Islamic Personality

Nooruddin exerted much effort in ebaadah (worship). He would always be seen praying and making dhikr (remembrance) of Allah. He never missed tahajjid prayer and frequently fasted. Nooruddin was renowned for his tawakkul (reliance upon Allah). It was once suggested to him that he reduce the money assigned to the widows, orphans and ulemaa in order to subsidize the under-funded army’s dwindling supply. Nooruddin was outraged at this suggestion. He told his men, “By Allah, my only hope of victory lies with these people. Your very livelihood and your victories are only possible because of the weak among you. How can I stop my allowance to people who fight on my behalf with arrows that never miss their mark (i.e. their prayers) and divert this allowance instead to others who do not fight for me unless they see me in person , and with arrows that may hit or miss?” [Ibn al-Athir; At-tarikh al-bahir fi’l dawla al-atabakiyyah]

In stark contrast to the opulence usually favoured by rulers, Nooruddin was a simple ruler who dressed in coarse, inexpensive materials. He owned three shops which generated a modest monthly revenue of 20 dinars. His wife once asked him to increase their household allowance, as they were in dire need. Nooruddin simply told her, “I have nothing else. With all the money I command, I am but the treasurer of the Muslims and I have no intention of betraying them, nor of casting myself into the fires of hell on your account.” It is little wonder therefore that the great Arab historian Ibn al-Athir wrote the following about Nooruddin: “After the rightly guided Khalifahs and Umar ibn Abdul Aziz, I have not found a more upright or sterner advocate of justice….Amongst his virtues was zuhd (austerity), taqwa (piety) and a knowledge of theology.” [al-Kamil fi at-tarikh (The Complete History)]

Blessed Dreams

One of the blessings conferred upon a believer is to see Muhammad (SAW) in a dream. Nooruddin had a recurring dream that Rasoolullah (SAW) was beseeching him: “Rescue me from these two barking dogs.” Nooruddin summoned the ulemaa’ to interpret this dream. He was told that the answer to the dream would only be found in Madina, the city of Rasoolullah (SAW). Nooruddin took some of his soldiers and proceeded to Madinah. There his intelligence services discovered that two Jewish men were posing as Muslims and preparing to dig up the body of Rasoolullah (SAW) and take it to Spain. A tunnel, which had been dug by them, was discovered. Nooruddin ordered that these men be executed before the grave of Rasoolullah (SAW). Subsequently he had the area around the tomb reinforced with lead to ensure that such a heinous act never be attempted again.

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