Why are Zoroastrianism and other non-Abrahamic faiths not addressed in the Qur’an?
📜 1️⃣ The Qur’an’s Focus: Abrahamic Religions Only
The Qur’an explicitly mentions and addresses three monotheistic faiths:
Judaism (Yahud)
Christianity (Nasara)
Sabians (a poorly defined group, often debated)
These are collectively termed “People of the Book” (Ahl al-Kitab) and are recognized in the Qur’an’s worldview.
🔍 2️⃣ Absence of Zoroastrianism and Other Non-Abrahamic Faiths
Despite the historical presence of Zoroastrianism—the dominant religion of the Persian Empire—and other major non-Abrahamic religions such as Hinduism or various polytheistic Arab paganisms, the Qur’an barely or never mentions them explicitly. For example:
Zoroastrians (Magians) are mentioned only once (Qur’an 22:17), and that too in a vague, non-detailed manner.
Other prominent faiths, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, or tribal African beliefs, are completely absent.
🏛️ 3️⃣ Historical Context Explains the Narrow Scope
The Qur’an emerged in 7th-century Arabia, a specific socio-political and religious environment:
🔹 Arabian Peninsula: Primarily polytheistic tribes and two major monotheistic communities — Jews and Christians.
🔹 Nearby Empires: The Persian Sassanian Empire (Zoroastrian), Byzantine Empire (Christian), and Jewish communities.
👉 The Qur’an’s main theological and polemical engagement was with Jewish and Christian doctrines prevalent in Arabia.
🧩 4️⃣ Theological and Polemical Purpose
The Qur’an positions itself as the final, universal message correcting and superseding the “People of the Book.”
🔴 It primarily focuses on the Abrahamic line:
Abraham → Ishmael/Isaac → Moses → Jesus → Muhammad
Non-Abrahamic religions like Zoroastrianism do not fit into this lineage.
👉 The Qur’an’s mission was framed as a continuation and correction of Abrahamic monotheism, not a universal critique of all world religions.
🔬 5️⃣ Implications of the Omission
🔴 A. Limited Universality
The Qur’an’s universal claim is questionable if it ignores entire major religious traditions.
If the Qur’an is meant as a message for all humanity, why omit religions with millions of adherents?
🔴 B. Historical Localism
The Qur’an’s content reflects the concerns and conflicts of its immediate historical context, not a comprehensive global theology.
It shows the limitations of its worldview—focused on the Near East’s religious milieu.
🔴 C. Strategic Polemics
By ignoring or marginalizing Zoroastrianism, the Qur’an avoids engaging with its complex dualism, which poses difficult theological questions (good vs. evil as eternal forces).
The Qur’an’s monotheism is designed to address Judeo-Christian monotheism, not dualistic or polytheistic systems.
⚠️ 6️⃣ Broader Religious and Textual Analysis
🔹 Zoroastrianism’s Complex Theology
Zoroastrianism’s dualistic cosmology (Ahura Mazda vs. Angra Mainyu) is theologically distinct and challenging.
The Qur’an’s strict monotheism doesn’t engage with this dualism—it simply omits it.
🔹 Polytheistic Arab Religions
The Qur’an vehemently opposes polytheism in Mecca but doesn’t engage deeply with non-Abrahamic polytheisms outside Arabia.
🔥 7️⃣ No Sugarcoating: What This Reveals About the Qur’an
✅ The Qur’an is not a universal religious encyclopedia—it’s a historically situated document responding primarily to Jewish, Christian, and Arabian pagan audiences.
✅ Its selective engagement highlights its limitations as a universal guide for all religions.
✅ This undermines claims that the Qur’an is a comprehensive, divine manual for all humankind across time and place.
🚨 Final Conclusion: Qur’an’s Religious Scope Is Narrow and Contextual
The Qur’an’s neglect of Zoroastrianism and other major non-Abrahamic religions exposes the historical and theological narrowness of its scope.
Its universalist pretensions crumble when confronted with the religious diversity it ignores.
For those seeking an authentic universal revelation, the Qur’an’s selective focus suggests it was intended for a specific community and context, not all humanity.
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