Brihah was a prominent Christian leader who had led them for seventy years. He was well-versed in everything related to Christ (peace be upon him), including the verses, attributes, evidence, and signs associated with him. Brihah was so famous for these qualities that Christians would say: “If there was no one else among the Christians except Brihah, it would have been enough for us.” He had also delved into Islam and read Islamic books.
Brihah was always in search of the truth and Islam. He had a servant woman who would point out the weaknesses in Christianity and the flaws in some of their arguments. She knew that he was investigating Islam.
Brihah decided to inquire about the different Islamic sects to find out who the most knowledgeable person among the Muslims was. He investigated through Muslim leaders and thinkers, but he was not convinced. He said: “If your leaders were right, there should be at least some of the truth with you.”
In the course of his inquiries, he was introduced to the Shia faith, and he heard about the attributes of “Hisham ibn Hakam,” one of the theologians and disciples of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him). Brihah decided to visit him and test him as well.
Hisham ibn Hakam recounts the story for Yunus ibn Abdul Rahman, a companion of Imam Kazim (peace be upon him):
“One day, I was sitting by my shop at the entrance of the Karkh neighborhood [1] when I saw a group of about a hundred Christians. Their leader was Brihah. They stood beside my shop, and Brihah said to me: ‘There is no Muslim scholar or theologian left with whom I have not debated about Christianity. I realized that there is nothing with them. Now, I have come to you to debate about Islam.'”
Yunus continues the story:
“At this point, Hisham laughed and said: ‘O Brihah! If you are asking for miracles like those of Christ, know that I am neither Christ nor like him, nor can I ever approach him, because he had a pure soul, humility, and nobility. His miracles were clear, and his signs are still remembered.'”
The words and descriptions of Hisham about Christ (peace be upon him) astonished Brihah. He began to ask scientific questions, and a debate ensued between them. The details of their discussion are too lengthy to be captured here, but Hisham answered Brihah’s questions patiently and thoughtfully. In the end, Hisham asked a question that made Brihah think so deeply that the Christians dispersed, wishing they had never seen him.
Brihah returned home troubled and deep in thought. His servant asked him: “Why are you upset?” Brihah told her what had happened. The servant said: “Woe to you! Do you want to be on the side of the truth or the side of falsehood?” Brihah replied: “Surely, I want to be on the side of the truth.” The servant said: “Then go wherever you find the truth and avoid stubbornness. Stubbornness leads to doubt, and doubt brings misery. The place of a doubtful person is surely the fire.” Brihah agreed with her and decided to go and visit Hisham again the next day.
The next morning, without any of his companions, Brihah went to see Hisham and asked him: “O Hisham! Is there someone whose opinions you follow, whose words you refer to, and to whom you obey?” Hisham replied: “Yes,” and he began to explain the lineage, purity, knowledge, generosity, bravery, justice, patience, and other qualities of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him). Brihah responded: “It seems you have described Christ (peace be upon him) and proved his truth with his signs, except this person differs from him. But the qualities are his. If these qualities are true, I will believe in him.” Hisham then said: “O Brihah! The Lord has appointed a guide (imam) for the people of past generations, and for people of later times as well. Therefore, the divine guides never become false, and the divine nations do not perish, and the divine traditions do not disappear.” Brihah said: “What a correct and true word. This is one of the virtues of the wise, who provide evidence and eliminate doubt.”
Brihah and his servant, along with Hisham, set off for Medina to meet Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him). On the way, they encountered Imam Musa al-Kadhim, the son and successor of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him). Hisham explained the situation to him. Then Imam (peace be upon him) turned to Brihah and asked: “O Brihah, how much do you know about your own book?” Brihah replied: “I am knowledgeable about it.” The Imam (peace be upon him) asked: “How much do you know about its interpretation and meanings?” Brihah answered: “To the extent of my knowledge.” Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) then began to recite passages from the Gospel. Brihah was so moved by the way the Imam recited that the light of faith illuminated his heart, and he said: “Christ also read like this, and no one but Christ has ever read the Gospel like this. I have been searching for you or someone like you for fifty years.”
At that moment, Brihah, along with his servant, embraced Islam and the teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) due to the blessing of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him). They then proceeded to meet Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) and shared the story with him. Brihah asked Imam (peace be upon him): “How did you acquire the Torah, the Gospel, and the books of the Prophets?”
Imam (peace be upon him) replied: “They are with us, inherited from them. We recite them as they recited and speak as they spoke. God has not left a guide on Earth who, when asked about something, says: ‘I do not know!'”
Brihah remained in the service of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) until his death. He then became a companion of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) and passed away during his time. Imam Musa al-Kadhim (peace be upon him) himself washed and shrouded Brihah’s body, and said: “He was one of my disciples, one of Christ’s companions who acknowledged the truth of God’s message.” His status was such that most of the companions of the Imam (peace be upon him) wished they were like him.[2]
(Excerpt from the book “Tawhid” by Muhammad bin Ali al-Saduq, with some abridgment)
Footnotes:
[1] Karkh is the name of an old neighborhood in the western part of Baghdad. It has been one of the prominent centers of Shia Muslims throughout history.
[2] Al-Tawhid by al-Saduq, page 270, Chapter 37