Xwedodah: Practice of Incest in Zoroastrianism and Iranian Religion

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

قدوس قدوس قدوس

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

Islam does not restrict itself to theology as a means of defining and distinguishing itself from the false religions, but also social and cultural practices. The Quran explicitly prohibits incest among other types of marital and sexual relations practiced by the people:

حُرِّمَتۡ عَلَیۡکُمۡ اُمَّہٰتُکُمۡ وَبَنٰتُکُمۡ وَاَخَوٰتُکُمۡ وَعَمّٰتُکُمۡ وَخٰلٰتُکُمۡ وَبَنٰتُ الۡاَخِ وَبَنٰتُ الۡاُخۡتِ

Forbidden for you are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, your fraternal nieces and your sororal nieces

(Surah 4, Ayah 23)

I previously mentioned how the Islamic Shari’ah differs from Jewish Halacha which permits and even encourages a man to marry his niece, whether a fraternal niece or a sororal niece (avunculate marriage). But Islam considers such a union incestuous. Many people, including Muslims inclined toward liberalism and secularism, criticize Muhammad bin Qasim رحمة الله عليه the Arab conqueror of Sindh. They and the Hindus vilify him (although he is a hero for us Muslims) while instead making his opponent Raja Dahir of Aror a hero and symbol of both Hindu and Sindhi nationalism. He was the Hindu ruler of Sindh who scandalously married his own sister Rani Bai. The ancient Egyptians also practiced incestuous marriages between brother and sister, especially the Pharaohs and royals. Even the famous Cleopatra, who was Greek and not a native Egyptian, nevertheless practiced the ancient custom when she married two of her own brothers, both named Ptolemy. In this article I will particularly discuss the practice of Xwedodah, incestuous marriages among the Zoroastrians, or pre-Islamic Iranians. It was not uncommon for them to marry their own mothers, sisters, daughters and granddaughters. These kind of unions were especially practiced by the royalty and nobility, as it was considered “purer” and therefore ideal. Since the pre-Islamic Iranian religion was particularly characterized by a kind of racial supremacism, racial hygiene and the notion of endogamy it is understandable why it viewed incestuous unions favorably. While Allah caused Islam to eradicate this false religion, till this day there are still a tiny remnant known as Parsis, and some other insignificant communities that descend from ancient Iranian religion like the Yazidis. They do not accept conversion into their religions because they have inherited the notion of racial purity and endogamy. So it is written in the Vendidad, a collection of texts within the broader Avesta: “Afterwards the corpse-bearers shall sit down, three paces from the dead, and the holy Ratu16 shall proclaim to the worshippers of Mazda thus: ‘Worshippers of Mazda, let the urine be brought here wherewith the corpse-bearers there shall wash their hair and their bodies!’ The priest who directs the funerals, 'the chief of the Nasu-kashas', the so-called Nasâ-sâlâr. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Which is the urine wherewith the corpse-bearers shall wash their hair and their bodies? Is it of sheep or of oxen? Is it of man or of woman? Ahura Mazda answered: 'It is of sheep or of oxen; not of man nor of woman, except a man or a woman who has married the next-of-kin: these shall therefore procure the urine wherewith the corpse-bearers shall wash their hair and their bodies.'" (Chapter 8) In another text called the Shayest ne Shayest, the evil “god” Ahriman expresses his aversion to next-of-kin marriage, proving it is considered virtuous: “Avoid next-of-kin marriage! because I do not know a remedy for it; for whoever has gone four times near to it will not become parted from the possession of Ohrmazd and the archangels.” (Chapter 18) “Next-of-kin marriage will extirpate mortal sins (margarzan)” (Chapter 8)