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I have just recently heard about Zoroastrianism. I was curious to see what it was and surprised because a lot of the beliefs are similar to Islam for example monotheism, heaven/hell, prayer in a certain direction, originating from the Middle East, 5 times a day prayer, good vs evil, judgment after death, etc. A savior figure is also believed to come towards the end of times. It came before Islam where Zoroaster claimed he had a divine vision and therefore he began teaching others of monotheism. I have never heard of him before and I don’t think he’s mentioned anywhere in the Quran, but I’m not sure. Is it possible he was a prophet from Allah?

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There is no authentic evidence whether he was a prophet or not. The correct thing to do is to remain silent and not assume either:

قل إنما حرم ربي ... وأن تقولوا على الله ما لا تعلمون

Say, "My Lord has only forbidden ... that you say about Allah that which you do not know."

Quran 7:33

There are weak reports attributed to some sahaba that the magians had a prophet and a book which they lost.

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Zarathushtra received revelation from the One God, Creator of the World. The name of God is Ahura Mazdah in Avestan Persian and Ohrmazd in Middle Persian. He is the founder of the Parsic religion which worships exclusively the One God. This is told in an ancient book, the Vendidad.

The mythologic background of this religion is different; pre-Zarathushtra ancient tellings are retold in the view of the monotheistic religion. Mythological deities from the ancient persian religion are «downscaled» to - mostly evil - spirits. Shaytan can be identified with Angra Mainyu (Avestan) in the early Parsic scriptures. In later times, the evil spirits are condensed in the evil spirit Ahriman who can be identified with Angra Mainyu. We find the story of the fall or Shaytan and the reestablishment of the pure world in the end of 9000 years in a later Middle-Persian book, the Bundahishn. Although this book is rather young (written around the time of Muhammadﷺ), the story may be older. It appears in anonymous Jewish literature in the Persian period of Judism without Jewish predecessors. It is possible that the End of the Days was first revealed to a Parsic prophet later than Zarathushtra.

Khorda Bundahishn, 5:1:25-28

Then, Ohrmazd knew, by means of omniscience: "If I do not fix a period for [his] contest too, he can do so unto My creatures, [as he will lead the onset and everlasting dispute and confusion; and during the confusion, he] can seduce [the creatures], and make them over to himself;" just as, even now, there are many men in the mingled state, who practise impiety more than piety, [that is, they are mostly performing the will of the Evil Spirit]. Thereupon, Ohrmazd spoke to the Evil Spirit: "[I project] the time fixed for the contest in the mingled state, to nine thousand years;" for, He knew that He would render the Evil Spirit useless, by this fixation of time. Then, the Evil Spirit agreed to that covenant, on account of inability to foresee the end; just as, two men, fighting together, fix up a period, saying: "Let [us] fight such and such a day up till [night]." Ohrmazd knew this too, by means of omniscience: Within these nine thousand years, three thousand years will pass all according to the will of Ohrmazd; three thousand years [will pass] in the mingled state, according to the [11] will of [both] Ohrmazd and Ahriman; and, in the final contest [He ought to render] the Evil Spirit useless, and He will withhold adversity from the creatures.

Zarathushtra is a prophet of the same One and Only God we call Allah who established a religion worshipping only Him and received the same revelation.

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  • This site discusses topics on the basis of the Islamic perspective. Your answer doesn't fit here and is rather off-topic. The information shared is nice to know, but doesn't cover the right perspective.
    – Sassir
    May 8, 2021 at 23:44

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