ArchivedAs-Sirat, Houris, & paradise derived from ARDA VIRAFPeace,
The As-Sirat bridge resembles the Chinwad bridge. Compare the Quran and Hadith descriptions with excerpts from Arda Viraf. And he ordered him to write thus: In that first night, Srosh the pious and Adar the angel came to meet me, and they bowed to me, and spoke thus: 'Be thou welcome, Arda Viraf, although thou hast come when it is not thy time.' I said: 'I am a messenger.' And then the victorious Srosh the pious, and Adar the angel, took hold of my hand. Taking the first footstep with the good thought, and the second footstep with the good word, and the third footstep with the good deed, I came up to the Chinwad bridge, the very wide and strong and created by Ohrmazd. -Arda Viraf 4:1-7 CHAPTER 5. [The Chinwad bridge] Afterward, the width of that Chinwad bridge became again nine javelin-lengths. With the assistance of Srosh the pious, and Adar the angel, I passed over easily, happily, courageously, and triumphantly, on the Chinwad bridge. I had much protection from Mihr the angel, and Rashn the just, and Vai the good, and the angel Warharan the powerful, and the angel Ashtad the world-increasing, and the glory of the good religion of the Mazdayasnians; and the guardian angels (fravashis) of the pious, and the remaining spirits first bowed to me, Arda Viraf. I also saw, I Arda Viraf, Rashn the just, who held in his hand the yellow golden balance, and weighed the pious and the wicked. And afterward, Srosh the pious, and Adar the angel, took hold of my hand, and said thus: 'Come on, so that we may show unto thee heaven and hell; and the splendor and glory and ease and comfort and pleasure and joy and delight and gladness and fragrance which are the reward of the pious in heaven. We shall show thee the darkness and confinement and ingloriousness and misfortune and distress and evil and pain and sickness and dreadfulness and fearfulness and hurtfulness and stench in the punishments of hell, of various kinds, which the demons and sorcerers and sinners perform. We shall show thee the place of the true and that of the false. We shall show thee the reward of the firm believers in Ohrmazd and the archangels, and the good which is in heaven, and the evil which is in hell; and the reality of God and the archangels, and the non-reality of Ahriman and the demons; and the existence of the resurrection of the dead and the future body. We shall show thee the reward of the pious, from Ohrmazd and the archangels, in the midst of heaven. We shall show thee the torment and punishment of various kinds, which are for the wicked, in the midst of hell, from Ahriman and the molestations of the demons.' -Viraf 5:1-13 What do you think about this? --Houris--
Oberve how amazingly similar the Houris are too the damsels the good souls recieve according to their deeds in heaven that Viraf sees. CHAPTER 4. [What the dead experience] When I came up there, I saw a soul of the departed, whilst in those first three nights the soul was seated on the top of the body, and uttered those words of the Gatha: 'Ushta ahmai yahmai ushta kahmaichit'; that is, 'Well is he by whom that which is his benefit becomes the benefit of any one else.' And in those three nights, as much benefit and comfort and enjoyment came to it, as all the benefit which it beheld in the world; just as a man who, whilst he was in the world, was more comfortable and happy and joyful through it. In the third dawn, that soul of the pious departed into the sweet scent of trees; and he considered that scent which passed by his nose among the living; and the air of that fragrance comes from the more southern side, from the direction of God. And there stood before him his own religion and his own deeds, in the graceful form of a damsel, as a beautiful appearance, that is, grown up in virtue; with prominent breasts, that is, her breasts swelled downward, which is charming to the heart and soul; whose form was as brilliant, as the sight of it was the more well-pleasing, the observation of it more desirable. And the soul of the pious asked that damsel thus: 'Who art thou? and what person art thou? than whom, in the world of the living, any damsel more elegant, and of more beautiful body than thine, was never seen by me.' To him replied she who was his own religion and his own deeds, thus: 'I am thy actions, O youth of good thoughts, of good words, of good deeds, of good religion. It is on account of thy will and actions that I am as great and good and sweet-scented and triumphant and undistressed as appears to thee. For in the world the Gathas were chanted by thee, and the good water was consecrated by thee, and the fire tended by thee; and the pious man who came from far, and who was from near, was honored by thee. Though I have been stout, I am made stouter through thee; and though I have been virtuous, I am made more virtuous through thee; and though I have been worthy, I am made more worthy through thee; and though I have been seated on a resplendent throne, I am seated more resplendently through thee; and though I have been exalted, I am made more exalted through thee; through these good thoughts and good words and good deeds which thou practicedst. They honored thee, and the pious man after thee, in that long worship and communion with Ohrmazd, when thou performedst, for Ohrmazd, worship and proper conversation for a long time. Peace be from it.' Viraf 4:8-36 --Paradise--
Islamic paradise has believers reclining on thrones, believers wearing embroidered clothes, and other things very similar to the Zoroastrian's view of heaven. 1. When I put forth the third footstep on Huvarsht, there where good deeds (huvarsht) are received with hospitality, there I arrived. There is the radiance which they call the highest of the highest; and I saw the pious on thrones and carpets made of gold; and they were the people whose brightness was like unto the brightness of the sun. -Viraf 9:1-4 CHAPTER 12. [Other blessed souls] I also came to a place, and saw the souls of the liberal, who walked adorned, and were above the other souls, in all splendor; and Ohrmazd ever exalts the souls of the liberal, who are brilliant and elevated and mighty. And I said thus: 'Happy art thou who art a soul of the liberal, that are thus above the other souls.' And it seemed to me sublime. I also saw the souls of those who, in the world, chanted the Gathas and used the prescribed prayers (yashts), and were steadfast in the good religion of the Mazdayasnians, which Ohrmazd taught to Zartosht; when I advanced, they were in gold-embroidered and silver-embroidered clothes, the most embellished of all clothing. And it seem to me very sublime. I also saw a soul of those who contract next-of-kin marriages, in material-fashioned splendor, when the lofty splendor of its residence ever increased thereby. And it seem to me sublime. I also saw the souls of good rulers and monarchs, who ever increased their greatness, goodness, power, and triumph thereby, when they walk in splendor, in their golden trousers. And it seemed to me sublime. I also saw the soul of the great and of truthful speakers, who walked in lofty splendor with great glory. And it seemed to me sublime. -Viraf 12:1-19 I also saw the souls of those women of excellent thoughts, of excellent words, of excellent deeds, and submissive to control, who consider their husbands as lords, in clothing embroidered with gold and silver, and set with jewels. And I asked thus: 'Which souls are these?' -Viraf 13:1-3 I also saw the friendly souls of interceders and peaceseekers, who ever increased thereby their brilliance, which was like the stars and moon and sun; and they ever walked agreeably in the light of the atmosphere. I also saw the pre-eminent world of the pious, which is the all-glorious light of space, much perfumed with sweet basil, all-bedecked, all-admired, and splendid, full of glory and every joy and every pleasure, with which no one is satiated. -Viraf 15:18-22 Muhammed and his followers believed the Holy Warriors would recieve great rewards and felt honored to fight like warriors for Islam. They were likely inspired by this famous passage from Arda Viraf's journey. I also saw the souls of warriors, whose walk was in the supremest pleasure and joyfulness, and together with that of kings; and the well-made arms and equipments of those heroes were made of gold, studded with jewels, well-ornamented and all embroidered; and they were in wonderful trousers with much pomp and power and triumph. And it seemed to me sublime. -Viraf 14:7-10 You can read Arda Viraf here. http://www.avesta.org/pahlavi/viraf.html PS. How do we know Arda Viraf wasn't a perviously existing revelation that the Quran confirms?? The story resembles Dante's Divine Comedy which, when read, seems to resemble some revelation, but it's just a story. Arda Viraf is just a fabricated work by Zoroastrian priests to serve as a moral book for the Persians showing them what happens to certain sinners and noble people. It's still an important moral book in the modern Parsee (Zoroastrian) community. |
🌈Pride🌈 goeth before Destruction
When 🌈Pride🌈 cometh, then cometh Shame