Skip to content

Islam Quote by David Levering Lewis

“To safeguard the holiest symbol of their Catholic faith, the Toledo churchmen, escorted by a small cohort of armed nobles, had fled with the cathedral's high altar for a fortified place the Muslims would call Wadi al-Hijara ("river of stones")-Guadalajara-some three days' ride frim the capital and…” quote by David Levering Lewis
Download Open image
““To safeguard the holiest symbol of their Catholic faith, the Toledo churchmen, escorted by a small cohort of armed nobles, had fled with the cathedral's high altar for a fortified place the Muslims would call Wadi al-Hijara ("river of stones")-Guadalajara-some three days' ride frim the capital and but a few miles from the village of Madrid.””

David Levering Lewis

About This Quote

The passage describes how Catholic clergy, fearing desecration, moved a sacred altar to a remote, fortified location during a period of Muslim-Christian conflict, highlighting the lengths taken to protect religious symbols.

In simple terms: Protecting sacred relics during conflict

Key Takeaway

Religious devotion can drive extreme protective actions

Themes

religious devotion conflict cultural preservation political power migration

Mood

determined reverent tense

Type

historical narrative anecdotal account

When to use this quote

  • church leaders safeguarding relics
  • nobles escorting holy objects
  • strategic retreats from hostile territories
  • securing artifacts in fortified sites
  • historical religious migrations

Key Concepts

symbolic importance military escort geographic relocation interfaith tension

Practical Applications

  • historical analysis of religious conflict
  • museum curation of relic provenance

Questions to Reflect On

  • What does this reveal about the role of material symbols in faith?
  • How might such protective actions affect interfaith relations?
3.8 out of 5 (7 ratings)

More by David Levering Lewis

Explore all 9 David Levering Lewis quotes

More Islam quotes

Browse all 6,032 Islam quotes