Majus

Majūs (Arabic: مجوس) or Magūs (Persian: مگوش) was originally a term meaning Zoroastrians, specifically priests.^[1]

It was a technical term for the magi,^[2][3] and like its synonym gabr (of uncertain etymology) originally had no pejorative implications.^[4] It is also translated as "fire worshipper".^[5]

This term was borrowed via Imperial Aramaic: 𐡌𐡂𐡅𐡔𐡀⁩, romanized: mḡušā from Old Persian: 𐎶𐎦𐎢𐏁, romanized: maguš. It was also borrowed from Old Persian into ancient Greek (plural μάγοι mágoi), which appears in Matthew 2.^[6] The word is mentioned in Quran 22:17: "Indeed, those who have believed and those who were Jews and the Sabians and the Christians and the Magians and those who associated with Allah - Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed Allah is, over all things, Witness".^[7][8]

They are also mentioned by ibn al-Jawzi in his famous work Talbis Iblis "The Devil's Deceptions".,^[9]

The term was used to describe the Vikings initially in al-Andalus.^[10]

In the 1980s, majus was part of anti-Iranian propaganda of the Iran–Iraq War to refer to Iranians.

By referring to the Iranians in these documents as majus, the security apparatus [implied] that the Iranians [were] not sincere Muslims, but rather covertly practice their pre-Islamic beliefs. Thus, in their eyes, Iraq’s war took on the dimensions of not only a struggle for Arab nationalism, but also a campaign in the name of Islam.^[11]

Today the term majus is distinct from Arabic kafir "unbeliever". Persian gabr is no longer synonymous with majus.^[4] Subsequent usage by Sunni Muslims against the Shi'a has meant that some people view the term as anti-Shi'ism.^[12]

It has been said, that Islam considers the Jahili Arabs to be closer to the Hanif religion (the religion of Islam) than the Magians (or Zoroastrians).^[13][14]

See also

• ajam, "mute", non-Arab, Iranian
• ahl al-Kitab, "People of the Book"
• dhimmi, "protected"
• Irani
• kafir, "unbeliever"
• Zoroastrians in Iran