THE RELIGION OF HUMANITY: Islam’s Ethical and Spiritual Outlook

depth of character as a discovery born of deep reflection and understanding. THE MEN WHO WORE PALM-FIBER SANDALS What is now known as Afghanistan was, in ancient times, referred to as Sijistan. Its capital was Kabul. At that time, a Turkic king ruled the region. He followed Buddhism, and his hereditary title was Rutbil (also known as Zandpil). This region became part of the Umayyad Caliphate during the rule of Amir Mu‘awiyah. Initially, Rutbil resisted the advancing Muslim armies, but later he entered into a treaty and secured protection for himself. For a time, Rutbil maintained peaceful relations with the Umayyad state under this agreement. Eventually, however, he broke the treaty. One account from this period is particularly notable. During the caliphate of Yazid ibn Abd al-Malik (d. 105 AH), representatives of the Damascus-based Umayyad government visited Rutbil for negotiations. Addressing them, Rutbil said: “Where are those men who used to come before? Their stomachs were sunken like those of the hungry. They had dark marks on their foreheads. They wore sandals made from palm fiber.” According to the narrator, after saying this, Rutbil refused to renew the treaty and remained independent of Umayyad authority for nearly a quarter of a century.