Zoroastrianism is recognized in the BaháüàFaith as one of nine known religions and its scriptures are regarded as predicting the coming of Baháüu'lláh. Zoroaster is included in the succession of Manifestations of God. The authenticity of the Zend Avesta (Zoroastrian scriptures) is seen as uncertain.
BaháüÃÂs believe that Baháüu'lláh, born as MÃÂrzá Ḥusayn-ûAlàNúrÃÂ, is a descendant of Zoroaster and the last Zoroastrian king Yazdegerd III (d. 651). His father was MÃÂrzá Buzurg, a nobleman from the Persian province of Mázindarán (formerly called Tabaristán). MÃÂrzá Abu'l-Faá¸Âl wrote a treatise regarding Baháüu'lláh's ancestry.
Zoroastrian prophecies foretell the coming of the world saver Saoshyant or 'Sháh Bahrám. BaháüÃÂs regard these prophecies as having been fulfilled in the person of Baháüu'lláh. The prophecy from the Jamasp Nama "It is said that the sun will stand in the midst of the sky in the time of Oshedar Bami [Hushedar] for 10 days and in the time of Oshedar Mah [Hushedar Mah] for 20 days and in the time of Soshyosh [Saoshyant] for 30 days" is interpreted as referring to Muhammad, the Báb and Baháüu'lláh respectively.
In Baha'u'llah's writings, Zoroaster is referred to as "Him Who is the Spirit of purity". Baha'u'llah moreover goes on to write "...the fire-temples of the world stand as eloquent testimony to this truth. In their time they summoned, with burning zeal, all the inhabitants of the earth [to him]."
Zoroaster was an Iranian magus who lived in Central Asia around the first millennium BC. Baha'is believe that Zoroaster, inspired by God, rebelled against the pagan Aryan priesthood to preach a universal monotheism alongside an ethical dualism. Other key principles of Zoroaster's teachings included the search for truth, selfless love of others, respect for nature, and moral courage. Baha'is believe that the original Zoroastrian religion was essentially monotheist, with the "evil principle" of Angra Mainyu representing an impersonal, natural force. Baha'is believe the theological dualism present in the Zoroastrian faith during the Sasanian Era was a later development. As evidence of this, Baha'is point out that the earliest Gathas - thought to be composed by Zoroaster himself - do not make mention of an evil force independent of God, an attitude only found in the more recent writings of the Avesta.
The volume Tabernacle of Unity is a collection of letters, containing Baháüu'lláh's Tablet written in pure Persian to MánikcÃÂhàṢáḥib, a prominent Zoroastrian, and a companion Tablet addressed to MÃÂrzá Abu'l-Faá¸Âl, the secretary to MánikcÃÂhàṢáḥib at that time. These, together with three shorter inspirational Tablets, offer a glimpse of Baháüu'lláh's relationship with the followers of Zoroastrianism.
In the tablet to MÃÂrzá Abu'l-Faá¸Âl Baháüu'lláh answered questions about Zoroastrianism and Hinduism by MánikcÃÂhàṢáḥib. The subjects include comparative religion, and constitute, while much remains implicit, a dialogue of Baháüu'lláh with Zoroastrianism and the other religions discussed, giving an understanding of what Baha'u'llah meant with the unity of the world religions.
The Baháüàcalendar contains several elements of the Zoroastrian calendar. The months and the days of the month in the Zoroastrian calendar are dedicated to, and named after, a divinity or divine concept. In the Baháüàcalendar the names of the months, days and years are referring to divine attributes as well.
Naw-Rúz is the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in Iranian calendar, was originally a Zoroastrian festival, and the holiest of them all. It is believed to have been invented by Jamshid, the Great king. The Báb and later Baháüu'lláh adopted the day as a holy day in the Baháüàcalendar and associated it with the Most Great Name of God.
In the end of the 19th century the Zoroastrian community was largely concentrated in Yazd and Kirman in the south of Persia, and in India, where they are known as Parsis, the majority of Zoroastrians lived in Bombay. Since the 1880s a significant number of Zoroastrians from Yazd converted to the BaháüàFaith. This was also the case in Bombay, where they contributed a lot in the growth of the Indian Baháüàcommunity. The first Zoroastrian Baháüàis believed to be Kay-Khusraw-i-Khudádád from Yazd.