The Saint and The Sultan

The two monks slowly make their way past the dead and bloated bodies of men and horses strewn across the battlefield. Their brown robes are streaked with blood, dirt, and sweat. They cover their faces with their sleeves in a vain attempt to keep from breathing in the foul smell of death that permeates the humid air. They step over corpse after corpse, wading through blood so deep that at times it reaches their knees. A dead crusader soldier grips the pole of a banner with the image of a crown superimposed over a red cross. The flag partially lays across the body of a Muslim warrior who has a broken spear protruding from his chest, his eyes and mouth open in what must have been a last plea to Allah. 

They continue across the plain until they finally see the walls of the city. A group of Muslim warriors on horseback ride out towards them, the ends of cloth head coverings streaking behind them. “State your business monks! What is it you want here?” The monk, named Francis and later known in history as Francis of Assisi, lowers the hood from his head and loudly proclaims, “I am here to speak with your Sultan to deliver a message from the God we both worship!”

Thus begins one of the most bizarre stories from the history of the Crusades. It took place in 1219 during what is known as the 5th Crusade at the siege of the Egyptian city of Damietta. The city was located on the banks of a tributary to the Nile river not far from the shores of the southern Mediterranean. It had been under siege for weeks and nearly a fifth of the Crusader army had already died from typhus in the squalid encampments along the river. The Muslim forces were led by Sultan al-Malik al-Kami whose title gave him rule over Palestine, Syria, and Egypt. The Saracen warriors were known as brutal killers often killing women and children at will. They would hurl burning oil onto the crusaders’ camps from galley’s sailing past them on the river. The brutality was often returned by the crusaders on the captured Muslim soldiers. 

We can imagine the shock of the soldiers as Francis and his fellow monk, Illuminatus who spoke basic Arabic, announced their intention to cross the battlefield and through the gates of the enemy city to meet with the Sultan himself. It is believed that Francis intended his mission as one which would end in his martyrdom for the faith. However, perhaps to his disbelief, the Sultan granted them an audience. 

While known as a very capable and astute warrior, Al-Malik al-Kamil was also known as a very religious and devout man who preferred pious study and discussion over war and bloodshed. He called together his advisers to listen to the message Francis was there to deliver. The accounts of the event do not mention what was said but one can imagine that Francis, in keeping with his faith in Christ, shared the gospel of Jesus and implored the Sultan to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict waging around them. The most amazing thing is that Francis was not killed immediately which was the sentence at the time for Christians who tried to convert Muslims.

Francis and Illimminatus spent a week with the Sultan even staying with him on the palace grounds. They were then given provisions for their journey back to their camp and offered gifts to take with them which they refused. 

Of course, the Sultan did not convert to Christianity and declare his allegiance to the one true God.  However, the mission did accomplish several things. First, he proved that the peace of Christ when offered is not always accepted but it is compelling enough for even the hardest hearts to consider. We have no idea how the seeds planted by Francis that day later blossomed into something wonderful in the lives of those who heard him. We will never know how the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of those men to change the destinies of future generations. 

Second, the fact that he was allowed to deliver his message and then be treated with such respect shows that Francis somehow touched the heart of the Sultan. Perhaps he impressed him with his presentation of the message of peace conveyed not at the edge of a crusader’s sword, but with humble boldness and courage in the face of imminent death. This undoubtedly inspired respect from such a powerful man. 

Third, Francis showed to the Christian leaders that the “other” side is not as “other” as once thought. This opened the door, even if briefly, to an understanding of the common humanity shared by both sides which must be present in order for opponents to even consider peace with each other. 

We can imagine the fear and horror Francis experienced while walking through the battlefield filled with the bloody bodies of fellow Christians, knowing that he would probably suffer the same fate at the hands of the Muslims. However, Francis did not let the fear of death of his physical body affect his commitment to be the peacemaker. He kept his eyes focused on furthering God’s kingdom rather than his concern for the earthly treasure represented by his own life.

 In obeying our Lord, even 800 years later, he is still showing us that we must embrace and commit to dialogue with the “other” side in order to come up with peaceful solutions to our disagreements where possible. The results of our efforts are not always immediate. However, we know that if we put the kingdom of God above the political and ideological differences that separate us then the peace of Christ has a chance to come in and make a difference. 

Surely Francis had in mind the words of Jesus given to his disciples in the Sermon on The Mount: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Can there be any higher calling or greater reward than this? 

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God”

Matthew 5:9