Tarikh (al-Tabari) 500
Genealogy of Our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Some Accounts of His Forefathers and Ancestors
ابتداء وقوع النصرانية بنجران ابْتِدَاءُ وُقُوعِ النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ بِنَجْرَانَ [ فَيْمِيُونُ وَصَالِحٌ وَنَشْرُ النَّصْرَانِيَّةِ بِنَجْرَانَ ] قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: حَدَّثَنِي الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ أَبِي لَبِيَدٍ مَوْلَى الْأَخْنَسِ عَنْ وَهْبِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ الْيَمَانِيِّ أَنَّهُ حَدَّثَهُمْ: أَنَّ مَوْقِعَ ذَلِكَ الدِّينِ بِنَجْرَانَ كَانَ أَنَّ رَجُلًا مِنْ بَقَايَا أَهْلِ دِينِ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ يُقَالُ لَهُ فَيْمِيُونُ، وَكَانَ رَجُلًا صَالِحًا مُجْتَهِدًا زَاهِدًا فِي الدُّنْيَا، مُجَابَ الدَّعْوَةِ، وَكَانَ سَائِحًا يَنْزِلُ بَيْنَ الْقُرَى، لَا يُعْرَفُ بِقَرْيَةِ إلَّا خَرَجَ مِنْهَا إلَى قَرْيَةٍ لَا يُعْرَفُ بِهَا، وَكَانَ لَا يَأْكُلُ إلَّا مِنْ كَسْبِ يَدَيْهِ، وَكَانَ بَنَّاءً يَعْمَلُ الطِّينَ وَكَانَ يُعَظِّمُ الْأَحَدَ، فَإِذَا كَانَ يَوْمُ الْأَحَدِ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ فِيهِ شَيْئًا، وَخَرَجَ إلَى فَلَاةٍ مِنْ الْأَرْضِ يُصَلِّي بِهَا حَتَّى يُمْسِيَ. قَالَ: وَكَانَ فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ قُرَى الشَّامِ يَعْمَلُ عَمَلَهُ ذَلِكَ مُسْتَخْفِيًا، فَفَطِنَ لِشَأْنِهِ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِهَا يُقَالُ لَهُ صَالِحٌ، فَأَحَبَّهُ صَالِحٌ حُبًّا لَمْ يُحِبَّهُ شَيْئًا كَانَ قَبْلَهُ، فَكَانَ يَتْبَعُهُ حَيْثُ ذَهَبَ، وَلَا يَفْطِنُ لَهُ فَيْمِيُونُ: حَتَّى خَرَجَ مَرَّةً فِي يَوْمِ الْأَحَدِ إلَى فَلَاةٍ مِنْ الْأَرْضِ، كَمَا كَانَ يَصْنَعُ، وَقَدْ اتَّبَعَهُ صَالِحٌ وفَيْمِيونُ لَا يَدْرِي فَجَلَسَ صَالِحٌ مِنْهُ مَنْظَرَ الْعَيْنِ مُسْتَخْفِيًا مِنْهُ، لَا يُحِبُّ أَنْ يَعْلَمَ بِمَكَانِهِ. وَقَامَ فَيْمِيُونُ يُصَلِّي، فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ يُصَلِّي إذْ أَقْبَلَ نَحْوَهُ التِّنِّينُ - الْحَيَّةُ ذَاتُ الرُّءُوسِ السَّبْعَةِ - فَلَمَّا رَآهَا فَيْمِيُونُ دَعَا عَلَيْهَا فَمَاتَتْ، وَرَآهَا صَالِحٌ وَلَمْ يَدْرِ، مَا أَصَابَهَا فَخَافَهَا عَلَيْهِ، فَعِيلَ عَوْلُهُ، فَصَرَخَ: يَا فَيْمِيُونُ، التِّنِّينُ قَدْ أَقْبَلَ نَحْوَكَ، فَلَمْ يَلْتَفِتْ إلَيْهِ، وَأَقْبَلَ عَلَى صَلَاتِهِ حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْهَا، وَأَمْسَى فَانْصَرَفَ. وَعَرَفَ أَنَّهُ قَدْ عُرِفَ، وَعَرَفَ صَالِحٌ أَنَّهُ قَدْ رَأَى مَكَانَهُ، فَقَالَ ( لَهُ: يَا ) فَيْمِيُونُ، تَعْلَمُ وَاَللَّهِ أَنِّي مَا أَحْبَبْتُ شَيْئًا قَطُّ حُبَّكَ، وَقَدْ أَرَدْتُ صُحْبَتَكَ، وَالْكَيْنُونَةَ مَعَكَ حَيْثُ كُنْتَ، فَقَالَ: مَا شِئْتَ أَمْرِي كَمَا تَرَى، فَإِنْ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّكَ تَقْوَى عَلَيْهِ فَنَعَمْ ؟ فَلَزِمَهُ صَالِحٌ. وَقَدْ كَادَ أَهْلُ الْقَرْيَةِ يَفْطِنُونَ لِشَأْنِهِ، وَكَانَ إذَا فَاجَأَهُ الْعَبْدُ بِهِ الضُّرُّ دَعَا لَهُ فَشُفِيَ، وَإِذَا دُعِي إلَى أَحَدٍ بِهِ ضُرٌّ لَمْ يَأْتِهِ، وَكَانَ لِرَجُلِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقَرْيَةِ ابْنٌ ضَرِيرٌ، فَسَأَلَ عَنْ شَأْنِ فَيْمِيُونَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ: إنَّهُ لَا يَأْتِي أَحَدًا دَعَاهُ وَلَكِنَّهُ رَجُلٌ يَعْمَلُ لِلنَّاسِ الْبُنْيَانَ بِالْأَجْرِ. فَعَمَدَ الرَّجُلُ إلَى ابْنِهِ ذَلِكَ فَوَضَعَهُ فِي حُجْرَتِهِ وَأَلْقَى عَلَيْهِ ثَوْبًا، تَمَّ جَاءَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ: يَا فَيْمِيُونُ، إنِّي قَدْ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَعْمَلَ فِي بَيْتِي عَمَلًا، فَانْطَلِقْ مَعِي إلَيْهِ حَتَّى تَنْظُرَ إلَيْهِ، فَأُشَارِطُكَ عَلَيْهِ. فَانْطَلَقَ مَعَهُ، حَتَّى دَخَلَ حُجْرَتَهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: مَا تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَعْمَلَ فِي بَيْتِكَ هَذَا ؟ قَالَ: كَذَا وَكَذَا، ثُمَّ انْتَشَطَ الرَّجُلُ الثَّوْبَ عَنْ الصَّبِيِّ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: يَا فَيْمِيُونُ، عَبْدٌ مِنْ عِبَادِ اللَّهِ أَصَابَهُ مَا تَرَى، فَادْعُ اللَّهَ لَهُ. فَدَعَا لَهُ فَيْمِيُونُ، فَقَامَ الصَّبِيُّ لَيْسَ بِهِ بَأْسٌ. وَعَرَفَ فَيْمِيُونُ أَنَّهُ قَدْ عُرِفَ، فَخَرَجَ مِنْ الْقَرْيَةِ وَاتَّبَعَهُ صَالِحٌ، فَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ يَمْشِي فِي بَعْضِ الشَّامِ إذْ مَرَّ بِشَجَرَةِ عَظِيمَةٍ. فَنَادَاهُ مِنْهَا رَجُلٌ، فَقَالَ: يَا فَيْمِيُونُ؛ قَالَ: نَعَمْ، قَالَ: مَا زِلْتُ أَنْظُرُكَ وَأَقُولُ مَتَى هُوَ جَاءٍ، حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ صَوْتَكَ، فَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّكَ هُوَ، لَا تَبْرَحْ حَتَّى تَقُومَ عَلَيَّ، فَإِنِّي مَيِّتٌ الْآنَ، قَالَ: فَمَاتَ وَقَامَ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى وَارَاهُ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ، وَتَبِعَهُ صَالِحٌ، حَتَّى وَطِئَا بَعْضَ أَرْضِ الْعَرَبِ. فَعَدَوْا عَلَيْهِمَا. فَاخْتَطَفَتْهُمَا سَيَّارَةٌ مِنْ بَعْضِ الْعَرَبِ، فَخَرَجُوا بِهِمَا حَتَّى بَاعُوهُمَا بِنَجْرَانَ وَأَهْلُ نَجْرَانَ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَلَى دِينِ الْعَرَبِ، يَعْبُدُونَ نَخْلَةً طَوِيلَةً بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهِمْ، لَهَا عِيدٌ فِي كُلِّ سَنَةٍ، إذَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ الْعِيدُ عَلَّقُوا عَلَيْهَا كُلَّ ثَوْبٍ حَسَنٍ وَجَدُوهُ، وَحُلِيَّ النِّسَاءِ، ثُمَّ خَرَجُوا إلَيْهَا فَعَكَفُوا عَلَيْهَا يَوْمًا. فَابْتَاعَ فَيْمِيُونُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَشْرَافِهِمْ، وَابْتَاعَ صَالِحًا آخَرُ. فَكَانَ فَيْمِيُونُ إذَا قَامَ مِنْ اللَّيْلِ يَتَهَجَّدُ فِي بَيْتٍ لَهُ - أَسْكَنَهُ إيَّاهُ سَيِّدُهُ - يُصَلِّي، اُسْتُسْرِجَ لَهُ الْبَيْتُ نُورًا حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ مِنْ غَيْرِ مِصْبَاحٍ، فَرَأَى ذَلِكَ سَيِّدُهُ، فَأَعْجَبَهُ مَا يَرَى مِنْهُ، فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ دِينِهِ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ بِهِ، وَقَالَ لَهُ فَيْمِيُونُ: إنَّمَا أَنْتُمْ فِي بَاطِلٍ، إنَّ هَذِهِ النَّخْلَةَ لَا تَضُرُّ وَلَا تَنْفَعُ، وَلَوْ دَعَوْتُ عَلَيْهَا إلَهِي الَّذِي أَعْبُدُهُ لَأَهْلَكَهَا، وَهُوَ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ. قَالَ: فَقَالَ لَهُ سَيِّدُهُ: فَافْعَلْ، فَإِنَّكَ إنْ فَعَلْتَ دَخَلْنَا فِي دِينِكَ، وَتَرَكْنَا مَا نَحْنُ عَلَيْهِ. قَالَ: فَقَامَ فَيْمِيُونُ، فَتَطَهَّرَ وَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ دَعَا اللَّهَ عَلَيْهَا، فَأَرْسَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهَا رِيحًا فَجَعَفَتْهَا مِنْ أَصْلِهَا فَأَلْقَتْهَا، فَاتَّبَعَهُ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ أَهْلُ نَجْرَانَ عَلَى دِينِهِ، فَحَمَلَهُمْ عَلَى الشَّرِيعَةِ مِنْ دِينِ عِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ، ثُمَّ دَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ الْأَحْدَاثُ الَّتِي دَخَلَتْ عَلَى أَهْلِ دِينِهِمْ بِكُلِّ أَرْضٍ، فَمِنْ هُنَالِكَ كَانَتْ النَّصْرَانِيَّةُ بِنَجْرَانَ فِي أَرْضِ الْعَرَبِ قَالَ ابْنُ إسْحَاقَ: فَهَذَا حَدِيثُ وَهْبِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ عَنْ أَهْلِ نَجْرَانَ.
Translation
✧ The beginning of the occurrence of Christianity in Najrān [Faymiyūn, Ṣāliḥ, and the spread of Christianity in Najrān] Ibn Isḥāq said: Al-Mughīrah b. Abī Labīd, the client of al-Akhnaṣ, related to me from Wahb b. Munabbih al-Yamānī that he related to them: That the location of that religion in Najrān came about because a man from the remnants of the people of the religion of Jesus son of Mary, called Faymiyūn, was a righteous man, diligent in worship, abstemious in this world, whose supplication was answered. He was a wanderer who would alight between villages; he was not known in a village but he would leave it for a village where he was not known. He would eat only from the work of his own hands. He was a builder who worked with clay. He venerated Sunday, and when it was Sunday he did no work at all, but went out to a tract of open land and prayed there until evening. He said: He was in one of the villages of Syria performing that work of his in concealment, and a man of its people called Ṣāliḥ became aware of his affair. Ṣāliḥ loved him with a love such as he had never loved anything before. He would follow him wherever he went, and Faymiyūn would not notice him. Until one time he went out on Sunday to a tract of open land, as he used to do, and Ṣāliḥ followed him while Faymiyūn did not know. Ṣāliḥ sat down within sight of him, hiding himself from him, not wanting him to know his place. Faymiyūn stood up to pray. While he was praying, the tannīn — the serpent with seven heads — came toward him. When Faymiyūn saw it, he invoked God against it and it died. Ṣāliḥ saw it, but did not know what had befallen it, and feared for him on its account. His anxiety became great, and he cried out: O Faymiyūn, the tannīn has come toward you! But he did not turn to him, and kept on with his prayer until he finished it, and when evening came he departed. He knew that he had been recognized, and Ṣāliḥ knew that he had seen his place. So he said to him: O Faymiyūn, you know by God that I have never loved anything as I love you, and I have wanted your company and to be with you wherever you are. He said: What do you wish? My affair is as you see. If you know that you can bear it, then yes. So Ṣāliḥ kept close to him. The people of the village had nearly become aware of his affair. When a servant was suddenly afflicted with harm, he would supplicate for him and he would be healed; but if he was summoned to someone who had harm, he would not go to him. A man of the people of the village had a blind son. He asked about Faymiyūn's affair and was told: He does not come to anyone who summons him, but he is a man who does building work for people for hire. So the man took his son and placed him in his room and threw a garment over him. Then he came to him and said to him: O Faymiyūn, I want to do some work in my house, so come with me to it so that you may look at it, and I will make an agreement with you about it. He went with him until he entered his room, then said to him: What do you want to do in this house of yours? He said: Such and such. Then the man snatched the garment off the boy, then said to him: O Faymiyūn, a servant of God's servants has been afflicted with what you see, so supplicate God for him. Faymiyūn supplicated for him, and the boy stood up with no harm upon him. Faymiyūn knew that he had been recognized, so he left the village, and Ṣāliḥ followed him. While he was walking in some part of Syria, he passed by a great tree. A man called out to him from it, saying: O Faymiyūn! He said: Yes. He said: I have kept watching you and saying, when will he come? Until I heard your voice and knew that it was you. Do not leave until you take charge of me, for I am dying now. He said: So he died, and he took charge of him until he buried him, then departed, and Ṣāliḥ followed him, until they set foot in some land of the Arabs. They were attacked. A caravan of some of the Arabs seized them and carried them away until they sold them in Najrān. The people of Najrān at that time followed the religion of the Arabs, worshipping a tall palm tree in their midst, which had a festival every year. When that festival came, they hung upon it every fine garment they found and the women's ornaments, then went out to it and devoted themselves to it for a day. Faymiyūn was purchased by a man of their nobles, and Ṣāliḥ was purchased by another. When Faymiyūn arose at night to perform the night vigil in a house of his — which his master had lodged him in — to pray, the house would be lit up for him with light until morning, without any lamp. His master saw that, and was pleased by what he saw of him, and asked him about his religion. He informed him of it, and Faymiyūn said to him: You are only in falsehood. This palm tree neither harms nor benefits. If I were to invoke my God whom I worship against it, He would destroy it, for He is God alone with no partner. He said: His master said to him: Then do so. If you do it, we will enter your religion and abandon what we follow. He said: So Faymiyūn arose, purified himself, and prayed two rakʿahs, then invoked God against it. God sent a wind against it and uprooted it from its roots and cast it down. Then the people of Najrān followed him in his religion, and he made them adhere to the law of the religion of Jesus son of Mary ﷺ. Then the innovations entered upon them which had entered upon the people of their religion in every land. From that came Christianity in Najrān in the land of the Arabs. Ibn Isḥāq said: This is the account of Wahb b. Munabbih from the people of Najrān.
Grades by grader
No grade is recorded for this wording.