Arab historians have narrated many stories about the monasteries in our region, from Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Jordan and Egypt. These stories include many details about the monks\u2019 lifestyles, their worship, and their detachment from the world and its temptations. Here are excerpts from Arab collections of some interesting stories that tell us about some of the tasks that the monasteries performed for those who came to them.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The monasteries performed great humanitarian duties and good deeds by embracing travelers and passersby, providing them with food, water, and fodder for their animals. Ibn Jubayr tells us about the Christians neighboring Mount Lebanon, saying that \u201cif they saw some Muslims who had been cut off, they would bring them food and treat them well, and they would say, \u2018These are those who have been cut off from God Almighty, so it is necessary to share with them.\u2019\u201d As for Ibn Battuta, the famous traveler, he says: \u201cOutside Latakia, there is the monastery known as the Monastery of Al-Farous, which is the largest monastery in the Levant and Egypt. It is inhabited by monks, and Christians visit it from all over the world. Every Muslim who descends there is hosted by the Christians, and their food is bread, cheese, olives, and vinegar.\u201d There is a strange story about a monastery in Egypt, which Abu Al-Qasim Al-Sabti talks about, saying: \u201cWe saw a number of ropes hanging from the ceiling of this monastery. The monks were asked what they meant? They claimed that they tied the hair of their praying worshippers to it for fear that sleep would overcome them. When we were about to leave this monastery, one of their monks presented us with a plate of barley bread crumbs, chicory leaves, a little vinegar, and a little salt. He claimed that this was the livelihood of the residents of this monastery.\u201d<\/p>\n
People went to the monasteries to seek treatment for some physical diseases. Al-Shabashti tells us: \u201cDeir al-Ala opened a large spring that flows into the Tigris River. There is a time of the year when people go there and bathe in it. They say that it cures scabies and itching, and is beneficial for those afflicted with keratosis (a fungal skin disease) and those afflicted with chronic diseases.\u201d Ibn Fadl Allah al-Umari tells us in his book \u201cMasalik al-Absar\u201d about the Monastery of al-Qayyarah (on the banks of the Tigris in the Mosul region) in which there is a spring and beneath it a great hot spring (a hot spring with intermittent, bubbling water). Anyone who has an illness that has baffled doctors goes there and stays there for five days soaking in its water. He is cured of his illness, is cured of gout (a joint disease), relieves cramps, removes tumors, and heals wounds. Some monasteries were also a refuge for the insane, and the most famous monastery in this regard is the Monastery of \u201cHezekiel\u201d near Basra. Abu al-Mansur al-Tha\u2019alibi, in his book \u201cFruits of Hearts in the Addition and Attribution,\u201d when he mentions the Monastery of \u201cHezekiel,\u201d says about it: \u201cIt is used as an example of a community of insane people, and it is said of the insane that he is from the Monastery of Hezekiel, because it is a refuge for the insane, who are tied up there and treated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some people used to visit monasteries to admire their landmarks, decorations and images. Al-Isfahani says in his book \u201cAdab al-Ghuraba\u201d: \u201cIn Homs there are great churches and ancient ruins that bring peace to the soul, and whoever visits them desires never to leave them\u2026 and in them are wonders of images.\u201d Al-Tha\u2019alibi describes a church in Edessa, saying: \u201cIt was one of the wonders of the world\u2026 and in it are wonders, images, decorations, talismans (obscure lines) and lamps that burn without being lit.\u201d Yaqut al-Hamawi says about the Monastery of al-Rusafa: \u201cI saw it and it is one of the wonders of the world in terms of beauty and architecture.\u201d Shams al-Din Muhammad ibn Ali tells us about the Monastery of al-Qusayr in Egypt, saying: \u201cIt was built by Abu al-Jaysh Khumarawayh ibn Ahmad ibn Tulun, and he used to visit this monastery frequently, admiring the images in it.\u201d As for the Deir al-Ba\u2019uth on the banks of the Euphrates, al-Omari mentions its images, saying: \u201cIn its temple there is an image of exquisite craftsmanship, of wondrous beauty. It is said that it is hundreds of years old, and its pigments have not changed nor have its colors altered.\u201d Yaqut al-Hamawi mentions about the Deir Ba\u2019antal in the town of Jusiya near Homs that it contains wonders, including \u201cdoors in which are images of the prophets engraved and carved, a temple covered with marble on which the foot cannot rest, and an image of Mary on a wall, erect, so that whenever you turn to one side, her eye is upon you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ibn Fadlallah al-Omari describes \u201cDeir Kaftun\u201d saying that it is a monastery in Tripoli built on a mountain. It is a large monastery, and that its construction is \u201cof excellent quality stone and lime, and it has running water\u2026\u201d Many tourists visit it \u201cto see it and take a walk in it.\u201d The historian Muhammad Kurd Ali suggests in his book \u201cKhatat al-Sham\u201d that this monastery is the one known today as \u201cDeir Kaftin.\u201d Al-Omari also describes a monastery called \u201cDeir al-Musalaba\u201d with admiration, saying: \u201cIt is an ancient Roman monastery built of stone and lime, well-crafted\u2026 I entered and saw this monastery. It has Greek images of the utmost beauty of painting and proportion.\u201d Al-Omari himself mentions the Monastery of Saidnaya saying that it is \u201cbuilt by the Romans with white stone, and is known as the Monastery of Our Lady, and it has running water in a pool that was made there\u2026 and Christian sects visit it and come to visit.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is much news, stories and talk about the Arab monasteries that have been forgotten, and those that continue to exist by the grace of the Holy Spirit and are visited by believers to seek blessings and to beg a word of life from those who run them. However, we wanted, through this brief article, to shed light on some pages of the history of our Church, which bears witness to its Lord in this region.<\/p>\n
From my parish bulletin 2005<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u0631\u0648\u0649 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0624\u0631\u0651\u062e\u0648\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0628 \u0627\u0644\u0643\u062b\u064a\u0631 \u0645\u0646 \u0623\u062e\u0628\u0627\u0631 \u0627\u0644\u0623\u062f\u064a\u0627\u0631 \u0641\u064a \u0645\u0646\u0637\u0642\u062a\u0646\u0627 \u0645\u0646 \u0644\u0628\u0646\u0627\u0646 \u0648\u0633\u0648\u0631\u064a\u0627 \u0648\u0641\u0644\u0633\u0637\u064a\u0646 \u0648\u0627\u0644\u0639\u0631\u0627\u0642 \u0648\u0627\u0644\u0623\u0631\u062f\u0646 \u0625\u0644\u0649 \u0645\u0635\u0631. \u0648\u062a\u062a\u0636\u0645\u0651\u0646 \u062a\u0644\u0643 \u0627\u0644\u0623\u062e\u0628\u0627\u0631 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3449,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"2652,2599,801,1529,2655,643,709,1527,968,2321,636,2606","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[1600,981,646,1063],"class_list":["post-1029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-historical-studies","tag-1600","tag-981","tag-646","tag-1063"],"yoast_head":"\n