Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was an ethnic Arab, born to the Banu Hashim in the city of Mecca. During his time as a religious prophet in Arabia, the overwhelming majority of his followers belonged to the Arabian tribes. The people who were physically in his presence as his closest friends and disciples are known as the Sahabah (lit. 'Companions'), all of whom were Muslims and most of whom were Arabs. However, some of the Sahabah were of different ethnicities, including Abyssinians, Persians, Jews, and Romans. Some of these non-Arabs are described as having been among Muhammad's most beloved and loyal followers.

Classical sources (affirmed Sahabah)

Abyssinian

Persian

  • Salman al-Farsi – He was born as a Zoroastrian in Persia but embarked on a long and continuous journey (away from his homeland) in search of the truth. He ultimately reached his destination in Arabia, when he met Muhammad and converted to Islam. It was his suggestion to build a trench in the Battle of the Trench that ultimately resulted in a defeat for the forces of the enemies of the Muslims.
  • Fayruz al-Daylami – A member of Al-Abnāʾ in Yemen, he was sent out by Muhammad to defeat Aswad Ansi, who claimed prophethood in Yemen.
  • Munabbih ibn Kamil – He was a Persian knight. He had two sons, who were both Islamic scholars.
  • Salim Mawla Abu-Hudhayfah – He was a highly respected and valued Muslim (among his fellow Muslims), who died while fighting against the forces of Musaylimah during the Wars of Apostasy. Umar ibn al-Khattāb suggested he would have designated Salim as his successor to the Caliphate had he still been alive.

Jewish

  • Abdullah ibn Salam – Was a rabbi before his conversion to Islam. He was the first Muslim that was explicitly promised Jannah (paradise) by Muhammad, while he was still alive. He is credited as the man who participated in most battles during the Prophet's time. He was an expert in reading Hebrew bible, his mother tongue, and he was assigned by the Prophet to document Quran.
  • Mukhayriq-was a rabbi who lived in Medina and fought alongside Muhammad in the Battle of Uhud
  • Safiyya bint Huyayy – She was one of Muhammad's wives.
  • Rayhana – Also one of Muhammad's wives.

Roman

  • Al-Nahdiah, converted to Islam while she was a slave, but refused to abandon her new faith even after being tortured and persecuted by her slave-master. She was later freed from slavery.
  • Lubaynah, converted to Islam while she was a slave, but refused to abandon her new faith even after being persecuted by her then pagan slave-master. She was later freed from slavery.
  • Umm Ubays, converted to Islam while she was a slave, but refused to abandon her new faith even after being tortured and persecuted by her pagan slave-master. She was later freed from slavery. She was the daughter of Al-Nahdiah.
  • Harithah bint al-Muammil (Zunayra) – Converted to Islam while she was a slave, but refused to abandon her new faith even after being persecuted to such a severe extent that she lost her eyesight. She was later freed from slavery. Umm Ubays was her sister.
  • Suhayb the Roman – Former slave in the Byzantine Empire who went on to become a companion of Muhammad and member of the early Muslim community. He served as the caretaker of the caliphate and the imam of the Muslims in prayer while Umar I was on his deathbed until the nomination of his successor, Uthman ibn Affan. Although his name had the title, "the Roman," he was only culturally Roman due to growing up there, but ethnically he was born Arab.

Copt (Egyptian)

  • Maria al-Qibtiyya – Was a slave who went on to become one of Muhammad's wives, she was the mother of Muhammad's third son Ibrahim.
  • Sirin – Was the wife of Hassan ibn Thabit, who was one of the best Arab poets of the time. Maria al-Qibtiyya was her sister.

Assyrian

Kurdish

Mythical sources (alleged Sahabah)

Kurdish

  • Jaban al-Kurdi – He was better known as Jaban Al-Kurdi. In the year 18 after Hijra, he went back to Middle East to preach Islam in his homeland.

Pashtun

  • Qais Abdur Rashid (also known as Imraul Qais Khan), legendary and possibly fictional ancestor of the Pashtuns, who traveled from Zhob (present day Baluchistan, Pakistan) to Arabia to meet Muhammad and there embraced Islam, before returning to his people and introducing them to the faith.

Indian

Comorian

  • Fey Bedja Mwamba – According to Comorian legend, he was a Comorian noble who brought Islam to the Comoros Islands visiting Mecca during Muhammad’s lifetime where he converted to Islam.
  • Mtswa Mwandze – According to Comorian legend, he was a Comorian noble who brought Islam to the Comoros Islands visiting Mecca during Muhammad’s lifetime where he converted to Islam.

See also

  • Al-Najashi – He was the king of the Kingdom of Aksum who allowed a number of Muslims (who were being persecuted by the pagans of Arabia) to live safely under his protection in his kingdom. He later converted to Islam and when he died, Muhammad observed prayer in absentia for him.[5]
  • Badhan (Persian Governor) – He was the Sassanid Persian Governor of Yemen who converted to Islam after one of Muhammad's prophecies was proven to be correct. As a result, every Persian in Yemen followed his example and also converted to Islam. The first mosque outside Arabia was ordered to be built by him in the Persian port city of Cylan.

References

  1. ↑ The Champions' of the True Faith, by Farid Adel, Section: Sumayyah bint Khayyat.
  2. ↑ Jamal M. Ahmed, " Islam in the context of contemporary socio-religious thought of Africa ", Al-Abhath Quarterly Journal, vol. 20, no 2,juin 1967, p. 13-15.
  3. ↑ "Perumal is first king to accept Islam at the hands of Prophet Muhammad". The Siasat Daily. 2020-08-12. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
  4. ↑ "Sahabi e Rasool Hazrat Baba Ratan Hindi India | PDF". Scribd. Retrieved 2022-01-15.
  5. ↑ The most widespread definition of a companion is someone who saw Muhammad, believed in him and died as a Muslim. Anyone who died after rejecting Islam and becoming an apostate is not considered a companion. Those that saw him but held off believing in him until after his passing are not considered Sahaba but Tabi`in.
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