Is there a similarity between the method and timings of prayer in Zoroastrianism and Islam, even though Zoroastrianism is much older?

The summary of the answer:

Zoroastrianism is an ancient Persian religion, and it is noted that its primary sources were written after the advent of Islam, indicating its influence by Islamic teachings.

Some raise the suspicion that Islam borrowed from Zoroastrianism due to similarities in narratives and legislations (such as the story of Zoroaster resembling the Prophet's Mi'raj, and the existence of five daily prayers and zakat). However, this suspicion is weak for the following reasons:

1. Dating of Zoroastrian Texts: All existing Zoroastrian books date back to the post-Islamic period, specifically after they were subjected to repeated loss and distortion. The holy book "Avesta" was lost twice and partially reassembled, and the book "Arda Viraf Nama," which contains the alleged story of the Mi'raj, is believed by researchers to have been written in the 9th and 10th centuries CE, long after Islam, and was influenced by Islam.

2. Unreliability of Zoroastrian Sources: Most of what proponents of this suspicion rely on comes from narratives and legends that are not based on reliable historical evidence. These texts only recently came to light after hundreds of years of concealment, with unknown authors or authenticity.

3. The Illiteracy of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): The Prophet was illiterate; he could neither read nor write. He did not travel to seek knowledge, and there is no proven record of him meeting anyone from these civilizations. This refutes the claim of his borrowing from other cultures and religions, especially since the books of these religions were not available in Arabic at that time.

4. Unity of the Divine Source: The existence of similarities between Islam and Zoroastrianism, or other heavenly religions like Judaism and Christianity, is due to the single origin of these religions, which is divine revelation. Zoroastrianism might have preserved some remnants of the true teachings, especially since Islam is considered a complementary message, superseding previous messages, not separate from them. Zoroastrians used to revere some prophets, such as Daniel (peace be upon him), which indicates a shared heavenly origin.

Based on this, the similarities between Islam and other religions are evidence of a single divine source, not that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) borrowed from Zoroastrianism. Rather, it is more likely that Zoroastrianism was influenced by Islam, given the later dating of its texts.