Paradise internalized

The concept of paradise and angels originated in Persian thought and was absorbed by Christianity and later Islam, stated Faisal Devji, reader in Indian history at St Antony’s College, Oxford University delivering his talk titled "Philosophizing Persia: Iqbal on the meaning of Zoroaster to world history” at the K. R. Cama Oriental Institute (KRCOI) on December 17, 2015. A poet, philosopher and political thinker Sir Muhammed Iqbal was president of one session of the Muslim League in 1930, and was said to be the first to articulate what later became known as the two-nation theory. Iqbal himself, however denied the assumption and died before Pakistan was adopted as an objective by the League. He feared that the Muslim tradition would be swamped by the predominant Hindu culture. Devji termed Iqbal "the most globally recognized person after Gandhi, mostly in the Muslim nations.”

Devji said Zoroastrianism had first "internalized” from ancient Persia the concepts of angels and paradise. Even monotheistic religions draw from other streams and make those concepts their own. It is "only when they are absorbed by others that they blossom.” The historian stated that it is the principle of unity "that allows us to think about diversity.” The Zoroastrian concept of Srosh found its way into Islam. "Islam is a synthetic religion. It draws from a variety of religions,” he said citing Iqbal.
He noted that Persian and Greek thought competed with one another for dominance. Zoroaster spoke of good and evil; the Greeks, of God and matter. The West embraced Greek philosophy and neglected Persian thought. Christianity emerged victorious in the West; Islam in the East.
"The devil claims he makes history happen. He is crucial,” Devji cited Iqbal as philosophizing. Satan says, "I have created mankind” by successfully tempting Adam and Eve to taste the forbidden fruit which resulted in them being cast out of paradise. The Garden of Eden was Persia.
Dr Firdaus Gandavia, former chief financial officer of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and writer, who introduced Devji, offered a vote of thanks.