Sunni and Shi'i are the two largest branches of Islam, with the overwhelming majority of Iranians practicing Shi'i Islam. About 90 percent of Iranians practice Shi'ism, the official religion of Iran. [i] By contrast, most Arab states in the Middle East are predominantly Sunni.
96.5% of Iranians Identified as Muslims. Survey conducted online on 50,000 Iranians and found 32% identified as Shia, 5% as Sunni and 3% as Shia Sufi Muslim (Irfan Garoh).
According to the Islamic Republic's official survey, almost all of Iran's 82,000,000 people are Muslims, with 90 percent adhering to Shia Islam, and a majority of that Shia populace following the Twelver branch.
The Zoroastrian faith has survived from ancient times with followers worldwide, mainly in Iran and India. The Zoroastrians who settled in India more than one thousand years ago, referred to as the Parsi (Persian) community, are very influential in Indian society today.
The law prohibits Muslim citizens from changing or renouncing their religious beliefs. The constitution states Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians (excluding converts from Islam) are the only recognized religious minorities permitted to worship and form religious societies “within the limits of the law.”
Non-Muslim residents and visitors who belong to recognized religious minorities, such as Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians, are permitted to consume alcohol within designated spaces, such as their homes or religious centers.
The Islamic government of Iran greatly restricts the freedom of its citizens, including stern laws against printing or importing Bibles in Farsi, the national language. Any Bibles must be printed in secret or smuggled in from outside of the country.
So there are many similarities between Islam and Zoroastrianism, but not all of them are recognized as similarities. In fact, ironically, they are often emphasized as differences. If you look at early Islamic history, Muslims were not the majority in the Middle East or anywhere for a very long time.
Who was the main god of the Persian people? The main god in ancient Persia was Ahura Mazda. In the ancient Zoroastrian religion, Ahura Mazda was held to be the creator of the universe.
As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global population, known as Hindus. Hinduism has been called the world's oldest religion still practised, though some debate remains.
Is Alcohol Prohibited for Tourists and non-Muslims? Bear in mind that the law of prohibiting alcohol in Iran is general; whether you are an Iranian, a tourist, or a non-Muslim. So in case you are a tourist, the bad news is that it does not make any changes.
Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims share the same faith and abide by the same five pillars of Islam (Professor 7 Oct. 2003). There are no rules forcing a woman to adopt her husband's particular branch of Islam (ibid.).
The biggest rivalry in the Arab–Iranian conflict is between Saudi Arabia and Iran, who have been waging a heavy proxy war against each other since the late 1970s.
Doogh is the most well-known soft drink in Iran. This popular Persian yogurt beverage is made from thick, sour yogurt, salt, dried mint powder, and water. Never forget to request locally made Doogh when dining out or purchasing dairy products in Iran.
Shias, a term that stems from shi'atu Ali, Arabic for “partisans of Ali,” believe that Ali and his descendants are part of a divine order. Sunnis, meaning followers of the sunna, or “way” in Arabic, of Mohammed, are opposed to political succession based on Mohammed's bloodline.
Zoroastrianism, ancient pre-Islamic religion of Iran that survives there in isolated areas and, more prosperously, in India, where the descendants of Zoroastrian Iranian (Persian) immigrants are known as Parsis, or Parsees.
Ahura Mazdā, (Avestan: “Wise Lord”) also spelled Ormizd or Ormazd, supreme god in ancient Iranian religion, especially Zoroastrianism, the religious system of the Iranian prophet Zarathustra (c. 6th century bce; Greek name Zoroaster).
Zoroastrianism has survived into the modern period, particularly in India, where the Parsis are thought to have been present since about the 9th century. Today Zoroastrianism can be divided in two main schools of thought: reformists and traditionalists.
Before Christianization (the spread of Christianity): Historical polytheism (the worship of or belief in multiple deities) Historical paganism (denoting various non-Abrahamic religions)
Wearing eyeglasses, long cloak, trousers, hat, boots, socks, winding their turbans tightly and neatly, carrying watches or rings, were all forbidden to Zoroastrians.
The Muslim conquest of Persia between A.D. 633 and 651 led to the fall of the Sassanian Persian Empire and the decline of the Zoroastrian religion in Iran.
In Iran, after Muslims rose to power in the seventh century A.D., historians say the Zoroastrian population was decimated by massacres, persecution and conversions to Islam. Seven boatloads of Zoroastrian refugees fled Iran and landed on the coast of India in 936.
The Christian population gradually declined to a small minority. Christians disengaged from mainstream society and withdrew into ethnic ghettos (mostly Assyrian- Aramaic- and Armenian-speaking).
Iranians quest for religious change
Compared with Iran's 99.5% Shiite census figure, GAMAAN found that 78% of the participants believed in God — but only 32% identified themselves as Shiite Muslims. Figures show that 9% identified as atheist, 8% as Zoroastrian, 7% as spiritual, 6% as agnostic, and 5% as Sunni Muslim.
Justice of Iran
Under the 1979 constitution all judges must base their decisions on the sharia (Islamic law). In 1982 the Supreme Court struck down any portion of the law codes of the deposed monarchy that did not conform with the sharia.