View source for Ahsana al-Hadith

'''Ahsana Al-Hadith''' was the original term for a collection of responsa in letters which had been delivered by someone called Gabriel perhaps to the man referred to as Mahmet son of Ishmael by Sebeos. They were from an Idumean religious authority who clearly considered himself to conduit of the infallible speech of Angel Metatron. It has to be made clear that the Idumean Red Jews did not have positive views on other Karaite Jews who also have references where the voice of Metatron speaks out against Edom in return. Here below is a construction ow what such an exchange might have looked like:

'''Mahmet son of Ishmael:''' Greetings Gabriel

'''Gabriel the Postman:''' Greetings Mahmet, I bring you good news. Michael the Vicar of Christ has sent a reply in his own hand.

'''Mahmet son of Ishmael:''' Thank you Gabriel

'''Gabriel the Postman:''' You are most welcome.  Here you are, his reply follows your letter which I return here with it for your records: 

“O Venerable Authorities,

Our reader read the key passages as commanded from the Lectionary for some Adoptionists who my deacons and subdeacons had invited to a liturgy. Their Wisemen accepted the wisdom in them and sent peace offerings, and their manners pleased me. We prayed together and they said “Amen” (2:14). Nevertheless, after that I began to notice there was no change in their communities. Moreover, when I gave them our interpretation using the Infancy Gospel and other Mishah and invited them to obey The Father and his Eucharist the Monogene Son, Jesus Christ born of Mary, they burst out laughing (43:57) and began to shout. 

The Royalists said any Messiah is the son of The Father and the Karaites said only a Homeborn Israelite is the Father’s child (9:31). They mocked our beliefs saying that we say The Father bore offspring and The Father is the Christ, born of Mary. My arguments didn’t seem to persuade them at all. What do you suggest I tell them? Also, and please forgive me for even repeating their monstrosity but the Karaites and Royalists say that only they are Father’s children, and his beloved! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I said Romans, chapter 9, proves otherwise: “In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are The Father’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.”  
They have begun to tell my congregants: “you must be either Karaites or Royalists and only then you will be guided” and that we are gone astray and that I am getting all of these ideas from Heraclius! Moreover they also criticize us for our Apostate ancestry. 

Finally, some of them come to mock me saying I am The Father’s Eucharist, others are saying they are prophets descended from Patibilis. Have you any advice on how to respond to that? Any help would be much appreciated. 

Your humble servant

Mahmet The Sabi son of Ishmael. “

“From Vicar Michael to Mahmet our faithful Servant

By the Most Kind, Most Merciful Name of the Father (27:30)

O Prester Obediah, our obedient nabi,

We received your letter yesterday and it seems you are confused on how to respond to the Royalists and other Karaites concerning the one true faith. 

O Nabi to the Umot HaOlam, 

Always˺ be mindful of The Father, and do not yield to the disbelievers and the hypocrites (33:1). 

Say unto your congregants, these people are not believers, but disbelievers. You need to put them straight. Make it absolutely clear to them that we agree that “they are surely disbelievers who say, The Father is the Christ, the son of Mary." Say, "who then would be the one to have power over The Father since he willed the Christ son of Mary to die, and his mother, and everyone on earth?" To The Father belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and what is between them. He creates whatever He wills, and The Father has power over everything. 

I would suggest that you memorise these words so that you can repeat them when challenged.  

Make it very clear that the Father did not give birth to Jesus neither was The Father born of the virgin. (112)

And they say, ´The Father has adopted offspring?´ Glory be to Him! He has no need! Everything in the heavens and everything on the earth belongs to Him! Say have you authority to say this or are you saying about The Father what you do not know? I think when you ask them for proof they will quickly realise that we are right and they are wrong. I think when you point out how powerful The Father really is they will drop this silly belief they have that The Father adopts offspring and come over to our side. 

We know they say that it is just a man that teaches you but the tongue of the one to whom they falsely allude is foreign while this is in intelligible Arabic language.

You tell me that the Karaites and the Royalists say, "We are the children of The Father, and His beloved." Say, "Why then does He punish you for your sins?" In fact, you are humans from among those He created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. To The Father belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and what lies between them, and to Him is the return.” Again, memorise this by heart so you have it well rehearsed before you use it. Ask them to open their eyes. I suggest you could give examples from recent events in Jerusalem that will convince them. Remind them that there is a huge distance between them and The Father. 

As for those Arabs who come to you saying Amen, you will find the Arabs to be the worst in hypocrisy and disbelief(9:97). when they are with the believers they say Amen but when they are alone with their devils they say surely we are with you we were just joking (2:14). The concept of our Divine Father makes a mockery of them so they wander on in their contumacy (2:15). Tell them not to say Amen but to say they are Peacemakers because faith has not yet entered into their hearts(49:14).  When the hypocrites come to you, they say, "We testify that you are the The Father’s Eucharist." The Father knows if you are His Eucharist, but the Father testifies that the hypocrites are liars.

No one is The Father’s Eucharist but Mahmad Jesus Patibilis (3:144). Patibilis was not the father of any man but he is the Eucharist of the Father and the seal of all the Prophets. It is not for any prophet to say that which we have not ordained.

And they say, "Be Karaites or Royalists then you would be guided." They are full of contradictions which covered up the true meaning of the Torah. The Karaites twist the meaning of the Lectionary with their tongues (Q3:77-79). And are the Royalists guided by their mystic masters claiming to be God’s will clothed in human flesh?! They have taken their teachers as lords instead of The Father and the Messiah born of Mary even though they were told to worship one God (9:31). Say, "Rather, the religion of Abraham also descended from Apostates, he was a peacemaker and he was not an idolater." That should put them straight! They say they know but they don’t know. If they do not accept our words then I will come to them and make war against them and The Father will cast them into hellfire.

We hope that this advice will make your path more clear

Yours

Michael al-Khalifah”