السنكسار

On this day, Saint Kolouts Al-Ansnawi (famously known as Abu Qalta) was martyred. The saint was the son of God-fearing parents; his father was the governor of Ansna. They prayed to the Lord Jesus Christ to grant them a child, and He granted them this saint. They raised him with Christian manners and taught him writing. He memorized many books and teachings of the Church and was pure from childhood. His father wanted to marry him off, but he refused. His sister married Arianna, who succeeded their father as governor. When their parents died, the saint built an inn for strangers. He then studied medicine until he mastered it and treated the sick without charge.

When Diocletian became a disbeliever, Arianna sided with him to preserve his position and began to torture Christians. Saint Kolouts, the brother of Arianna’s wife, confronted him and rebuked him for abandoning the worship of the true God and cursed the idols of the vile king. Arianna did not harm him out of respect for his sister but sent him to the governor of Beni Suef, where he was imprisoned for three years. His sister intervened for his release, but when a new governor took office and learned of his case, he summoned him and threatened him. Kolouts did not heed the threats, so the governor became angry and ordered his torture. The angel of the Lord came to him and comforted him. Finally, the governor ordered his beheading, and he received the crown of martyrdom. His loved ones shrouded him and placed him in a place until the persecution ended, when they built a church for him. Great signs appeared from his body.

This saint has an ancient church in Rafa, center of Assiut, and a great annual celebration is held for him on his martyrdom day. Visitors receive, by his blessing and intercession, healing from various diseases. It is also noted that in this church there is an ancient stone with great power to repel scorpions to this day. May his prayer be with us. Amen.

On this day in the year 1511 A.M., the great archon and generous benefactor, Teacher Ibrahim Al-Jawhari, rested in peace. This complete and self-made man was born in the eighteenth century A.D. to humble, poor parents. His father's name was Yusuf Jawhari, and his craft was weaving in the town of Qalyub. His parents were full of grace and faith. They raised him with religious education in the town's school, where he learned writing and arithmetic and mastered them. From his youth, he was known for copying religious books and presenting them to churches at his own expense. He would bring the books he copied to Pope John XVIII, the 107th Patriarch, who served from 1486 to 1512 A.M. (1769–1796 A.D.).

The pope was impressed by the many books Ibrahim Al-Jawhari presented and the expenses he bore in copying and binding them. He inquired about his resources, and Ibrahim revealed his situation. The pope was pleased with his zeal, piety, and closeness to him and blessed him, saying: "May the Lord exalt your name and bless your work, and may your memory endure forever." Their relationship grew stronger thereafter.

Ibrahim initially worked as a scribe for one of the Mamluk princes. Then, through the pope's mediation with Master Rizq, head of the scribes at the time, he was appointed as his private scribe and continued in this role until the last days of Ali Bey Al-Kabir, who attached him to his service. When Muhammad Bey Abu Al-Dhahab assumed the country's leadership, Master Rizq retired, and Ibrahim took his place, rising to prominence. After Abu Al-Dhahab's death and Ibrahim Bey's succession, Ibrahim Al-Jawhari assumed the headship of the Egyptian scribes, the highest government position of that era, equivalent to a prime minister.

This great position did not affect Ibrahim's morals but increased his humility, generosity, and benevolence, attracting hearts. Ibrahim Bey loved him greatly and entrusted him until his last breath. Ibrahim Al-Jawhari was completely loyal to him. He married a virtuous, pious lady who shared his good morals, assisted him in charity and benevolence, encouraged him to build churches, and bore him a son named Yusuf and a daughter named Damiana. They lived near Qantara Al-Dikka.

When his son grew up, he decided to prepare a special house for him, furnished with the finest furnishings and valuable utensils, and prepared a wedding celebration. But God's will chose to take the son to the Abrahamic bosom before his marriage. His parents grieved deeply, and Ibrahim Al-Jawhari closed the house he had prepared, which remained closed until it was looted.

The death of this only son greatly affected Ibrahim and his wife, increasing their desire to help widows, orphans, the poor, and to comfort the sorrowful and afflicted. He amazed all who knew him with his strange patience and endurance of the pain of separation and disappointment. When his wife wished to object to God's decrees, Saint Anthony the Great appeared to her in a dream as the star of the wilderness and comforted her, saying: "Know, my daughter, that God loved your son and took him to Himself as a young man, just as He loved his father, for a wise purpose to preserve the great teacher's name, for his son might have spoiled his reputation and tainted his name. This is a good reward from God for your husband's piety and righteousness. So take comfort and courage and resume your charitable works." After saying this, he vanished. Saint Anthony appeared at the same time to Ibrahim and comforted and encouraged him. When the wife awoke, she told her husband the vision, and he said he had seen the same vision that night. They entrusted the matter to God, replaced mourning clothes with regular ones, and their hearts were filled with consolation. His wife shared all his charitable works and alms until his death. His daughter Damiana died shortly after him, a virgin in the prime of youth.

Ibrahim continued as head of the scribes until a coup occurred among the rulers. Hassan Pasha Qubtan, sent by the Ottoman Porte, came to Egypt. Ibrahim Bey, the country's chief, and Murad Bey, the Hajj Emir, fought him and fled to Upper Egypt with Ibrahim Al-Jawhari and some princes and their scribes. Qubtan Pasha entered Cairo, looted houses, oppressed the people, persecuted Christians, forbade them from riding saddled animals, using Muslims in their homes, buying slaves and concubines, and imposed harsh taxes. The people hid in their homes and refrained from going out for days. He ordered the chief judge to inventory the endowments that Ibrahim Al-Jawhari had made for churches and monasteries, including lands and properties. Due to these conditions, Ibrahim's wife disappeared into the house of a Muslim. Because of her husband's merits, she was sought after by evil doers who denied his kindness and informed Hassan Pasha of her whereabouts. He forced her to confess the locations of their possessions, from which gold, silver, saddles, and other items were taken and sold at high prices. Some revealed the residence of the late Yusuf, Ibrahim's son, and they raided it, taking all furnishings and valuable utensils to Hassan Pasha, who sold them at auction over several days due to their abundance. Hassan Pasha continued his tyranny until he was summoned to Istanbul and left without regret. After a while, Ibrahim Bey and Murad Bey returned to their positions and entered Cairo on August 7, 1791 A.D. Ibrahim Al-Jawhari resumed his work and regained his authority and position but did not continue more than four years. He remained beloved by all until his last days.

People called him the Sultan of the Copts, as indicated by an ancient inscription on the curtain of one of the churches of the Monastery of Anba Bola in the Eastern Mountain and the writing on the Katamaros preserved in this monastery.

The famous historian Al-Jabarti said about him: "He attained in Egypt greatness, eloquence, and great fame—over a long period—unmatched by any of his peers. He was the one referred to in the faculties and departments, a worldly statesman whose intelligence never forgot any detail, who treated everyone with appropriate courtesy, did what attracted hearts and love. During Ramadan, he sent candles and gifts to the heads of the ceremonies and others. Churches and monasteries were built in his days, endowed with great endowments, lands, and arranged with great salaries, permanent provisions, and crops."

Anba Yousab, known as Ibn Al-Abb, Bishop of Girga and Akhmim, said about him: "He was one of the great men of his time, a lover of God who distributed all he owned to the poor and needy, cared for church construction, loved all sects, made peace with all, loved everyone, fulfilled everyone's needs, and did not discriminate between anyone in justice."

This is a summary of his public life. His ecclesiastical work can be summarized as follows:

"Teacher Ibrahim Al-Jawhari was famous for his great love for building churches and monasteries and repairing what oppression had destroyed. Through his governmental influence and good relations with Muslim rulers, he obtained legal fatwas permitting the Copts to rebuild destroyed churches and monasteries. He endowed many properties, lands, and funds to restore what was ruined. The deeds of these properties number 238, recorded in an old register preserved at the Patriarchate. He was also famous for copying rare precious books and gifting them to all churches and monasteries, so no church lacks his books and works.

He was the first to strive to establish the Great Church in Azbakeya. In former times, it was forbidden for Copts to build new churches or repair old ones without permission from the ruling authority, which was hard to obtain. Once, a princess came from Istanbul to Egypt to perform the pilgrimage. Teacher Ibrahim personally served her with appropriate hospitality and presented her with precious gifts. She wished to reward him and promote his name before the Sultan. He asked her to seek a royal decree permitting him to build a church in Azbakeya, where he lived, and made other requests for the Copts and clergy. The Sultan issued the order, but death overtook him before starting the church's construction. His brother, Teacher Girgis Al-Jawhari, completed it.

To avoid changing the prayer times at the Great Virgin Church in Zuweila for the general public, he built a small church named after the Martyr Mercurius Abu Seifin next to it, so government employees could attend the liturgy there in accordance with their work hours. He prepared various types of myrrh and its materials at his own expense and sent them with his brother Teacher Girgis to His Holiness the Patriarch in the flourishing Qalyub.

In 1499 A.M. (1783 A.D.), Teacher Ibrahim built the entire sea wall and dug its foundations for the Monastery of the Star of the Wilderness, Saint Anthony, after having built the southern and western walls in 1498 A.M. It is still known as the Jawhari Wall. He also renovated the buildings of the Church of the Virgin Al-Mughitha in the Roman Quarter in 1508 A.M. (1792 A.D.), built the Church of the Martyr Abu Seifin in the Monastery of Anba Apollo and Anba Abib (which was demolished in 1881 to expand the Church of Saint John), the Lady's Palace in Barmus, and the Lady's Palace in Syrians. He added to the Monastery of Barmus on the southern side, built a surrounding wall, and its area reached 2400 square meters. In short, he built many churches, developed the wilderness, built monasteries, cared for the monks living there, distributed offerings, candles, oil, and curtains, wrote the consecration for every church throughout Egypt, distributed alms to all the poor and needy everywhere, cared for their food and clothing, as well as widows and orphans without caretakers, and arranged monthly provisions sufficient for them. This was testified by Ibn Al-Abb in the eulogy of Pope John (107). He remained in this state until he departed to the eternal home on Monday, 25 Bashans, 1511 A.M. (May 31, 1795 A.D.). Everyone mourned him, and the country's emir Ibrahim Bey grieved his death and attended his funeral out of respect and appreciation for his high status. Pope John, who loved him greatly, eulogized him. He was buried in the private cemetery he built for himself next to the Church of Saint George in Old Cairo and endowed this cemetery with a perpetual endowment to maintain a "lamp that never goes out day and night." Yes, this man died as his ancestors did before him, leaving no offspring, but his memory remains because the memory of the righteous endures forever.

The Coptic Orthodox Churches Renaissance Association in Cairo took care to renovate the Jawhari cemetery in Darb Al-Taqa in Old Cairo, making it a place admired by those who appreciate the works of these two righteous brothers.

As for the biography of his brother Teacher Girgis Al-Jawhari, it is recorded on the seventeenth of the month of Tut, 1557 A.M. (September 27, 1810 A.D.), the day of his repose. And to our Lord be glory forever. Amen.