A relic is an object that belonged to, or came in touch with, a holy person. The most highly valued relic In the Middle Ages was a piece of the Holy Cross. Every church in Europe vied for one; it gave the church prestige, status, and a revenue stream.
Where there is demand, there is supply. A cottage industry soon sprang up to import pieces of the Cross from Palestine. It wasn’t long before enough pieces were found to make dozens of crosses. But the churches continued to buy them because it was a lucrative investment – if you had a piece of the cross, worshippers came, knelt, wept, and, (most importantly,) paid.
A similar industry, albeit on a smaller scale, occurred in the Muslim World. Items allegedly belonging to the Prophet were found, ranging from a hair to his sword and shield to messages written by him.
A secondary market was also created for relics of the saints, both Christian and Muslim. The most prominent of these is the body of Saint Mark which is now in Venice. In many Egyptian towns you will find mausoleums housing relics of Muslim saints. In my hometown there is the mausoleum of Sidi Al Fouly. If you make a contribution to it, you are promised certain tangible benefits – a hitherto unattainable pregnancy, or your little “Einstein’s” successful graduation.
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مؤسسة ندى لحماية الفتيات
I always love your posts Farid! So insightful.
I have a piece of all that made by the best of the best, added dust and smell the past
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