Al-Mundhir ibn Sawi

Al-Mundhir ibn Sawa al-Tamimi was the Sasanian governor of historical Bahrain, the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula opposite of Tihamah.

Al-Mundhir was a prominent Arab chief and Tabi'un in the 7th century who hailed from the Banu Tamim tribe. His genealogical full name is al-Mundhir ibn Sawa ibn al-Akhnas ibn Bayān ibn Amr ibn Abd Allah ibn Zayd ibn Abd Allah ibn Darim ibn Malik ibn Hanzala ibn Malik ibn Zayd Manat al-Tamimi. He was the Persian governor of lands which included modern Bahrain, Eastern part of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, South Iraq, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, and Oman during the age of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

Before Islam, the inhabitants of the eastern part of the Arabian Peninsula worshipped gods including Awal. Nestorian Christianity was also practiced in the region. Muhammad sent his first envoy Al-Ala'a Al-Hadrami to al-Mundhir, the ruler of Bahrain, which in those days, extended the coast from Basrah in Iraq to the south of Qatar, including al-Hasa, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE & Oman, in the year 628, inviting him to Islam. Munzir, announced his conversion to Islam and all the Arab inhabitants of historical Bahrain became Muslim, heralding the beginning of the Islamic era in Bahrain. Consequently, Al-Ala'a Al-Hadrami was appointed by Muhammad as his representative in Bahrain to collect the Zakah (religious tax).

Letter of Muhammad

During the Expedition of Zaid ibn Haritha (Hisma) Muhammad sent Al-Ala'a Al-Hadrami to al-Mundhir the king of Bahrain called al-Mundhir. The letter from Muhammad is preserved and can be seen at Beit Al Qur'an museum in Hoora, Bahrain, with the seal of Muhammad still intact, though some have claimed it's a forged replica.