The Persian

The Persian is a major character from the Gaston Leroux novel The Phantom of the Opera. In the book he is the one who tells most of the background of Erik's history. Erik refers to him as the "daroga" (داروغه, Persian for "police-chief") and his memoirs are featured in five chapters of the novel. He is also considered Erik's only friend, Christine Daaé being his lover.

In the 1925 silent film The Phantom Of The Opera, his character was changed into a French policeman named Ledoux who had been investigating Erik for months. He still helps and accompanies Raoul to rescue Christine. In the musical, he does not appear, although aspects of his character are merged with Madame Giry's. For instance, Madame Giry shows Raoul where Erik lives, although she does not accompany him to Erik's lair.

According to his account of himself in the novel, the Persian once served as the chief of police (daroga) in the court of the Shah of Persia during the years that Erik was there. He refers to these times as "the rosy hours of Mazenderan". Being kindhearted, he helped Erik escape from Persia when the Shah ordered him executed, a trick that involved presenting a body washed up on the shore as Erik's. When news of the escape spread, the Shah-in-Shah punished the Persian by stripping him of his property and sending him into exile.

Salman the Persian

Salman the Persian or Salman al-Farsi (Arabic: سلمان الفارسي‎), born Ruzbeh (Persian: روزبه‎‎), 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 as Abu Abdullah ("Father of Abdullah"). He is credited with the suggestion of digging a trench around Medina 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 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 Shia tradition, Muhammad considered Salman as part of his household (Ahl al-Bayt). He was a renowned follower of Ali ibn Abi Talib after the death of Muhammad.

Birth and early life

Salman was a Persian born either in the city of Kazerun in Fars Province, or Isfahan in Isfahan Province, Persia. In a hadith, Salman also traced his ancestry to Ramhormoz. The first sixteen years of his life were devoted to studying to become a Zoroastrian magus or priest after which he became the guardian of a fire temple, which was a well-respected job. Three years later in 587 he met a Nestorian Christian group and was so impressed by them. Against the wishes of his father, he left his family to join them. His family imprisoned him afterwards to prevent him but he escaped.

Muhammad: The Last Prophet

Muhammad: The Last Prophet is a 2002 animated film and quranic epic produced by Badr International and directed by Richard Rich. The movie was released in limited cinemas in the United States and the United Kingdom. The movie focuses on the early days of Islam and Muhammad.

Three prequels, Before the Light (relating to events in Arabia before the birth of Muhammad, with his grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, as the main character), Salman the Persian (the story of Salman's quest for religious enlightenment) and Great Women of Islam (pertaining to the roles of women in Arabia before and after the birth of Islam) have been released, all directed by Rich.

In accordance with Islamic law and tradition, Muhammad and the first four caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali) are not depicted in the film or any of its prequels. Scenes that include Muhammad are shown from his perspective, with his words paraphrased by the narrator. The film has been approved by the Council of Al-Azhar Al-Shareef (Islamic Research Academy) and the Supreme Islamic Shiite Council of Lebanon.