Miraj from the Book of Viraz?
By Siraj Islam Striking similarity between the story of Viraz and the story of Miraj The story of Viraz The Book of Arda Viraz (Arda Viraz-namag) is a Zoroastrian religious text of Sassanid era. It was originally written in Middle Persian language probably during the reign of King Ardashir I (226-240 AD). It describes the extra-terrestrial dream-journey of a Zoroastrian priest Arda Viraz through the next world. The book is divided into five sections: Introduction, Journey to Heaven, Paradise, Hell, and an Epilogue. Its text is comparable to Dante’s Divine Comedy and the Book of Revelation (the New Testament) in relaying the nature of a supernatural world beyond humanity’s perception. Arda Viraz (the ‘righteous hero’) is the hero of the story. He is chosen for his piety to undertake a journey to the next world in order to verify the truth of Zoroastrian religion, after a period when the land of Iran had been troubled by the presence of confused and alien religions. Viraz dri...