Joshua's Mystics Childhood/Family

 Juan de Yepes y Alvarez, better known as St. John of the Cross was born in 1542 AD in a place called Fontiveros or Hontiveros, Spain. His place of birth was just a small town found between Avila and Salamanca (two important cities in his story). He was born to Gonzalo de Yepes, his father, who was from a more affluent family, and his mother, Catalina Alvarez who was an extremely poor orphaned silk weaver. His father was raised by his uncles after his parents died, and he found himself working with them as a silk merchant. When his father fell in love with his mother, his father’s family ostracized him for being with a woman of low class. Juan’s father did not care and stayed with his mother until after Juan was born. His father eventually died shortly after. After his father’s death, his mother and his two siblings (there are also accounts only mentioning one) begged for money across different towns but came back to where they started. His mother led a grueling life weaving to support him. After years had passed, his brother Luis died, and the rest of his family moved to Medina del Campo in 1551. His family had felt the impact of the poor economy at that time, and his mother realized she could not care for him any longer and sent him to an orphanage by the name of Colegio de la Doctrina (Brenan, 1973, p. 6). Being sent away from his family and to this orphanage is very well reflected in his ascetic beliefs (McGinn, 2006, p.73). 

                Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi was born in either 971 AD or 1564 AD depending on the source, but for this extended comparison, it can be generally said he was born in 1564. He was born in Sirhind, which is a district in the Indian state of Punjab. This mystic was taught early at home by his father and later pursued his education at Sialkot, which is the central city of Punjab, Pakistan. For reference, Punjab is a geopolitical region in South Asia that comprises land in both India and Pakistan. After studying there, he moved to Agra, a city in India. During his time there, he began to write his views of the Shi’ite beliefs (Hanif, 2000, p. 365).

               Looking at the mystic with Christian beliefs in comparison with the mystic believing in the Islamic faith, there is a notable difference in the way they grew up. The biggest factor is that one grew up in poverty while the other had more economic opportunities. St. John had lived with his family, and they were not able to sustain themselves, which is the reason he was sent to the orphanage. Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi was able to afford to further his education later in his life after he was educated first by his father. While it is important to note that the way they grew up is the biggest factor in why they believe the things they believe, it is important to note a bigger factor, the context of their respective cultures. 

(If any information seems incorrect, please do not hesitate to reach out and let me know! Providing sources for any information regarding these two mystics is greatly appreciated.)

                                                            Sources:

Brenan, G., & John,  of the C. (1973). St john of the cross : his life and poetry (L. Nicholson, Trans.). University Press.

Hanif, N. (2000). Biographical Encylopaedia of Sufis (South Asia). Sarup & Sons.

McGinn, B. (2006). The essential writings of Christian mysticism. Modern Library.