Elijah’s house is Carmel, an ancient tradition emphasizes that the prophet, called in Arabic, Khader (meaning the green, the living, the one who never dies and is everywhere) still dwells on Mount Carmel, doing so A sacred and venerable place. An ancient legend says that the Family of Nazareth on their return from the exile of Egypt, before reaching Nazareth stopped at Carmel, a place of holy men.
The Arab tradition links the figure of Elijah with fertility. El-Khader is the image of Oasis, green and water. Arab legend says that once El-Khader (who only drinks water of life) spilled the remaining water left in his glass, on a plant that was nearby, the tuna, and from that moment, the plant has remained green and indestructible. Elijah, according to this belief, is always associated with life and fertility. Even today in the Holy Land the day of Prophet Elijah (July 20) is considered as the beginning of the new clouds in the sky.
The Islamic tradition honors and venerates Elijah as prophet, righteous and holy man. In the Qumran in two suras (chapters), the name of Elijah is evoked. In Sura 6, Elijah is remembered along with Zechariah, John and Jesus, as the holy men who do well. In surah 37, he is remembered as the prophet of the One God and his praise: «His praise is perpetuated in posterity: Peace be to Elijah! For we thus reward the good: He was without doubt one of our believing servants».
The Catechism of the Catholic Church presents Elijah as a model of Christian life, seeking and passion for God, he, Elijah, «is the father of the prophets, the generation of those who seek God, constantly seeking his face» (CIC, 2582). In the Book of Ecclesiastes we have a lapidary phrase that helps us to understand the mission and strength of this man of God: «And the prophet Elijah arose like a fire: his word burned like a torch» (Si 48, 1). With this flame, Israel finds its way to God. Elijah the man of God, the prophet of the fiery word of the oneness of God, is recognized in Judaism, Christianity and Islam as the archetype of the spiritual master.
