Zarathustra and the Prophets of Islam: A Messenger Among Messengers?Reclaiming a Forgotten Prophet of Divine Truth
The Veiled Figure in the House of Prophethood In the Islamic tradition, reverence is given to a long line of prophets— from Adam to Muhammad —each sent to a particular people, with a message of truth tailored to their time. The Qur’an states: “And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger...” (Qur’an 16:36) Yet one name is conspicuously absent from the Qur’an’s list of prophets, despite being the spiritual founder of one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions: Zarathustra (Zoroaster) .
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The Veiled Figure in the House of Prophethood In the Islamic tradition, reverence is given to a long line of prophets— from Adam to Muhammad —each sent to a particular people, with a message of truth tailored to their time. The Qur’an states: “And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger...” (Qur’an 16:36) Yet one name is conspicuously absent from the Qur’an’s list of prophets, despite being the spiritual founder of one of the world’s oldest monotheistic religions: Zarathustra (Zoroaster) . Was he a prophet in the Islamic sense? Did Muslim scholars view him as such? And what happens when we place him within the broader Abrahamic narrative? This article investigates how Islamic thinkers understood Zarathustra , the tensions in recognizing his prophethood, and how his teachings align with—and diverge from—those of the Qur’an and Hadith. 1.
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Gathas · Avesta