(Quoth Abou Bekr Mohammed ibn el Ambari[FN#153]), I once left
Ambar, on a journey to Ammouriyeh, in the land of the Greeks,
[FN#154], and alighted midway at the monastery of El Anwar,
[FN#155], in a village near Ammouriyeh, where there came out
to me the prior of the monastery and superior of the monks,
Abdulmesih[FN#156] by name, and brought me into the monastery.
There I found forty monks, who entertained me that night
with the most liberal hospitality, and I saw among them such
abounding piety and diligence in devotion as I never beheld the
like of in any others. On the morrow, I took leave of them and
went on to Ammouriyeh, where I did my business and returned to
Ambar [without again visiting the monastery].
Next year it befell that I made the pilgrimage to Mecca, and as
I was compassing the Holy House, behold, I saw Abdulmesih the
monk also making the circuit of the Kaabeh, and with him five
of his fellows, the monks. When I was certified that it was
indeed he, I accosted him, saying, "Art thou not Abdulmesih er
Rahib?"[FN#157] "Nay," answered he; "I am Abdallah er Raghib."
[FN#158] Therewith I fell to kissing his hoary hairs and weeping;
then, taking him by the hand, I led him aside into a corner of
the sanctuary and said to him, "Tell me the manner of thy
conversion to Islam.
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