A Tyrant’s Change of Heart

A Tyrant’s Change of Heart In the fourteenth century A.D., the Mongol tribe overran the Muslim empire, totally subverting Muslim rule and civilization in Iraq, Iran and Turkistan. Later, however, God mellowed their hearts, and the vast majority of them accepted Islam, thus becoming custodians of the Muslim faith. The effect of missionary activity in those times can be judged from the story of Sheikh Jamaluddin. One day, “he was on his way somewhere, and happened to pass by the place where the Mongol prince, Tughlaq Timur, was out hunting. The latter was heir to the Chughtai branch of the Mongols, which was ruling over Iran at that time. The Mongols, in those times considered Iranians unlucky, and since the prince’s soldiers took the presence of an Iranian in their hunting ground as an evil omen, they arrested him and brought him before the prince. On seeing him, the prince became furious. “A dog is better than one of you Iranians,” he shouted in anger. Sheikh Jamaluddin answered this abuse calmly. “If we had not found true religion then we would certainly have been worse than dogs,” he said. Though the Mongols were a barbaric tribe, they were not inhuman by nature. They were a sincere people. For this reason, Tughlaq Timur was profoundly shaken by the Iranian’s reply. He gave order for the Sheikh to be brought to him when he had finished hunting. When Sheikh Jamaluddin was brought before him, he took him aside and asked him what that religion was that he had found. Fearlessly the Sheikh explained to him all the teachings of Islam. This conversation brought about a change of heart in the prince. He realized the danger of dying in a state of infidelity, and expressed his willingness to accept Islam. But he was still a prince, not yet a king. “If I accept Islam now,” he said, “I will not be able to bring my subjects into the Islamic fold.” Then he addressed Sheikh Jamaluddin saying, “Go for the present. When you hear that I have been crowned king, come and see me.” Sheikh Jamaluddin returned home and waited for the news of Tughlaq Timur’s coronation, but it was not to come during his lifetime. Lying on his death-bed, he called his son Sheikh Rashiduddin and told