The child Jesus,
the Alphabet and the Basmala
_____________________________________________________________________________
IN
PROGRESS 2006-7
A motif and associated story that is of considerable
interest in the history of religious ideas within the
related major Abrahamic religions
(Judaism, Christianity and Islam) is that of the innately
wise child
explaining the meaning of the first letters of
the alphabet ("A", "B" ) or some other related subject so as to
confound his elders and express his matery or arcane matters. Here aspects of its history will be
traced and commented upon as will its role in the evolving
historiography and theology of the recent post-Islamic Babi
and Baha'i religions.
The
alpha-beta (= “A”-“B”) logion in Judaism, Christianity and Islam
ADD
ADD
The child Jesus and the alphabet
The canonical Gospels, as is well known, record little or nothing (in
the case of Mark and John) of the childhood of Jesus. It is only in Luke
2:42ff. that we are told something of the precocious learning of the
young Jesus.[16] By the time of the rise of Islam, however, a very large
number of apocryphal stories about Jesus' childhood and youth were
circulating in written form. One such apocryphal story which is widely
attested is that of Jesus at school in Nazareth. It affords some
remarkable parallels to the accounts of the Bāb's first day at school
(see below). There are a very large number of versions of this story
(which cannot possibly all be set down here). It must suffice to refer
to one of the versions of the In fancy Gospel of Thomas, the many
recensions of which (sixth century A.D.? and later, including Arabic
versions) attempt to portray Jesus as an infant prodigy: [17]
Now a certain
teacher, Zacchaeus by name, who was standing there, heard in part
Jesus saying these things to his father, and marvelled greatly that,
being a child, he said such things. And after a few days he came
near to Joseph and said to him: "You have a clever child, and he has
understanding. Come, hand him over to me that he may learn letters,
and I will teach him with the letters all knowledge, and to salute
all the older people and honour them as grandfathers and fathers,
and to love those of his own age. And he told him all the letters
from Alpha and Omega clearly, with much questioning. But he looked
at Zacchaeus the teacher and said to him: "How do you, who do not
know the Alpha according to its nature, teach others the Beta." Then
he began to question the teacher about the first letter, and he was
unable to answer him. And in the hearing of many the child said to
Zacchaeus: "Hear, teacher, the arrangement of the first letter, and
pay heed to this, how it has lines and a middle mark which goes
through the pair of lines which you see, (how these lines) converge,
rise, turn in the dance, three signs of the same kind, subject to
and supporting one another, of equal proportions; here you have the
lines of the Alpha." [The text here appears to be corrupt.]
Now when
Zacchaeus the teacher heard so many such allegorical descriptions of
the first letter being expounded, he was perplexed at such a reply
and such great teaching and said to those who were present: "Woe is
me. I am forced into a quandry, wretch that I am; I have brought
shame to myself in drawing to myself this child. Take him away,
therefore, I beseech you, brother Joseph. I cannot endure the
severity of his look, I cannot make out his speech at all. This
child is not earth-born; he can tame even fire. Perhaps he was
begotten before the creation of the world.... I strove to get a
disciple, and have found myself with a teacher. Therefore I ask you,
brother Joseph, take him away to your house. He is something great,
a god or an angel or what I should say I do not know."
And when Joseph
saw the understanding of the child and his age, that he was growing
to maturity, he resolved again that he would not remain ignorant of
letters; and he took him and handed him over to another teacher. And
the teacher said to Joseph: "First I will teach him Greek, and then
Hebrew." For the teacher knew the child's knowledge and was afraid
of him. Nevertheless he wrote the alphabet and practised it with him
for a long time; but he gave no answer. And Jesus said to him: "If
you are indeed a teacher, and if you know the letters well, tell me
the meaning of the Alpha, and I will tell you that of the Beta." And
the teacher was annoyed and struck him on the head. And the child
was hurt and cursed him, and he immediately fainted and fell to the
ground on his face. And the child returned to Joseph's house. But
Joseph was grieved and commanded his mother: "Do not let him go
outside the door, for all those who provoke him die."
And after some
time yet another teacher, a good friend of Joseph, said to him:
"Bring the child to me to the school. Perhaps I by persuasion can
teach him the letters." And Joseph said to him:
"If you have the
courage brother, take him with you." And he took him with fear and
anxiety, but the child went gladly. And he went boldly into the
school and found a book lying on the reading desk [Cf. Luke 4:16f.]
and took it, but did not read the letters in it, but opened his
mouth and spoke by the Holy Spirit and taught the law to those that
stood by. And a large crowd assembled and stood there listening to
him, wondering at the grace of his teaching and the readiness of his
words [Cf. Luke 4:27], that although an infant he made such
utterances. But when Joseph heard it, he was afraid and ran to the
school, wondering whether this teacher also was without skill
(maimed). But the teacher said to Joseph: "Know, brother, that I
took the child as a disciple; but he is full of great grace and
wisdom; and now, I beg you brother, take him to your house."
And when the
child heard this, he at once smiled on him and said: "Since you have
spoken well and have testified rightly, for your sake shall he also
that was smitten be healed." And immediately the other teacher was
healed. And Joseph took the child and went away to his house.[18]
Central to the many versions of the story
of Jesus and the alphabet or of his first day at school is the so-called
Alpha-Beta Logion which is found in the Epistula Apostolorum [4],
attributed to the Marcosians by Irenaeus (Adv. Haer. I.xx.1) and
contained in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas (Greek A + B + Syriac + Latin
+ Arabic, etc.) and the related Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew (Latin +
Slavonic + Arabic + Ethiopic, etc.). Perhaps having originated among
second-century Christian gnostics, the following are a few versions of
it: [19]
Epist. Apost.: "[Before I
say Alpha] First tell me what Beta is." (Greek text corrupt?)
Greek A [Infancy Gosp. Thorn.]: "How do you, who do not know the
Alpha according to its nature, teach others the Beta." (Also
quoted above.)
Greek B [Infancy Gosp. Thorn.]
"Thou that knowest not the Alpha, how canst thou teach another
the Beta?" Arabic: "Explain to me Alaph, and then I shall say
Beth."[20]
While
Brian McNeil has argued that the source of the legend of Jesus and the
alphabet is to be found in a proverb contained in the Story of Ahikar (Syriac
8:36; Arabic 8:33; Armenian 8:23), Stephen Gero has speculated about a
Christian developmental sequence: [21]
A rather interesting, though
admittedly very hypothetical, developmental sequence of the
story of Jesus and the teacher emerges from this discussion. The
original logion in the first stage of oral transmission (lst-2nd
century) developed a concise controversy apophthegm. The
apophthegm was written down in the second century (Epistula
Apostolorum, Marcosians, Irenaeus), but not thereby removed from
oral circulation. In the next "tunnel period" of oral
transmission, from the second to the sixth century, [during
which the history of the transmission of the tradition is
obscure] the narrative material was considerably expanded, but
the saying itself was preserved unchanged.... The narrative was
then fixed in writing in the sixth century, and did not
thereafter undergo much further development. However, in this
third stage of mainly written transmission, between the sixth
and tenth centuries, the saying itself began to be expanded, and
brought into conformity, by two successive additions, with a
synoptic model. This final stage is represented by the Greek
Vorlage of the Slavonic and Greek versions and by the Syrian
prototype of the late Syriac versions. [22]
There are then many versions of the
story of Jesus and the alphabet in Christian apocryphal and other
literatures. As McNeil notes, however, they all agree in telling a story
with the following features: "The master attempts to teach Jesus the
alphabet. But, he cannot get beyond the first two letters, for Jesus
demands that he explain the meaning of the letter Alpha. In most
versions, he himself then expounds the mystic meaning of the alphabet."
The child
Jesus, the basmalah and the letter “B” as bahā’-Allāh.
ADD
Islamic
accounts of Jesus' first day at school and his expounding the basmala
A
well-known and much cited Islamic tradition ascribed to the prophet
Muhammad himself has it that Jesus interpreted the letter “B” (ب )
meaning "In" of the basmalah (= بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
=
“In the Name of God the Merciful, the Compassionate”) as indicating Bahā’-Allāh.
Both these words, "In" and "the Glory of God" commence with the letter
"B". Various Islamic Tafsīr (exegetical) writings and Qiṣaṣ al-anbiya
(Stories of the Prophets) literatures containing ḥadīth traditions and
other Islamic materials record versions of the story of Jesus and the
schoolteacher in which the young Jesus expounds the letter
ب
“B”
at the beginning of the basmalah as indicating Bahā’-Allāh, ( =
the Glory-Splendour-Beauty of God).
The Tafsīr of Tha`labī (d.
435/1037)
Best known as the
author of a Qiṣaṣ al-anbiya (Stories of the Prophets) work (see
below), Abu Ishaq Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tha`labi wrote a large
and influential Tafsir work entitled al-Kashf
wa'l-bayan `an tafsir al-Qur'an (The Unveiling and
Exposition of the Interpretation of the Qur'an). In his
commentary upon the basmala of the Surat al-Fatiha (Q.1) he
cites from the Tafsir of al-Tabari when he relates the following
tradition of the Prophet Muhammad as relayed through (see the
long isnad below) Abu Sa`id al-Khudri ( ADD):
فأما ما ورد في
تفسيرها بتفصيلها فكثير ذكرت جل أقاويلها في حديث وحكاية أخبرنا الأستاذ
أبو القاسم بن محمد بن الحسن المفسر حدثنا أبو الطيب محمد بن أحمد ابن
حمدون المذكر أخبرنا أبو بكر محمد بن حمدون بن خالد بن يزيد حدثنا أحمد بن
هشام الأنطاكي حدثنا الحكم بن نافع عن إسماعيل بن عباس عن إسماعيل عن يحيى
عن أبي مليكة عن مسعود بن عطية العوفي
عن
أبي سعيد الخدري قال
قال رسول الله
صلى الله عليه وسلم إن
عيسى بن
مريم أسلمته أمه إلى الكتاب ليتعلم فقال له المعلم قل باسم الله قال
عيسى وما باسم الله فقال له المعلم ما أدري قال
الباء بهاء الله والسين سناء الله
والميم مملكة الله
Having cited the
tradition about Jesus, his teacher and the acrostic sense of
the bism in a version identical to that cited by al-Tabari
in his Tafsir (see above), Tha`labi in the Kashf al-Bayan
includes another tradition about the meanings of the letters
of the bismillah including or
more further significances for
its first letter
وسمعت أبا القاسم الحسن بن محمد يقول سمعت أبا إسحاق بن ميثم بن محمد بن
يزيد النسفي بمرو يقول سمعت أبا عبد الله ختن أبي بكر الوراق يقول سمعت أبا
بكر محمد بن عمر الوراق يقول في بسم الله إنها روضة من رياض الجنة لكل حرف منها تفسير على حدة فالباء على ستة أوجه
بارى ء خلقه من العرش إلى الثرى ببيان قوله إنه هو البر الرحيم بصير بعباده
من العرش إلى الثري بيانه إنه على كل شيء بصير باسط الرزق من العرش إلى
الثري بيانه الله يبسط الرزق لمن يشاء ويقدر وباق بعد فناء خلقه من العرش
إلى الثري بيانه كل من عليها فان ويبقى وجه ربك ذو الجلال والإكرام باعث
الخلق بعد الموت للثواب والعقاب بيانه وأن الله يبعث من في القبور بار
بالمؤمنين من العرش إلى الثرى بيانه قوله أنه هو البر الرحيم والسين على
خمسة أوجه سميع لأصوات خلقه من العرش إلى الثري بيانه قوله تعالى أم يحسبون
أنا لا نسمع سرهم ونجواهم بلى ورسلنا لديهم يكتبون سيد قد بلغ سؤدده من
العرش إلى الثري بيانه الله الصمد سريع الحساب مع خلقه من العرش إلى الثري
بيانه والله سريع الحساب سلم خلقه من ظلمه من العرش إلى الثرى بيانه السلام
المؤمن
"I heard Abu Qasim Hasan ibn Muhammad say, I heard....
Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn `Amr al-Wiraq say regarding the
بسم الله
that it is a a garden among the
gardens of Paradise (rawdat
min riwad al-jannat) [ and that] for every letter of it
there is an interpretation (tafsir) without limit. Thus, the
letter "B"
(al-ba') has six or more senses [1] The
Bari (=
Creator) of His Creation from the [celestial] Throne [on
high] to the [lowly] dust [below] , [2] ADD
(Tha`labi, Tafsir,
Kashf al-Bayan, 1: 93-94).
The Tafsir of
Muhammad b. Jarīr al-Ṭabarī (d.
310/922).
One of
the most important early Sunnī Tafsīr works containing this tradition
is the massive and highly important Tafsir or Qur’ān Commentary
entitled Jāmi’ al-bayān ‘an ta‘wīl āy al-Qur ‘ān, (The Comprehensive
Exposition of the interprertation of the verses of the Qur’ān)
of Abū Ja‘far Muhammad b. Jarīr al-Ṭabarī
(d. 310/922). In the course of commenting on
the
بسم
bism ([first letter = b] ═ “In the Name of”) of the basmalah of the
Sūrat al-fatiḥah (Surah of the Opening = Q.1) the following tradition is
related through following a long list of authorities ending with Abī
Sa`īd relating a tradition from the Prophet Muhammad himself:
حدثنا به إسماعيـل بن الفضل، قال: حدثنا إبراهيـم بن العلاء بن الضحاك،
قال: حدثنا إسماعيـل بن عياش، عن إسماعيـل بن يحيى عن ابن أبـي ملـيكة، عمن
حدثه عن ابن مسعود، ومسعر بن كدام، عن عطية، عن أبـي سعيد، قال: قال رسول
الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:
" إن عِيسى ابْنَ مَرْيَـمَ أسْلَـمَتْهُ أُمُّهُ إلـى الكُتَّابِ
لِـيُعَلِّـمَهُ، فَقالَ لَهُ الـمُعَلِّـمُ: اكْتُبْ بِسْمِ فَقَالَ له
عِيسَى: وَما بِسْمِ؟ فَقالَ لَهُ الـمُعَلِّـمُ: ما أدْرِي فَقالَ عِيسىَ:
البـاءُ:
بَهاءُ
اللَّهِ،
وَالسِّينُ: سَناؤُهُ، وَالـمِيـمُ: مَـمْلَكَتُهُ "
“He said, the Messenger of God
[Muhammad] said, `Jesus, the Son of Mary was taken by his mother [Mary]
unto the Teacher (al-kuttāb) that he the teacher] might instruct
him [Jesus]. So he [the teacher] said to him, `Read bism [“In
the Name]!’. Jesus replied to him and said, `And what is bism ?’
The Teacher replied to him and said, `I do not know’. So Jesus said,
`The
[first letter] “b” (al-bā’) is Bahā’-Allāh ( the Splendour of God);
the [second letter] “s” (al-sīn) is His Radiance (sanā’) and the [third
letter] “m” (al-mīm) is His sovereignty (mamlakat))
Having cited this prophetic
tradition al-Ṭabarī expresses his doubts about its
veracity, adding that he fears that it is something
"erroneous" (ghalaṭ an)
transmitted from unreliable sources from persons giving
weight to untoward abjad type number-letter speculations:
فأخشى أن يكون غلطاً من الـمـحدث، وأن يكون أراد: «ب س م»، علـى سبـيـل ما
يعلـم الـمبتدى من الصبـيان فـي الكتاب حروفَ أبـي جاد. فغلط بذلك، فوصله
فقال: «بسم» لأنه لا معنى لهذا التأويـل إذا تُلـي «بسم الله الرحمن
الرحيـم» علـى ما يتلوه القارىء فـي كتاب الله، لاستـحالة معناه عن
الـمفهوم به عند جميع العرب وأهل لسانها، إذا حمل تأويـله علـى ذلك.
ADD TRANS.
The 6th
Imam, Ja`far al-Ṣādiq (d. c. 765 CE) and Jesus’ exposition of the
بسم
bism of
the basmalah.
Worth noting at this point is the fact that in Shī`ī literatures it is
often the sixth Shī'ī Imām, Ja`far al-Ṣādiq (d.765 CE) who states that
the child Jesus, explained the first letter, the letter "B" of the
basmala to his bewildered schoolteacher, in terms of "The
letter "B" signifies Bahā’-Allāh". One of the most important early Shi`i
Qur'an Commentaries is the Tafsir of Abi al-Ḥasan `Alī ibn Ibrāhīm
al-Qummi (d. /
). In its comments on the basmalah (of Q. 1:1a) after a long and complex
isnad (see below) tracing the hadith back though a certain Abi Baṣīr it
is stated that Ja`far al-Ṣādiq said:
اقول تفسير
"بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم"
حدثنى(1) ابوالفضل العباس بن محمد بن
القاسم بن حمزة بن موسى بن جعفر عليه السلام قال حدثنا ابوالحسن علي بن
ابراهيم قال حدثني ابي رحمه الله عن محمد بن ابي عمير عن حماد بن عيسى عن
حريث عن ابي عبدالله (ع) قال حدثنى ابى عن حماد وعبدالرحمان بن ابى نجران
وابن فضال عن علي بن عقبة قال وحدثنى ابى عن النضر بن سويد واحمد بن محمد
بن ابى نصير(2) عن عمرو بن شمر عن جابر عن ابى جعفر (ع) قال وحدثني ابى عن
ابن ابى عمير عن حماد عن الحلبي وهشام ابن سالم وعن كلثوم بن العدم(3) عن
عبدالله بن سنان وعبدالله بن مسكان وعن صفوان
وسيف بن عميرة وابى حمزة الثمالي وعن عبدالله بن جندب والحسين بن خالد عن
ابى الحسن الرضا (ع) قال وحدثني ابى عن حنان وعبدالله بن ميمون القداح
وابان بن عثمان عن عبدالله بن شريك العامري عن مفضل بن عمر وابى بصير عن
ابى جعفر وابى عبدالله (ع) تفسير (بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم) قال وحدثني ابى
عن عمرو بن ابراهيم الراشدي وصالح بن سعيد ويحيى بن ابى عمير بن عمران
الحلبي واسماعيل بن فرار وابي طالب عبدالله بن الصلت عن علي ابن يحيى عن ابى بصير عن ابى عبدالله
(ع) قال سألته عن تفسير بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم فقال
الباء بهاء الله
والسين
سناء الله والميم ملك الله والله اله كل شئ والرحمن بجميع خلقه والرحيم
بالمؤمنين خاصة وعن ابن اذينه قال قال ابوعبدالله عليه السلام " بسم الله
الرحمن الرحيم " احق ما اجهر به وهي الآية التي قال الله عزوجل واذا ذكرت
ربك في القرآن وحده ولوا على ادبارهم نفورا.
" I say regarding the Tafsir of the
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم (Bismillah
al-Rahman al-Rahmin (In the Name of God, the Merciful the Compassionate
...... (long isnad).... [relayed] from Abi Baṣīr from Abi `Abd-Allah (=
Ja`far al-Sadiq), He said, "I asked him about the Tafsir of the
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم (bismillah
al-Rahman al-Rahmin) and he [Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq] said, "
The [letter] "B" (bā') is Bahā’-Allāh
("the Glory of God"), the [letter] "s" (sīn)
is Sanā'-Allāh ("the Brightness of God") while the [letter] "M"
(mīm)
is the Mulk-Allāh ("the Dominion of God") and Allāh is [is indicative
of] the God of everything. "The Merciful"
الرحمن
is [pertinent to] the totality of His creatures and "the
Compassionate"
الرحيم [pertains to] such as are specifically believers (al-mu'minīn)...".
ADD
`Abdu'l-Bahā'
in his Arabic commentary on the Basmala printed in the compilation
Makātib-i ḥadrat-i `Abdu'l-Bahā'
(Vol.1:46) [15]) also cites this
tradition from Ja`far al-Sadiq.
ADD TEXT HERE
The Tafsīr of Abī Ḥātim al-Rāzī ( d. )
ADD
" حدثنا ابي ،ثنا محمد بن عبد الرحمن بن ابنة عبد الملك بن ابي سليمان ،ثنا
ابي ،عن جويبر ،عن الضحاك في قوله: بسم الله قال
:الباء من بهاء الله والسين
من
سناء الله والميم من ملك الله .والله :يا اله الخلق ...
al-Razī further related through al-Daḥḥāk
(d. ) regarding His saying “In the Name of God” (bism Allāh),
that it was relayed that `He said,
`The [first
letter] “b” (al-bā’) indicates the Splendour of God (bahā’ Allāh); the
[second letter] “s” (al-sīn) indicates the Radiance of God (sanā’ Allāh)
and the [third letter] “m” (al-mīm) indicates the Dominion of God (mulk
Allāh), while Allāh (God) indicates `O Deity of the Creation [creatures]
(yā ilāh al-khalq).”
Abī Ḥātim
al-Rāzī, it might also be noted here, records a tradition in the Gabriel
has the position of teacher to the Prophet who is asked to recite the
basmalah in a fashion similar to the child Jesus’ being asked by his
teacher:
#4
حدثنا علي بن طاهر،ثنا محمد بن العلاء - يعني ابا كريب - الهمداني ،ثنا
عثمان بن سعيد - يعني الزيات - الكوفي ثنا بشر بن عمارة عن ابي روق ،عن
الضحاك عن ابن عباس قال :اول ما انزل جبريل على محمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم
- قال له جبريل قل يا محمد بسم الله .يقول :اقرا بذكر ربك وقم واقعد بذكره
بسم الله الرحمن ،قال يقول :الرحمن:الفعلان من الرحمة ،وهو من كلام العرب .
#5 حدثنا ابي ،ثنا جعفر بن مسافر ثنا زيد بن المبارك الصنعاني،ثنا سلام بن
وهب الجندي ثنا ابي عن طاووس ،عن ابن عباس ان عثمان بن عفان سال رسول الله
- صلى الله عليه وسلم -عن بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم فقال :هو اسم من اسماء
الله ،وما بينه وما بين اسم الله الا كما بين سواد العينين وبياضهما من
القرب .
The Tafsīr of Tha`labī (d.
435/1037)
Best known as the
author of a Qiṣaṣ al-anbiya (Stories of the Prophets) work (see
below), Abu Ishaq Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Tha`labi wrote a large
and influential Tafsir work entitled al-Kashf
wa'l-bayan `an tafsir al-Qur'an (The Unveiling and
Exposition of the Interpretation of the Qur'an). In his
commentary upon the basmala of the Surat al-Fatiha (Q.1) he
cites from the Tafsir of al-Tabari when he relates the following
tradition of the Prophet Muhammad as relayed through (see the
long isnad below) Abu Sa`id al-Khudri ( ADD):
فأما ما ورد في
تفسيرها بتفصيلها فكثير ذكرت جل أقاويلها في حديث وحكاية أخبرنا الأستاذ
أبو القاسم بن محمد بن الحسن المفسر حدثنا أبو الطيب محمد بن أحمد ابن
حمدون المذكر أخبرنا أبو بكر محمد بن حمدون بن خالد بن يزيد حدثنا أحمد بن
هشام الأنطاكي حدثنا الحكم بن نافع عن إسماعيل بن عباس عن إسماعيل عن يحيى
عن أبي مليكة عن مسعود بن عطية العوفي
عن
أبي سعيد الخدري قال
قال رسول الله
صلى الله عليه وسلم إن
عيسى بن
مريم أسلمته أمه إلى الكتاب ليتعلم فقال له المعلم قل باسم الله قال
عيسى وما باسم الله فقال له المعلم ما أدري قال
الباء
بهاء الله والسين سناء الله والميم مملكة الله
Having cited the
tradition about Jesus, his teacher and the acrostic sense of
the bism in a version identical to that cited by al-Tabari
in his Tafsir (see above), Tha`labi in the Kashf al-Bayan
includes another tradition about the meanings of the letters
of the bismillah including or more further significances for
its first letter
وسمعت أبا القاسم الحسن بن محمد يقول سمعت أبا إسحاق بن ميثم بن محمد بن
يزيد النسفي بمرو يقول سمعت أبا عبد الله ختن أبي بكر الوراق يقول سمعت أبا
بكر محمد بن عمر الوراق
يقول في بسم الله
إنها روضة من رياض الجنة لكل حرف منها تفسير على حدة فالباء على ستة أوجه
بارى ء خلقه من العرش إلى الثرى ببيان قوله إنه هو البر الرحيم بصير بعباده
من العرش إلى الثري بيانه إنه على كل شيء بصير باسط الرزق من العرش إلى
الثري بيانه الله يبسط الرزق لمن يشاء ويقدر وباق بعد فناء خلقه من العرش
إلى الثري بيانه كل من عليها فان ويبقى وجه ربك ذو الجلال والإكرام باعث
الخلق بعد الموت للثواب والعقاب بيانه وأن الله يبعث من في القبور بار
بالمؤمنين من العرش إلى الثرى بيانه قوله أنه هو البر الرحيم والسين على
خمسة أوجه سميع لأصوات خلقه من العرش إلى الثري بيانه قوله تعالى أم يحسبون
أنا لا نسمع سرهم ونجواهم بلى ورسلنا لديهم يكتبون سيد قد بلغ سؤدده من
العرش إلى الثري بيانه الله الصمد سريع الحساب مع خلقه من العرش إلى الثري
بيانه والله سريع الحساب سلم خلقه من ظلمه من العرش إلى الثرى بيانه السلام
المؤمن
"I heard Abu Qasim Hasan ibn Muhammad say, I heard....
Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn `Amr al-Wiraq say regarding the
بسم الله
that it is a a garden among the
gardens of Paradise (rawdat
min riwad al-jannat) [ and that] for every letter of it
there is an interpretation (tafsir) without limit. Thus, the
letter "B"
(al-ba') has six or more senses [1] The
Bari (=
Creator) of His Creation from the [celestial] Throne [on
high] to the [lowly] dust [below] , [2]
ADD
(Tha`labi, Tafsir, Kashf al-Bayan, 1: 93-94).
See below on the Tafsir of Ibn Kathir
The Tafsīr of Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī ( d. )
" حدثنا ابي ،ثنا محمد بن عبد الرحمن بن ابنة عبد الملك بن ابي سليمان ،ثنا
ابي ،عن جويبر ،عن الضحاك في قوله: بسم الله قال
:الباء من بهاء الله والسين
من
سناء الله والميم من ملك الله .والله :يا اله الخلق ...
al-Razī further related through al-Daḥḥāk
(d. ) regarding His saying “In the Name of God” (bism Allāh),
that it was relayed that
`He said, `The [first
letter] “b” (al-bā’) indicates the Splendour of God (bahā’ Allāh); the
[second letter] “s” (al-sīn) indicates the Radiance of God (sanā’ Allāh)
and the [third letter] “m” (al-mīm) indicates the Dominion of God (mulk
Allāh), while Allāh (God) indicates `O Deity of the Creation [creatures]
(yā ilāh al-khalq).”
[1]
Abī Ḥātim
al-Rāzī, it might also be noted here, records a tradition to
the effect that Gabriel
has the position of teacher to the Prophet who is asked to recite the basmalah in a fashion similar to the child Jesus’ being asked by his
teacher:
حدثنا علي بن طاهر،ثنا محمد بن العلاء - يعني ابا كريب - الهمداني ،ثنا
عثمان بن سعيد - يعني الزيات - الكوفي ثنا بشر بن عمارة عن ابي روق ،عن
الضحاك عن ابن عباس قال :اول ما انزل جبريل على محمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم
- قال له جبريل قل يا محمد بسم الله .يقول :اقرا بذكر ربك وقم واقعد بذكره
بسم الله الرحمن ،قال يقول :الرحمن:الفعلان من الرحمة ،وهو من كلام العرب .
#5 حدثنا ابي ،ثنا جعفر بن مسافر ثنا زيد بن المبارك الصنعاني،ثنا سلام بن
وهب الجندي ثنا ابي عن طاووس ،عن ابن عباس ان عثمان بن عفان سال رسول الله
- صلى الله عليه وسلم -عن بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم فقال :هو اسم من اسماء
الله ،وما بينه وما بين اسم الله الا كما بين سواد العينين وبياضهما من
القرب .
'Imād al-Dīn Ismā'īl ibn 'Urnar ibn Kathīr
(d. 774/1373)
'Imād al-Dīn Ismā'īl ibn 'Urnar ibn Kathīr (d. 774/1373)
in his Commentary on the Surat al-Fatiha (Q.1) towards the
commencement of his weighty Tafsir al-Kabir, introduces the
prophetic hadith which records Jesus interpreting the "B" of
the basmala as Baha'-Allah in the following manner:
وقد روى الحافظ ابن مردويه من طريقين عن إسماعيل بن عياش عن
إسماعيل بن يحيى عن مسعر عن عطية عن أبي سعيد قال:
قال
رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم
"إن عيسى ابن مريم
عليه السلام أسلمته أمه إلى الكتاب ليعلمه فقال له المعلم:
اكتب فقال: ما أكتب؟ قال: بسم الله قال له عيسى: وما بسم الله؟
قال المعلم: ما أدري؟ قال له عيسى:
الباء بهاء الله
والسين سناؤه والميم مملكته والله إله الآلهة والرحمن رحمن
الدنيا والآخرة والرحيم رحيم الآخرة
."
"It has been related from al-Ḥāfiẓ ibn
Marduwiyya from Tarīqīn ibn Ismā'il ibn `Ayyāsh from Ismā'il
ibn Yaḥya' .. from Abi Sa`īd that he said that the Messenger
of God... said, "Jesus ibn Maryam ... was dispatched by his
mother unto the schoolhouse in order that he might be
taught. Thus the schoolmaster said to him, `Recite!". He
replied, `What shall I recite?" He [the teacher] said,
"Recite "In the Name of God" (bismillah). Jesus replied to
him, "What is the "In the Name of God"? The Teacher said, "I
do not know". Jesus thus said, "The [intial] "B" is
Baha'-Allah, the "S" is His radiance (sanā') and the "M" is
His sovereignty (mamlakat) while Allah [God] is the
[supreme] God of [ultimate] Godhood (ilah al-ilāhiyya),
the Merciful (al-raḥman) [additionally] is the [One]
All-Merciful towards this world and the world to come
(al-dunya' wa'l-ākhira) and the Compassionate
(al-raḥīm) is [One] Compassionate in the hereafter (raḥīm
al-ākhira)."
وقد رواه ابن جرير من حديث إبراهيم بن العلاء الملقب بابن
زبريق عن إسماعيل بن عياش عن إسماعيل بن يحيى عن ابن أبي مليكة
عمن حدثه عن ابن مسعود ومسعر عن عطية عن أبي سعيد. قال:
قال رسول الله
صلى الله عليه وسلم فذكره وهذا غريب جدا وقد يكون صحيحا
إلى من دون رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وقد يكون
من الإسرائيليات
لا من المرفوعات والله أعلم.
Having cited the above hadith Ibn Kathīr
proceeds to note that Ibn Jarir [al-Tabari?] relates
this hadith from Ibrahim ibn al-`Alā' known as Ibn Zibrīq
from Isma'il ibn `Ayyāsh from Isma'il ibn Yahya' ...etc.
He states that it is relayed from "the Messenger of
God... who mentioned it adding that it is
something exceedingly deep" (gharib jidd an). It
furthermore "has ever been something sound (sahih) for
such as are aside from the Messenger of God...
For Ibn Kathir this hadith is indeed an example of Isrā'iliyyāt (qad yaqūn
min al-isrā'iliyyāt), not something deriving from "the
elevated things" (al-marfū`āt). Yet, Ibn Kathir adds,
"God is One best informed" regarding this matter.
Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyā’ (Stories of
the Prophets) works.
Not only is the story of Jesus
and the alphabet found in Christian sources, but it exists also
in many different forms in Sunni and Shi'i Islamic literatures.
It is also these Muslim transformations of the Christian story
that have contributed to both the form and the content of the
stories of the Bāb's first day at school (see Lambden, 198X
[8X])
(1) The Qisas al-anbiyā' of al-Tha'labi,
(Cairo, 1382 A.H.) pp.
521-22.See ADD URL
The Qisas al-anbiyā' (Tales of the prophets)
of Muhammad
ibn `Abd-Allāh al-Kisā'ī's (13th
CE)
This
following version of the story of Jesus' first day at school is
translated from an Arabic recension of Muhammad b. Abdu'lláh Kisá 'i's
Qisasu'l-Anbiyyá (Tales of the prophets, 13th cent.
CE., and early translated into Persian), has Jesus assume the
position of teacher and explain the significance of the twenty-two
letters of the "Hebrew" alphabet. Jesus' bewildered tutor takes the
learned child back to his mother, telling her that he is in no need
of instruction.
This
following version of the story of Jesus' first day at school is
translated from an Arabic recension of Muhammad b. Abdu'lláh Kisá 'i's
Qisas al-anbiyyá (Tales of the prophets, 13th cent.
CE., and early translated into Persian), has Jesus assume the
position of teacher and explain the significance of the twenty-two
letters of the "Hebrew" alphabet. Jesus' bewildered tutor takes the
learned child back to his mother, telling her that he is in no need
of instruction.
"Mary took Jesus to a teacher. The teacher asked, "What is your name?"
Say the alphabet," said the teacher. "What is the alphabet?" asked Jesus.
"I do not know," he replied. Then said Jesus, "Get up from your place so I may sit there, and I
shall teach you the explanation of the alphabet." The teacher got up,
and Jesus sat down and said, "The alphabet begins with four letters,
alif, be, jim and dal:
- [1] Alif: Allāh, "God";
- [2] Be: Bahā Allāh, "God's splendour";
- [3] Jim: Jalāl
Allāh, "God's awesomeness";
- [4] Dāl: Din Allāh, "God's religion";
- [5] He: Huwa
Allāh, "He is God";
- [6] Wāw: Waylat Allāh, "God's woe";
- [7] Zayn: Zabāniyat al-kāfirin,
"the myrmidons of infidels";
- [8] Hā: Hitta li'l-khāti'ín, "forgiveness for
those in error";
- [9] Ṭā': Shajarat Túbā li'l-mu'minín, "the Tuba tree for
believers";
- [10] Ya: Yad Allāh 'alā khalqihi ajam'ín, "God's hand over all of
his creation";
- [20] Kaf: Kalām Allāh, "God's Word";
- [30] Lam: Liqā' Allāh,
"meeting God";
- [40] Mim: Mālik yawm al-dín, "the king of the Day of
Resurrection";
- [50] Nun: Nūr Allāh, "God's light";
- [60] Sin: Sunnat Allāh, "God's
path";
- [70] 'Ayn: 'Ilm Allāh, "God's knowledge";
- [80] Fa: Fi'l Allāh, "God's
action";
- [90] Sad: Sidq Allāh fi wa'dih, "God's sincerity in His promise";
- [100] Qaf: Qudrat Allāh, "God's might";
- [200] Ra: Rabúbiyyat Allāh, "God's
divinity";
- [300] Shin: Mashí'at Allāh, "God's will";
- [400] Te: Ta'allā Allāh'ammā
yashkurún, "God is more exalted than that for which he is thanked."
- The teacher said to him, "You have done very well, Jesus." He took
him to his mother and said, "Your child did not need a teacher."
( REVISED TRANS. FROM Thackston,
The Tales of the Prophets of al-Kisa'i, 332-33).
The son of
'Adi related on the authority of Abii Sa'id al-Khadri a tradition [from
the Prophet Muhammad] that when his mother handed over Jesus, son of
Mary, to the school that one should teach him, the teacher said to him,
"Write Bismillāhi (In the name of God)." Jesus said to him [the
teacher], 'What is Bismi (in the name)?" The teacher replied, "I do not
know." Then Jesus said, "[The letter] B' is Bahā' Allāh [the glory of
God], and [the letter] sin is Santhu [His grandeur], and [the letter]
mirn is Mulkuhu [His Kingdom], and Allāh is the God of gods. And al-Rahmān
[the Merciful] means merciful in this world and the next; and al-Rahim
means Compassionate in the next world, . . . [etc.]"
= Cited in J. Robson, Christ
in Islam (London: John Murray, 1929) p. 92. The version of this
tradition translated by Robson is closely parallel to that in al-Tha'labi's
well-known Qisas al-Anbiyā' (4th ed. [Cairo] 1382 A.H., p. 522).
A more or less parallel version of
the Tha`labi narrative cited above is to be found in the Bihar al-anwar
of Muhammad Bāqir Majlisī (Tehran: Dār al-kutub al-Islāmiyya,
n.d.) Vol.14, pp. 286-87) there is recorded a version of the story of
Jesus' first day at school. Here Jesus is represented as explaining the
abjad arrangement of the Arabic alphabet, the following eight meaningless words
which act as a mnemonic device for remembering the numerical values of
the letters:
The first six "words"
of this abjad configuration are expounded by Jesus as if they
represent the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet:
A
version transmitted through Muhammad al-Baqir (d. ADD/ 732)
In yet another version of the story of Jesus' first day at school (as
a seven-month old baby!), which is attributed to the fifth Shi'i Imām,
Muhammad b. 'Alí Bāqir (d. / 732).
Translated below from
the Kitāb
al-nubuwwat in Mullā
Muhammad Bāqir Majlisí, Bihar al-anwār (Tehran: Dār al-kutub al-Islāmiyya,
n.d.) (Vol.14, pp. 286-87). the story of
Jesus' first day at school presents Jesus as explaining the abjad
arrangement of the Arabic alphabet -- eight meaningless words which act as
a mnemonic device for remembering the numerical values of the letters -- as if its first six "words" represent the 22 letters of the Hebrew
alphabet.
Note that in this version of the story of
Jesus' first day at school Jesus is represented as explaining the abjad
arrangement of the Arabic alphabet (eight meaningless words which act as
a mnemonic device for remembering the numerical values of the letters)
as if its first six "words" represent the 22 letters of the Hebrew
alphabet. Contained in of Muhammad
Bāqir Majlisí's Bihār al-anwār (a massive compendium of Shi'i tradition
and learning that was
... Abi Jafar said: "When Jesus son of Mary was born and but a day
old he was as if a child of two months. So when he was seven months old
his mother took him by the hand, brought him to the school (al-kuttāb),
and entrusted him to the teacher (al-mu'addib). The teacher said to him,
'Say: Bismi'llāh al-Rahmān al-Rahim.' So Jesus said, 'Bismi'llāh al-Rahmān
al-Rahim.' The teacher then said to him, 'Say: abjad.' Jesus lifted up
his head and said, 'Do you know what abjad means?' [Outraged, the
teacher] rose up with a thonged whip to strike him [Jesus]. He [Jesus]
said, '0 teacher! Do not strike me if you know [the meaning of abjad];
otherwise ask me so that I can expound [its meaning] for you.' He [the
teacher] said, 'Expound for me!' Jesus said:
Regarding the 4
letters of abjad: A-B-J-D
-
'The [letter]
alif signifies the benefits of God (ālā' Allāh);
-
the bā', the delight of God (bahjat Allāh);
-
the
jim, the beauty of God (jamāl Allāh); and
-
the dāl, the religion (or judgement) of God (dín Allāh)
In Hawwaz [letters five through seven]:
H-W-Z
-
the [letter]
hā' signifies
the fear of hell (hawl jahannam),
-
the wāw, "Woe unto the people of the Fire" (wail li-ahl al-núr),
-
and the
zā', the moaning of [those in?] hell (zafír jahannam).
Ḥuttī [i.e., letters eight through ten]
Ḥ-Ṭ-Y
signifies that the sins (khatāya)
of the penitents have been absolved.
-
Kaliman
[i.e., letters eleven through fourteen] signifies the
speech of God (kalām Allāh): "There is no alteration for His words (kalimātahu)."
-
Sa'fas [i.e., letters fifteen through eighteen] signifies
"measure for measure and portion for portion (sa' bi-sa' wa'l-jaza'
bi'l-jaza') ."
-
Qarishat [i.e., letters nineteen through twenty-two] signifies
"their collecting (qarshuhum) and their assembling (hashruhum).
[Having heard Jesus' words] the teacher said [to Jesus' mother],
`O thou woman! Take your son by the hand [i.e., take him home]. He knoweth and standeth not in need of a teacher."[26]
A similar version of Jesus' first day at school is referred to
by E. Sell and D. S. Margoliouth in an article entitled "Christ in
Mohammedan Literature" (in A Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, Vol.
II [Edinburgh, 1909]) — again attributed to the 5th Shi'i Imām:
Jesus was so intelligent that, when
nine months old, his mother sent him to school. The master said the
Bismi'llāh — " In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate" —
which the child at once repeated after him. The Master then gave a
number of words to be read, of which the first was abjad. Jesus wished
to know why he should do this, upon which the master became angry and
struck him. The child said: "If you know explain; if you do not, listen.
In abjad, a stands for Allāh la ilah ("there is no God but God"),
b for Bahjat -Allāh ("grace of God"),
j for Jalal-Allāh ("glory of God"), d for
Din-Allāh ("religion of God")". .
A more or less
parallel version of this narrative is found in al-Tha'labi, Qisas al-anbiyā'
(Cairo, 1382 A.H.) pp. 521-22.
EARLY SHAYKHI EXEGESIS
Shaykh Aḥmad al-Aḥsā'ī
(d. Mecca-Medina, 1826)
The
fountainhead of al-Shaykhiyya (Shaykhism), of the Shaykhi school of
Shi`i Islam (see further below), Shaykh Aḥmad al-Aḥsā'ī (d. 1826)
in his Tafsīr sūrat al-tawhīd (Commentary on the Sūra of the
Divine Unity) quotes Imām Ja`far al-Ṣādiq in exposition of the letters
of the basmala; with an alternative explanation of the letter
"M" as majd (Radiance) which is normally mulk (Dominion,
see above):
"I
[Shaykh Ahmad] say that the reality of the Surat al-Tawhid (= Q.
112) relative to its befitting exposition has many facets such
that our level of knowledge proves incapable of penetrating its
depth... it is relayed from Imam al-Sadiq -- upon him be peace
--- that
"The
[letter] "B" (al-bā') is Bahā’-Allāh ("the Glory of God"),
the [letter] "s" (al-sīn) is Sanā'-Allāh ("the Brightness of God")
and the [letter] "m" (al-mīm) is the Majd-Allāh ("the
Radiance of God")". It is [normally] relayed [in the tradition]
that it [the letter "m"] is the Mulk-Allah (Dominion of
God) for [in reality] this corresponds to His (God's)
Logos-Self (nafs) for such is indeed possessed of Bahā'' (Glory...) which
is the [reality of the Divine] Splendor (al-ḍiyā'). And the
intention of this is what precipitated His-its [the
Logos-Self's] Genesis (ibtida') from existence by means of the
Divine Will (min al-wujūd bi-mashiyyatihi). It [the Logos-Self,
etc] is allusive of the Universal Intellect (al-`aql al-kullī)
as is indicated through His [God's]-- exalted be He-- [qur'anic]
saying,
مَثَلُ
نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ
فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ
"The likeness of His Light is as [light streaming from] a Niche
(mishkat) containing a Lamp (al-miṣbāḥ), etc."
(= Q. 24:35a) as well as what is before it of
[the Masters of] Intellect generated Existence (?) (al-wujud
al-`aqliyya) ADD
(T-Tawhid,
3-4).
Not only is the story of Jesus
and the alphabet found in Christian sources, but it exists also
in many different forms in Sunni and Shi'i Islamic literatures.
It is also these Muslim transformations of the Christian story
that have contributed to both the form and the content of the
stories of the Bāb's first day at school (see Lambden, 198X
[8X])
Key Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyā’ (Stories of
the Prophets) works.
(1) The Qisas al-anbiyā' of al-Tha'labi,
Cairo, 1382 A.H.) pp.
521-22.See ADD URL
(2) The Qisas al-anbiyā' (Tales of the prophets)
of Muhammad
ibn `Abd-Allāh al-Kisā'ī's (13th
CE)
This
following version of the story of Jesus' first day at school is
translated from an Arabic recension of Muhammad b. Abdu'lláh Kisá 'i's
Qisas al-anbiyyá (Tales of the prophets, 13th cent.
CE., and early translated into Persian), has Jesus assume the
position of teacher and explain the significance of the twenty-two
letters of the "Hebrew" alphabet. Jesus' bewildered tutor takes the
learned child back to his mother, telling her that he is in no need
of instruction.
"Mary took Jesus to a teacher. The teacher asked, "What is your name?"
Say the alphabet," said the teacher. "What is the alphabet?" asked Jesus.
"I do not know," he replied. Then said Jesus, "Get up from your place so I may sit there, and I
shall teach you the explanation of the alphabet." The teacher got up,
and Jesus sat down and said, "The alphabet begins with four letters,
alif, be, jim and dal:
-
Alif: Allāh, "God";
-
Be: Bahā Allāh, "God's splendour";
-
Jim: Jalāl
Allāh, "God's awesomeness";
-
Dal: Din Allāh, "God's religion";
-
He: Huwa
Allāh, "He is God";
-
Waw: Waylat Allāh, "God's woe";
-
Zayn: Zabāniyat al-kāfirin,
"the myrmidons of infidels";
-
Ha: Hitta li'l-khāti'ín, "forgiveness for
those in error";
-
Ta: Shajarat Túbā li'l-mu'minín, "the Tuba tree for
believers";
-
Ya: Yad Allāh 'alā khalqihi ajam'ín, "God's hand over all of
his creation";
-
Kaf: Kalām Allāh, "God's Word";
-
Lam: Liqā' Allāh,
"meeting God";
-
Mim: Mālik yawm al-dín, "the king of the Day of
Resurrection";
-
Nun: Núr Allāh, "God's light";
-
Sin: Sunnat Allāh, "God's
path";
-
'Ayn: 'Ilm Allāh, "God's knowledge";
-
Fa: Fi'l Allāh, "God's
action";
-
sad: Sidq Allāh fi wa'dih, "God's sincerity in His promise";
-
Qaf: Qudrat Allāh, "God's might";
-
Ra: Rabúbiyyat Allāh, "God's
divinity";
-
Shin: Mashí'at Allāh, "God's will";
-
Te: Ta'allā Allāh'ammā
yashkurún, "God is more exalted than that for which he is thanked."
-
The teacher said to him, "You have done very well, Jesus." He took
him to his mother and said, "Your child did not need a teacher."
( REVISE THIS
TRANS. -- trans, Thackston,
The Tales of the Prophets of al-Kisa'i, 332-33).
The son of
'Adi related on the authority of Abii Sa'id al-Khadri a tradition [from
the Prophet Muhammad] that when his mother handed over Jesus, son of
Mary, to the school that one should teach him, the teacher said to him,
"Write Bismillāhi (In the name of God)." Jesus said to him [the
teacher], 'What is Bismi (in the name)?" The teacher replied, "I do not
know." Then Jesus said, "[The letter] B' is Bahā' Allāh [the glory of
God], and [the letter] sin is Santhu [His grandeur], and [the letter]
mirn is Mulkuhu [His Kingdom], and Allāh is the God of gods. And al-Rahmān
[the Merciful] means merciful in this world and the next; and al-Rahim
means Compassionate in the next world, . . . [etc.] |
