Religions

 

Imam Reza's Shrine in Mashad	Muslims In Iran, Islam is the official religion. Iran follows the Shi'ite sect of Islam but there are also the Sunnis in some cities. According to official statistics, 98% of the population follow Islam, of which 91% are followers of the Shi'ite sect. Few years after the death of the Prophet Mohammad, Islam was divided into two broad camps, Sunit and Shi'ite. The difference between them is about the successor of Prophet after his death, as leader of the Muslims community. The Shi'ites believed that the Prophet chose Ali Iben Abotalelb (the Prophet's cousin and the first man who converted to Islam) as his successor, but the community (Sunnis) chose Abu- Bakr, the prophet's closest companion, as leader, and Ali was also passed over in two subsequent leadership contents. Mohammad, Islam was divided into two broad camps, Sunit and Shi'ite. The difference between them is about the successor of Prophet after his death, as leader of the Muslims community. The Shi'ites believed that the Prophet chose Ali Iben Abotalelb (the Prophet's cousin and the first man who converted to Islam) as his successor, but the community (Sunnis) chose Abu- Bakr, the prophet's closest companion, as leader, and Ali was also passed over in two subsequent leadership contents.	Hazrate Masoumeh's Shrine in Qom
		Imamazadeh Saleh's Shrine in Tehran

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Jews
The Jewish population has fallen sharply since the Islamic Revolution in 1979, though there are still some significant communities in Hamadan, Tehran, Shiraz and Esfahan, where they are active in the bazaar and the jewelry trade. There is even a synagogue in Hamadan, and a mosque dedicated to a Jewish Prophet in Shush. 

Zoroastrians
The very old religion which was the official religion of Persia who followed an Iranian Prophet  . Farvahar
The Aryans of ancient Iran were Mazdayasni Zarathushtris, i.e. Worshippers of Ahura Mazda (the name of God in Avestan) as revealed by the ancient prophet Zarathushtra, thousands of years before Christ. The ancient Aryans believed that the world as created by Ahura Mazda was perfect, with no evil. The first man Gayo Maretan had no disease, no illness, no hunger and thirst. Only the good creation of God existed e.g., the Dog, Cow and Bull, Horse, Cock, Birds etc. Then Ahriman, the evil one, attacked the world and caused evil to create disease and illness and old age. Thus animals and human beings started to die. Night began to fall (before, the sun was fixed at the noon position so time had stopped). The evil breed of animals appeared e.g. snakes, insects, and cats. So evil in the ancient faith is an external introduction, which one day will be purged when the world is purified by Fire. This may also be found in old German mythology. Paradise itself will be established on the earth, in the form of the Kingdom of Ahura Mazda. The English word "paradise" itself stems from the Avestan "PairiDaize", meaning the same. Also, the word "garden" probably stems from the Avestan "Garod-man" meaning the House of songs - the ancient name of heaven for the Aryans.

When attacked by Arabs about 1400 years ago, at the time of Sasanian Dynasty, the Iranians embraced Islam as their official religion and, most of the Zoroastrians inevitably escaped to India and other countries.

The most famous part of Zarathushtra's speech is  

Good Thoughts, Good Words,  Good Deeds.  

Zoroastrians' Pir-sabz

Baha'is
Another religious minority in Iran is called Baha'is founded in the last century in Iran. It has not been recognized by the 1979 Constitution. Many Baha'is, therefore, chose to emigrate since.  1979 Constitution.