السنكسار

On this day, Saint Bebenouda of Dendera was martyred. This saint was a solitary monk. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, "Put on the garments of priestly service, and go to meet Ariyanus the governor," who had arrived by boat at Dendera searching for this saint. He came to him and shouted at him with a loud voice, saying, "I am a Christian, a believer in the Lord Christ." When the governor recognized him as the solitary monk he was seeking, he tortured him severely, then bound him with iron and threw him into a dark prison. A heavenly light shone upon him, and the angel of the Lord appeared to him, healing him from his wounds and comforting him. In the city, there was a man named Cyril, his wife, his daughter, and twelve boys. The saint preached to them and strengthened them, and they were all martyred by beheading and received the crown of martyrdom. The governor became angry with him and ordered a stone to be hung around his neck and cast into the sea, and he received the crown of martyrdom. May his prayers be with us, and glory be to our Lord forever. Amen.

On this day in the year 719 of the martyrs, the blessed and renowned John Abu Najah the Great was martyred. He was among the great Copts of the tenth and eleventh centuries AD. He was the chief scribe of his time and the leader of the Arakhna during the reign of Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, the Fatimid caliph. This elder lived during the papacy of Pope Philotheos, Patriarch (63), who held the throne from March 28, 979 AD to November 8, 1003 AD.

John was a devout, righteous, and generous Christian, a zealous lover of the church and protector of the Orthodox faith. When Al-Hakim finished eliminating his close associates and military leaders, he turned to the leaders of the Arakhna and chief scribes, taking ten of them and offering them Islam. John Abu Najah, the chief of the leaders, was the first. The caliph summoned him and said, "I want you to abandon your religion and return to mine, and I will make you my minister to manage the affairs of my kingdom." John replied, "Give me until tomorrow to consider." The caliph granted him the delay and released him. John went home, gathered his friends, and told them what had happened with the caliph. He said, "I am ready to die for the name of the Lord Christ, and my purpose in asking for the delay was not to consider but to gather you and my family to entrust you and advise you." Then he said, "Now, brothers, do not seek this fleeting glory and lose the eternal glory of the Lord Christ. We have been satisfied with the blessings of the earth, and by His mercy, He has called us to the kingdom of heaven. Strengthen your hearts."

His golden words, full of wisdom, strengthened the hearts of all his listeners, and they resolved to die for the name of the Lord Christ. That day, he prepared a great feast for them, and they stayed with him until evening, then returned to their homes.

In the morning, John went to Al-Hakim, who asked, "O Najah, is your heart at ease?" John answered, "Yes." The caliph asked, "On what matter?" John boldly and firmly replied, "My steadfastness in my religion."

The caliph tried all kinds of persuasion and threats to make him abandon Christianity, but John was like a rock, unwavering and steadfast in the faith of Christ. The caliph, despite his power, could not move him from the religion of his fathers.

When the caliph failed, he ordered John to be stripped and tied to the press and beaten. They struck him five hundred lashes on his soft body until his flesh was torn and his blood flowed like water. The whips used were made from oxen tendons, which even the mighty could hardly endure. How much more so for this tender flesh. Then the caliph ordered the beating to continue until a thousand lashes were completed. After three hundred more lashes, John said like his Master, "I am thirsty." They stopped the beating and informed the caliph, who said, "Give him water after you tell him to return from his religion." When they brought him water and conveyed the caliph's message, John replied with dignity and pride, "Return his water to him, for I do not need it, because my Lord Jesus Christ has given me drink and quenched my thirst." Some of the guards and others present testified that they saw water fall from his beard at that moment. When he said this, he gave up the spirit. They informed the mighty caliph of his death, who ordered that the beating continue on his lifeless body until the thousand lashes were completed. Thus, his martyrdom was completed, and he received the crown prepared for him from the great King Jesus Christ. The date of the patriarchs' record of his martyrdom is not mentioned, but Al-Maqrizi in his chronicles said: "The chief Fahd bin Ibrahim, one of the ten and a companion of John bin Najah, was killed on 8 Jumada al-Akhirah, 393 Hijri, corresponding to 19 Parmouti, 719 AM, and April 14, 1003 AD."

The martyrdom of the blessed John bin Najah appears in the history of the patriarchs before the mention of the martyrdom of chief Fahd bin Ibrahim. Also, John, during the feast of his friends and family, which included the other nine chosen ones, did not mention the martyrdom of this saint on the same day as chief Fahd. Therefore, the martyrdom of this saint was on the same day as that of chief Fahd.

The church commemorates the elder chief Abu al-Ala Fahd bin Ibrahim, who flourished in the latter half of the tenth century and the early eleventh century. He also lived during the papacy of Pope Philotheos, Patriarch (63), and during the reign of the Fatimid caliphs Al-Aziz Billah and his son Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah.

He was an Orthodox Arakhna, steadfast in his faith, devoted to his church, and very charitable. No beggar ever came to him without receiving aid. He used to ride through the streets on a filly, seeking alms, and when he extended his sleeve, the beggar found great goodness in it, as a way to conceal his giving.

This chief was among the senior state officials during the Fatimid era, so much so that Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah elevated him above all scribes and officials. Chief Abu al-Ala established the Church of the Martyr Mercurius in the Monastery of Anba Rouis, known then as the Monastery of the Trench.

The History of the Patriarchs states that when Al-Hakim wanted to make the senior Coptic scribes abandon their religion, chief Fahd was among the ten leaders chosen for this purpose. The caliph summoned him and said, "You know that I have chosen you and elevated you above all in my state. Listen to me and join me in my religion, and I will raise you higher and make you like a brother to me." He did not respond to this. The caliph ordered his neck to be cut and his body burned by fire. The fire remained burning for three days but did not consume him, and his right hand, which he used to extend for alms at all times, remained intact as if the fire had not touched it at all.

The book Al-Khitat Al-Tawfiqiyya states that chief Abu al-Ala Fahd bin Ibrahim was involved in the affairs of the kingdom with the commander of the armies, Al-Hussein bin Jawhar. Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah tried to persuade him to abandon his faith with great promises, but he refused. His neck was cut, and his body was ordered to be burned, but God protected him from burning. He was buried in the southern corner of the Church of Saint Mercurius, which he had built in the Monastery of the Trench.

Al-Maqrizi mentioned in his chronicles that Fahd bin Ibrahim was killed after serving as chief for five years, nine months, and twelve days.

God took severe vengeance on the evildoers who conspired against chief Abu al-Ala Fahd with the caliph and turned his heart against him. Ali bin Omar bin Al-Adas was the one who stirred the caliph's heart against him. Not long after chief Fahd's death, 29 days later, Ali was killed, followed by his partner Taher Mahmoud bin Al-Nahwi.

The church also commemorates the other nine leaders who, when the caliph demanded they abandon their religion, refused and disobeyed him. He ordered them to be tortured with whips. When the beating intensified, four of them apostatized; one died that very night. The other three returned to Christianity after the persecution ended. The rest died while being tortured and received the crown of martyrdom, deserving eternal life.

On this day, the monk David was martyred (this is recorded in the manuscript of Shebin El-Kom by Gabriel Al-Barji from the Baraka of Qarmout). He was severely tortured but did not deny the faith and received the crown of martyrdom in the year 1099 of the martyrs. May the intercession of all be with us, and glory be to our Lord forever. Amen.