If the din were at the Pleiades, even then a person from Persia would have taken hold of it, or one amongst the Persian descent would have surely found it.
Hadith Commentary: The Book of the Merits of the Companions
This narration from Sahih Muslim 2546a contains profound wisdom regarding the spiritual excellence and divine favor bestowed upon the Persian companions and their descendants.
Literal Interpretation
The Prophet (ﷺ) used the metaphor of the Pleiades (Thurayya) - a distant constellation - to illustrate that even if religion were placed in the most remote and inaccessible location, the Persians would still attain it through their earnest seeking and spiritual capability.
Spiritual Significance
This hadith highlights the divine wisdom in choosing Persia as a center for Islamic scholarship and spirituality. It foretells the emergence of great Persian scholars like Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, and countless others who would preserve and transmit Islamic knowledge.
The prophecy demonstrates that true faith transcends ethnic and geographical boundaries, and that divine guidance reaches those whose hearts are prepared to receive it, regardless of their origins.
Historical Manifestation
This prophecy manifested through companions like Salman al-Farisi, whose journey to Islam exemplified the Persian seeker's determination. Later generations produced eminent scholars who contributed significantly to hadith sciences, jurisprudence, and spirituality.
The Persian contribution to Islamic civilization in fields of medicine, astronomy, philosophy, and literature further confirms this divine favor mentioned in the prophecy.