Zindiq
Encyclopedia
Zindīq (from Persian Zendik meaning free interpretation, free thinker
, atheist or heretic
) is applied by Muslims to individuals whom are considered to hold views or follows practices that are contrary to central Islam
ic dogmas. Starting in medieval times, Muslims began to refer to Manichaeans, apostates, pagans, heretics and those who antagonized Islam as zindiqs, the charge being punishable by death. As of the late 8th century the Abbasid
caliph
s began to hunt down and exterminate freethinkers in large numbers, putting to death anyone on mere suspicion of being a zindiq. In modern times it is occasionally used to denote members of religions, sects or cults
that originated in a Muslim society but are considered heretical or independent faiths by mainstream Muslims.
Pahlavi word of zandik
or zendik consisting of zand plus îk (attribution suffix in Pahlavi language) referring to those who resorted to interpretation in their understanding of Zoroastrian faith. According to Dehkhoda Persian Dictionary
zand is derived from Avestan zanda found in two instances in Avesta
whose root is unknown today, however it has seemingly implied sinners such as bandits, thieves, enchanters, renegades and liars. A different, common view on the etymology of the term is that it alluded to "free interpretation" or "commentary" on the sacred texts, with the same root that occurs in the word Zand, referring to the commentary on the Avesta
(compare the Muslim term Batiniyya
). The first recorded use of the word zandik is probably on the inscription in Naqsh-e Rajab
attributed to Kartir
, high-priest and advisor of Sassanid emperors Hormizd I
, Bahram I
and Bahram II
, in which it explicitly denotes Manichaeans as "the ones with corrupted faith".
Freethought
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...
, atheist or heretic
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
) is applied by Muslims to individuals whom are considered to hold views or follows practices that are contrary to central Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic dogmas. Starting in medieval times, Muslims began to refer to Manichaeans, apostates, pagans, heretics and those who antagonized Islam as zindiqs, the charge being punishable by death. As of the late 8th century the Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
s began to hunt down and exterminate freethinkers in large numbers, putting to death anyone on mere suspicion of being a zindiq. In modern times it is occasionally used to denote members of religions, sects or cults
Cults
Cults is a suburb on the western edge of Aberdeen, Scotland. It lies on the banks of the River Dee and marks the eastern boundary of Royal Deeside.Cults, known for its historic granite housing, sits approximately six miles from the coast of the North Sea...
that originated in a Muslim society but are considered heretical or independent faiths by mainstream Muslims.
Etymology
The word zendiq is now known to have derived from Middle PersianMiddle Persian
Middle Persian , indigenously known as "Pârsig" sometimes referred to as Pahlavi or Pehlevi, is the Middle Iranian language/ethnolect of Southwestern Iran that during Sassanid times became a prestige dialect and so came to be spoken in other regions as well. Middle Persian is classified as a...
Pahlavi word of zandik
Zandik
Zandik was used in Sassanid Persia to denote "heretics", certainly the Manichaeans and possibly other heterodox groups such as the Mazdakites....
or zendik consisting of zand plus îk (attribution suffix in Pahlavi language) referring to those who resorted to interpretation in their understanding of Zoroastrian faith. According to Dehkhoda Persian Dictionary
Dehkhoda Dictionary
The Dehkhoda Dictionary is the largest comprehensive Persian dictionary ever published, comprising 15 volumes . The complete work is an ongoing effort that entails over forty-five years of efforts by Dehkhoda and a cadre of other experts.The series initially consisted of 3 million records until...
zand is derived from Avestan zanda found in two instances in Avesta
Avesta
The Avesta is the primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language.-Early transmission:The texts of the Avesta — which are all in the Avestan language — were composed over the course of several hundred years. The most important portion, the Gathas,...
whose root is unknown today, however it has seemingly implied sinners such as bandits, thieves, enchanters, renegades and liars. A different, common view on the etymology of the term is that it alluded to "free interpretation" or "commentary" on the sacred texts, with the same root that occurs in the word Zand, referring to the commentary on the Avesta
Avesta
The Avesta is the primary collection of sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, composed in the Avestan language.-Early transmission:The texts of the Avesta — which are all in the Avestan language — were composed over the course of several hundred years. The most important portion, the Gathas,...
(compare the Muslim term Batiniyya
Batiniyya
Batiniyya is a pejorative term to refer to those groups, such as Alevism, Ismailism, and often Sufism, which distinguish between an inner, esoteric level of meaning in the Qur'an, in addition to the outer, exoteric level of meaning Zahiri...
). The first recorded use of the word zandik is probably on the inscription in Naqsh-e Rajab
Naqsh-e Rajab
Naqsh-e Rajab is an archaeological site just east of Istakhr and about 12 km north of Persepolis.Together with Naqsh-e Rustam, which lies less than a kilometer away, the site is part of the Marvdasht cultural complex...
attributed to Kartir
Kartir
Kartir Hangirpe was a highly influential Zoroastrian high-priest of the late 3rd century CE and served as advisor to at least three Sassanid emperors....
, high-priest and advisor of Sassanid emperors Hormizd I
Hormizd I
Hormizd I was the third Sassanid King of Persia from 270/72 to 273.He was the youngest son of Shapur I , under whom he was governor of Khorasan, and appears in his wars against Rome Hormizd I was the third Sassanid King of Persia from 270/72 to 273.He was the youngest son of Shapur I...
, Bahram I
Bahram I
Bahram I was the fourth Sassanid emperor of the second Persian Empire. He was the eldest son of Shapur I and succeeded his brother Hormizd I , who had reigned for only a year....
and Bahram II
Bahram II
Bahram II was the fifth Sassanid King of Persia in 276–293. He was the son of Bahram I .Bahram II is said to have ruled at first tyrannically, and to have greatly disgusted all his principal nobles, who went so far as to form a conspiracy against him, and intended to put him to death...
, in which it explicitly denotes Manichaeans as "the ones with corrupted faith".
Famous and alleged zendiqs in Islamic history
- Abu NuwasAbu NuwasAbu-Nuwas al-Hasan ben Hani Al-Hakami ,a known as Abū-Nuwās , was one of the greatest of classical Arabic poets, who also composed in Persian on occasion. Born in the city of Ahvaz in Persia, of an Arab father and a Persian mother, he became a master of all the contemporary genres of Arabic poetry...
- Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi
- Abd-Allāh Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ
- Abu Shakir
- Abu Tammar Muttabib
- Muhammad al WarraqMuhammad al WarraqAbu Issa Muhammad Ibn Harun al-Warraq was a 9th Century skeptical scholar and critic of Islam. He was a mentor and friend of scholar Ibn al-Rawandi in whose work The Book of the Emerald he appears...
- Ibn al-RawandiIbn al-RawandiAbu al-Hasan Ahmad ibn Yahya ibn Ishaq al-Rawandi , commonly known as Ibn al-Rawandi , was an early skeptic of Islam and a critic of religion in general. In his early days he was a Mutazilite scholar, but after rejecting the Mutazilite doctrine he adhered to Shia Islam for a brief period of time...
- Al-Maʿarri
- Yazdan ibn Badhan
- Bashar ibn BurdBashar ibn BurdBashār ibn Burd nicknamed "al-Mura'ath" meaning the wattled, was a poet in the late Umayyad and the early Abbasid periods. Bashar was of Persian origin; his grandfather was taken as a captive to Iraq, his father was a freedman of the Uqayl tribe. Some Arab scholars considered Bashar the first...
- Yazdanbakht
- Abdulkarim ibn abi Al-Ouja'
- Ali ibn Ubaydah Rihani