Islam

The sixth and seventh chapters (N° 11 and N° 12) are devoted to Islam (Neither the name of Muḥammad is mentioned nor the name of his sect, Islam. Mardānfarrox gives numerous texts from the Qurʾān, called nibēg. He only mentions one of the numerous sects of Islam, the Muʿtazilites).

I.                   N° 11 (sixth chapter)[1]

About the inconsistency of the discourses of the monotheists: Four virtues are requisite for godhead, viz., omniscience, omnipotence, goodness, and mercifulness. Monotheism, and especially Islam, traces both good and evil to a divinity whose attributes are incompatible with the latter. Allah fails to be a divinity worthy of worship.

II.                N° 12 (seventh chapter)

From the Dēnkird

This is the only chapter of the first two books of the Dēnkird that has been preserved. Mardānfarrox has cited it by way of authority after the chapter on Islam. It is about the inconsistent discourses of the Muslim doctrines as regards God, and concludes that Islam is incompatible with a measured religion. It then compares the god of the (Muslim) monotheists with the god of the (Mazdayasnian) dualists.


[1] . « Ce chapitre, le plus long et le plus mal composé de tout l’ouvrage, est, à certains égards, le plus intéressant. La théologie musulmane y est prise à partie, l’auteur renvoyant dos à dos motazélites et ašarites, invoquant, contre les premiers, les textes qoraniques qui affirment l’action de Dieu sur tout ce qui est, contre les seconds, les arguments des motazélites (et des sceptiques) en quête d’explication du mystère du mal. Le commentaire permettra de juger de la fidélité de ce texte comme témoignage de l’extérieur sur le grand débat de la théologie musulmane. » Menasce, 125.

Text:

Judaism 

Mardānfarrox proceeds to a polemical critique of Judaism in two chapters (13 & 14). After the edition of the text by Jamasp-Asana and its translation by E. West the critique of Judaism aroused the curiosity of some scholars of the Semitic world. James Darmesteter first wrote about it (with a French translation of the text).  According to him, this critique is much older than any old Christian refutation of the middle Ages. At the same time, it is different in spirit and in character. The Christians in his polemic against the Jew are on the defensive, because they admit that which is admitted by the Jew; they only admit more, and this is their sole raison d'être. A Christian polemicist, when he attacks, he indeed defends his belief and tries to justify it. The position of a Pārsī is quite different. He has nothing in common with the Jew and he judges his belief according to his own knowledge and principles.  Then Darmesteter puts this question that transcends the problem of the use of Hebrew Scriptures by Mardānfarrox. Louis Gray , Jean de Menasce (in his Introduction to Chapters thirteen and fourtheen), Jacob Neusner , Shaul Shaked , etc.  have tried to resolve this problem.

I.          Introduction 1-4

The first part essentially contains an epitome of stories of creation and the fall of Adam as described in the Genesis (pedbun). 5-47

Objections 48-149

II.        Introduction 1-3

The second part is about the qualities of Adonai as described in a series of Scriptures and Agadot: He is vengeful, raging, heavy-hearted, wrathful, deceitful even of those who serve him best, warlike and cruel, capricious and mean to men; he does not even tolerate the protestation of the angels; he dismisses his own angels to a fiery river in hell; he engages in bloody battles against men; in the end, he comes to regret his creation. 4-86


Preface:

Christianity

Three chapters of the Šak-ud-gumānīh-vizār (15: ch. 10, ch. 11, ch. 12) are devoted to the critique of Christianity. Mardānfarrox speaks of three Christian groups, that is, the Nestorians, the Melkites, and the Jacobites; the origin of all three is, according to him, Judaism. This corroborates the thesis of the Dēnkird that ranks Christianity as the “second Judaism” (Dk iii, M 257 didīgar … jehūdīh).  

I.              The head of the chapter 1-3

This chapter treats of a set of the dogmas of the Christian church: Incarnation, Trinity, Crucifixion and Redemption.

       The homeland of the Christian creed: Jerusalem. The Immaculate Conception and the Annunciation to a Jewish woman: The announcement by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin woman that she is impregnated by the Pure Wind (Holy Spirit), and she would conceive Messiah.  4-8

                     About the testimony of the Virgin woman 9-17

                     About the Pure Wind (Holy Spirit) 18-23

         About Messiah as Son of God 25-30

         About Messiah as God and his Incarnation 31-39

About the crucifixion of Messiah 40-45

The doctrine of the Trinity: Father and Son and Pure Wind 46-62

Salvation 63-70

II.           The head of the chapter 71

This chapter cites a number of sayings from the “Canonical Scriptures” of the Christians. The central concept in this chapter is the Freedom of Will. 72-90

III.        The head of the chapter 91-92

This chapter cites a number of sayings from Paul and other authorities. The central point of the critique is the “duality” of the Christian discourses. Mardānfarrox argues that the New Testament really confirms the existence of two Principles, Good and Evil; and he concludes that: Although Jesus claimed that he had not come to abolish the Laws of Moses, his sayings and commands really dissipate these laws.  93-155

Text:

Thirteenth Chapter. Manichaeism

Mardānfarrox’s discussion of some tenets of the Manichaeans

The final chapter of Mardānfarrox’s treatise, Šak-u-gumānīh-vizār ‘doubt-dispelling’, is devoted to Manichaeism. Since the editio princeps of the Pāzand version and Neryōsag’s Sanskrit rendering by JāmāspAsānā (1887) and the English translation by West (1885) this chapter has attracted the attention of Western scholars, and they have translated the whole chapter (Pierre Jean de Menasce, 1945) or various passages of it, and or discussed some of technical terms in it. J. de Menasce in his revised French edition gives a detailed introduction to this chapter, with giving most of the passages which refer to Mani in Pārsīg literature. However, in spite of revised translations and revisions the technical terms that have been wrongly transcribed in Neryosang’s Pāzand version are not yet correctly deciphered.

Preface:

The Doubt-removing Book of Mardānfarrox:

Šak-ud-gumānīh-vizār

A ninth-century Mazdean book, written in Pārsīg (“Pahlavi”). It only survives in a Pazand version, with Sanskrit translation made by Neryosang Dhaval, retranscribed into its original Pārsīg, 
by Raham Asha

This book was first published in India under the auspices of Mazdayasnie Monasterie (Summer Solstice, 2004) 

 Mustafa Building, 2nd Floor

Sir P. M. Road, Fort

Mumbai, 400 001, India

Mumbai, 2004