Cultural aspects in Christian and Islamic religions - unesdoc - Unesco

George’s marriage with the girl, some relate the
incidents to a lake in Libya.
- For Muslims
Muslims call him ‘Al-Khidr’. They consider him the
patron of sailors, the drowning, and a harbinger
of spring, which is why he is called ‘Al-Khidr’
(the Green bringer). He is for Muslims one of the
greatest ‘Awliya’ (The Trusted Ones) since it is said
in the Glorious Koran that God imparted him with
the mission of leadership that had been imparted
to Moses. Sufis also honor him greatly. For some
researchers, his name corresponds to that of the
Prophet Elijah. Muslims believe that he intercedes
for the drowning and the travellers in the desert.
Elijah is the master of all seas. Both, Elijah and
George are immortal since they have drunk from
the fountain of eternity. In some accounts, Elijah
and George are brothers. In some others, Khidr
(George) is a young man in love with a young girl –
in the legend, Elijah is the girl – whom he promises
to meet on earth. Some believe that the soul of the
secret character who finds the fountain of life and
drinks from it shall be immortal. It has been given
to Elijah first and then to George.
The Druze consider George to be a courageous
hero. Their Emirs and Sheikhs obliged Christians
at the time of feudalism to build churches and
monasteries and to name them after him or after
other great heroes. Another researcher links Saint
George with Saint Elias (Elijah): the term Jirjis
means ‘the ones who works the land’, and the one
who works the land makes it green, whereby his
name ‘Al-Khidr’. ‘Elijah’ means ‘Yahweh is my God’.
Elijah defeated the priests of Baal, which means
barrenness. So ‘Il’ is the God of fertility in terms of
earth as he covers it with green and Elijah is ‘al-
Khidr’ just like George.
99