Its a sacred fire that has been kept intact since centuries. It is believed that Parsis during their migration from Iran to India through sea faced a violent storm and they pledged that if they get saved from the storm they will consecrate the fire. This fire was consecrated by Parsis on reaching India and still burns today. They have kept it saved during all the violent times. The fire which is called Iran Shah fired is now kept in a temple in Udavda, a town 100 Miles from Mumbai.
Can you convert to Zoroastrianism? The official answer, which is given by the Parsi priestly hierarchy in Bombay, and supported by a large number of traditional Zoroastrians, is NO. In order to be a Zoroastrian, you must be born of two Zoroastrian parents. One is not enough! No children of mixed marriages are officially Zoroastrian. In practice, however, the children of Zoroastrian fathers and non-Z. mothers are sometimes given admission to the faith - but not the children of Zoroastrian mothers and non-Z. fathers. Zoroastrian identity descends through the father’s line, unlike Jewish identity, which is defined by the mother being Jewish.
:hmmm: So what happened to the children of Dina Jinnah? Are they admitted as Zoroastrian considering the fact that Mrs Wadia’s mother (Ratan Bai) was a Parsi before getting married to Mr Jinah.
I think Parsis don't accept conversions because they consider themselves not just people following Zoroastrianism but also belonging to a specific nationality. The nationality or race is "Parsi".
The word "Parsi" to us is often synonymous to Zoroastrianism but actually this word means someone belonging to PARS. Pars is the original Persian word for its Arabized equivalent "Fars", which means Persia. Arabs called the country FARS because they can not pronounce the letter 'P'.
This is similar to Judaism not accepting converts to their religion. Because Jews also consider themselves a separate race, not just a religion. This is why you would see people saying that Jesus was "Jew". Not in religious sense but in biological/racial sense. And this is why even atheist Jews consider still consider themselves Jewish.
Very well said Khoji. They also believed that all the religions are equal and God has placed you in a specific religion and conversion means disobedience of God's will.
Some historians says that it was one of the terms of migration to India that Parsis will not convert locals to their religion and to keep their words they didn't make any efforts to do so.
Yes.. Persian language was not affected by the rise of Islam. Even Irani scholars contributed more to Arabic language than Arabs themselves. Rumi in his mathnavi said that:
Speak Persian, though Arabic is sweeter;
Love itself speaks in a hundred other tongues.
Hafiz, in one of his Persian ghazals, says:
Though boasting of one's culture in the presence of the beloved is disrespect,
My tongue is tied, yet my mind is full of Arabic expressions.
What do you mean not affected?
As far as I understand, one of the reasons Firdowsi wrote the Shahnameh was because of the affect of Arabs and Arabic
What do you mean not affected?
As far as I understand, one of the reasons Firdowsi wrote the Shahnameh was because of the affect of Arabs and Arabic
I meant that persian language kept on producing master pieces like Mathnavi Rumi, Bostaan, Gulsitaan, etc and Persian literature kept on revolving around the local heroes like Rustom o Sohrab and Nosherwaan Adil.
The word namaz or namaaz is used in modern Persian to mean prayer. It is derived from namazh, in turn derived from the Middle Persian namaach, a word with roots in the Avestan nemangh. Interestingly, in Avestan nemase-te means 'reverence to you'. Compare with Hindi namaste from Vedic Sanskrit namas-te meaning 'honouring-you'.
The word namaz is now also used by Persian and Indo-Pakistani Muslims to mean prayer. Muslims have also taken the concept of using a prayer cap or head-covering while praying from Zoroastrianism.
(and our Molvi saab at Juma prayer says: Cover your heads, because Prophet had instructed so, as offering prayers with uncovered head is the tradition of Yahood o Nasaaraa - Jews and Christians. :ASA: )
