Advanced search
Visit
13705
Last Updated: 2009/07/19
Summary of question
Who are the Magi?
question
Who are the Magi?
Concise answer

The term “Magus” which is used to denote the Zoroastrians in Arabic, derives from “Magoosh” or “Magoo” of the ancient Persian language. (The word Magic comes from this term). After entering the Arabic language, it changed to Magus. Zoroastrianism, which is the religion of the Magi, is related to the Torah and Bible. The Bible doesn’t directly mention this term, but in eight of the books of the Torah, the kings of Persia have been mentioned.

Detailed Answer

After the emergence of Zoroastrianism and before the rule of the Medes, non-Aryan inhabitants of Iran followed a religion called “Maghan”. The word “Magh” in the ancient Persian language meant servant.[1]

In Arabic, the “Moghoosh” are called “Magus”, which refers to the followers of Zoroastrianism. Nevertheless, it has been proven that in the beginning, the term “Magus” didn’t refer to Zoroastrians, but referred to followers of the Medes who lived before Zoroaster. In the Avesta, the holy book of Zoroastrianism, the term “Magus” refers to those opposing Zoroaster, but since the Medes were known as the “Moghoosh” in the lands of the Arabs and Damascus, the followers of Zoroaster were referred to as “Magus”.[2]

This term has only been mentioned once in the Quran[3], and considering the fact that it has been used in a way that shows it is in contrast with shirk and the mushriks and is next to other divine religions, it can be concluded that it has been a substantial religion with a prophet and holy book. Some of our hadiths also confirm this matter. One day, Ash’ath ibn Qays asked Imam Ali (as): “How come you collect the jizya [tax collected from non-Muslims who are People of the Book by the Islamic government] from the Magi [if the jizya is only to be collected from the People of the Book] while they don’t even have a divine book? The imam answered: “It isn't as you perceive! They had a holy book and Allah (swt) sent them a messenger…”[4]

Without a doubt, today Zoroastrians are referred to as Magus[5], or at least a great deal of the Magi are followers of the Zoroastrian faith. Yet, the past of Zoroaster is pretty vague. Zoroastrians are referred to as Magusi, Gabr and Parsi as well.[6]

According to most, Zoroaster (prophet of the Zoroastrian faith) was born in 660 BC and was chosen prophet in 630 BC at the age of thirty. He is said to have been murdered at the altar by the Turanians in the storming of Balkh (Afghanistan).

Zoroastrianism, which is the religion of the Magi, is related to the Torah and Bible. In the Bible, there is no sign of this religion, but in eight books of the Torah, it has been mentioned. In the Gospel of Matthew, we read: Some of the first to visit the newly born Messiah were people from the East called the “Magi”.[7]

Over the past several years, Zoroastrians have been advocates of a religion that is based on ethnicity and in other words, a religion that doesn’t allow others to convert to it; in order to be Zoroastrian, you have to be born of two Zoroastrian parents. Today, Zoroastrianism is the smallest religion amongst the eleven most important religions of the world.[8] 150,000 of them live in India, and another 150,000 live in Yazd, Kerman and Tehran of Iran.[9]

The book of Zoroastrians

Avesta is the book of Zoroastrians which literally means foundation, basis and scripture. This book has been written in the Avestan language which belongs to ancient Persia and shares the same roots as the Pahlavi and Sanskrit. In addition to the Avesta, Zoroastrians have a tafsir by the name of “Zand-Avesta” and another holy book written in the Pahlavi language.[10]

For information on the beliefs and doctrines of Zoroastrianism, see Question 184 (website: 2504).



[1] Hosain Tofighi, Ashnayi ba Adyane Bozorg,, pg. 56.

[2] Mohammad ibn Mohammad Sheikh Mufid, Tashihul-I’tiqadat, pg. 134.

[3] Hajj:17 “إِنَّ الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا وَ الَّذِینَ هادُوا وَ الصَّابِئِینَ وَ النَّصارى‏ وَ الْمَجُوسَ وَ الَّذِینَ أَشْرَکُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ یَفْصِلُ بَیْنَهُمْ یَوْمَ الْقِیامَةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلى‏ کُلِّ شَیْ‏ءٍ شَهِیدٌ

[4] Abd Ali ibn Jumah Arusi Huwayzi, Tafsir Nurul-Thaqalain, vol. 3, pg. 457.

[5] Nasir Makarem Shirazi, Tafsir Nemouneh, vol. 14, pg. 44.

[6] Ashnayi ba Adyane Bozorg, pg. 57.

[7] Robert Heum, Adyane Zendeye Jahan (translation of Abdul-Rahim Govahi), pg. 268.

[8] Adyane Zendeye Jahan, pg. 269.

[9] Ashnayi ba Adyane Bozorg, pg. 62.

[10] Ashnayi ba Adyane Bozorg, pp. 58-59.

Question translations in other languages
Comments
Number of comments 0
Please enter the value
Example : Yourname@YourDomane.ext
Please enter the value
Please enter the value

Thematic Category

Random questions

  • Is it true that some Muslim Gnostics can fly or levitate?
    12266 Practical 2007/02/08
    That which you have mentioned is an effect and result of Man’s spiritual strength, sometimes this may come about by acting in accordance with religious laws and legitimate ascetic discipline. This means that; by moving closer to Allah, Man can possess the greatest name ...
  • What are the distinct criteria through which we can distinguish a lafdhi mutawatir report from an ijmali or ma\'anawi one?
    9619 Contextual study 2014/09/28
    Mutawatir literally means for things to come one after another, without any interval between them and in hadithic terms, refers to a hadith that has been narrated by a group of narrators that one can be definite haven’t all agreed on forging and lying about altogether. Any ...
  • What are the features and privileges of Behar al-Anwar?
    6998 Contextual study 2015/05/03
    Behar al-Anwa being a huge hadith collection is the most important work by Allamah Muhammad Baqir Majlisi. It is a big encyclopedia of Shiite traditions encompassing all religious issues and themes including exegesis of the Quran, history, jurisprudence, theology etc. Some of the most important features of ...
  • Please explain the principles of Sheikh Toosi's political thought.
    8594 Laws and Jurisprudence 2010/12/21
     With the emergence of every era new needs and questions are generated which cause scientists and scholars to think and contemplate and strive to find appropriate answers to, and Sheikh Toosi is one the great scholars who has carried such a burden. The fundamentals of ...
  • Are there any women who reached the rank of ijtihad in religious seminaries?
    9574 تاريخ بزرگان 2007/11/04
    A worthy interaction of Islam with science, and requiring that from every Muslim man and woman, has resulted in women always studying the sciences in Islamic communities and finally some of them reached the rank of ijtihad.As an example, lady Mujtahideh Amin who passed away in 1403h. Lady Mujtahideh ...
  • Who were the Ansar?
    9406 تاريخ بزرگان 2010/04/07
    Ansar is the plural form of Naser from the root of Nasr, and means people who help and aid. In the advent of Islam, the residents of Medinah and its outskirts, especially the members of the two tribes of the Aws and Khazraj were called the Ansar, because ...
  • What is the relationship between man’s efforts and the sustenance that has been measured out for him?
    12817 Traditional 2011/08/15
    There are two kinds of sustenance. There is a sustenance that we go after and a sustenance that comes after us. In the traditions, the sustenance that comes after us is called “the sustenance that seeks,” and the sustenance that we seek has been named “the sought ...
  • What is the proof for Prophet Adam and Nuh (pbuh) being buried in Najaf?
    23457 تاريخ بزرگان 2010/07/20
    The main reasoning that proves the burial of Prophet Adam and Nuh (pbuh) in Najaf are the many hadith that disclose this fact. ...
  • Is it permissible to evade government tax in non-Islamic countries?
    7801 Laws and Jurisprudence 2011/01/10
    The answer given by Ayatollah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani is as follows:1. You must abide by the rules of the country in which you are living except for when the rules may be opposed to Islamic Shari'ah.
  • I wish to know what the seven paradises are. Can you explain them for me?
    47501 Traditional 2012/04/07
    Dar al-Salam (Abode of Peace), Dar al-Jalal (Abode of Glory), Jannatul Mava (Garden of Refuge), Jannatul Khuld (Garden of Eternity), Jannatul Adan (Garden of Eden), Jannatul Firdous (Garden of Paradise) and Jannatul Naeem (Garden of Bliss) (or Delight) are names for the seven paradises which have been ...

Popular