List of non-Arab Sahabah

Muhammad, the founder of Islam, was an Arab from the Banu Hashim of the Quraysh. During his time as a religious prophet in Arabia, the people who were physically in his presence as his closest friends and disciples are known as the Sahabah (lit. 'Companions'), many of whom were not from the Arabian tribes. The inclusion of non-Arab ethnicities among the Sahabah, and among the early Muslims as a whole, contributed to the definition of Islam's nature as a universal religion instead of an ethnic religion. The following is a list of non-Arab Sahabah during the 7th century.

Classical sources

Abyssinian (Ethiopian)

• Wahshi ibn Harb was an Abyssinian who killed Hamza ibn Abdul-Muttalib in the Battle of Uhud before converting to Islam and then later reportedly killed Musaylima in the Ridda Wars.
• Umm Ayman (Barakah), was around Muhammad from his birth until his death and was the closest example of a mother to him (after his own mother’s death when he was a child). She was the mother of Usama ibn Zayd and Ayman ibn Ubayd.
• Ayman ibn Ubayd, son of Umm Ayman and half-brother of Usama ibn Zayd. Ayman was killed fighting in the Battle of Hunayn.
• Sumayyah bint Khabbat, one of the first to embrace Islam and later on get killed by the polytheistic Banu Makhzum because of her faith. She is described in the sources as being black-skinned. The sources assume she was of Ethiopian origin.^[1][2]

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.
• Abu Rafi' al-Qibti – Was a Copt who converted to Islam in Mecca alongside Umm al-Fadl. They converted before the Battle of Badr, which he did not witness because he was residing in Mecca. Following the battle, Abu Rafi’ migrated to Medina and stayed with Muhammad. He went on to witness the battles of Uhud and al-Khandaq, and the Islamic conquest of Egypt.

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.
• Zaid bin Sa'nah – a Jewish scholar who converted to Islam.

Kurdish

• Jaban al-Kurdi – He was known to have narrated 10 prophetic ahadith
• Meymun bin Jaban al-Kurdi^[3]
• Zozan^[4]

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.
• Badhan (Persian governor), a member of the Al-Abna community who converted to Islam after interacting with Muhammad on behalf of the Sasanian government

Roman

• 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.

See also

• Najashi, a Christian king of Aksum who granted asylum to Muslim emigrants from Mecca
• Thajuddin, formerly known as the Tamil King Cheraman Perumal, traveled to Mecca and converted to Islam and Muhammad gave him the name Thajuddin, meaning "crown of faith." Thajuddin was the first Indian Muslim
• Bilal ibn Rabah, the first muezzin of Islam, whose mother was an Abyssinian

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. İbn Hâcer el-Askalanî, El İsabe fi Temyizi's Sahabe
4. https://www.ufkumuzhaber.com/erciste-dogan-kiz-bebege-ilk-kurt-sahabenin-ismi-verildi-43351h.htm#:~:text=Zozan%20(sa)%20annemiz%2C%20%C4%B0slam,M%C3%BCsl%C3%BCman%20olan%20ilk%20K%C3%BCrt't%C3%BCr.