The Avesta Zoroaster’s Sacred Book

Description

Zoroastrianism is considered one of the most important and refined religions, and the closest to Islam. Some Muslims even consider its prophet, Zoroaster, to be among the prophets whose story is not recounted in the Quran. Whether he was truly a prophet or merely a reformer, what matters most is the spirit he instilled, the advancement of his religion and its laws, and the flourishing it experienced. Conversely, no religion has been shrouded in as much mystery and slander as Zoroastrianism. From the claim that they were fire-worshipping Magians to the assertion that they were dualists worshipping Mithras, all this stems from ignorance of a religion that has had a profound impact on global religious thought, particularly on the Abrahamic faiths. Indeed, the Jews adopted many of the core tenets of their religion upon their encounter with the Persians in Babylon, and formulated a new religious narrative based upon them. Likewise, the direct Zoroastrian influence on Christian thought is considerable. With Islam, however, the story is even more complex, with influences reaching the point of near-identity, as seen in the life of Zoroaster, and the same applies to laws, obligations, and prohibitions. Yet, this abundance of similarities should not obscure the vast differences between them.