Salman the Persian

Salman the Persian was a very important religious scholar. He lived a long time ago in a place called Persia. His first name was Ruzbeh Khoshnudan.

People are not exactly sure where he was born. Some say he came from Kazerun in Fars province. Others think he was from Isfahan. He was likely born between the years 568 and 570 AD. For the first sixteen years of his life, he studied hard. He wanted to become a Zoroastrian magus, which is a type of priest. He even spent time as a guardian of a fire temple.

Salman was a man who always looked for the truth. He traveled through Western Asia to talk with many different groups.

First, he became a Christian. He left his family to join a Christian group in 587. Later, he traveled to the Middle East to talk with more scholars. During his travels, he was once sold as a slave in Medina. While he was there, he met the Prophet Muhammad. A Christian teacher had told Salman that Muhammad was coming. Because of this, Salman became a follower of Islam. He was the first Iranian person to convert to Islam.

Salman was known for being very wise and helpful. He became one of the closest friends of the Prophet Muhammad.

During a time of danger in 627, the city of Medina needed help. An army of 10,000 people was marching toward the city. Salman suggested a clever plan to keep everyone safe. He told them to dig a large trench around the city. This was a way used by the Sasanian army. The plan worked and helped protect the people. Muhammad even said that Salman was like a member of his own family.

Salman did many great things for his faith. He was the first person to translate the Quran into a new language. He translated it into Persian so more people could understand it.

Later in his life, he held important jobs. He was a governor in the city of Ctesiphon. When Ali became the leader in 656, he made Salman the governor of Al-Mada'in. Salman was 88 years old at that time. Some people called him "the father of the two books." This was because he knew both the Bible and the Quran.

Today, many different groups of people still honor Salman.

In the Druze faith, he is honored as a prophet. People in the Bahá’í Faith also remember him for his service. Many Sufi groups include him in their long history of teachers. Some believe he died around the year 652 or 653. Others think he died a little later, around 656. There are different places where people believe his tomb is located. One famous site is the Salman Al-Farsi Mosque in Al-Mada'in, which is in Iraq.