The Caliph Who Defied the Coptic Church

Posted on July 5, 2009
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Via: A Moment With Mary

Saint Simon was an ordinary man whose simple faith was of the kind that moves mountains. Humble in his appearance, hard-working, pure of heart and firm in his faith, he was chosen by God to work a great miracle, the moving of Mokattam Mountain in Egypt, while saving his Church and rising up the cross of Christ.

Saint Simon the Shoemaker or the Tanner lived in Egypt towards the end of the tenth century A.D. He was the contemporary of the saintly bishop Abraam the Syrian, who was the 62nd Coptic Pope (975 – 978). Little is known about Simon’s childhood. He probably lived in a small town, Babylon or the Wax Palace (today’s Old Cairo) under the reign of the Fatimid Caliph Al-Muizz. Saint Simon worked in as a tanner and a shoemaker, a widespread trade still exerted in Old Cairo.

An episode of his life explains the event which cost him his eye. One day a woman came into his shop to give him shoes to repair. When she took them off she exposed some of her legs, which Simon looked at lustily. When he came back to his senses, he took one of his pointed tools and thrust it into his eye, taking the commandment of the Lord to the letter: “But I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna” (Mt 5:28-29). The icon of Saint Simon depicts him deprived of his right eye.

Saint Simon led an ascetic life, praying and eating very little-he once said to Patriarch Abraam who questioned him, “I eat little, just enough to stay alive.” He dressed in thread-bare clothing and dedicated most of his time to prayer. At dusk he would leave his work, eat a frugal meal and, in his own words: “… spend the night in prayer.” Each day Saint Simon took care of the elderly and the sick, bringing them water and food. He explained to the patriarch: “I rise early each morning and before going to work, I fill my jug with water and bring some to the aged and sick who don’t have the strength to fetch it themselves?and I distribute bread and food daily to cloistered hermits, men or women?”

Simon the Tanner’s existence could have remained unknown, if an incident at the court didn’t cause a local earthquake?figuratively and effectively. The Caliph was known to invite different religious leaders to debate in his presence. His Islamized Jewish vizier and Pope Abraam were present at one of those meetings and the pope got the upper hand. The Jew sought to embarrass Abraam and quoted the famous verse where the Lord, Jesus Christ, said in Saint Matthew (17:20): “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Caliph Al-Muizz saw a unique opportunity in this debate and ordered Abraam to prove that Christ’s words were true by moving Mokattam Mountain to the east, which would permit the expansion of the new town of Cairo. If he refused or was unable to accomplish this feat he would face two alternatives: either convert to Islam or leave Egypt. The patriarch asked in consternation and obtained an allotted time of three days before giving him an answer. He prayed God to inspire him and appealed to the Coptic people to fast with him for three days, from dawn to dusk, and to pray fervently that God would ward off this test.

The third day at dawn the Virgin Mary appeared to Abraam in a dream and said to him: “Do not fear, faithful shepherd. (?) The tears that you shed in this Church, the fasts and prayers you and your people have offered will not be in vain. Get up and go to the iron gate opening onto the market place. There you will find a one-eyed man carrying a water jar. Through him the miracle will occur.”

The patriarch found the man with the water jug where Our Lady had indicated. After being told the message, Simon replied: “Forgive me, Father, but I am only a sinful man.” Abraam insisted: “It’s an order from Our Mother of Light!” Simon then submitted and answered humbly: “If Our Mother of Light charged me with this mission I am entirely at your service.”

Since the patriarch didn’t know anything about Simon, he asked him some questions, especially why he was up so early at the market place when everybody else was still asleep. Saint Simon reluctantly revealed his true life’s story, pressing Abraam not to tell anyone until after his death. Then Saint Simon explained how the miracle would take place: “You must go to the top of the mountain in a procession with your clergy, holding Bibles and crosses lifted above your heads, with lit candelabra and censers. Ask the caliph to climb the other side of the mountain with his court. As for myself, I will be hidden amongst the people and you will not recognize me.

“You should celebrate the divine mysteries and after the Eucharistic communion you must repeat this invocation: ‘Kyrie Eleison’ (Lord, have pity on us) with all the people, in a spirit of humility and with a broken heart, one hundred times to the East, one hundred times to the West, one hundred times to the North and one hundred times to the South.

“Then, you and the clergy should adore God silently on your knees, with your hands raised to the Most-High. Afterwards, you will rise and trace the sign of the cross over the mountain. Do this three times and you will see the glory of God.”

The patriarch told the Caliph Al-Muizz that with God’s grace he was ready to accomplish his request. The caliph rode to the top of the mountain followed by his court, his high dignitaries and soldiers. The Patriarch Abraam faced him with his clergy and many faithful believers, among whom Simon the Tanner stood. Things happened just as Saint Simon had described and at the first sign of the Cross a great earthquake shook the mountain, which rose and fell. An earthquake accompanied each sign of the Cross. Such is the power of faith, as Saint Paul our master declared: “I can do all things through he who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).

Overcome by fear the caliph and his entourage cried out: “God is great, blessed be his name.” The caliph begged Abraam to cease what he was doing for fear that the town might tumble down, and when the commotion ceased he publicly showed Abraam his respect and endowed him with the right to remain in Egypt. The caliph even allowed him to rebuild or renovate a number of churches, among them Saint Markorios Abu Sifein in Old Cairo. Afterwards, the patriarch turned to look for Saint Simon, but the latter had disappeared and no one could find him (a sign of the saint’s great humility).

To find out more: Church of Saint Simon, Mokattam Mountain, Cairo, Egypt
Tel (202) 5123666/5124080 Fax (202) 5126150
See “The Biography of Saint Simon the Tanner” published by the Church of Saint Simon, Mokattam Mountain, Cairo
Adapted from an article by Mohamed Salmawy published in the weekly AL-AHRAM, March 8, 2000.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of death.
Amen.

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