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 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. □
