The Persians
Nation of the Quran
The Persiansالفرس
Ctesiphon, Iraq
The Sasanian Persians were the other great power of the Prophet's ﷺ world. They defeated the Romans in his lifetime (30:2-3), and their emperor Khosrow tore up the letter the Prophet ﷺ sent him. When the verse about 'others of them who have not yet joined them' came (62:3), the Prophet ﷺ placed his hand on Salman the Persian.
What does the Quran say?
And [to] others of them who have not yet joined them. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
Quran 62:3
How did they end?
Their empire fell to the Muslims after al-Qadisiyyah (636) and Nahavand (642), but the Persians themselves became pillars of Islam, giving it scholars such as Sibawayh, al-Ghazali and Fakhr al-Din al-Razi.
What do historians say?
The great arch of Taq Kasra at Ctesiphon, near Baghdad, still stands from the Sasanian palace. Rock reliefs at Naqsh-e Rostam and Bishapur show Sasanian kings triumphing over Roman emperors.
The lesson
Empires fall, but a people who accept guidance can rise higher than their kings.
Everyone and everything in the timeline
People named in the Quran and the hadith, the Prophet's ﷺ family and Companions, scholars, rulers, the nations of the Quran, the world's empires and the places where it all happened. Where scholars differ, each entry says so.
Nations of the Quran
- People of Nuh
- Ad
- Thamud
- People of Lut
- Madyan
- Companions of the Thicket
- Companions of the Rass
- People of Tubba
- Saba (Sheba)
- Bani Israil
- People of Firaun
- People of Yunus
- The city of the Sleepers
- Companions of the Ditch
- Companions of the Elephant
- People of the Sabbath
- Yajuj and Majuj
- Quraysh
- Thaqif
- Hawazin
- Aws and Khazraj (the Ansar)
- The Romans (Rum)
- The Persians
- People of Ibrahim
- Jurhum
- People of Ilyas
- People of the Town (Ya-Sin)
- The Sabians
- The Magians (Majus)