A Comparative Study of Saying Prayer in Islam and Zoroastrianism

• Main Authors: Saeid Sheshgol Nejad, Abdol Majid Talebtash
• Format: Article
• Language: fas
• Published: Allameh Tabataba'i University Press 2016-04-01
• Series: Āfāq-i Dīn
• Subjects: Saying prayer; status; Islam; Zoroastrianism; Avesta; The Quran; Religious quotes
• Online Access: http://rjqk.atu.ac.ir/article_5726_fabadb6f7751532c4932f38354c29493.pdf

Saying prayer as a kind of supplication and religious practice is meant for establishing an growing and direct relationship between God Almighty and men and interestingly is commonly found in all divine religions of the world. Muslims and Zoroastrians are required to practice this worshiping act. The present research, drawing on the written resources of Islam and Zoroastrianism and following a library research method, aimed to compare saying prayer as manifested in the above mentioned heavenly religions i.e. Islam and Zoroastrianism. Furthermore, the similarities and the differences between these two religions in terms of saying prayer were studied. The results suggested that saying prayer enjoys a high status in both Islam and Zoroastrianism. In addition, a number of similarities between Islam and Zoroastrianism were found including positive effects of saying prayer on human beings’ relations with God, its purifying effect on everyone’s soul, its manifestation as a symbol of thanking God for his numerous blessings, the daily schedule of saying prayers for five times, and the religious age when saying prayer is required as a religious practice. The research also suggested that saying prayer is on a par with other kinds of worshiping in Zoroastrianism while it is the cornerstone and the main axis of religion in Islam. Therefore, Islamic style of saying prayer has no alternative and must be practiced consecutively and nonstop, enjoys a proliferated set of types of practice, and whether other kinds of worshiping practices would be accepted or rejected by God depends on acceptance or rejection of one’s saying prayer. Such an approach towards saying prayer was not found in Zoroastrianism