَ طِبَاقِهَا وَلا يَتَمَاسَكَانِ وَلا يَتَمَاسَكُ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا قَالَ الزِّنْدِيقُ أَمْسَكَهُمَا الله رَبُّهُمَا وَسَيِّدُهُمَا قَالَ فَ‏آمَنَ الزِّنْدِيقُ عَلَى يَدَيْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) فَقَالَ لَهُ حُمْرَانُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنْ آمَنَتِ الزَّنَادِقَةُ عَلَى يَدِكَ فَقَدْ آمَنَ الْكُفَّارُ عَلَى يَدَيْ أَبِيكَ فَقَالَ الْمُؤْمِنُ الَّذِي آمَنَ عَلَى يَدَيْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) اجْعَلْنِي مِنْ تَلامِذَتِكَ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله يَا هِشَامَ بْنَ الْحَكَمِ خُذْهُ إِلَيْكَ وَعَلِّمْهُ فَعَلَّمَهُ هِشَامٌ فَكَانَ مُعَلِّمَ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَأَهْلِ مِصْرَ الايمَانَ وَحَسُنَتْ طَهَارَتُهُ حَتَّى رَضِيَ بِهَا أَبُو عَبْدِ الله.
 1. Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub has narrated from Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim from his father, from al-Hassan ibn Ibrahim from Yunus ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman from Ali ibn Mansur who narrated the following. “Hisham ibn al-Hakam has reported that in Egypt there lived a heretic who had heard about Imam abu ‘Abdallah  a great deal. He traveled to Madina to debate the Imam but he missed to find the Imam therein. He was told that the Imam has traveled to the city of Makkah. He then left for Makkah and we were with the Imam  when we came across him during our performing Tawaf (the seven times walking around the Ka‘bah). The man’s name was ‘Abdul Malik also called abu ‘Abdallah as his Kunyah in Arabic. He touched Imam abu ‘Abdallah’s shoulder with his shoulder as he walked along. The Imam asked him, “What is your name?” It is ‘Abdul Malik (meaning slave of the King).” The man replied. “What is your Kunyah?” The Imam  asked. “It is abu ‘Abdallah (meaning father of slave of Allah).” He replied. The Imam then asked, “Who is this king whose slave you are? Is he of the earthly kings or of the heavenly ones? Tell us about your son. Is he a slave of the Lord of the heavens or a slave of the Lord of the earth? Say whatever you may it will be against you.” Hisham has said that I asked him (the heretic man), “Why do you not answer?” The man seemed to dislike my words. The Imam  then told him, “Meet us when we finish our Tawaf (walking around the Ka‘bah).” The heretic man came to the Imam  later and sat in front of the Imam  and we were all gathered around him. The Imam  then asked him, “Do you know that the earth has an underside and an upperside?” The man replied, “Yes, I know it.” The Imam then asked, “Have you gone in the underside of the earth?” The man replied, “No, I have not gone there.” The Imam  then asked, “Do you know what is therein?” He said, “I do not know but I guess there is nothing therein.” The Imam  then said, “Guessing is weakness. Why do you not acquire certainty?” The Imam  then asked, “Have you climbed up into the sky?” The man replied, “No, I have not done so.” The Imam  then asked, “Do you know what is up there?” He replied, “No, I do not know.” The Imam  said, “It is very strange. Without reaching the East or West, without going under the earth or climbing up the sky and not even have crossed anything to know what is behind you deny what is in them. Does any man of reason deny what he does not know?” The heretic man then said, “No one has ever come up with such statements to me as you have.” The Imam  then said, “So you are uncertain about Him. Perhaps He is or may be He does not exist.” The heretic man then said, “Perhaps He is.” The Imam then said, “O man, one who does not know has no authority over the one who knows. O Egyptian brethren, listen carefully. We have no doubts in the existence of Allah (God). Think about the sun, the moon, the day and the nights follow each other and do not miss their turns or become confused. They each have its place and do not have any choice. If they had any other choice they would not come back again. If they had a choice the day would not end with night and the night would not end in the day. They are forced to continue, O Egyptian brethren, I swear byAllah (God). The One who has forced them is stronger then them and greater. What people speak of and you guess it is (dahr) motionless time if it was so, then when it would take them away it would not return them and if time have returned them then why it is not taking them away? These things, O Egyptian brethren, are compelled. Why the sky is up high and why the earth is low? Why the sky does not fall down on earth? Why the earth does not flow one layer over the other and the two do not stick to each other and why those on it do not stick to it?” The man then said, “God their Lord has made them to hold together.” Hisham has said, “He professed belief in God in the presence of Imam abu ‘Abdallah .” “Humran then said to the Imam, “May Allah take my soul in service for your cause, if heretics profess belief in Allah (God) before you it is because the unbelievers converted to faith because of your father.” The man who had just professed belief in Allah requested Imam abu ‘Abdallah  to allow him to become one of his students. The Imam then asked Hisham to teach him. Hisham taught him well and he became a teacher for the people in Syria and Egypt. His purification was very well and the Imam  became happy with him.”