Warrior of the Pen and the Sword

“Is it possible to be brave and intelligent at the same time?” Ali asked mom, as she weeded her flowerbed.

“Why not?” Mom turned around looking surprised.

“Well… because I always notice that kids who talk smart never really do much, and those who do something are not that bright,” Ali explained sitting on a nearby step, thinking of his classmates.

“Hmmm…” mom thought for a while, staring into space, and then mumbled to herself, “there was someone who did both.” She paused to look into Ali’s eyes. “He was a man who revived Islam in the seventh century by his incredible learning, writings, reading, teaching and preaching; yet, he was able to stand up against the darkest of enemies face to face with an unsheathed sword.”

“Really?” Ali was surprised and a bit skeptical. “Who was he?”

Mom took off her gloves and walked over to sit next to Ali with a gleam in her eyes. “His name was Ahmad. He was born in Harran, a city in Syria. Ahmad was only six years old when his city was attacked by Tartars.”

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