ntroduction

Zoroastrianism is an ancient Aryan religion that originated in Persia more than 2500 years
ago. Though it has relatively few adherents, less than one hundred and thirty thousand in
the whole world, it is one of the oldest religions. Zoroaster was the founder of
Zoroastrianism, also commonly known as Parsi-ism. t is also known as the religion of
fire worshi!!ers and "agianism.
Parsi #cri!tures consist of $asatir and %esta or Zend-Avesta. $asatir is further divided
into two !arts& 'hurda $asatir and 'alan $asatir.
Avesta is further divided into 'hurda Avesta and 'alan Avesta also known as Zend or
"aha-Zend.
The religious scri!tures of the Parsis are found in two languages& Pahlawi (Pahlawi scri!t
resem)les the !resent Persian scri!t* and Zendi. +esides these two scri!ts, some religious
literature is found in cuneiform writing.
#ome Parsis consider the Zend Avesta to )e more authentic than the $asatir while the
others consider $asatir to )e more authentic.
Zend Avesta is divided into three parts:
The first !art contains %endid.
The second !art contains #iro,ahs, -ashts and .yays.
The third !art contains /athas, -asha, %is!arad, Afrinagan /ahs and miscellaneous.
DASATIR:
$asatir means a )ook of ten !arts& 0$as1 meaning 2ten2 and 0tir1 meaning 0a !art1. $asatir is also the !lural of
$astur, which means law or religious code.
DA'WAH TO ZOROASTRIANS (PARSIS)
CONCEPT OF GOD IN ZOROASTRIANISM:
/od in Zoroastrianism is known as 0Ahura "a,da1. 0Ahura1 means 0the 3ord1 or 2The
"aster2 and 0"a,da1 means 0the 4ise15 hence 0Ahura "a,da1 means 0the 4ise 3ord1 or
0the 4ise /od1. Ahura "a,da stands for /od, in a strictly monotheistic sense.
Qualities of God according to the Dasatir:
According to the Dasatir, Ahura Mazda has the folloing !ualities:
6e is 7ne.
6e is without an origin or end.
6e has no father or mother, wife or son.
6e is without a )ody or form.
.othing resem)les 6im.
.either the eye can )ehold 6im, nor the !ower of thinking can conceive him.
6e is a)ove all that you can imagine.
6e is nearer to you than your own self.
Qualities of God according to Avesta
According to the Avesta, the Gathas and the "asna give various characteristics to Ahura Mazda such
as:
#reator

-asna 89&: ; 99
-asna <<&:
-asna 50&99
-asna 59&:

Most
Might$

the /reatest
-asna 88&99
-asna <5&=

%eneficent

6udai.
-asna 88&99
-asna <>&8

%ountiful #!enta5
-asna
<8&<,5,:,?,99,98,95
-asna <<&2
-asna <5&5
-asna <=&?
-asna <>&8
Thus, in Zoroastrianism too, we find a conce!t of an eternal, omni!otent /od. #everal verses of -asna !raise
the 3ord as a +ountiful @reator.
MUHAMMED (PUH) IN THE PARSI SCRIPTURES
Pro!"#t Mu"$%%$d (!&u") in Z#nd A'#(t$
t is mentioned in Zend Avesta Aarvardin -asht cha!ter 2> verse 92?
&Sacred %oo's of the (ast, volu)e *+, Zend Avesta ,art II pg- **./:
B4hose name will )e the %ictorious, #oeshyant and whose name will )e
Astvat-ereta. 6e will )e #oeshyant (The +eneficent one* )ecause he will
)enefit the whole )odily world. 6e will )e Astvat-ereta (he who makes the
!eo!le, )odily creatures rise u!* )ecause as a )odily creature and as a
living )eing he will stand against the destruction of the )odily ()eing*
creatures to withstand the drug of the two footed )rood, to withstand the
evil done )y the faithful (idolaters and the like and the errors of the
"a,daynians*B.
This Pro!hecy a!!lies to no other !erson more !erfectly than it does to
"uhammad (!)uh*&
The Pro!het was not only victorious at Aatah "akkah )ut was also
merciful when he let go the )lood thirsty o!!onents )y saying&
BThere shall )e no re!roof against you this dayB.
#oeshyant means the 0!raised one1 (refer 6aisting1s Cncyclo!edia*, which translated in Ara)ic
means "uhammad (!)uh*.
Astvat-ereta is derived from the root word Astu which in #anskrit as well as in Zend means 0to
!raise1. The infinitive #itaudan in !resent day Persian means !raising. t can also )e derived from
the Persian root word istadan which would mean 0one who makes a thing rise u!1. Therefore
Astvat-ereta means the one who !raised, which is the eDact translation of the Ara)ic word
2Ahmed2 which is another name for Pro!het "uhammad (!)uh*. The Pro!hecy clearly mentions
)oth the names of the Pro!het i.e. "uhammad (!)uh* and Ahmed (!)uh*.
The Pro!hecy further says that he will )enefit the whole )odily world and the Eur1an testifies this
in #urah Al-An)iya cha!ter 29 verse 90:&
B4e sent thee not, )ut as a mercy for all creatures.B
0Al1Qur2an *3:3.45
#anctity of Pro!het1s @om!anions&
n Zend Avesta Zamyad -asht cha!ter 9= verse ?5 (#acred +ooks of the Cast, volume 28 Zend
Avesta Part !g. 80>*&
BAnd there shall his friends come forward, the friends of Astvat-ereta, who are fiend-smitting,
well thinking, well-s!eaking, well-doing, following the good law and whose tongues have never
uttered a word of falsehood.B
6ere too ,rophet Muha))ad &p7uh/ is )entioned 7$ na)e as Astvat1ereta-
There is also a mention of the Pro!het1s friends as com!anions who will )e fighting the evil5
!ious, holy men having good moral values and always s!eaking the truth. This is a clear reference
to the #aha)as F the !ro!het2s com!anions.
,rophet Muha))ad &p7uh/ in Dasatir:
The sum and su)stance of the !ro!hecy mentioned in $asatir is, that when the Zoroastrian !eo!le
will forsake their religion and will )ecome dissolute, a man will rise in Ara)ia, whose followers
will conGuer Persian and su)Hugate the arrogant Persians. nstead of worshi!!ing fire in their own
tem!les, they will turn their faces in !rayer towards 'aa)a of A)raham (!)uh* which will )e
cleared of all idols. They (the followers of the Ara)ian Pro!het*, will )e a mercy unto the world.
They will )ecome masters of Persia, "adain, Tus, +alkh, the sacred !laces of the Zoroastrians
and the neigh)ouring territories. Their Pro!het will )e an eloGuent man telling miraculous things.
This Pro!hecy relates to no other !erson )ut to "uhammad (!)uh*.
Muha))ad &p7uh/ ill 7e the 8ast ,rophet:
t is mentioned in +undahish cha!ter 80 verses = to 2: that #oeshyant will )e the last Pro!het
im!lying that "uhammad (!)uh* will )e the last Pro!het. The Eur1an testifies this in #urah
Ah,a).
B"uhammad is not the father of any of your men, )ut (he is* the "essenger of Allah, and the #eal
of the Pro!hets& and Allah has full knowledge of all things.B
0Al1Qur2an ++:9.5