بسم الله و حمد لله والصلاة و السلام على رسول لله
اما بعد
سابق الفرس إلی الإسلام صحب النبي صلی الله عليه وسلم و خدمه و حدث عنه.
According to Bernard Lewis: “[Arab Muslims conquests] have been variously seen in Iran: by some as a blessing, the advent of the true faith, the end of the age of ignorance and heathenism; by others as a humiliating national defeat, the conquest and subjugation of the country by foreign invaders. Both perceptions are of course valid, depending on one’s angle of vision… Iran was indeed Islamized, but it was not Arabized. Persians remained Persians…… the Iranian contribution to this new Islamic civilization is of immense importance. The work of Iranians can be seen in every field of cultural endeavor, including Arabic poetry, to which poets of Iranian origin composing their poems in Arabic made a very significant contribution. In a sense.
Only a few people and lands were explicitely praised by the Messenger of Allah Mohammad صل الله عليه و على آله و سلم amongst them are the noble people and land of Makkah, Madinah, Yemen, Al-Shaam (Syria, Jordan i.e. Lavent) and >>>the People of Persia<<<, the Guardians of the pure Sunnah (amongst them ALL the compilers of the “Kutub Sittah”!). To give you a glimpse of who the Guardians and compilers of the Sunnah and language and history were:
Let’s start with five Persian Sahabis (they deserve their own category):
1) Salman Al-Farsi رضي الله عنه – A Major Sahabi, well known, may Allah be pleased with him.
2) Firooz Al-Daylami رضي الله عنه . Also known as “Abu Al-Dhahhak” or “Abu Abdul-Rahman”. A Persian from the descandants of Persian Zoroastrians who were sent by Kisra to Yemen (then ruled by the Persian Empire) who eventually converted to Islam. Those Persians in Yemen were known as “Abna Fares” (Sons of Persia), who settled in Yemen and normally had Arab Mothers and Persian Fathers. Yemen was ruled by Persians and even the king of Yemen was Persian back then who, with his people accepted Islam (among them Persians like Al-Daylami, Tawoos etc.). Daylamis are originally north Iranians (from Gilan). From his Ahadith:
من أحاديثه: قال فيروز: كنت في وفد إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من اليمن فقلت : يا رسول الله ! أنا من قد علمت: وجئنا من بين ظهراني من قد علمت ، ونحن حيث علمت فمن وليّنا ؟ قال : الله ورسوله ، قالوا : حسبنا. وعن فيروز الديلمي, أن وفد ثقيف قدموا على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالوا: رأيناه يصلي في نعلين متقابلتين. رواه الطبراني في الأوسط ورجاله ثقات. قال: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: لَيُنْقَضَنَّ الإِسْلاَمُ عُرْوَةً عُرْوَةً ، كَمَا يُنْقَضُ الْحَبْلُ قُوَّةً قُوَّةً. وقال: أتيت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقلت: يا رسول الله إني أسلمت وتحتي أختان. فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم اختر أيتهما شئت.(وطلق الأخرى)
He was a great Sahabi:
صفاته: كان من أجلاء الصحابة , بطلا مغوارا, من الشجعان المعدودين في الصحابة, ومع ذلك كان متواضعا منقادا للحق. وكان عاقلا حازما رضي الله عنه وعن جميع الصحابة والتابعين. اللهم اخذل من لعنهم وسبهم.
His virtues:
فضائله: عن أبي هريرة أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ذكر الأسود العنسي فقال: قتله الرجل الصالح فيروز الديلمي رجل من فارس. وفي رواية قال: رجل صالح من أهل بيت صالحين. قال ابن تيمية: كان رجلا صالحا, له في الإسلام آثار جميلة منها: قتل الأسود العنسي الكذّاب الذي ادّعى النبوةَ في عهد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم
Al-Daylami was the brave Sahabi who killed the false Prophet “Al-Aswad Al-Unsi” (acc. to Ibn Taimiyyah). The Prophet praised him for that.
3) Salem the Mawla of Hudhayfah رضي الله عنهما – A Persian Sahabi, who was from The foremost, the first of the emigrants, a Badri, one of the first Sahaba. He accepted Islam before Salman Al-Farsi, for Salman accepted Islam in Madinah (did not witness the Makkan period at all). 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.
Islamweb.net on
سالم مولى أبي حذيفة
There are some interesting narrations exposing the lies of one coin with two sides, the Rafidite Shi’ite clergy and the Islamophobic-Neo-Sassanid Iranian fashists, who both hold deep grudge for Omar Ibn Al-Khattab (Allah is well pleased with him) and both accuse him of being anti-Persian. They both do that by citing either weak/forged narrations or some narrations where they intentionally don’t mention the context. Like many sayings of Omar (Allah is pleased with him) in regards to the Persians were not directed at the Persian race, rather the Persians back then stand for the Sassanid’s, the tyrants who (before the Arabs!) attacked many Arab lands, even Yemen the motherland of the Arabs was ruled by a Persian king. Hence the Persians were viewed as a threat, and in fact history proofs that the Sassanids, especially in the later stage were not just enemies to their neighbours, but even to the Persians themselves who suffered from the caste division of the Sassanid nation that was backed by the corrupt priests of the Zoroastrians. The point is, there is not a single authentic narration where Omar or any companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) condemns the Persian race, and ironically there are narrations that Islamophobic Iranians and the Shia clergy never mention, among them narrations where Omar Ibn Al-Khattab praised Persian companions of the Prophet, made a Persian the new Wazir (basically the new King) of Persia (Omar during his Caliphate appointed Salman the Persian as the knew Wazir of Al-Mada’en the former capital of Persia) and he and the major companions of the Prophet (صل الله عليه و على آله و سلم) used to pray behind a Persian and this alone destroys the fairy tales and lies of the Shia clergy (who quote forged narrations) where Omar apparently prevented Persians to pray in the first line of the Prophet’s Mosque. This Sahabi, who was the master of the Qur’aa (Qur’an recitors) amongst the biggest Sahabah was no one less than Salem the Persian from “Estakhr” (a city, still located in the FARS/PERSIA province of south Iran).
Abdullah Ibn Omar, the son of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab (رضي الله عنهما), one of the major companions of the Messenger of Allah (صل الله عليه و على آله و سلم) said the following about Salem:
وعن ابن عمر ، قال : كان سالم مولى أبي حذيفة يؤم المهاجرين الذين قدموا من مكة حتى قدم المدينة ؛ لأنه كان أقرأهم .
“Salem was the client of Abu Hudhayfa and he was the IMAM of the Muhajir companions in Makkah and later in Madinah, this is because he was the best recitor (of the Qur’an) among them.”
Doesn’t sound really “Anti-Persian”, does it? This was the SON of Omar Ibn Al-Khattab, and not just him, but basically the BEST companions of the Prophet used to pray behind a Persian because he could recite the Qur’an best!
As for the father of Abdullah i.e. Omar Ibn Al-Khattab himself:
الواقدي : حدثنا أفلح بن سعيد ، عن محمد بن كعب القرظي قال : كان سالم يؤم المهاجرين بقباء ، فيهم عمر قبل أن يقدم رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم- .
Al-Waqidi narrated on the authority of Aflah Ibn Sa’eed, on Mohammad Ibn Ka’ab Al-Qaradhi, who said: Salem used to lead the Muhajir companions in prayer in the Quba’ Mosque (the oldest mosque in the world. Its first stones were positioned by the Islamic prophet Muhammad صل الله عليه و سلم himself), among those (who prayed behind Salem) was Omar […]
There are are also narrations were the Prophet paid his homage and utmost respect and love to Salem the A’jami (Persian).
حنظلة بن أبي سفيان : عن عبد الرحمن بن سابط ، عن عائشة قالت : استبطأني رسول الله ذات ليلة ، فقال : ما حبسك ؟ قلت : إن في المسجد لأحسن من سمعت صوتا بالقرآن ، فأخذ رداءه ، وخرج يسمعه ، فإذا هو سالم مولى أبي حذيفة ، فقال : الحمد لله الذي جعل في أمتي مثلك إسناده جيد .
^This narrations has been narrated by the Mother of the Believers ‘Aaisha who says that the Prophet صل الله عليه و سلم thanked Allah for having the likes of Salem in his Ummah.
The Prophet صل الله عليه و سلم adised his Ummah to take the Qur’an from Salem in a Sahih Hadith:
- “Learn the Qur’an from four persons: Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ud, Salem Mawla Abu-Hudhayfah, Ubayy ibn Kab and Muadh ibn Jabal.”
- Omar ibn al-Khattāb suggested he would have designated Salim as his successor to the Caliphate had he still been alive. (Omar appointed Salman the Persian of the then capital of Persia “Al-Madain” i.e. he was practically the new king Persia, and Omar also wanted a Persian to be the Khalifa of the Muslim Ummah, yet some try to portray him as “Anti-Persian”).
- Taha Husain, a 20th century Sunni Islamic scholar
“ When Umar was dying, he was questioned about his successor, and he said: ‘If Abu Obaida bin al-Jarrah were alive, I would have made him the khalifa. If Khalid bin al-Walid were alive, I would have appointed him the amir of the Muslims. And if Salim, the client of Abu Hudhaifa, were living today, then I would have designated him as your ruler.’ This Salim was a slave who came from Istakhar in Persia. He was emancipated, and became a ‘mawali’ (client) of Abu Hudhaifa. He was well-known for his piety. Many Muslims deferred to him in matters of Faith even in the times of Muhammad. Sometimes he led the Muslims in prayer also. He was killed in the Ridda wars during the khilafat of Abu Bakr. He was a devout and God-fearing man.[1] ” Ali Asgher Razwy, a 20th century Shi’a Twelver Islamic scholar states:
“ It was really unfortunate for the umma that Salim was dead or else Umar would have made him his successor, and he might have made an excellent khalifa.[2] ” He had contributed in all major battles, such as Badr, Uhud, Ahzab etc., so he is the Badrian companion of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be up on him).
Here the Arabic text:
أخبرنا الإمام أبو محمد عبد الرحمن بن محمد في كتابه ، وجماعة ، قالوا : أخبرنا حنبل بن عبد الله ، أنبأنا هبة الله بن محمد ، أنبأنا أبو علي بن المذهب ، أنبأنا أحمد بن جعفر ، حدثنا عبد الله بن أحمد ، حدثني أبي ، حدثنا عفان ، حدثنا حماد ، عن علي بن زيد ، عن أبي رافع أن عمر بن الخطاب قال : من أدرك وفاتي من سبي العرب فهو من مال الله . فقال سعيد بن زيد : أما إنك لو أشرت برجل من المسلمين ، لائتمنك الناس ، وقد فعل ذلك أبو بكر الصديق ، وائتمنه الناس ، فقال : قد رأيت من أصحابي حرصا سيئا ، وإني جاعل هذا الأمر إلى هؤلاء النفر الستة . ثم قال : لو أدركني أحد رجلين ، ثم جعلت إليه الأمر لوثقت به : سالم مولى أبي حذيفة، وأبو عبيدة ابن الجراح .
علي بن زيد لين فإن صح هذا ، فهو دال على جلالة هذين في نفس عمر ، وذلك على أنه يجوز الإمامة في غير القرشي ، والله أعلم .
[…] Omar Ibn Al-Khattab said: “whoever accompanied my death from a captive of the Arabs then he is from property of Allah.” Then Saeed Ibn Zayd said: “Uou, if u appointed from the Muslims a man, the people will trust you, Abu bakr did it and the people trusted him.” Then Omar said: “I seen from my companions a bad avarice, surely i make this matter (Caliphate) with six individuals of this group, then he said that if one of two people would accompany me , then i make this matter to him , I would select it for him: Salim Mawla Ibn Abu Hudhayfa and ‘Ubaydallah Ibn Al-Jarrah”.
Non Sahabis:
1. Hafidh Al-Hadith Abu Hatim Al-Razi (Persian from Isfahan).
A Major scholar and Muhaddith about whom Imam Al-Dhahabi said:
قال الإمام الذهبي : كان مِن بُحُور العِلم، طوَّفَ البلاد، وبرع في المَتن والإِسناد، وجمعَ وصَنَّفَ، وجَرَح وعَدَّلَ، وصَحَّحَ وعَلَّل.
He was an ocean of knowledge …. and excelled in Mutun (Text) and Isnad (chain of narrations i.e. a Master of Hadith science) ….
2. Imam Al-Tirmidhi (Persian from Khorasan, town of “Tirmiz” which is part of what is called today “Uzbekistan”. He wrote al-Jāmi‛ al-ṣaḥīḥ, popularly called Sunan al-Tirmidhi, one of the six canonical hadith compilations.
3. Imam Ibn Hazm Al-Zahiri (Persian from Andalus/Spain). >>Here our English article about him.<<
4. Imam Al-Hakim Al-Nisabouri (Persian from Nisabour/Khorasan in today’s north-east Iran).
He was a major Muhaddith and and this is what Ibn Kathir has to say about him (in Al-Bidayah):
قال عنه الحافظ ابن كثير في البداية والنهاية: وكان من أهل العلم والحفظ والحديث…وقد كان من أهل الدين والأمانة والصيانة والضبط والتجرد والورع…
“He [Al-Hakim] was from the people of knowledge, Hifdh and Hadith …
5. Imam Abu Jafar Mohammad ibn Jarir Al-Tabari (Persian from Tabaristan, todays Mazandaran/north Iran). He was a Mujtahid, historian and major Mufassir. His Tafsir “Jāmi` al-bayān `an ta’wīl āy al-Qur’ān, popularly Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī” is regarded as one of the best Tafasir ever. No Muslim household can afford to lack his Tafsir, let alone the Muslim scholars around the world.
6. Al-Allamah ibn Fares Al-Loghawi (Persian from the city of Qazwin/Iran). He was a poet, Faqih, Mufassir and Master of the Arabic language. He is known as “Ibn Fares” (Son of Persia).
This is what Al-Dhahabi has to say about him:
قال الإمام الذهبي : الإمام، العلاَّمةُ، اللُّغويُّ، المُحدِّث… كان رأساً في الأَدب، بصيراً بفقه مالك، مُناظراً مُتكَلِماً على طريقة أَهل الحقّ، ومذهبه في النَّحو على طريقة الكوفيِّين… جمع إِتقانَ العِلم إِلى ظَرْفِ أَهل الكتابة والشعر…
وكان من رُؤوس أَهل السُّنَّة المُجرَّدين على مذهب أَهل الحديث… وتخَرَّج به أَئمّة.
“He [Ibn Fares] is the Imam, the Allamah, the Loghawi (philogist), the Muhaddith … He was a Major scholar of the Ahl Al-Sunnah and his Madhab was the Madhab of the Ahl Al-Hadith …”
7. Sibawayh Al-Farsi (Another Persian from Shiraz). He was THE Master of the Arabic language and grammar. Another Persian Sunni who played a MAJOR role in Fiqh Al-Logha. No Arabic class ends without mentioning his name. >>Here our English article about him.<<
8. Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Husayn Ibn ‘Ali Ibn Moussa al-Khosrojerdi al-Bayhaqi, البيهقي also known as Imam Al-Bayhaqi was a Persian Sunni scholar born 994 CE/384AH in the small town of Khusraugird near Bayhaq in Khurasan.
9. Abu Muhammad Abdal Qadir al-Gilani (Persian Sunni scholar from north Iran/Gilan).
10. Al-Imam Nafi Al-Madani (Persian from the city of Isfahan who settled in Madinah and became the IMAM of the people of Madinah). Nafi` ibn `Abd al-Rahman, d. 169 H in Madina, the qari’ from who the two recitations of Warsh and Qalun (from the 7 Qira’at) branched off.
Note: the Qur’an is revealed in seven SAHIH Ahruf (singular harf), Nafi the Isfahani Persian narrated TWO Qira’at (Warsh and Qalun), Abdullah Ibn Kathir al-Makki the Persian Imam of the QUR’AN RECITORS of MAKKAH who transmitted the readers (Harf) of Al-Buzzi and Qunbul, Al-Kisa’i Al-Kufi (of Persian origin) who transmitted the readers of Al-Layth and Hafs Al-Duri and Hamza Al-Kufi who also was of Persian origin, he transmitted the readers of Al-Khallaf and Al-Khallad. So all in all, FOUR of the seven most authentic Ahruf were transmitted by Persian Tabi’een.
11. Ikrama Mawla ibn Abbas. (one of the MAJOR Tabi’in and student of Ibn Abbas).
12. Abu Hāmed Mohammad ibn Mohammad al-Ghazzālī (1058 – 1111) (Persian: ابو حامد محمد ابن محمد الغزالی), known as Algazel to the western medieval world, born and died in Tus, in the Khorasan province of Persia (modern day Iran) was a Persian and major scholar
13. Sulayman Ibn Mehran (Al-A’mash) – A Major scholar of the Salaf Al-Salih. A Muhaddith and Faqih, a Persian from North Tehran/Damavand (who then moved to Kufa/Iraq) and student of Said Ibn Jubayr who was regarded as one of the leading members of the Tabi‘in, a student of Abdullah Ibn Abbas, the Companion of the Messenger of Allah صل الله عليه و سلم
Uyaynah (a leading member of the Salaf) said about him:
يقول عيينة: سبق الأعمش أصحابه بأربع خصال: كان أقرأهم للقرآن، وأحفظهم للحديث، وأعلمهم بالفرائض.
“Al-A’mash surpassed his companions in four things:”He was the most versed in the Qur’an, the strongest in Hifdh Al-Hadith and the most knowledgable in the Fara’idh (compulsory deeds).”
Al-Dhahabi said:
قال الذهبي: كان رأسا في العلم النافع والعمل الصالح.
“He was one of the leading persons in beneficial knowledge and righteouss deeds.”
14. Tawoos Ibn Kaysan – A Persian who was sent by Kisra to Yemen (then ruled by the Persian Empire). He eventually became Muslim when the Prophet صل الله عليه و سلم sent his noble Companions to Yemen to preach Monotheism (Islam). Among them were: Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari, Ali Ibn Abi Talib and Mu’adh Ibn Jabal رضي الله عنهم
Tawos the Persian was a giant among the Tabi’is (Salaf) and a student of the Sahabi Abdullah Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما . It is not known from which Persian town he was from, but what is known is that he was Persian from Fars (Heartland of Persia).
Imam Al-Dhahabi about him:
وقال الذهبي: طاووس ابن كيسان، الفقيه القدوة عالم اليمن، أبو عبد الرحمن الفارسي، ثم اليمني الجندي الحافظ. كان من أبناء الفرس الذين جهزهم كسرى لأخذ اليمن له، فقيل: هو مولى بحير بن ريسان الحمير
“Tawoos Ibn Kaysan, the Faqih, the scholar of Yemen, Abu Abdurrahman Al-Farsi … from the sons of Persia …”
Ibn Kathir reports that Tawoos met 50 Sahabis, he was a student of Ibn Abbas and mostly reported from Ibn Abbas who said about him:
قال ابن عباس: إني لأظن طاووسًا من أهل الجنة.
“I think that Tawoos will be from the people of Paradise”.
15. Al-Nasā’i. full name Aḥmad ibn Shu`ayb ibn Alī ibn Sīnān Abū `Abd ar-Raḥmān al-Nasā’ī. A Persian from Khorasan.
His book known as Sunan Al-Nisai which is taught around the globe in every Islamic institute and which possesses a virtue of being one of the Sihah Sitah (the six books generally taught in hadith).
16. Nuʿmān ibn Thābit ibn Zuṭā ibn Marzubān[2] (Persian/Arabic:نعمان بن ثابت بن زوطا بن مرزبان), better known as Imam Abū Ḥanīfah, (699 — 767 CE / 80 — 148 AH) – He was a Persian, his family were originally Persians from Kabul, todays capital of Afghanistan.
His ancestry is generally accepted as being of non-Arab origin as suggested by the etymology of the names of his grandfather (Zuta) and great-grandfather (Mah). The historian, Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, records a statement from Abu Hanifa’s grandson, Ismail bin Hammad, who gave Abu Hanifa’s lineage as Thabit bin Numan bin Marzban and claiming to be of Persian origin. The discrepancy in the names, as given by Ismail of Abu Hanifa’s grandfather and great-grandfather are thought to be due to Zuta’s adoption of the Arabic name (Numan) upon his acceptance of Islam and that Mah and Marzban were titles or official designations in Persia, with the later meaning a margrave refers to the noble ancestry of Abu Hanifa’s family as the Sasanian margraves of Kabul. Those stories maintain for his ancestors having been slaves purchased by some Arab benefactor are, therefore, untenable and seemingly fabricated. The widely accepted opinion, however, is that he was of Persian ancestry.
17. Muhammad Ibn Ismail Ibn Ibrahim Ibn al-Mughirah Ibn Bardizbah IMAM al-Bukhari (Persian/Arabic: محمد بن اسماعيل بن ابراهيم بن مغيره بن بردزبه بخاری), popularly known as Bukhari or Imam Bukhari, (196-256AH / 810-870AD), was a Sunni Islamic scholar of Persia. He authored the hadith collection named Sahih Bukhari, the most authentic of all hadith compilations.
His Persian Grandfather was a Majoosi and died upon Majoosism. His father converted to Islam. Imam Al-Bukhari was Persian from Khorasa/Bukhara which is today located in Uzbekistan.
18. Abul Husayn IMAM Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj ibn Muslim ibn Warat al-Qushayri al-Nishaburi (Arabic: أبو الحسين مسلم بن الحجاج القشيري النيشابوري; Persian: مسلم نیشابوری; lived c. 206–261 AH/c.821-875 CE) was the author of the second authentic sahih collection of hadith, Sahih Muslim. He was not a Persian, rather an Arab of the Qushayri tribe, but as Ibn Al-Khaldoon said: “Most scholars of the Sunnah were either Persians OR they have been brought up in Persia. Imam Muslim has been brought up in Persia, in fact he was a Nishaburi (a city still located in the Khorasan part of Iran).
He was born and raised in Persia/Khorasan (town of Nisabur), he was of Arab origin, from the Qushayri tribe.
19. Abū ʻAbdillāh Muḥammad ibn Yazīd Ibn Mājah al-Rabʻī al-Qazwīnī (Arabic: ابو عبد الله محمد بن يزيد بن ماجه الربعي القزويني), (824 CE/209 AM—887/273) commonly known as Ibn Mājah, was a medieval scholar of hadith. He compiled the last of Sunni Islam‘s six canonical hadith collections, Sunan Ibn Mājah. He was of Arab origin from Qazwin.
Note: Qazwin is maybe more than a hour away from Tehran and it used to be a major fortress of the Ahl Al-Sunnah. Major scholars emerged from there, here are some:
عباقرة قزوين:
اشتهرت مدينة قزوين في فن الحديث منذ القرن الثالث الهجري، وكان يعيش فيها كثير من المحدثين؛ لذلك سموا هذه المدينة بـ « باب الجنة ».
وأما الذين عاشوا فيها:
الأول : محمد بن سعيد بن سابق ابو عبدالله الرازي المتوفی 120 هـ
الثاني : الحافظ علي بن محمد بن ابي الحسن الطنافسي المتوفی 233 هـ
الثالث : عمور بن رافع ابي حجر البجلي المتوفی 237 هـ
الرابع : اسماعيل بن توبه ابو سليمان القزويني الحنفي المتوفی 247 هـ
الخامس : الإمام المحدث ابن ماجة – رحمهم الله –
وهناك كثير من المحدثين والفقهاء الذين عاشوا في قزوين ونيّروا بأسمائهم صفحات مجيدة من تاريخ فارس.
20. Abu Dawood Sulayman ibn Ash`ath Azdi Sijistani (Persian/Arabic: ابو داود سليمان بن اشعث السجستاني), commonly known as Abu Dawud, was a noted Persian (of Arab origin) collector of prophetic hadith, and wrote the third of the six canonical hadith collections recognized by Sunni Muslims, Sunan Abu Dawood.
He was born in Sistan, in east of Iran, (then Persia) and died in 889 in Basra.
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Remember these are just glimpses, there are many more, the likes of:
Abu Ya’la Al-Qazwini (north-west Iran) Al-Hanbali, Abu Na’im Al-Isfahani the Persian (one of the biggest Sunnah scholars ever, who wrote an extensive rebuttal of the Rafidah sect under the name: الإمامة والرد على الرافضة ), Ibn Khuzaymah Al-Nisaburi, Fakhr Al-Din Al-Razi (from Persia/Amol), Sarkhasi, Abu Hamid Al-Toosi (todays Mashad), Farabi, Abu Ali Al-Farsi (Master of the arabic language), Imam Dawod Ibn Ali Al-Isfahani also known as Abu Sulayman the FOUNDER of the Zahiri Madhab, Abu Naim Al-Isfahani, Yahya Ibn Wathab, Ibn Al-Mundhir Al-Nisaburi, Shahab Al-Deen Ahmad Ibn Hussein known as Abu Shuja’, a big Shafi’i scholar from Persia/Isfahan, Abul-Qasim Al-Rafi’i Al-Qazwini (Persian Shafi’i scholar from Qazwin), Imam Baghawi (with the notorious Tafsir Al-Baghawi), Imam Wahed (Tafsir Wahed), Ibn Marawiyah Al-Isfahani, Abdullah Ibn Omar Baydhawi (Tafsir Baydhawi), the two major Tabi’een of Iraq, Hassan Al-Basri and Ibn Sireen who both were of Persian origin, Imam Thalabi, known for his Tafsir Thalabi, Abdul-Karim Shahrestani (Khorasani) known for his masterpiece called:”Al-Melal wa Al-Nahl”, Abu Bakr Ibn Abdurrahman Al-Jorjani (from Gorgan/Persia), a schlar of Sarf and Nahu (Arabic Grammer), Imam Al-Suyuti the Egyptian of Persian origin, Imam Layth bin Sa’ad the famous jurist and founder of the Layth Madhab in Egypt who was of Persians origin from Isfahan, Abu Ishaq Al-Shiraz (Persian from Shiraz), one of the biggest Shafi’i scholars ever, Firozabadi, another major Shafi’is scholar, Imam Al-Haramayn Abdul-Malik Al-Juwayni, Imam Al-Tabarani, Nafi` the Mawla of Ibn `Umar [most likely a Persian according to al-Dhahabi], Junayd Al-Baghdadi the Persian … etc etc.
Note: The scholars compiled books such as:
طبقات المحدثين باصبهان والواردين عليها (The scholars of Isfahan/Isbahan), solely to collect all the names of the Sunnah scholars from Persia/Isfahan, for they used to be in such a massive number, that scholars considered it beneficial to write books just about the details of Isfahani scholars. Almost no Aqidah/Fiqh/Hadith book can be found without mentioning one of the thousands of giant Isfahani-Shirazi-Rai (old name for Tehran), Toos/Khorasan Sunnah scholars. And what we’ve mentioned is like a drop in the ocean, there are many more, and in fact the Persians always used to be Shafi’is and some were Hanafis, and these schools are based upon the works of Persian Sunnah scholars, in fact the major scholars of Islam and many major Tabi’in, even some Sahaba were Persians. So Sunnah belongs to Iran, just like it belongs to other Muslims lands, maybe even more.
We leave you with this beautiful conversation, for even the Kings during the time of the Salaf were shocked, realising that almost each and every scholar of Islam was of Persian origin:
This is a narration by Ibn al-Salah in his Muqaddima on the Hadith sciences from `Ata’ that the latter was asked by the Caliph Hisham ibn `Abd al-Malik in al-Rusafa:
NOTE: Mawla does not mean SLAVE. Slave in arabic means “‘Abd”. Mawla is a close friend AND servant and most Mawla’s back then were PERSIANS. Thus Mawla = Persian.
– “O `Ata’! Do you know anything about the foremost scholars in the world?”
– “Yes, Commander of the Believers.”
– “Who is the Faqih of Ahl al-Madina?”
– “Nafi` the Mawla of Ibn `Umar [most likely a Persian according to al-Dhahabi].”
– “Was he a Mawla or an Arab?”
– “A Mawla.”
– “Then who is the Faqih of Ahl Makka?”
– “`Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah.”
– “Was he a Mawla or an Arab?”
– “No! A Mawla.”
– “Then who is the Faqih of Ahl al-Yaman?”
– “Tawus ibn Kaysan.”
– “Was he a Mawla or an Arab?”
– “No! A Mawla.”
– “Then who is the Faqih of Ahl al-Yamama?”
– “Yahya ibn Abi Kathir.”
– “Was he a Mawla or an Arab?”
– “No! A Mawla.”
– “Then who is the Faqih of Ahl al-Sham?”
– “Makhul.”
– “Was he a Mawla or an Arab?”
– “No! A Mawla.”
– “Then who is the Faqih of Ahl al-Jazira?”
– “Maymun ibn Mihran.”
– “Was he a Mawla or an Arab?”
– “No! A Mawla.”
– “Then who is the Faqih of Ahl Khurasan?”
– “Al-Dahhak ibn Muzahim.”
– “Was he a Mawla or an Arab?”
– “No! A Mawla.”
– “Then who is the Faqih of Ahl al-Basra?”
– “Al-Hasan and Ibn Sirin.”
– “Were they Mawlas or Arabs?”
– “No! Mawlas.”
– “Then who is the Faqih of Ahl al-Kufa?”
– “Ibrahim al-Nakha`i.”
– “Was he a Mawla or an Arab?”
– “An Arab!”
Hearing which, Hisham said:
– “Had you not said an Arab I think I would have expired on the spot.”
“Muhammad is the noblest of the Arabs and `Ajam. Muhammad is the best of those who trod the earth.” (Al-Busiri)
And Muhammad the Messenger of Allah صل الله عليه و سلم said in his farewell pilgrimage, after he escalated the platform, he praised Allah then said — as was narrated in “al-Targheeb” book for “al-Monthery”- :
sonsofsunnah.com 
salam alikum,
great work.