Extract from the book: Among The Dervishes – by O.M. Burke
1973 – Page 111 and 112 of the 1988 pocket book edition
Tomb of the Messiah Jesus, Son of Mary, in Srinagar, Kashmir.
The Followers of Jesus (in Afghanistan)
The followers of Isa, son of Maryam – Jesus the son of Mary – generally call themselves Moslems and inhabit a number of villages scattered througout the Western area of Afghanistan whose centre is Herat. I had heard of them several times, but considered that they were probably people who had been converted by European missionaries from Eastern Persia, or else that they were a relic of the times when Herat had been a flourishing bishoprie of the Nestorian rite, before the Arabs conquered Persia in the seventh and eight centuries.
But, from their own accounts and what I could observe, they seem to come from some much older source.
I found them through one of the deputies of the Mir of Gazarga, the descendant of Mohammed under whose protection they are. Gazarga is the shrine where Abdullah Ansar, a Sufi mystic and great local saint, is buried in a magnificent tomb formerly much visited by the emperors of India and other notables.
There must be about a thousand of these Christians. Their chief is the Abba Yahiyya (Father John), who can recite the succession of teachers through nearly sixty generations to – Isa, son of Mary, of ‘Nazara’, the Kashmiri.
According to these people, Jesus escaped from the Cross, was hidden by friends, was helped to flee to India, where he had been before in his youth, and settled in Kashmir, where he is revered as an ancient teacher, Yus Asaf. It is from this period of the supposed life of Jesus that these people claim to have got their message.
I had several conversations with the Abba; though, not unnaturally if his story was true, there were few points of Christian doctrine as we know it today that we could recognise.
The Abba lived on a farm, and like all the ‘Christians’ says that their teacher stipulated that his followers should always have a worldly vocation. Jesus, according to this community, was a carpenter and also a shepherd. He had the power to perform miracles, and he did indeed ‘die for the sake of his people’. This death, astonishingly enough, is not the death generally assumed. The death was a real one, but it took place long before Jesus started his mission, and it was as a result of this experience that he met God and was sent back to mankind to warn them of their possible fate if they did not seek love and truth.
The ‘Traditions of the Masih’ (anointed one) is the holy book of the community. They do not believe in the New Testament, or, rather, they say that these Traditions are the New Testament, and that the Gospels which we have are partly true but generally written by people who did not understand the teachings of the Master.
Abba Yahiyya, a towering figure with the face of a saint, was certainly an erudite man, and he knew his own scriptures, plus a great deal of the Jewish writings, very well indeed. He had heard of the teachings of the ‘heretics’ as he called what we would call the various sects of Christians know to us; and he wanted no part of it.
‘My son’, he said, in his softly accented Persian, ‘these people are reading and repeating a part of the story. They have completely misunderstood the message. We have the story told us by the Master, and through Him we will be saved and made whole. Some of the events in that document which you call the Bible are true, but a great deal is made up or imagined or put in for less than worthy reasons. Isa lived for over thirty years after the materials you have were completed, an He told us what was true.
Saving the above video in the Muslim Times, to ensure it for the posterity:
Categories: Ahmadis, Ahmadiyyat: True Islam
Further independent proof of Prophet Issa (Jesus)’s journey to Kashmir, through Afghanistan. (and mentioned just as a ‘by the way fact’ …in this book).
Please do not delete! Freedom of expression!
—According to these people, Jesus escaped from the Cross, was hidden by friends, was helped to flee to India, where he had been before in his youth, and settled in Kashmir, where he is revered as an ancient teacher, Yus Asaf. It is from this period of the supposed life of Jesus that these people claim to have got their message.–
Please do not believe in man, believe in Allah’s word in Al Quran and Bible.
Al Quran and Bible say: Jesus did not escape from enrmy, but Allah has rised him to Heaven.
Al Quran states that all Prophets have died. see: https://www.alislam.org/library/articles/death-of-hazrat-jesus/ Somi may have his own views. ‘there is no compulsion in religion’ …
@ Rafiq. I post Gods verses for you
, “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”;― but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not.― Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. But Allah lifted him towards Himself. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. (158) No one will remain from among the People of the Book but will certainly believe in him before he die. and on the Day of Doom, he shall be a witness against them. (159)Q 4; 157-160.
Allah said in Bible.
The following are a few verses from the Bible on which Christians base their belief that Jesus was crucified on a cross, that he died on that cross, and on that day he was buried in a tomb on the same day.
John 19:38-42. Later, Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for the body of Jesus. Now Joseph was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly because he feared the Jewish leaders. With Pilate’s permission, he came and took the body away.
He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with Jewish burial customs.
At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb, in which no one had ever been laid. Because it was the Jewish day of Preparation and since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.
Matthew 28:5-7
The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”
Based on above verses; the two great religions of Islam and Christianity diverge. Only Allah is the all knowing and the all powerful.
But according to Al Quran and Bible there was similarity that Jesus raised him up unto Himself.
Al Quran and Bible are Gods words
@ Rafiq.. what it means that all prophet have died, yes their body died but their soul still live in Heaven including
all prophets.
But Jesus promised will come back to earth. After 600 years he came as Prophet Muhammad pbuh. It is clear.
Somi: are you reading the Muslim Times properly? You are repeating yourself all the time without – it seems – having read the many articles The Muslim Times provides on this and other subjects.
I read a lot of Ahmadiyyah books Rafiq, since I was young, one of my family was Ahmadiyyah, he often brought some Ahmadiyyah books to convince me. I enjoy to read religious books and I want to know and to find the truth of Islam, Allah’s religion, Abraham’s religion. Si I come to conclusion that the truth if Islam is Progressive Islam, love and justice for all ( including justice for gay lesbian, non Islam, atheist) Islam’s enemy is only syaitan who creat choas and violence.
you are constantly repeating yourself, that is why some of your ‘repeating’ comments are deleted.
According To Al Quran: Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself;
According to Bible: : ‘He has risen from the dead.
Our Question is: How did God raise him up?
Only soul or with his body?
@ Rafiq, you should show me “Love”, by deleting mine is not “love”.
Muslims, You Are Too Late,
Can you elaborate please?