A Comparative Study of Quranic and Avestan Words about Man's Immaterial Aspect

Like Islam, Zoroastrian religion considers that man has two dimensions and that in addition to his corporal and apparent body, which is visible, he has an immaterial dimension. This study examines what the Quran and Avesta say about man’s immaterial aspect and makes a comparison between the two. In the Quran, five words are used to refer to the immaterial dimension of man:”ruh”,”nafs”,”qalb”,”fu’ad” and “sadr”. In Avesta also five words are used to refer to the immaterial nature of human beings: "ahou", "da’ena", "ba’uz", "oravan" and "farawshi". Using a comparative- descriptive method and emphasizing on the Quran and Avesta, especially the Gathas of Zarathushtra, the present paper first reviews these words, highlights the similarities and differences between them, and then makes a new analysis in this regard. In addition to the similarities between the Quranic words and Avestan words, there are significant differences as well, the most important of which is that we find correct explanation and objective analysis in the Quranic words and lack of proper content analysis in many Avestan vocabulary and its contradiction with the objective evidence about the real unity of man.