A Comparative Study of the Possibility, Necessity and the Characteristics of Resurrection in Zoroastrianism and Islam

The belief in Resurrection is one of the basic principles of divine religions. This paper is comparative study of the view of Islam and Zoroastrianism about the possibility, necessity and characteristics of the resurrection. Like Muslems, Zoroastrians believe in the Resurrection and the books entitled Avesta and Pahlavi deal with the resurrection and the Day of Judgment in many occasions. This paper first addresses three topics: the possibility, necessity and the characteristics of the resurrection from the viewpoint of Zoroastrianism and Islam, and then underlines the points of differences and points of similarity between them in this regard. Among the similarities which the two religions have in their belief about the resurrection are the necessity of the resurrection and the belief in corporeal and spiritual resurrection. Among the differences between them are: the resurrection is discussed at greater length in Islamic texts when compared with Zoroastrian texts, besides, the resurrection of the dead is not dealt with in Avesta, whereas it is referred to in the Holy Quran. Using a comparative and analytical method, this paper focuses on the subjects of discussions which come in the Holy Qur’an, Avesta and Pahlavi.