Zoroastrianism at a glance @ BBC

Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions founded by the Prophet Zoroaster in ancient Iran approximately 3500 years ago. It  was once the official religion of Persia (now Iran). It is no longer one of the world’s major religions, but many of its ideas can still be seen in the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim faiths.

The precise date of the founding of Zoroastrianism is uncertain. An approximate date of 1200-1500 BCE has been established through archaeological evidence and linguistic comparisons with the Hindu text, the Rig Veda.

For 1000 years Zoroastrianism was one of the most powerful religions in the world. It was the official religion of Persia (Iran) from 600 BCE to 650 CE.

It is now one of the world’s smallest religions. In 2006 the New York Times reported that there were probably less than 190,000 followers worldwide at that time.

Hazrath Mirza Tahir Ahmad (ra) of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community says:
“Zoroastrianism in all its features is closest to Judaism and Islam.” (Revelation, Rationality, Knowledge & Truth)

Let us know a bit about Prophet Zoroaster

The name Zoroaster is a Greek rendering of the name Zarathustra. He is known as Zarathusti in Persian and Zaratosht in Gujarati.

He was born in Northeast Iran or Southwest Afghanistan in the Bronze Age culture with a polytheistic religion (the worship of many gods), which included animal sacrifice and the ritual use of intoxicants. This religion was quite similar to the early forms of Hinduism of the Indus Valley.

Zoroaster’s birth and early life are little documented. What is known is recorded in the Gathas – the core of the Avesta, which contains hymns thought to be composed by Zoroaster himself. Born into the Spitama clan, he worked as a priest. He was a family man, with a wife, three sons and three daughters.

Zoroaster rejected the religion of the Bronze Age Iranians with their many gods and oppressive class structure, in which the Karvis and Karapans (princes and priests) controlled the ordinary people. He also opposed animal sacrifices and the use of the hallucinogenic Haoma plant (possibly a species of ephedra) in rituals.

Divine vision of Zoroaster

When Zoroaster was thirty years old he had a divine vision of God and his Amesha Spentas during a ritual purification rite. This vision radically transformed his view of the world, and he tried to teach this view to others.

Zoroaster believed in one creator God, teaching that only one God was worthy of worship. Furthermore, some of the deities of the old religion, the Daevas (Devas in Sanskrit), appeared to delight in war and strife. Zoroaster said that these were evil spirits and were workers ofAngra Mainyu, God’s adversary.

Wikipedia says…

Zoroastrianism /ˌzɒroʊˈæstriənɪzəm/, also called Mazdaism and Magianism, is an ancient Iranian religion and a religious philosophy. It was once the state religion of the Achaemenid Empire and Sassanid Empire. The number of Zoroastrians worldwide varies from between 145,000 to 2.6 million.

In the eastern part of ancient Persia over a thousand years BCE a religious philosopher called Zoroaster simplified the pantheon of early Iranian gods[2] into two opposing forces: Ahura Mazda (Illuminating Wisdom) and Angra Mainyu (Destructive Spirit) which were in conflict.

Zoroaster’s ideas led to a formal religion bearing his name by about the 6th century BCE and have influenced other later religions including Judaism,Gnosticism, Christianity and Islam.

Beliefs of Zoroastrians:

Zoroastrians believe there is one God called Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord) and He created the world.
Zoroastrians are not fire-worshippers, as some Westerners wrongly believe.
Ahura Mazda revealed the truth through the Prophet, Zoroaster.
Zoroastrians traditionally pray several times a day. Their worship is not prescriptive: You can choose how to pray.

A prayer room at the Harrow Zoroastrian Centre ©

Zoroastrians worship communally in a Fire Temple or Agiary.
The Zoroastrian book of Holy Scriptures is called The Avesta which contains the Gathas (seventeen hymns) composed by Zoroaster himself.
Zoroastrians are roughly split into two groups:  The Iranians & The Parsis

The Zoroastrian calendar

The Zoroastrian calendar is full of holy days, feasts and festivals, giving Zoroastrians the reputation of being a joyful religion full of celebration.

Festivals are a very prominent aspect of Zoroastrian worship and are closely linked with the seasons. The origins of many festivals, such as the six Gahanbars, date back to pre-Zoroastrian times; and some festivals, as in the case of Noruz, the Iranian New Year, have become part of Islamic Iranian culture.

The Zoroastrian calendar is split into twelve months. Each day of the month is named after Ahura Mazda, an Amesha Spenta or a Yazata. The Yazatas (venerable ones) are personified aspects of nature or mythical gods and goddesses.

The Zoroastrian calendar presents a difficult issue for Zoroastrians, as there have been a number of changes over the centuries with the result that there are now three different calendars: Fasli, Shahanshahi, and Qadimi. This means that festivals are celebrated at different times depending on which calendar is being used by the community. The dates given on these pages follow the Fasli calendar.

Khordad Sal: The birthday of Zoroaster

Khordad Sal is celebrated as the birthday of Zoroaster. This is known as the ‘Greater Noruz’ and happens six days after Noruz.

The chosen date is symbolic since the actual date of the Prophet’s birth cannot be identified accurately. This festival is considered one of the most important in the Zoroastrian calendar. Zoroastrians gather in Fire temples for prayers and then celebrate with feasting.

The Concept of Promised Messiah in Zoroastrianism: Saoshyant – Zoroastrian Messiah

The Zoroastrians believe that Zoroaster (as) would return in the form of Saoshyant, the new Persian messiah at the onset of their twelfth millennium (around 2000 CE). The nature of Saoshyant is preserved in the following text:

He shall be the victorious Benefactor (Saoshyant) by name and World-renovator (Astavat-creta) by name. He is the benefactor because he will benefit the entire physical world; he is the World-renovator because he will establish the physical living existence indestructible. He will oppose the evil of the progeny of the biped and withstand the enmity produced by the faithful. (Avesta, Farvardin Yasht, 13.129)

Zoroaster (as) had a local mission for the people of Persia (modern Iran), whereas Saoshyant seems to have a wider scope to his future mission as he is described as ‘World-renovator’ and we are told that he will ‘benefit’ the entire physical world’. He will stand up against evil.

Another text describes the state of the world after Saoshyant arrives:

The victorious World-renovator and his helpers … shall make the existence renovated – ageless, deathless, un-putrifying, un-corruptible, ever-living, ever benefitting, ruling at will. The dead shall rise up, life shall prevail indestructible, the existence shall be renovated at the will of God! (Avesta, Zamyad Yasht, 19.11)

Source: The Review of Religions: The Concept of the Awaited Messiah in World Faiths