Volume 90, Number 1 - California Historical Society

Franciscan priests and soldiers saw the settlement of Spanish California as a spiritual and military exercise. Leon
Trousett’s 1876 painting of Father Junípero Serra celebrating Mass at Monterey in 1770 suggests their partnership,
one that may have its origins in the Islamic practice of sacred violence.
California Historical Society Collections at the Autry National Center; Bridgeman Art Library, CAH 331445
Beginning in the ninth century, and perhaps
earlier, Muslim mystics and pilgrims met in fortresses—one
of the meanings of ribat—to study
holy texts. On occasion, they did not collect in a
redoubt to perform their duties. But regardless
of how and where they gathered, they followed
a religious leader. Although they did not come
from the ranks of a professional army, they
nonetheless trained for war between sessions of
prayer and reflection. When Christians or other
Muslims attacked or threatened to attack, mystics
and pilgrims followed their leader into battle,
convinced that their spiritual and martial exertions
secured their place in paradise. “There are
two times when the gates of heaven are opened,”
declared the Muwatta, one of the works they
studied. “It is during the azhan”—the call to
prayer—and “in a rank of people fighting in the
way of Allah.” 4
The legacy of jihad earned scant notice in California.
No priest or settler mentioned the term in
any document, much less admitted its influence.
It is also unlikely that anyone possessed a Qur’an
or a Quranic commentary that explained the
word’s meaning. Even if the Spaniards and
Mexicans who settled California knew that Muslims
had occupied Spain centuries earlier, many
would still profess ignorance of jihad and its
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