Journal of Seven Heavens

Journal of Seven Heavens

On the Zoroastrians and Mu'tazilah

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Siamak Adhami
S. S. R. Montazeri
Researcher, the Center for Religious Studies
Abstract
This article examines the intellectual relationship between Zoroastrians and Muslims during the early Islamic period, trying to consider one of the cases in which the followers of the new religion (Islam) are indebted to the older one (Zoroastrianism). The hypothesis of the paper is that Wasil ibn Ata, the founder of the Mutazilite school of Islamic thought, has borrowed Hammistagan, the doctrine of the intermediate station, from his ancestors and incorporated it into the Mutazilite thought. Jean de Menasce had once referred to this relationship in his article entitled "Mu'tazilah and Mazdean Theology". Based on this argument and the evidence provided by Gahan, Zoroaster's own hymns, and Denkard, the most important scripture of Zoroastrians in Pahlavi, Adhami attempts to confirm the same hypothesis.
Keywords
Zoroastrians
Mu'tazilah
Hammistagan
intermediate station
Gahan
Denkard
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  • Receive Date 02 September 2009
  • Revise Date 02 December 2009
  • Accept Date 31 January 2010