We should note that this passage from the words of God’s prophets is neither the beginning nor the end of their speech; it is only a significant middle section of their compelling proof.
It is narrated from Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) that he said: “I asked him about the interpretation of this verse, and he replied: God sent two men to the people of the city of Antioch. They came to them with something from the true religion that the people did not know. The people treated them harshly, seized them, and imprisoned them in the house of the idols.
“Then God sent a third man. He entered the city and said, ‘Show me the way to the king’s court.’ When he arrived at the court, he said, ‘I am a man who worshipped in a wilderness somewhere on earth, and I would like to worship the king’s deity.’ His words were reported to the king, who said, ‘Take him into the house of the gods.’ So they took him there, and he stayed for a year with his two companions. Then he said to them, ‘Can a people be brought from one religion to another through harshness and force? Should you not have treated them with gentleness and forbearance?’ Then he said to them, ‘Do not let them know who I am.’
“After that, they brought him before the king. The king said to him, ‘I have heard that you worshipped my deity. From now on, you are my brother, so tell me what you need.’ He replied, ‘O king, I have no need. But I saw two men in the house of the gods. What is their story?’ The king said, ‘They are men who came to me, declared my religion false, and called me to worship the God of heaven.’ The man said, ‘O king, arrange a fair debate. If they are in the right, we will follow them; and if we are in the right, they will embrace our religion. They will have the same rights as we do, and bear the same obligations.’
“The king then sent someone to fetch the two men. When they came before him, their fellow prisoner asked them, ‘What have you brought?’ They replied, ‘We have come to call him to worship the God who created the heavens and the earth, creates in the wombs whatever He wills, and fashions as He wills; who makes trees and fruits grow, and sends down rain from the sky.’
“The man asked them, ‘Can the deity you call us to worship restore the sight of a blind person, if we bring one here?’ They replied, ‘If we ask Him to do so, He will do it, if He wills.’ The man said, ‘O king, bring me someone who has been blind from birth.’ So they brought him. The man said to the two, ‘Ask your deity to restore this man’s sight.’ They stood up and performed two units of prayer, and suddenly his eyes opened; he was looking up at the sky.
“The man said, ‘O king, bring me another blind person.’ They brought one, and the man prostrated himself. When he raised his head, the blind man could see. Then he said, ‘O king, proof against proof. Now bring me someone who is paralyzed.’ They brought one, and he said to the two, ‘Do as you did before.’ They prayed and called upon God, and suddenly the paralyzed man’s legs were restored. He stood up and walked.
“The man said, ‘O king, bring me another paralyzed person.’ They brought one, and he did with him as he had done the first time. The man was healed and began to walk. Then he said, ‘O king, those two have brought two proofs, and we have brought the like of them. But one thing remains. If they can do it, I will join their religion.’ Then he said, ‘O king, I have heard that you had a son who died. If their deity brings him back to life, I will join their religion.’ The king replied, ‘I will join you in that too.’ Then he said to the two men, ‘One test remains. The king’s son has died, so ask your deity to bring him back to life.’”
Then the two men prostrated themselves and remained in prostration for a long time. At last they raised their heads and said to the king, “Send someone to your son’s grave. You will find him risen from it, God willing.” The people went out to look and found him climbing out of his grave, brushing the dust from his head. They brought him before the king, who recognized him as his son.
“My son,” he asked, “what happened to you?”
“I was dead,” his son replied, “when I saw two men in the presence of my Lord, prostrating themselves and asking Him to bring me back to life. So He brought me back.”
“My son, would you recognize them if you saw them?” asked the king.
“Yes,” he said.
They then led everyone out together into the open country. People passed before the prince one by one, while his father urged him, “Look.” Each time, he answered, “No.” After a great many had passed, he saw one of the two men and said, “That is one of them,” pointing to him. Many more people passed, until he saw his former cellmate and said, “And that is the other.”
Then the man who had been with the two of them said, “As for me, I have believed in your God, and I know that what you have brought is the truth.”
The king said, “I, too, believe.” And all the people of his realm believed.
عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ تَفْسِيرِ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ، فَقَالَ: بَعَثَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ رَجُلَيْنِ إِلَى أَهْلِ مَدِينَةِ أَنْطَاكِيَةَ فَجَاءَاهُمْ بِمَا لَا يَعْرِفُونَ فَغَلَّظُوا عَلَيْهِمَا فَأَخَذُوهُمَا وَ حَبَسُوهُمَا فِي بَيْتِ الْأَصْنَامِ، فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ الثَّالِثَ فَدَخَلَ الْمَدِينَةَ فَقَالَ أَرْشِدُونِي إِلَى بَابِ الْمَلِكِ قَالَ:
فَلَمَّا وَقَفَ عَلَى الْبَابِ قَالَ: أَنَا رَجُلٌ كُنْتُ أَتَعَبَّدُ فِي فَلَاةٍ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَ قَدْ أَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أَعْبُدَ إِلَهَ الْمَلِكِ، فَأَبْلَغُوا كَلَامَهُ الْمَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: أَدْخِلُوهُ إِلَى بَيْتِ الْآلِهَةِ فَأَدْخَلُوهُ فَمَكَثَ سَنَةً مَعَ صَاحِبَيْهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُمَا: بِهَذَا يُنْقَلُ قَوْمٌ مِنْ دِينٍ إِلَى دِينٍ بِالْخُرْقِ أَ فَلَا رَفَقْتُمَا؟ ثُمَ قَالَ لَهُمَا: لَا تُقِرَّانِ بِمَعْرِفَتِي، ثُمَّ أُدْخِلَ عَلَى الْمَلِكِ فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ كُنْتَ تَعْبُدُ إِلَهِي فَلَمْ أَزَلْ وَ أَنْتَ أَخِي فَسَلْنِي حَاجَتَكَ، فَقَالَ: مَا لِي مِنْ حَاجَةٍ أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ وَ لَكِنْ رَأَيْتُ رَجُلَيْنِ فِي بَيْتِ الْآلِهَةِ فَمَا حَالُهُمَا؟ قَالَ الْمَلَكُ: هَذَانِ رَجُلَانِ أَتَيَانِي بِبُطْلَانِ دِينِي وَ يَدْعُوَانِّي إِلَى إِلَهٍ سَمَاوِيٍّ فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ مُنَاظَرَةٌ جَمِيلَةٌ فَإِنْ يَكُنِ الْحَقُّ لَهُمَا اتَّبَعْنَاهُمَا وَ إِنْ يَكُنِ الْحَقُّ لَنَا دَخَلَا مَعَنَا فِي دِينِنَا وَ كَانَ لَهُمَا مَا لَنَا وَ عَلَيْهِمَا مَا عَلَيْنَا، قَالَ: فَبَعَثَ الْمَلِكُ إِلَيْهِمَا فَلَمَّا دَخَلَا إِلَيْهِ قَالَ لَهُمَا صَاحِبُهُمَا: مَا الَّذِي جِئْتُمَا بِهِ؟ قَالا: جِئْنَا نَدْعُوهُ إِلَى عِبَادَةِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَ الْأَرْضَ، وَ يَخْلُقُ فِي الْأَرْحَامِ مَا يَشَاءُ، وَ يُصَوِّرُ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ وَ أَنْبَتَ الْأَشْجَارَ وَ الثِّمَارَ وَ أَنْزَلَ الْقَطْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ، قَالَ: فَقَالَ لَهُمَا: إِلَهُكُمَا هَذَا الَّذِي تَدْعُوَانِ إِلَيْهِ وَ إِلَى عِبَادَتِهِ إِنْ جِئْنَا بِأَعْمَى يَقْدِرُ أَنْ يَرُدَّهُ صَحِيحاً؟ قَالا: إِذَا سَأَلْنَاهُ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ فَعَلَ إِنْ شَاءَ، قَالَ: أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ عَلَيَّ بِأَعْمَى لَمْ يُبْصِرْ شَيْئاً قَطُّ، قَالَ: فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُمَا: ادْعُوَا إِلَهَكُمَا أَنْ يَرُدَّ بَصَرَ هَذَا، فَقَامَا وَ صَلَّيَا رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَإِذَا عَيْنَاهُ مَفْتُوحَتَانِ وَ هُوَ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَقَالَ أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ عَلَيَّ بِأَعْمَى آخَرَ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ قَالَ: فَسَجَدَ سَجْدَةً ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَإِذَا الْأَعْمَى بَصِيرٌ، فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ حُجَّةٌ بِحُجَّةٍ، عَلَيَّ بِمُقْعَدٍ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُمَا مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ فَصَلَّيَا وَ دَعَيَا اللَّهَ فَإِذَا الْمُقْعَدُ قَدْ أُطْلِقَتْ رِجْلَاهُ وَ قَامَ يَمْشِي، فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ عَلَيَّ بِمُقْعَدٍ آخَرَ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَصَنَعَ بِهِ كَمَا صَنَعَ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ فَانْطَلَقَ الْمُقْعَدُ.
فَقَالَ: أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ قَدْ أَتَيَا بِحُجَّتَيْنِ وَ أَتَيْنَا بِمِثْلِهِمَا وَ لَكِنْ يَبْقَى شَيْءٌ وَاحِدٌ فَإِنْ هُمَا فَعَلَاهُ دَخَلْتُ مَعَهُمَا فِي دَيْنِهِمَا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: أَيُّهَا الْمَلِكُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّهُ كَانَ لِلْمَلِكِ ابْنٌ وَاحِدٌ وَ مَاتَ فَإِنْ أَحْيَاهُ إِلَهُهُمَا دَخَلْتُ مَعَهُمَا فِي دَيْنِهِمَا، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ: وَ أَنَا أَيْضاً مَعَكَ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُمَا: قَدْ بَقِيَتْ هَذِهِ الْخَصْلَةُ الْوَاحِدَةُ قَدْ مَاتَ ابْنُ الْمَلِكِ فَادْعُوَا إِلَهَكُمَا أَنْ يُحْيِيَهُ قَالَ فَخَرَّا سَاجِدَيْنِ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ أَطَالا السُّجُودَ ثُمَّ رَفَعَا رُءُوسَهُمَا وَ قَالا لِلْمَلِكِ ابْعَثْ إِلَى قَبْرِ ابْنِكَ تَجِدْهُ قَدْ قَامَ مِنْ قَبْرِهِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ قَالَ فَخَرَجَ النَّاسُ يَنْظُرُونَ فَوَجَدَهُ قَدْ خَرَجَ مِنْ قَبْرِهِ يَنْفُضُ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ التُّرَابِ، قَالَ فَأُتِيَ بِهِ إِلَى الْمَلِكِ فَعَرَفَ أَنَّهُ ابْنُهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ: مَا حَالُكَ يَا بُنَيَّ؟ قَالَ: كُنْتُ مَيِّتاً فَرَأَيْتُ رَجُلَيْنِ بَيْنَ يَدَيْ رَبِّي السَّاعَةَ سَاجِدَيْنِ يَسْأَلَانِهِ أَنْ يُحْيِيَنِي فَأَحْيَانِي، قَالَ: يَا بُنَيَّ تَعْرِفُهُمَا إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمَا؟ قَالَ:
نَعَمْ، قَالَ: فَأَخْرَجَ النَّاسَ جُمْلَةً إِلَى الصَّحْرَاءِ فَكَانَ يَمُرُّ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ رَجُلٌ فَيَقُولُ لَهُ أَبُوهُ انْظُرْ فَيَقُولُ: لَا، ثُمَّ مَرُّوا عَلَيْهِ بِأَحَدِهِمَا بَعْدَ جَمْعٍ كَثِيرٍ فَقَالَ: هَذَا أَحَدُهُمَا وَ أَشَارَ بِيَدِهِ إِلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ مَرُّوا أَيْضاً بِقَوْمٍ كَثِيرِينَ حَتَّى رَأَى صَاحِبَهُ الْآخَرَ فَقَالَ: وَ هَذَا الْآخَرُ قَالَ: فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَاحِبُ الرَّجُلَيْنِ أَمَّا أَنَا فَقَدْ آمَنْتُ بِإِلَهِكُمَا وَ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ مَا جِئْتُمَا بِهِ هُوَ الْحَقُّ. قَالَ: فَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ: وَ أَنَا أَيْضاً وَ آمَنَ مِنَ أَهْلِ مَمْلَكَتِهِ كُلُّهُمْ.
Tafsīr Nūr al-Thaqalayn, vol. 4, p. 379