Zoroastrianism
Zoroaster (628 B.C.-551 B.C,) founded a faith based on the belief in a single, all-powerful deity, Ahura Mazda. There was also a Satan-like figure in Zoroaster’s vision: the evil spirt Angra Mainyu. According to Zoroaster, the universe was the scene of a constant conflict between these two forces of good and evil. Zoroaster stated that all humans will be judged after death; the righteous will enjoy paradise, while the wicked will suffer eternal torment.
Zoroastrianism became the official religion of the Persian Empire, displacing older polytheistic animist cults. Zoroastrianism remained the dominant force in Iranian religious life until the rise of another monotheistic faith: Islam.
As Islam spread through Iran, most adherents of Zoroastrianism converted. But Zoroastrianism is still a minority faith in Iran. There are about 50,000 Zoroastrians in Iran today. They are persecuted by the Islamic government of Iran, although the state’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion. Past persecutions drove other Zoroastrians out of the country. As a result, there are small communities of Iranian Zoroastrians in India and Pakistan.