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| He was proclaimed a saint when he came back to his village. |
Last week, we started to explore the relationship between coffee’s secrets and religion. Coffee didn’t really start in India, as we read last week in the story of the saint who brought it to those lands. In ancient times, all the events that radically changed society and culture were often explained by supernatural or spiritual tales. The origin of coffee was not left out of this tradition, especially in the very religious region where it first came to be known. There are two legends for how coffee originated: one comes from Ethiopia and the other from Yemen. It’s actually a heated discussion, as there is no clear consensus of coffee’s true birthplace and you’ll get a different answer depending on who you ask.
You’ve probably heard of mocha coffee (it’s also spelled mocca, moka or moca). It’s a very popular type of coffee, known for its chocolate-like flavors, that comes from Mocha, a Yemeni city that became famous during the XV and XVII century for being the greatest coffee market in the world. Well, it’s also the home to our Islamic legend. Preserved in the Abd-Al-Kadir manuscript, tells the story of Sheikh Omar, a disciple of Sheikh Abou’l Hasan Schadheli, patron saint and legendary founder of Mocha.
In the year of the Hegira 656, Schadheli went on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Arriving at the mountain of the Emeralds (Ousab), he turned to his disciple Omar and said: "I shall die in this place. When my soul has gone forth, a veiled person will appear to you. Do not fail to execute the command which he will give you." After his death, Omar saw in the middle of the night a gigantic specter covered by a white veil. “Who are you?,” Omar asked and Schadheli revealed himself under the veil. He miraculously dug water from the ground and asked Omar to fill a bowl with it. He told Omar he had to proceed on his way and not stop till he reached the spot where the water would stop moving. That’s how he reached Mocha, the city where the water stopped moving.
Both a doctor and a priest, Omar became very well known in Mocha, since a plague then ravished the city. His practices included both traditional medicine and prayers to Allah. The daughter of the King of Mocha fell ill, and her father had her carried to the home of Omar. He was captivated by the princess’ rare beauty, and after having cured her, the good dervish tried to carry her off. The king did not fancy this new kind of reward. Omar was driven from the city and exiled on the mountain of Ousab, with herbs for food and a cave for a home. The legend says that on the brink of starvation, Omar didn’t have much choice but to eat everything he could find.
The fruit of salvation
"Oh, Schadheli, my dear master," cried the Omar one day; "if the things which happened to me at Mocha were destined, was it worth the trouble to give me a bowl to come here?” Waiting for an answer, he heard a song of beautiful harmony, and a bird with extraordinary feathers came to rest in a tree. Omar sprang forward quickly toward the little bird, but when he got there, he saw on the branches of the tree only flowers and fruit. Omar laid hands on the fruit and found it delicious. Then he filled his great pockets with it and went back to his cave. As he was preparing to boil a few herbs for his dinner, the idea came to him of substituting for this sad soup, some of his harvested fruit. From it he brewed a savory and perfumed drink: it was coffee.
He felt immediately revitalized and found an energy he hadn’t experienced before. When news of this new strange medicine got to Mocha, many people started to travel to his cave to seek medical advice. Eventually, he was called back and received with honors. His followers insisted that his exile was a religious sign and the authorities proclaimed him a saint. Both the plant and the black drink were named Mocha to honor this event.
That’s how Yemeni people remember it at least. The Ethiopian people have a whole different version of events that we’ll be exploring next week! Make sure you’re following us on That Coffee Roasters’ social media to stay updated!
Source: web-books.
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| They first used coffee for its healing properties. |
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