17 Preface إِنَّ الَّذينَ آمَنوا وَالَّذينَ هادوا وَالصّابِئينَ وَالنَّصارىٰ وَالمَجوسَ وَالَّذينَ أَشرَكوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفصِلُ بَينَهُم يَومَ القِيامَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلىٰ كُلِّ شَيءٍ شَهيدٌYusuf AliThose who believe (in the Qur-ān), those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Sabians,1 Christians, Magians,2 and Polytheists,- God will judge between them on the Day of Judgment: for God is witness of all things.For Sabians, see n. 76 to 2:62. They are also referred to in 5:69. In both those passages, the Muslims are mentioned with the Jews, Christians, and Sabians, as receiving God’s protection and mercy. Here, besides the four religions, there is further mention of Magians and Polytheists: it is not said that they would receive God’s Mercy, but only that God will judge between the various forms of faith. (R).This is the only place where the Magians (Majus) are mentioned in the Qur-ān. Their cult is a very ancient one. They consider Fire as the purest and noblest element, and worship it as a fit emblem of God. Their location was the Persian and Median uplands and the Mesopotamian valleys, their religion was reformed by Zardusht (date uncertain, about B.C. 600?). Their scripture is the Zend-Avesta, the bible of the Parsis. They were “the Wise men of the East” mentioned in the Gospels. (R).