Lesson 4 – Concept of God in Zoroastrianism
“O men! Here is a parable set forth! Listen to it! Those on whom, beside Allah, you call, cannot create (even) a fly, if they all met together for the purpose! And if the fly should snatch away anything from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. Feeble are those who petition!” Al Qur’an 22:73
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.” The Bible – Mark 12:29
In this lesson, we will study the concept of God in Zoroastrianism. Like many religions of the world, Zoroastrianism believes in monotheism. We will go through the teachings of Zoroastrianism and compare them with Islam.
What is Zoroastrianism Religion
Zoroastrianism is an Aryan religion. It does not have many followers despite it being one of the oldest religions in the world. Thus it is considered a minor religion. The Iranian prophet Zoroaster was the founder of this religion. It is also known as ‘Parsism.’
Concept God in Zoroastrianism
The concept of God in Zoroastrianism is based on monotheism. They call their God Ahura Mazda, which means the wise Lord. The Ahura Mazda is known as Omnipotent (all-powerful) and Omniscient (all-knowing). He is considered just, generous and kind.
The Core Teachings of Zoroastrianism
The people following Zoroastrianism believe in the goodness of mankind, and they consider everything in the universe as divine. They believe in their prophet. For them, the elements are created by God, and these elements must be kept pure by doing good and staying away from evil. They believe that all humans must do good and help others.
Scriptures in Zoroastrianism
There are two sacred scriptures in Zoroastrianism, the Dasatir and Avesta. The ‘Dasatir’ can be further divided into ‘Khurda Dasatir’ or ‘Kalan Dasatir. The ‘Avesta’ can be further divided into the ‘Khurda Avesta’ or ‘Kalan Avesta’… The Maha Avesta or the ‘Zend Avesta.
Qualities of God According to Dasatir
- He is One
- Nothing resembles Him
- He is without an origin or end
- He has no father or mother, wife or son
- Without a body or form
- Neither the eye can behold Him nor the power of thinking can conceive Him
If we look closely at these qualities, the concept of God in Zoroastrianism resembles our religion, Islam. In Islam, too, God is considered one and without an origin or end.
Qualities of God According to Avesta: The Avesta, on various points, has given various qualities to God, such as
- Creator (Yasna 31:7 & 11) (Yasna 44:7) (Yasna 50:11) (Yasna 51:7)
- Most Mighty – the Greatest (Yasna 33:11) (Yasna 48:3)
- Beneficent – ‘Hudai’ (Yasna 33:11) (Yasna 48:3)
- Bountiful – ‘Spenta’ (Yasna 43:4,5,7,9,11,13,15) (Yasna 44:2) (Yasna 45:5) (Yasna 46:9) (Yasna 48:3)
Thus the concept of God in Zoroastrianism can only be known in its true sense if we read and go through the scriptures and try to decipher their meanings.
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