A Tyrant’s Change of Heart

him the whole story about the Mongol prince. Then he said to him, “I have been waiting for an auspicious moment, but now it seems that it will not come during my lifetime, so my last wish is that when the news of Tughlaq Timur’s coronation reaches you, you should go to him, convey my regards and remind him boldly of our encounter when he was out hunting. Perhaps God will open his heart to Islam.” When Sheikh Jamaluddin died, his son eagerly awaited the coronation of the Mongol prince. Before long, the much awaited news of his coronation arrived. Immediately he set off. When he reached the destination, the gatemen would not allow him inside the king’s tent, because he was unable to give them his reasons for wanting to see the king. So he decided to set up his camp under a tree near the king’s tent. One day, he got up for the morning prayer. In the stillness of the early morning he made the call to prayer in a loud voice. The sound of his voice penetrated the tent where Tughlaq Timur was asleep. The king was offended at what seemed to him to be a meaningless noise at such an early hour. He told his servants to arrest the madman who was making it, and bring him to his tent. So the Sheikh was brought before the king. Tughlaq Timur started asking him why he was making a noise next to his tent. The Sheikh recounted the whole story of his father’s meeting him. “When my father said to you that if we had not found the truth, we would truly be worse than dogs, you said that at that time you could not commit yourself and told him to come and see you when you had been crowned king. My father was awaiting this day till he breathed his last. In accordance with his dying wish, I have come to you to remind you of the incident.” The king gave an attentive hearing to the whole story. “I remember my promise,” he said finally. “I have been awaiting your arrival.” Then he summoned his minister and told him that he had been keeping something to himself, of which an Iranian dervish had reminded him that day. “I intend to accept Islam,” he said. “What is your opinion?” he asked. “I have also been keeping the same secret to myself,” the minister answered. “I have realized that Islam is the true faith.” Then both the king and Vizir accepted Islam from the hands of Sheikh Rashiduddin. The rest of the courtiers did likewise. On the day of the king’s conversion, no less than 160,000 people entered the fold of Islam, and all of the Mongols living in Iran eventually followed suit. □