An Example of Noble Character

WOMEN OF PARADISE In the final era of the Abbasid Caliphate, the Mongols devastated the Muslim world. One historian wrote that no event in Islamic history compares to the horror and destruction of the Mongol invasion. Like a boulder crashing down from a mountain onto a village, the Mongol armies swept through the cultural and spiritual centers of Islam, leaving behind deserts and ruins. And yet, this tragedy reversed itself in a remarkable way. The same Mongols who had once destroyed Islamic civilization eventually became its defenders. Women of faith played a pivotal role in this transformation. After the conquest, the Mongols killed Muslim men and enslaved the women. These women, brought into Mongol households, often lived in quiet accordance with Islamic values— sometimes even without conscious intent. Their character and way of life deeply impressed their captors. Over time, this subtle influence led many Mongols to embrace Islam. (The Preaching of Islam, pp. 226–234) The first Mongol ruler to accept Islam was Berke Khan, who ruled from 1256 to 1267. His mother was a Muslim who had raised him in an Islamic environment from childhood. As a result, he embraced Islam as an adult. Similarly, Oljeitu, the brother of Ghazan Khan, also became Muslim—under the influence of his wife. From Hajar to the present day, the history of Muslim women is filled with examples where their spiritual strength and noble conduct helped guide many people to the right path.