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Chapter 1

Comments on Iran’s History

 

Why do we present the historical study?

In the Islamic world today, there are terrible clandestine movements like the Shia, Nusayriyyah (Nusayris), Durziyyah (Druze), Baha’iyyah (Bahais), and Ismailiyyah (Ismailis). These movements arrange themselves on the basis of their sectarian affiliation and their leaders hide behind bright modern logos like nationalism, democracy, and socialism.

These movements threaten the current and future of the Islamic call. They have established their systems in Iran and Syria. The directors of these systems clearly state that their movement will soon prevail over the Islamic world. Practically, we find their pillars in every area of the Islamic world. It is heart-breaking for the majority of Muslims to attach high hopes on what is called the Islamic Republic of Iran, due to nothing besides them raising Islamic slogans. Aforetime, the Qaramitah movement raised Islamic slogans. The Fatimid State dominated in Egypt due to their affiliation to Islam. When the Fatimid and Qaramitah gained authority over the Muslims, they stained the tillage and soil, disseminated disbelief and permissiveness, and spilled the blood of Muslims in the Hajj of 317 AH.

So that history does not repeat itself, we felt that we should present this historical study to connect the present to the past, as it is not correct for persons—who undertake to study and evaluate a movement—to be unaware of the history of that movement.

What is undoubtedly a fact is that the Druze, Nusayris, Bahais, and Ismailis return to the same fundamental, i.e. Tashayyu’. This Tashayyu’ returns to Magian fundamentals, not Islamic. The abode of Mazdaism is the land of Iran and Persia.

In this historical study, we will discuss the history of Mazdaism in Iran and its effect on the various Shia sects. We wish, first of all, to record these two notes:

1. There is vast disparity and a vast difference between the [first] Shia of ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu—who regarded ‘Ali to be more worthy of the Caliphate than Muawiyah, and stood by ‘Ali’s side and fought under his banner when Muawiyah did not pledge allegiance—and between the Shia of today who believe in the infallibility of the Imams, abuse the Sahabah, reject the Sunnah, and believe in Raj’ah and Taqiyyah.

2. It is necessary to differentiate between the Magian Persians who conspire and plot against Islam and the Persians who entered the Din of Allah, excelled in Islam, and defended Islam with their swords, knowledge, and wealth. At the head of them is the eminent Sahabi, Salman radiya Llahu ‘anhu, and other noteworthy predecessors regarding whom the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam stated in the report of Abu Hurairah radiya Llahu ‘anhu who relates:

 

كنا جلوسا عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فأنزلت عليه سورة الجمعة وَآخَرِيْنَ مِنْهُمْ لَمَّا يَلْحَقُوا بِهِمْ‏ قال قلت من هم يا رسول الله فلم يراجعه حتى سأل ثلاثا وفينا سلمان الفارسي وضع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يده على سلمان ثم قال لو كان الإيمان عند الثريا لناله رجال أو رجل من هؤلاء

We were sitting in the company of the Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam when Surah al Jumu’ah was revealed to him: “Others from amongst them who have not yet joined them.”^[1]

I asked, “Who are these, O Messenger of Allah?”

The Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam gave no reply until I questioned him thrice. Among us was Salman, the Persian. The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam placed his hand on Salman and stated, “If faith were at the Pleiades, a man from amongst these would surely find it.”^[2]

 

Therefore, our discussion in this study is on Persian Magians. As for the Persian Muslims to whom the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam referred to in this hadith, they are our brothers, our predecessors, and our luminaries. We exonerate ourselves before Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala from the taint of nationalism, be it Arab or Persian.

We express our deepest gratitude to Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala Who favoured us with Islam and removed from our hearts reverence and worship for idols and statues.

In this chapter, we will study the history of Iran in the following stages:

1. Iran before Islam.
2. The Persians’ stance on Islam.
3. The Persians’ conspiracies after the Islamic conquest.
4. Iran in the era of the Pahlavi family.

 

Section 1

Iran Before Islam

• Introduction
• Mazdaism 
• Zoroastrianism
• Manichaeism
• Mazdakism
• Outcomes of the Discussion

 

Introduction

In the annals of history, Persia was the cradle of civilisation for centuries prior to the birth of Nabi ‘Isa ‘alayh al Salam. The Persians were obsessed with self-glorification of their history and racially chauvinistic. Some of them believe that their first king was Keyumars (Kayumarth), the first son of Adam, and that they are the origin of humanity and the fountain of civilisation. A second group of them suggest that Keyumars is Umaym ibn Lawudh ibn Iram ibn Sam ibn Nuh.^[3] A third group believes that Keyumars grew from the earth and he is Rheum-ribes. This view turned into a doctrinal belief known as Kayumarthiyyah, the gist of which is the conflict between darkness and light.^[4]

The Persians have placed great importance to religion from afore and awarded it first preference in their lives. Their social stratification sequence indicates to this:

1. The class of men of religion.
2. The class of men of war.
3. The class of the writers of the registers.
4. The class of peasants and builders.

From the class of the men of religion are the rulers, worshippers, ascetics, custodians, and teachers.

Since religion was the most important civilised production, the Persians adopted it—as they suppose—and the Batiniyyah sects which threaten the Muslims today are closely tied to the beliefs of the early Persians. We therefore present the most significant religions of the Persians.

 

1. Mazda

Majority of their scholars agree that Mazda, the ruler, was the deity of the tribes inhabiting Iran. In fact, they believe him to be the deity of the world and all humans. The essence of Mazdaism lies in two pillars: 1. Purity, and 2. Universality.

Part of purity is inviting to morality and civilisation. Mazdaism stands in contradiction to the doctrine of demons which thieves, thugs, and nomadic tribes believe in. Since the Iranians earliest history, Ahura Mazda (Ahura Mazda)^[5] has been the highest deity according to them. He has assumed responsibility to send messengers to the earth. Among his messengers were Keyumars and Zoroaster.

Ahura Mazda or Ohrmazd is the one who raised the sky, spread the earth, and created the angels. The first angel he created was Bahman^[6] to whom he taught religion and singled out for an elite place of light.^[7]

 

2. Zoroastrianism

In the 7^th century BCE, Zoroaster claimed he was a prophet sent by Mazda. From the beliefs of Zoroaster is the conflict between the two souls, the soul of goodness and the soul of evil. Light and darkness are two conflicting fundamentals that are the basis of the existence of the world. And the compositions have come into being from their mixture, just as images were produced from the different compositions.

The Creator, Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala, is the creator and originator of light and darkness. He is One, with no partner, with no comparison, with no like. It is not permitted to attribute the existence of darkness to Him, as stated by the Zarwaniyyah.^[8]

From the mixture of light with darkness emerged: goodness, evil, virtuousness, corruption, purity, and impurity. Had there not been this mixture, the universe would not be in existence. The conflict will continue between them until light will overpower darkness and good will overpower evil. Thereafter, goodness is saved into its world and evil degenerates into its world and that is the reason for salvation.^[9]

The Zoroastrians revere water to the extent that they do not wash their faces with it. According to them, it is not used except for drinking and irrigating the plantation. Man has two lives according to them. The first life encompasses all the actions of man. The second life is where man enjoys bliss or faces wretchedness. In the second life, they discuss Hell and the straight path.^[10]

The Zoroastrians affiliate to the Maghan tribe before Zoroastrianism swept the regions of Media and Persia. The clergy belonged to the Media tribe. The Maghan tribe have the responsibility of inspecting the fire-houses in which they establish their religious symbols. Among the most important temples or fire-houses of the Zoroastrians is the temple Yazd. It was converted to a huge Masjid after the Islamic conquest.^[11]

The sun is one of the gods of the Zoroastrians, as it is the source of light just as drought is one of the sources of darkness according to them.

Zoroaster, the ruler, is Zoroaster ibn Yurshab, born in Azerbaijan. His mother is from Rayy. The Persians believe that Zoroaster’s soul was in a tree which Allah created in the highest ‘Illiyyin, surrounded with seventy of the close angels, and planted at the summit of one of the mountains of Azerbaijan.

Zoroaster has a book named Avesta (Zend Aosta) which divides the world into two parts: minah and kayti i.e. spiritual and physical, and in other words: al lahut and al nasut.

Zoroastrianism is a structured religion and has various levels and ranks. Their religion flourished after Hormizd II (Azdshir I) and his son Shapur II (Sabur) believed in it and adopted it as an official religion for their state.^[12]

 

3. Manichaeism

Mani (Mani) was born during the reign of Masin in Babylonia in 215/216 CE. He emerged during the time of Shapur II ibn Azdshir. Bahram ibn Hurmuz ibn Shapur II killed him in 279 CE as he was inclined towards asceticism which did not harmonise with the war state of Bahram.

Mani is attributed to an old, respectable Iranian family. His mother is from the Ishkaniyyah al Malikah family while his father is Fatik al Hakim from the Ishani family.

Mani began his call in India which made some historians believe that he adopted the doctrine of reincarnation from the Buddhists or another Indian religion.^[13] Mani adopted the ideology of the Zoroastrians that the universe is made of two fundamentals: light and darkness. He, however, disagreed with them and the Magians believing that light and darkness are sempiternal, whereas the Magians believe that darkness is finite, not sempiternal. Mani adopted the ideology of trinity from the Christians. The god, according to him, is a mixture between the first great, the sempiternal man, and the mother of life. There are some texts taken from the Christian’s Bible which are present in the preserved texts of Manichaeism.^[14]

Mani believes in the reincarnation of souls and that this reincarnation is based on the luminous parts of the human being. He believed in the Prophethood of both ‘Isa ‘alayh al Salam and Zoroaster. Mani believes that he is the seal of the prophets who has been sent to spread the speech of Allah to all people.

The Persians apply the name Zanadiqah (heretics) to Mani and those who follow him. The reason for this is that Zoroaster brought to the Persians a book named al Bastah. He prepared an exegeses of it which he named al Zind and prepared a commentary for the exegeses which he named al Bazand.

Whoever brought in their law anything contrary to the revealed, al Bastah, and moved to interpretation, which is the al Zind, was called a Zindi. Then they added to its interpretations. And indeed, it deviates from the apparent meanings—from the literal level to interpretation—which is contrary to the revelation. When the Arabs came, they adopted this meaning from the Persians and coined the word Zindiq, thus arabicising it. The Thanawiyyah are the Zanadiqah (heretics). All those who believe in sempiternity and reject the non-eternality of the universe are included among them, at the head of whom are the Manicheans.^[15]

The Manicheans have a precise structure. The structure of the group rests on five sequential classes like the sons of knowledge, the sons of intelligence, the sons of acumen, and the last class is the avid listeners and they are the majority. Each of these classes have conditions and responsibilities. Mani was successful in including two brothers of Shapur II in his organisation.^[16]

When Mani met his end at the hand of Bahram, his followers adopted it as a celebration for them, which they called Bima, as remembrance for the killing of their messenger, the martyr. The call continued secretly after the Zoroastrians persecuted them.

 

4. Mazdakism

Its founder is Mazdak ibn Bamdad during the days of Qubadh, the father of Kisra Anushirvan, in Persia in the year 487 CE. He started his call like a believer in the belief of Mani with a slight difference. He believed that light acts with intent and choice while darkness acts with blundering and coincidence.

Mazdak was a man of implementation and not a man of asceticism like Mani. Therefore, he forbade people from disagreement, mutual hatred, and fighting. When there was a fight due to the non-existence of equality, he called to divide the sustenance equally between the people just as he called for libertinism and made people partners in sustenance just like their partnership in water, fire, and grass.^[17]

He exhorted the low class against the high class and facilitated oppression for the oppressors, and for whoremongers to fulfil their desires. A great affliction encompassed the people; they never witnessed an era like his. It became such that a man did not recognise his child and the child did not recognise his father; a man did not own anything to accommodate him.

He supported the Mazdaks to continue their crimes and to achieve the communism they called to, answering and cooperating with Qubadh. His brother Jamasab was one of them. Their affair strengthened until they would enter a person’s house and overpower him over his house, wives, and wealth.^[18]

The followers of Mazdak abstained from eating the flesh of animals. When they hosted a person, they did not prevent him from anything he desired—no matter what. They have a peculiar philosophy about libertinism. They believe that ordinary people are not able to escape from material pleasures and the only way to be free from them is to choose to satisfy them willingly.

Mazdakism transformed from a religious doctrine to a social doctrine, revolutionary laws, and communist principles. Their evil became widespread in every place until Kisra I, Anushirvan ibn Qubadh, came, who returned the wealth to its rightful owners and placed the wealth, for which there was no heir, as credit to rectify what was damaged.

Ahmed Amin said about them:

 

وبعد كسرى عاشت المزدكية فرقة سرية … عاشت على هذا النحو أيام الدولة الساسانية ثم عادت إلى الظهور من جديد في بداية العصور الإسلامية

After Kisra, the Mazdaks lived as a secret sect. They lived in this manner during the days of the Sasanian dynasty. Thereafter, they reappeared in a new form during the beginning of the Islamic eras.^[19]

 

Some historians describe the Mazdakism revolution saying:

 

فإذا حجاب الحفاظ والأدب قد ارتفع وظهر قوم لا يتحلون بشرف الفن أو العمل لا ضياع لهم موروثة ولا حسب ولا نسب ولا حرفة ولا صناعة عاطلون مستعدون للغمز والشر وبث الكذب والافتراء بل هم من ذلك يحيون في رغد من العيش وسعة المال هكذا عم التطاول كل مكان واقتحم الثوار قصور الأشراف ناهبين الأموال مغتصبين الحرائر وكانوا يملكون هنا وهناك أراضي تلفت لأن السادة الجدد لا يعرفون الزراعة

When the veil of preservation and literature departed and people who do not have the honour of art or work emerged, they have no inherited loss, no lineage, no craft, no industry, unemployed people who are ready to vilify, commit evil, spread lies and slander, but who live in comfort with ample wealth. This is how aggression spread everywhere, and the revolutionaries stormed the palaces of the nobles, looting the money, seizing free women, and ruling lands here and there; lands that were destroyed because the new masters did not know how to cultivate them.^[20]

 

Outcomes of the Discussion

From our presentation of the most important religions of the Persians, we are able to deduce the following points:^[21]

1. The Persians worshipped forces of nature, celestial bodies, and gods representing moral forces or stereoscopic moral opinions. Religion according to them intervenes in the smallest affairs of daily life. It was mandatory upon the individual to pray to the sun four times during the day just as he ought to pray to the moon, fire, and water. The fire of the house was not permitted to be extinguished due to its veneration.

There is a difference between Mazdaism, Dualism, and the religions affiliated to Mazdaism: al Kiyumarthiyyah, Zarnawiyyah, and Zoroastrianism. The religions that affiliate with Dualism are: Manichaeism, Mazdakism, and Disaniyyah. The difference between them is that the Magians believe in the sempiternity of light and the non-sempiternity of darkness while the Dualists believe that both light and darkness are sempiternal and eternal. They are alike in sempiternity and diverse in the essence, nature, action, place, genres, bodies, and souls.

Nonetheless, Mazdaism and Dualism became part of the legacy of the Persians. The difference between them is slight. All the followers of these religions worship light, darkness, the sun, and the moon and believe in transmigration, reincarnation, myths, and superstitions.

2. The religions of the Persians were influenced by the Jews, Christians, and Buddhists.

The Jews settled in Persia after Nebuchadnezzar captured them. Their numbers swelled in the era of Ishkaniyyin. The Jews, themselves, arrived since the first century CE and some of the kings of Persia acknowledged them. They initiated the famous school of Sura in the beginning of the third century CE and married the kings of Persia. Thus, Jewish blood mixed with Persian blood. The wife of Nebuchadnezzar was a Jewess and her name was Dinarad. She was the reason for the return of the Israelites to al Bayt al Maqdis.^[22]

The Persian religion was influenced by Judaism just as it was influenced by the ideologies of the Jews, such as hierarchy, secrecy, and Taqiyyah. The effects of Judaism endured in the beliefs of the Persians in various eras of history.

Christianity spread in every area of Iran. When governorship was in the hands of the Ashkanis, the Christian community had a place in Edessa. There were plenty Bishoprics in the areas of Armenia, Kurdistan, and Ahwaz. They made many attempts to join the groups under the management of one centre in Mada’in, but were unsuccessful due to internal subjective causes. The Christians of Iran lived in peace even though the position changed when Constantine embraced the Christian faith. The Christians of Iran conspired against Shapur II who became angry and their persecution began from the year 339 CE until the death of Shapur II.

Likewise, Azdshir II—the successor of Shapur II—did not like the Christians. The persecution of the Christians continued until Yazdegerd I (399-421 CE) arrived who improved Zoroastrian-Christian relations.^[23]

As regards the influence of Christianity on Persian beliefs, we mentioned our view that Manichaeism assumed the ideologies of trinity and transmigration from the Christians. The clergy mixed with the Buddhists, took from them, and influenced them. This association increased when the men of religion who were overpowered fled from their lands and took refuge in India and China, as happened to the Zoroastrians and Manicheans.

3. Religious leadership in the Persian lands was visible in one of the tribes. The religious authority aforetime belonged to the tribe of Media. During the era of the followers of Zoroaster, authority moved to the Maghan tribe.

[They believed] The men of the religious tribe are the shade of Allah on earth who have been created for the service of the gods. It is necessary for the ruler to be from this tribe. The divine being becomes incarnate in him. This family assumes the nobility of the office of custodianship of the fire-house.

Certainly, worshipping god through the way of the tribe is what spurred the Persians towards partisanship (Shi’ism) for the Ahlul Bayt, not love for the Ahlul Bayt.  However, this perception fits the Magian doctrine.

4. Secrecy is one of the fundamentals of the Magian belief structure.

The Zoroastrians continued to practice and be active in a clandestine way after they faced persecution at the hands of the followers of Mazda. Manichaeism transformed into a secret movement after Bahram ibn Hurmuz attacked them. Mazdakism became a secret movement after Anushirvan punished them.

With secrecy, the religions of the Persians were organised in a precise hierarchical organisation that took into account the conditions of the time. Their organisations were strong enough to enable them to reach the palaces of the rulers in their weak cases, but in cases other than weakness, the rulers are members of the tribe that takes care of religious affairs.

5. The history of the Persian religion is conspicuous with trials and plenty revolutions. One example of this is that a massive revolution broke out between Babak and Jotjhar, then strife broke out between Shapur II and Azdshir.

During these strifes and battles, a brother would kill his brother and a father his son without mercy and compassion. When the Persian kings realised that the danger encompassed them, they would repeal to those they believed were their prophets, thus Bahram ibn Hurmuz killed Mani and Kisra Anushirvan killed Mazdak.

In the light of our awareness of this reality, we realise the reasons behind the revolutions and conflicts in the countries ruled by the Magians in our day and age, just as we realise why they would and continue to assassinate their opponents.

 

NEXT⇒  Section 2 – The Persian’s Stance on Islam

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^[1]  Surah al Jumu’ah: 3.

^[2]  Sahih al Bukhari, Hadith: 4897; Fath al Bari, vol. 10 pg. 267.

^[3]  Al Shahrastani: Al Milal wa al Nihal, vol. 1 pg. 572.

^[4]  Al Mas’udi: Muruj al Dhahab wa Ma’adin al Jawhar, vol. 1 pg. 220.

^[5]  Ahura i.e. gods of the covenant and law.

^[6]  It is appropriate to mention that the name Bahman is carried by a large family in Iran. This Persian family was able to reach the countries of the Arabian Gulf and some of its members have acquired citizenship. They had a member in the Kuwaiti National Assembly. Many members of this family are from the senior businessmen of Kuwait. Is not the fact that this family keeps the name Bahman evidence of fanaticism towards Mazdaism despite their claims to be Muslims?

^[7]  Al Milal wa al Nihal, vol. 1 pg. 238; Christensen: Iran fi ‘Ahd al Sasaniyyin, pg. 19.

^[8]  Al Zarwaniyyah is one of the religions of the Magians. The followers of this religion believe that Shaitan is from an evil source and that he was with Allah.

^[9]  Al Milal wa al Nihal, vol. 1 pg. 236, Dar al Ma’rifah print.

^[10]  Ahmed al Amin: Fajr al Islam, vol. 1 pg. 124.

^[11]  Qadat Fath Bilad Faris ‘an Mu’jam al Buldan, vol. 8 pg. 506.

^[12]  Al Milal wa al Nihal, vol. 1 pg. 236.

^[13]  Iran fi ‘Ahd al Sasaniyyin, pg. 171.

^[14]  Iran fi ‘Ahd al Sasaniyyin, pg. 171.

^[15]  Muruj al Dhahab, vol. 1 pg. 251.

^[16]  Iran fi ‘Ahd al Sasaniyyin, pg. 169.

^[17]  Al Milal wa al Nihal, vol. pg. 249.

^[18]  Tarikh al Tabari, vol. 1 pg. 137.

^[19]  Fajr al Islam, vol. 1 pg. 137.

^[20]  Iran fi ‘Ahd al Sasaniyyin, translation by Yahya al Khashshab, pg. 343.

^[21]  Al Milal wa al Nihal, vol. 1 pg. 244.

^[22]  Muruj al Dhahab, vol. 1 pg. 288.

^[23]  Iran fi ‘Ahd al Sasaniyyin, pg. 253.