ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Mawali

Alright kiddo, have you ever heard of the word "mawali" before? It's a word that comes from the Arabic language and it means "converts" in English.

When some people used to live in areas where there was Islamic culture, they might have learned about the faith and decided to become Muslims. These people are called mawali because they converted to Islam from another religion.

When they joined the Islamic community, they were treated the same way as those who were born into the Muslim faith. This was a very big deal because in some cultures, people who converted to a new religion were not always accepted and sometimes even faced discrimination.

The mawali were important in early Islamic history because many of them played crucial roles in the political and social development of the Muslim world. Some of them even rose to positions of power and became influential leaders in the community.

So, the word "mawali" is used to describe people who became Muslims after being raised in a different religion. They were highly respected by the Muslim community and played important roles in the history of Islam.
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