Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from al-Hassan ibn Ibrahim from Yunus from Hisham ibn al-Hakam about the narration of Burayh with whom he came to abu 'Abdallah (a. s.) but they
met abu al-Hassan Musa ibn Ja'far (a.s.).
Hisham explained to the Imams (a.s.) about Burayh. When he finished abu al-Hassan (a.s.) asked, "O Burayh, how is your knowledge of your book?" He rplied, "I know it." The Imam (a.s.) then
asked, "What is the degree of your confidence in its interpretation?" He said, "Not so much."??? The narrator has said, "Abu al-Hassan then begun to read (from) the Gospel.
Burayh then said, "It is you whom I was searching for fifty years or someone like you." He has said that Burayh accepted the faith and also the lady who was with him." Burayh and Hisham and
the lady then came to abu 'Abdallah (a.s.). Hisham informed the Imam (a.s.) about what had happene between Burayh and abu al-Hassan (a.s.).
Abu 'Abdallah (a.s.) then said, "The generations that are from each other and Allah hears and knows best." Burayh then asked, "How have possessed the Torah and the Gospel and the books if
the prophets?" The Imam (a.s.) said, " We receive them as in the form of inheritance from them.
We read them as they would read them and speak about them as the prophets would do. Allah does grant Divine authority on His earth to those who if questioned would be able to give the right
answer and say I do not know."
H 606, Ch. 34, h 2
Ali ibn Muhammad and Muhammad ibn al-Hassan have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Bakr ibn Salih from Muhammad ibn Sinan from Mufaddal ibn 'Umar who has said the following. "We went to abu
'Abdallah (a.s.) and wanted permission. We heard him speaking in a none Arabic language and we thought it was Suryani (0r Syrian) language.
The Imams (a. s.) then wept and we did so because of his weeping. A boy then came out to give us permission for a meeting. In the meeting I asked him, "May Allah keep you well, we came to
ask permission for a meeting and we heard you speak in a none Arabic language and we thought it was Suryani language.
Then we heard you weeping and because of that we also wept." The Imams (a.s.) said, "Yes, I remembered prophet Ilyas, one of the Israelite prophets and devoted in worship. I then said what
he used to say in his prostration.
He then went into it in Suryani language. Swearing to Allah, we had not seen any monk or minister as eloquent in it as he in it. He then explained it to us in Arabic, "Ilyas would say in
his prostration, 'O Lord, will I find you punish me although you know of thirst in the heat of the midday? Will I find you punish me although you know that I rub my face on earth to worship
you?
Will I find you punish me although you know that I give up sins for you? Will I find you punish me although you know that I stay awake all night just for you?" The Imams (a.s.) then said,
"Allah then told him through inspiration, "Rise your head from the earth. I will not punish you."
The Imams (a.s.) then said that he said to Allah, "What if say, "I will not punish you but then you punished me? Am I not your slave and you are my Lord." The Imams (a.s.) said, "Allah then
spoke to him through inspiration, "Rise your head. I will not punish you because when I promise I then keep My promise."
