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Professor Zehtabi cite evidence from the "Balami History" , written 1060 years ago. Samanit Minister Abu-Ali Mohammad Balami writes:
"It is said that Omar Ibn Kattab wrote a letter to Naim saying that Samak Ibn Harsini be sent to Azerbaijan. He had sent there Ismat Ibn Fargad and Abdullah. Ajam or "fire worshipers" were there. The word "Azer" means "atesh" (eds.-fire)in the Pahlavi language. Because of this the place is called Azerbaijan - originally the Ajam worshipped fire there. Its border starts from Hamadan, Abhar and Zanjan, and ends at Darband of Khazar (eds.-Caspian). All cities between these borders are called Azerbaijan…All these existing lands belonged to Turks"
(Balami History, edited by Javad Mashkur, Tehran 1958).
The Burhan Gatei Dictionary, which was written in 1662 by Hussein Tabrizi in India, refers to "Arran" as part of Azerbaijan "where Genja and Barda are located" (Burhan Gatei, p.42).
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