Salman the Persian

Salman the Persian (born Rozbih Khwashbudhan or Rozbih Budhakhshan), also known as Salman al-Farsi; was a Persian companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and one of the most prominent non-Arab members of the early Muslim community. He was originally a Zoroastrian from Sassanid Iran and spent much of his early life searching for religious truth. His search led him from Zoroastrianism to Christianity and eventually to Islam, after which he travelled to Medina and met Muhammad. Salman's early life is described as a prolonged search for truth. He was born into a Zoroastrian family near Isfahan and was raised as a Zoroastrian. After encountering Christians and becoming interested in their beliefs, he left his homeland and travelled through the Byzantine Empire in search of religious teachers. He stayed with several Christian monks and scholars in Amorium, and continued studying Christianity under their guidance. After the death of his teacher, Salman was directed to another scholar and continued his journey from one teacher to another. Eventually, his final teacher told him that a prophet would soon appear in Arabia and described several signs by which he could recognize him. Salman then travelled toward Arabia, where he was taken to Medina and met Muhammad, converting to Islam after recognizing the signs described to him.