In early Islamic society, a Muslim ruler once asked about the judges and scholars overseeing various provinces, only to learn that most were non-Arab clients, or mawālī—a term referring to freed slaves or non-Arab converts who became clients under the patronage of Arab tribes. This account is recorded in Al-ʿAqd al-Farīd, written by Ibn ʿAbd … Continue reading Non-Arabs (Mostly Persian) Influence on Sunni Islam