Chapter 12-Imam 'Ali's (a) Comparison with Prophet Jesus (a)

Chapter 12 

Imam ‘Ali’s (‘a) Comparison with Prophet Jesus (‘a)

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 Ibn Hanbal says:

 ‘Abdullāh bin Ahmad has related to us from Abu al-Harth Surayj bin Yunus from Abu Hafs Abbār from Hakam bin ‘Abd al-Malik from Harth bin HasÄ«rah from AbÄ« Sādiq from RabÄ«‘ah bin Nājidh from (Imam) ‘AlÄ« (‘a), who narrates:

 The Messenger of Allah (S) told me:

 “FÄ«ka mathalun min ‘Isā, abghazathu al-Yahud hattā bahatu ummahu, wa ahabbathu al-Nasārā hattā anzaluhu bi al-manzilati allatÄ« laysa bih (You are like Jesus. The Jews hated him so much that they slandered his mother, and the Christians because of their extreme devotion to him placed him in a position which was not his.”

 Then (Imam) ‘AlÄ« (‘a) said:

 n yahmiluhu shan’ānÄ« ‘alā an yabhatanÄ« (Two persons [groups] are doomed concerning me; the devoted extremist exalting me to what I am not, and the spiteful hater bearing malice towards me and slandering me).[53]

 The annotator of the Musnad considers the isnād of this hadith as hasan (fair).

 
Notes:

[53] Al-Musnad, hadith no. 1376 and also hadith no. 1377 with a slight variation in its text and a different chain of authority (Ahmad Shākir).