Iranian religions

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The Iranian religions, also known as the Persian religions, are, in the context of comparative religion, a grouping of religious movements that originated in the Iranian plateau, which accounts for the bulk of what is called "Greater Iran" in West Asia.

Background

The beliefs, activities, and cultural events of the ancient

• Ancient Iranian religion: The ancient religion of the Iranian peoples
  • Uatsdin. Some researchers further speculate that Daevas may partly be based on Scythian gods, hence further influences across Iranian religions as a whole.^[4]
• Zoroastrianism: The present-day umbrella term for the indigenous native beliefs and practices of the Iranian peoples. While present-day Zoroastrianism is monolithic, a continuation of the elite form of the Sasanian Empire, in antiquity it had several variants or denominations, differing slightly by location, ethnic affiliation and historical period. It once had large population and high diversity.
  • dualism
    that had a following as late as the Sasanian Empire.
  • socialist gnosticism that sought to do away with private property
    .
• Mithraism: A mystery religion centred around the proto-Zoroastrian Persian god Mithras that was widely practised in the Roman Empire from about the 1st to the 4th century CE
• ditheistic religion that may have been influenced by Mandaeism
  . Manichaeans believe in a "Father of Greatness" (Aramaic: Abbā dəRabbūṯā, Persian: pīd ī wuzurgīh) and observe Him to be the highest deity (of light).
• Yazdanism
• Yazidism^[5]

Medieval period

Some religionists made syncretic teachings of Islam and local beliefs and cults such as Iranian paganism, Zurvanism, Manichaeism and Zoroastrianism.^[6]

• The early Islamic period saw the development of Persian mysticism, a traditional interpretation of existence, life and love with Perso-Islamic Sufi monotheism as its practical aspect. This development believed in a direct perception of spiritual truth (God), through mystic practices based on divine love.
• Khurramites, a 9th-century religious and political movement based on the 8th century teachings of Sunpadh, who preached a syncretism of Shia Islam and Zoroastrianism. Under Babak Khorramdin, the movement sought the redistribution of private wealth and the abolition of Islam.
• Behafaridians, an 8th-century cult movement around the prophet Behafarid. Although the movement is considered to have its roots in Zoroastrianism, Behafarid and his followers were executed on charges (made by Zoroastrians) of harm to both Zoroastrianism and Islam.
• Yarsanism, a religion which is believed to have been founded in the late 14th century. The basis of faith is belief in one God, who manifests in 1 primary form and 6 secondary ones, and together they are the Holy Seven.
• ad-Darazi
  , after whom the religion has taken its name.

Modern

• Assianism/Uatsdin, revival of Ossetian ethnic religion (see: Ossetian mythology
  )
• Roshanniya Movement, a set of monotheistic teachings of Pir Roshan which his people followed.
• Bábism, a mid-19th century monotheistic religion founded by the Báb that was a predecessor of the Baháʼí Faith.
• Bahá'u'lláh
  , a 19th-century Persian exile.

See also

• Religion of Iranian-Americans
• Dabestan-e Mazaheb

References