The Persians, in particular the empire of the Sasanians, were among the great powers of the Middle East in the period preceding the coming of the Prophet ﷺ. According to the sources, the Sasanian empire held influence in parts of eastern Arabia and, through their client tribes (tribes that stood under their protection or influence in order to stabilize their border regions), also in areas bordering the Arabian desert.
It is recorded, for instance, that the province of Mazun (in what is now the eastern Arabian Peninsula) was incorporated by the Persians into their administrative system. The Persians made use of Arab client tribes to protect their frontier.
Cultural and economic interactions
The sources indicate that the contacts between Arabs and Persians went beyond the purely political. Persian words were absorbed into classical Arabic, particularly in religious or cultural contexts. In addition, trade existed along the Arabian Gulf and over the sea and land routes where Persian rulers or Persian influence played a role.
Relation to the sira of the Prophet ﷺ
Although the Persians themselves were not direct players in Mecca or the Hijaz at the time of the coming of the Prophet ﷺ, they provided the geopolitical framework within which Arab society found itself. The Arabian Peninsula lay between the spheres of influence of Byzantium and the Persians, which helped determine how the Arabs developed socially, politically and economically. The presence of the Persians in eastern Arabian territories and their interaction with Arab tribes contribute to an understanding of the Arab world as it was before and during the first years of the Prophet’s ﷺ mission.