Rustam nama

In his Meccan days Muhammad's message was rejected by many as a threat to the values and interests of the community. Among his opponents, there was a merchant called Nadr b. Harith. From his visits to the city of Hira in Mesopotamia, a cultural melting-pot of Iranian, Christian, and pagan Arab beliefs and traditions, he had brought back stories from Iranian folklore, especially about Rustam and Isfandyar, with which he tried to attract the attention of those listening to Muhammad's speeches, away from the latter's revolutionary message. This explains why the religious elite of the Persianate world rejected Iranian epic folklore as contrary to the message of Shi?i Islam, Rustam in particular being viewed as incompatibele with the person of Imam ?Ali. But folklore being difficult to eradicate, Rustam was often depicted as a Muslim convert and enemy-turned-friend of ?Ali, like in this poem from Safavid times. A miracle story involving ?Ali accompanies it.