A literary history of Persia

CHAPTER IXTHE GREAT PERSIANHERESIARCHS OF THIS PERIODTHE active life of the pre-Muslim creeds of Persia, as opposedto outwardly Muhammadan heresies embodying and revivingin new forms pre-Muslim and non-Muslim ideas.Bih-afaridh..finds its latest expression in the Pseudo-ProphetBih-afarfdh the son of Mahfurudhi'n, of whom scantyaccounts are preserved to us in the Fihrist (p. 344)Ai-Bininj's an(j jn al-Bi'ninPs Chronology of Ancient Nationsaccount of him. J J(Sachau's transl., pp. 193-4), whereof the latter isas follows :" In the days of Abu Muslim, the founder of the 'Abbasid dynasty,came forward a man called Bih-afaridh the son of Mahfurudhin inKhwaf, one of the districts of Nishapur, in a place called Sirawand,he being a native of Zawzan. In the beginning of his careerhe disappeared and betook himself to China r for seven years. Thenhe returned, bringing with him amongst other Chinese curiosities agreen shirt, which, when folded up, could be held in the grasp of aman's hand, so thin and flexible it was. He went up to a temple duringthe night, and on descending thence in the morning was observedb) a peasant who was ploughing part of his field. He told this manthat he had been in heaven during his absence from them, that heavenand hell had been shown unto him, that God had inspired him, hadclothed him in that shirt, and had sent him down to earth in thatsame hour. The peasant believed his words, and told people thatPerhaps influenced by the legend of Mani (Manes).308