Salman the Persian

Salman the Persian or Salman al-Farsi, born Roozbeh, was a companion of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the first Persian who converted to Islam. During some of his later meetings with the other Sahabah, he was referred to by the kunya Abu Abdullah. He is credited with the suggestion of digging a trench around Medina, a Sasanian military technique, when it was attacked by Mecca in the Battle of the Trench. He was raised as a Zoroastrian, then attracted to Christianity, and then converted to Islam after meeting Prophet Muhammad in the city of Yathrib, which later became Medina. According to some traditions, he was appointed as the governor of Al-Mada'in in Iraq. According to popular tradition, Muhammad considered Salman as part of his household. He was a renowned follower of Ali ibn Abi Talib after the death of Muhammad.