- The spirit of tolerance in Andalusia led some Christians to embrace Islam or adopt Islamic life.
- The tolerance of Muslims was increasingly enraging fanatic priests and driving them to confrontations, even to the point of suicide.
- Historians who deny the tolerance of Muslims derived their information from ecclesiastical sources that are heavily biased against Islam.
- The fanatics urged young boys to stand at the doors of Cordoba's mosques, cursing Islam and insulting the noble Prophet.
- There was a gradual escalation of punishments for those who incited sedition, starting from temporary detention to sentencing some of them to death with no benefit.
The Spanish Latin document "The Illuminating Guide" is related to a significant event that took place in Andalusia, a rare occurrence in Islamic, Andalusian, and human history. This event occurred in the year 237 AH / 851 AD during the latter days of the emirate of Abd al-Rahman al-Awsat (his rule: 206–238 AH / 822–852 AD), and it pertains to the spread of Islam in Andalusia among the Christian inhabitants of Spain, where many of them converted to Islam willingly of their own free choice. This occurred extensively, and even those who did not convert, known as "Mozarabs," retained their Christian faith while adopting the Arabic language and Islamic ways of life.
From the beginning of the Andalusian conquest, Muslims followed a policy of tolerance and fulfilling promises, in accordance with Islamic principles. The new Muslims were joyful about their conversion, and others who adopted Islamic life served in various state roles, even in the military, and held high positions, enjoying freedom in their worship, judgments, and trade, from which they prospered, just like their Muslim neighbors.
Such an atmosphere led many People of the Book — especially Christians — to greatly embrace Islam, or to adopt Islamic life and the Arabic language. This was all due to the enthusiastic embrace of Islam by their Christian brethren and by others adopting Islamic life, to the extent that their adoption of Islamic customs broadened to include their names and even circumcision. This vast embracing of Islamic customs had diverse and profound implications, leading to a noticeable, unstoppable current, which put fanatic priests and monks into a state of overwhelming psychological turmoil, leaving them unsure of what to do.
Unfortunately, their reactions were not lessons for them to silence their opposition; rather, these developments angered them to the point where their reckless enthusiasm led them to incite trouble in Cordoba. This could have had a significant impact on the community, shaking its existing Islamic foundation. Their desire to incite trouble led some priests to manipulate a group of young boys to assist them in their plans, rather than seeing the Church as a key to goodness, especially since they had not experienced harm from Islam or its people, but rather only good. Instead, they chose to embark on a path toward self-destruction, and those who read Andalusian history can see this clearly without the need for additional evidence.
It is astonishing that the tolerance of Muslims heightened the turmoil of these psychologically troubled fanatic souls — especially some resentful priests — pushing them toward confrontations and insisting upon them, even if it led to suicide, which for them was considered martyrdom and a sacrificial act of religious service and love, as they misguidedly claim.
Some Spanish historians, including even the fanatical ones like "Simonet," acknowledged this tolerant treatment. However, historians who portray a different narrative often rely on ecclesiastical sources that are heavily prejudiced and have little else to support their claims.
Yologius and the Stoking of Provocation
Leading this provoking spirit that incited these acts of self-destruction was the priest "Yologius," who belonged to an illustrious Cordoban family. He was aided in this endeavor by a wealthy young man from Cordoba named "Alvaro the Cordoban," along with a few other fanatic priests and monks. The priest "Yologius" was particularly infatuated with a beautiful girl named "Flora," who had a role to play in this matter.
These individuals adopted a strange approach by using some young Christian boys whom they raised for years with hatred towards Islam based on lies, stirring up animosity against this religion and its noble Prophet, peace be upon him. They taught them how and what to do, such as standing at the doors of mosques in Córdoba at the time Muslims were leaving prayers, insulting Islam and cursing the noble Prophet, peace be upon him, knowing that this would lead them to suicide, which they considered martyrdom, despite being aware of the consequences of such death. Yet, they went ahead with this madness they sought. The judges bore with them for a long time, hoping they would abandon it, and so did the prince and the officials, employing various methods, but to no avail.
This practice began in the year 237 AH / 851 AD, towards the end of the reign of Prince Abd al-Rahman al-Awsat. Interestingly, no one confronted them; rather, they complained to the authorities so that they would be brought before the court. These suicidal acts were repeated despite the judges' ongoing attempts to convince them to abandon it. They continued to insult the Prophet in front of the judges, who endured them for a long time. The one who stirred them up and led them, every time it waned, was the priest "Yologius." The truth is that there was no reasonable cause for these individuals' rush towards death.
Those in charge, especially the judges, tried to quell this sedition with various means and methods; offering advice, gentleness, explaining matters, and clarifying the consequences, but they did not listen.
Some measures were gradually implemented against them, such as temporary detention, followed by release, then imprisonment for a few days for some of them, then light beating, and imprisonment for those who persisted in their actions. None of it worked; rather, they became more defiant by continuously insulting the noble Prophet, peace be upon him, and denigrating Islam and its people, accusing it with the ugliest descriptions. They urged the judge to impose the death penalty on them, even encouraging him to do so!
One or some of them were sentenced to death, yet they did not abandon this crime. They were urged and even pleaded with to cease these actions to save themselves and their companions, but they only repeated those curses with violence, intensity, and insistence in front of the judge and the people. In fact, one of them deceitfully informed the judge that he wanted to convert to Islam and asked the judge to explain the religion to him. When the judge finished, he erupted with fierce insults, putting the judge in a severe predicament. The judge refused to bear the responsibility alone and attributed it to their leader "Yologius," commanding that he be brought before the state council. In this council, some members challenged him and calmed his fury, marveling at how a rational, educated man like him would willingly throw himself between the jaws of death. Then one said to him, "If this were done by a fool or a madman, it wouldn't astonish me, but for someone like Yologius, this is completely astonishing." He then whispered in his ear, saying, "Listen to me, I implore you to yield once to necessity, and to retract what you said before the judge. Just say one word and you'll find yourself free." But he flatly refused.
Despite all this, the judge released "Yologius" and the other priests who were with him. However, the unexpected and surprising event was that other Christians entered Islam in droves: "Many Christians converted to Islam after the groups that entered when the Council of Bishops decided to denounce the suicide incidents deemed martyrdom."
Condemnation by Christians
But why did these individuals resort to such a crazy approach, seeing as Muslims had allowed them to perform their rituals and permitted them to preach and teach without any hindrance? They insisted on provocation and harm as if they took pleasure in it. This harm and the lack of confrontation from Muslims only fueled their agitation, for they sought to confront Muslims actively. All this occurred despite the tolerance and dialogue with them to convince them to stop this harm, to the extent that even some Christians condemned it.
The insistence on incitement through the use of insults to achieve their desired goal of creating discord and chaos in Andalusian society seems clear. This would lead to problems that would make those who converted from Christianity to Islam or accepted Arab culture contemplate renouncing their faith. This indicates an inability to confront through discussion, much like the confusion stemming from their hatred for the spread of Islam and its way of life among others. They appeared willing to invest the costs and troubles, announcing them only to achieve their goal of inciting extreme, blind strife.
From this point, they employed all odd, unacceptable methods to realize their ambitions, but they completely failed. It appears that, with those penalties, this turmoil ended without repercussions; it did not recur in any form for the remainder of Andalusia's period, as it concluded with the killing of their leader "Yologius" on March 11, 859 AD. After this, the others remained silent and free, suffering no harm.
Everyone was astonished by these behaviors, even the Christian populace, due to the foolish fanaticism of their brothers that they had not known before. These Christians began to resent the Muslims for not torturing them! All of this was due to the eagerness of Christians to embrace Islam, and those who did not convert adopted the Islamic way of life and its Arabic language, while they forgot their old Latin language and its literature. This was expressed by "Yologius" himself, who lamented, saying: "Christians are enamored with Arabic poetry and its stories, abandoning the sacred scriptures and the works of saints. What is mournful and saddening is that the new generation knows nothing but Arabic; they read Muslim books with passion, eager to create libraries for them and find them worthy of admiration, while they spare barely a glance at Christian books... Christians have forgotten their language, and it is rare to find one among a thousand who can write a fluent Latin letter. Yet, they can compose beautiful Arabic poetry."
Thus, the allure of Arabic literature captivated them, leading them to disdain the appreciation of Latin texts, writing only in the language of the conquerors. Therefore, the writer "Alvaro," who seems to be considered the most patriotic among most of his peers, weeps over this reality. He was supportive—perhaps financially, without engaging in the foolishness of some priests—writing this historical document relying on the description of the state of Arab-speaking Christians and their tendency to adopt Islamic life and its customs unreservedly, to the extent that he said they avoided the books of Latin monks and that "they were intoxicated or bewitched by the eloquence of the Arabic language."
This was apparently the sole reason that drove these fanatics to undertake their foolish, suicidal reckless movement, as they placed themselves in a predicament from which they could not detach, believing that they would lose everything if they did so in front of their followers and others, knowing well that everything they did was contrary to their religion, as agreed upon by all.
This truth and similar narratives are agreed upon by all Western historians, and they were expressed by the priests who nurtured this strange, foolish strife, which, alongside others, was a major reason they ignited it, despite knowing it would not benefit them at all—in fact, the opposite was true—such that even the Christian converts to Arabic culture found it unworthy and strange, and even the church itself—while sympathizing with them—urged them to cease their actions; a matter acknowledged by those in charge, as expressed in the words of its instigator. This is further elaborated in the unique reference document below, which contains the substance in greater detail.
This document (Indiculus Luminosus), written by the Cordoban bishop "Alvaro" in 240 AH / 854 AD, in Latin, appears in the encyclopedic work "Holy Spain," where you find him in a section mourning the spread of Islam in Andalusia and the conversion of most Christians of his faith to Islam, willingly and lovingly. Even those who did not convert and chose to maintain their faith—for whatever reason or circumstance—adopted the Islamic way of life in all its practices, with a clear self-driven desire. Spanish Christians in the 9th century (3rd Hijri) neglected their inherited traditions in favor of Islamic life, prompting the enthusiastic (fanatical) Christian bishop and writer "Alvaro of Cordoba" in 854 AD to lament bitterly over this situation, writing and saying: "My Christian brothers rejoice in Arabic poetry and stories. They study the sciences of Islam and its scholars and philosophers, not to refute them, but to acquire the excellent style and proper Arabic expression. At the same time, where is the ordinary person today who reads the Latin commentaries on the sacred texts? Who studies the Gospels, the prophets, and the apostles? Oh, woe!"
The youth of Christians, who are the most talented people, are not knowledgeable in any literature or language other than Arabic; they read Arab books and study them eagerly and passionately, collecting entire libraries at a great cost. They sing praises of Arab heritage everywhere, and on the other hand, you see them protesting when Christian books are mentioned, claiming that those works do not deserve their attention! Oh, how sorrowful!
Christians have forgotten their language, and hardly one in a thousand can compose a letter to a friend in proper Latin! However, if it comes to writing in Arabic, how many of them can express themselves in that language with the utmost grace? They may even compose poetry that surpasses the precision of the poetry of the Arabs themselves!
Summary and Conclusion
The entry of the people of the land into Islam and the issue of Arabization is a well-established fact acknowledged by all concerned European historians, including the biased ones like "Sionit" and "Dozy" – perhaps to a lesser extent. As for the subsequent actions of some resentful clergy – outside the scope of the church – these are isolated events that are hardly mentioned and are not documented in any Andalusian book. Did they vanish along with what was lost in the burning of the Andalusian library carried out by the Inquisition?
Perhaps the ecclesiastical books are those that mentioned and expanded on it, with the author having exaggerated, as is usual. It is noteworthy that all who wrote about it did not mention a single judge's name, despite the availability of over one book about the judges of Andalusia, and that the names associated with this strife have not been mentioned nor has anything been done against them, despite their transgressions. All who mentioned this did not provide any significant early reference for these events (Dozy, Simonet, and Stanley Lane-Poole), except for some information found in "the Spanish Encyclopedia," while others who discussed the situation of conversion to Islam or Arabization did not mention these events, such as "Bréviot," who discusses this topic in his book "The Making of Humanity," without mentioning anything of the sort.
