Could you please provide me with some information about Mazdaism?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The word "Magians" is a Persian word referring to the followers of Mazdaism, which is an idolatrous religion with two deities: the god of goodness and the god of evil. The Magians believe that there is a constant conflict between the two gods and it will continue until the Day of Judgment, when the god of goodness will clinch victory over the god of evil.

Scholars hold different opinions about the origin of the word "Mazdaism." Some of these opinions are:

1-      It was named after a man called "Magians"

2-      It is a description of a man to whom Mazdaism is attributed

3-      It was named after a Persian tribe

4-      It is a description of the worship of fire

Some researchers believe that Mazdaism is Zoroastrianism. However, Mazdaism is older than Zoroastrianism, for in the third century CE Zoroaster introduced some changes to Mazdaism. Moreover Ibn Khuldoon believed that Mazdaism is Kirmirthiyyah. Kirmirthiyyah is ascribed to Kirmith, who was one of the sons of Aadam (Adam) or Aadam himself or one of the sons of Nooh (Noah) .

Furthermore, scholars hold different opinions about whether Magians are considered from the People of the Book. There are two opinions here, which are:

1-      The majority of scholars believe that the Magians are not from the People of the Book, but they are treated like them when it comes to paying Jizyah (a non-Muslim poll tax). Ibn Al-Qayyim, Ibn Qudaamah, Al-Qurtubi and most of the righteous predecessors support this opinion. Dr. Naasir ‘Abdul-Kareem Al-‘Aql, may Allaah preserve him, mentioned that the following three verses prove that Magians are not from the People of the Book. Allaah the Almighty Says (what means):

•        {Indeed, those who have believed and those who were Jews and the Sabeans and the Christians and the Magians and those who associated with Allaah— Allaah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed Allaah is, over all things, Witness.} [Quran 22:17]

•        {Indeed, those who believed and those who were Jews or Christians or Sabeans [before Prophet Muhammad]— those [among them] who believed in Allaah and the Last Day and did righteousness— will have their reward with their Lord, and no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.} [Quran 2:62]

•        {Indeed, those who have believed [in Prophet Muhammad] and those [before Him] who were Jews or Sabeans or Christians— those [among them] who believed in Allaah and the Last Day and did righteousness— no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve.} [Quran 5:69]

These verses prove that the Magians are not considered from the People of the Book because:

A)      Allaah The Almighty does not mention them when talking about those who will be rewarded for their faith and good deeds from the People of the Book.

B)      Allaah The Almighty, when enumerating religions, mentions that the Magians followed the polytheists. Therefore, the Magians are more like polytheists than the People of the Book.

2-      Some scholars believe that the Magians are from the People of the Book, but they distorted and perverted their religion. They build their stance on the following:

A)      The authentic Hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam , where he ordered Muslims to treat Magians like the People of the Book when it comes to Jizyah. [Al-Bukhari]

B)      ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab and ‘Ali Ibn Abi Taalib used to collect Jizyah from Magians, in addition to other things that were refuted by the majority of scholars.

Influenced by some of the Indian religions, the Magians came to believe in reincarnation, which consequently led them to believe that there will always be prophets and messengers.

Some Arabian tribes were influenced by Mazdaism because these tribes were near the Sassanide Empire, which remained in Persia until the time of the Islamic conquest, or because they came into direct contact with some of the tribes of this Empire, especially those that were in Bahrain, Yemen and Oman.

Moreover, Mazdaism and the fire temples were widespread in Kerman, Sajistan, Khorasan and the mountains of Azerbaijan and Armenia until the Abbasid Caliphate. This was a major reason for having many of the Magians adopt Islam under the cover of Shi‘ism to destroy Islam, as mentioned by Von Kremer.

There were various schools of Mazdaism (i.e. Zoroastrianism, Manichaeanism and Mazdakism) and this is why it had several bad effects on the Islamic Nation.

2-      Dr. Yahyaa Haashim summarized the bad effects of Magians doctrines explaining that the idea of reincarnation made the extreme Shiites believe in the incarnation of their Imaams. This is in fact what made the extreme Shiites believe in the incarnation of their Imaams (great leaders).

It also caused the Druze and the Saba’iyyah (Sabians) to adopt the ideas of:

1)      Predicting what will happen in the future

2)      Claiming prophethood

3)      Claiming divinity

4)      The belief in Pantheism and incarnation, which is adopted by the Druze and the Saba’iyyah.

Allaah Knows best.