Zoroaster

Persian prophet and founder of Zoroastrianism

To study and learn about the death of the prophet Asho Zarathushtra, one must review historical information about his life, of which there are many uncertainties. Zarathushtrianism, more often known as Zoroastrians, members of which are known as Zoroasters must admit his birth is disputed. Many viewpoints vary by almost 1,000 years. At best, the answer is all speculative. We do know he is named the First Prophet, and his belief in monotheism has been emulated throughout history. His goal was to show people their human connection to the One Source, Ahura Mazda, Allah.

Perhaps for political reasons, the lifespan of this prophet has been altered, and many times. Perhaps the theory expressed by researchers as the most costly belongs to those who contend the prophet was born in 660 B.C, possible in what is now Iran.

Then one must look to the Qur'an to understand fully the word and meaning for "death" in the Arabic language. There is the word, "qataloohu," which means to kill. "Maata" means to die. "Halaka" means to perish. As regards the prophets, when Allah said, "I will take you back (mutawaffeeka) he also meant a separation from the body that was not as an earthly death. The word "tawaffa" can mean to cause to die, to take in sleep or to take back.

"Yatawaffa" is when Allah takes back people's selves when their death arrives (mawtiha), and those who are not yet dead (lam tamut) in this context are in one's sleep, where only for a temporary period does the self leave the body, and remain in another dimension. Upon waking, the self returns to the body, thus sent back by Allah for a specified term.

In Zarathushtra's life, it seemed he was quite verbal and proactive in teaching the One God's truth, and therefore, other evil people from all walks of life, usually those high up politically, or trying to obtain that status, were trying to bring him down. A group even tricked King Gushtasp into thinking Zarathushtra an evil, black magic magician, planting evidence in his bed where the king had invited him to stay after seeing the shining light of good inundated throughout his persona.

After landing in prison as a result, Zarathushtra's goodness, along with God's power healed and save the King's prized horse by miraculously causing all four of the beast's legs that had somehow enclosed themselves into the body to come forth, come out, and enable him to stand up on all fours as if nothing wrong had occurred. The prophet was forgiven and taken in again to the King's fold.

The research contends the prophet reached the age of 77 and 40 days. After speaking to the Fire Priests one last time inside the temple, Zarathushtra began to pray. King Gushtasp's reign had numbered 67 years. On that certain day, as the prophet was praying in the Fire Temple, a ruffian Turanian soldier forced his way into the temple. His name was Tur Baratur the Cursed. Supposedly he had knowledge that Zarathushtra was praying inside, and when no one was there to warn or protect him, Baratur quietly came up behind the prophet and stabbed him with a dagger to the back.

With his last breath, Zarathushtra rasped the words, "I love the One God Ahura Mazda! May evil be ever thwarted in its efforts." Supposedly he took his prayer beads, and their power had grown to be so great, that as he cast them over his killer, Tur Baratur died on the spot. He then fell dead at the feet of Zarathushtra. The prophet then turned to the sacred fire and bowed to it, one last time.

It is then said, and therefore believed that the Prophet of Prophets left his Earthly Body, and traveled to the side of , his earthly mission being over. As his death occurred after his last talk with the priest in the temple, this might be what is meant by "yatawaffa."

Research reads that he had done what God had sent him for, to show misguided humanity the One True Path of Righteousness, the path by which man could perfect himself and his world, living simply, purely and in harmony with nature and its law of ecology and purity, developing the higher qualities in himself, becoming more noble than what he was born as.

It has been written that barbarians stole exactly 20,000 cow hides, holding chronicles of Zarathushtra's life and death history. The words were written in gold. These are nowhere to be found, though many have searched the areas in and surrounding Iran for them. Perhaps they hold the factual truth of Zarathushtra's life and death. Perhaps we might be able to say, isn't he still, for all intents and purposes, still alive?