Abd Ṣāliḥ, Dhū'l-Qarnayn, and Monotheistic Agency in Achaemenid Iran: A Qurʾānic Perspective

This article explores the conceptual horizon of the Qurʾānic notion of ʿabd ṣāliḥ (‘righteous servant’) in relation to the historical figures of Cyrus II and Darius I of the Achaemenid Empire. Contrary to conventional theological or exegetical readings, ʿabd ṣāliḥ is approached here not as a merely moral or devotional designation, but as a locus at the intersection of divine authority, political power, and historical agency. The study investigates the congruence between the ethical-monotheistic principles articulated in the Gāthās, the explicit monotheism of Achaemenid inscriptions—particularly Darius’s Bisotun inscription—and Qurʾānic frameworks of singular divine governance and historical responsibility. It further examines ritual practices concerning bodily purity in both pre-Islamic Zoroastrian and Islamic traditions, highlighting structural affinities that illuminate conceptual continuities. Attention is also given to the Qurʾānic categorization of the Magians alongside other scriptural communities (Q. 22:17), situating the Achaemenids within a broader horizon of monotheistic historical traditions. By refraining from anachronistic or doctrinal identifications, the article foregrounds the methodological possibility of reading historical Achaemenid actors within a Qurʾānic conceptual schema of righteous, divinely guided agency. This approach opens a space for comparative dialogue between studies of pre-Islamic Iranian religion, Achaemenid political ideology, and Qurʾānic thought, without imposing theological judgments.