A debate between a Christian scholar and Imam Reza (PBUH&HP)

Part 1

Imam Reza (PBUH) -the eighth infallible successor of the final holy
Prophet (PBUH&HP)- was taken, against his will, from Medina to
the city of Marv by Ma'moon, the Abbasy ruler of the time. On the one
hand, Ma'moon -whom the love for money and power had encompassed his
soul- knew in his heart that the God-chosen leader of Muslims at that
time was Imam Reza (PBUH); but the true acceptance of this undeniable
fact would have meant, giving up his usurped ruler-ship. On the other
hand, although Ma;moon was totally aware of many Hadithes from the
Prophet Mohammad (PBUH&HP) which emphasized on the rightfulness
of Imam Reza (PBUH), but Ma'moon had not truly comprehended the
extent of Imam Reza's Divinly Bestowed Knowledge. Thus, Ma'moon
invited the top scholars of all religions to have debates with Imam
Reza (PBUH); but Ma'moon soon found out that the Imam's Knowledge was
not comparable to any one and no one could ever defeat the Imam ;
Imam Reza(PBUH)was the absolute winner, in every single debate.
Ma'moonn realized that he could never compete with the Imam and he
became more certain that he had to get rid of the Imam ....

The following is a part of one of the debates which Imam Reza (PBUH) had
with a group of scholars. Here Imam Reza (PBUH) -in order to make the
Christin scholar think and to direct his thought to the correct
result- at first, expressed a questionable statement* regarding
Prophet Jesus (PBUH) and therefore, led the Christian scholar to
understand the true value and status of Prophet Jesus(PBUH); let us
read together:

Imam
Reza (PBUH) to the Christian scholar: Swear to Allah, we believe
in the Jesus(PBUH) whom Mohammad (PBUH&HP) believed in; we have
no objection to Jesus except for his weakness and his scant praying
and fasting.*

Gaathliq
(Christian scholar): Swear to God, you just corrupted your knowledge and weakened your matter and
argument; I had thought that you were the most knowledgeable person
among Muslims!

Imam Reza (PBUH): How come! Why do you say that?

Gaathliq:
You are saying that Jesus was weak and he prayed and fasted so
little; while, not a day of Jesus's life went by, without fasting and
not a night, without staying up and praying; Jesus fasted every day
and stayed awake and prayed every night.

Imam Reza (PBUH): for (pleasing) whom, did he fast and pray?!

Gaathliq:
became silent and had nothing to say.

Imam
Reza (PBUH): I want to ask you a question.

Gaathliq:
ask me; If I know its answer, I will reply.

Imam Reza (PBUH): why do you deny that Jesus -by God's Permission (not
on his own)- revive the dead?

Gaathliq:
I deny this because anyone who raises the dead and cures the blind
and heals the leprous, is god and deserves to be worshiped.

Imam Reza (PBUH): Surely, the Prophet Yasa' performed similar acts as
Jesus, he walked on water, raised the dead, healed
the blind and leprous, but his nation did not consider him God and
worshiped him not. Prophet Hezqil “1” (Ezekiel) raised the dead
like Jesus did, too; he revived 35000 people, after being dead for 60
years.

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and God set me out down in the midst of the valley which was full of
bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there
were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And
he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live?
And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me,
Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear
the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones;
Behold, I will cause breath
to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you,
and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put
breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the
Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there
was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone
to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up
upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath
in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind,
prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God;
Come from the four winds,
O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I
prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath
came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an
exceeding great army. ...

(Bible, Old Testament, book of Ezekiel, chapter 37, statement 1 to 10)

to be continued ...