… Then, Imam Al-Ridha asked, “Do you know Prophet Habakkuk?”

… ثُمَّ قَالَ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ: هَلْ تَعْرِفُ حَيْقُوقَ النَّبِيَّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ؟

The High Rabbi said, “Yes, I know him very well.”

قَالَ: نَعَمْ، إنّي بِهِ لَعَارِفٌ

The Imam said, “He said the following, which is written there in your Book: ‘God brought down the Clear Statement from Mount Paran. The heavens are filled with glorifications of God, uttered by Ahmad and his community. He will carry his troops at seas just as he carries them on lands. He will bring us a new Book after the destruction of the House of Jerusalem.’

The ‘new Book’ is the Quran.

Did you know this statement and do you believe in it?”

قَالَ: فَإنَّهُ قَالَ، وَكِتَابُكُمْ يَنْطِقُ بِهِ: جَاءَ اللهُ تَعَالى بِالبَيَانِ مِنْ جَبَلِ فَارَانَ، وَامْتَلأَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ مِنْ تَسْبِيحِ أحْمَدَ وَأُمَّتِهِ. يَحْمِلُ خَيْلَهُ فِي البَحْرِ كَمَا يَحْمِلُ فِي البَرِّ، يَأتِينَا بِكِتَابٍ جَدِيدٍ بَعْدَ خَرَابِ بَيْتِ المَقْدِسِ. يَعْنِي بِالكِتَابِ، الفُرْقَانَ. أتَعْرِفُ هَذَا وَتُؤْمِنُ بِهِ؟

The High Rabbi said, “In fact, Prophet Habakkuk did say so. I will not deny his words.”

قَالَ رَأسُ الجَالُوتِ: قَدْ قَالَ ذَلِكَ حَيْقُوقُ النَّبِيُّ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ، وَلا نُنْكِرُ قَوْلَهُ

Imam Al-Ridha added: “David said this in his Psalms, which you also read: ‘O my God! Send him who will establish the religious traditions after cessation.’

Did you know any other prophet than Muhammad who did establish the religious traditions after they had been died out”

قَالَ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ: فَقَدْ قَالَ دَاوُودُ فِي زَبُورِهِ، وَأنْتَ تَقْرَأُهُ: اَللَّهُمَّ ابْعَثْ مُقِيمَ السُّنَّةِ بَعْدَ الفَتْرَةِ. فَهَلْ تَعْرِفُ نِبِيّاً أقَامَ السُّنَّةَ بَعْدَ الْفَتْرَةِ غَيْرَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ؟

The High Rabbi said, “These are undeniably the words of David. However, he meant Jesus. His era was the age of cessation.”

قَالَ رَأسُ الجَالُوتِ: هَذَا قَوْلُ دَاوُودَ نَعْرِفُهُ وَلا نُنْكِرُ، وَلكِنْ عَنِيَ بِذَلِكَ عِيسَى، وَأيَّامُهُ هِيَ الْفَتْرَةُ

Imam Al-Ridha corrected, “No, you are wrong. In fact, Jesus endorsed the religious traditions of the Torah until God took him up to Himself. It is written in the Bible: ‘The son of the pious woman will go, and the Paraclete will come after him. It is he who will preserve the bonds, explain everything to you, and testify to my truth just as I testified to his. I have brought you the examples, and he will bring you the interpretations.’

Do you believe that this statement is in the Bible?”

قَالَ لَهُ الرِّضَا عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ: جَهِلْتَ! إنَّ عِيسَى عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ لَمْ يُخَالِفِ السُّنَّةَ، وَكَانَ مُوافِقاً لِسُنَّةِ التَّوْرَاةِ حَتّى رَفَعَهُ اللهُ إلَيْهِ. وَفِي الإنْجِيلِ مَكْتُوبٌ: إنَّ ابْنَ البَرَّةِ ذَاهِبٌ، وَالبَارْقَلِيطا جَاءَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَحْفَظُ الآصَارَ، وَيُفَسِّرُ لَكُمْ كُلَّ شَيءٍ، وَيَشْهَدُ لِي كَمَا شَهِدْتُ لَهُ. أنَا جِئْتُكُمْ بِالأمْثَالِ وَهُوَ يَأتِيكُمْ بِالتَّأوِيلِ. أَتُؤْمِنُ بِهَذا فِي الإنْجِيلِ؟

The High Rabbi said, “Yes, I do.”

قَالَ: نَعَمْ