such fundamental Zoroastrian beliefs as the belief that what transpires in finite time makes a decisive difference, so far as Ahura Mazda’s claim to supremacy is concerned; or the belief that human beings are genuinely free; or the belief that the battle against evil is no mere play-acting but a struggle which is dead serious and all-consuming, both for Ahura Mazda and for his creatures.
The Abrahamic tradition, apparently like Zoroastrianism, firmly declares that Heaven is bound to win this war. Everything is leading toward one final apocalyptic battle, the climax of this ancient struggle.
Now like all wars, this War too is being fought for a prize. It isn't territory or material resources, but the human soul itself. This much is made clear in the Holy Quran when we read the dialogue between God and the Devil.
Islam's conception is that Hell already knows it is bound to lose. I don't know if this is true in Zoroastrianism. In our theology, the Devil is on a very short leash. Being a creation of God, the Devil possesses no independent power or authority. Everything he is allowed to do in terms of tempting people, manipulating them, whispering evil thoughts, slowly driving people insane, and stripping them of their humanity due to desires for power and lust, is all due to God's permission.
And as for the geopolitical conflict that is intimately part of the broader cosmic war between Good and Evil, the devil's involvement is in manipulating his "pawns", but the "master plan" is his own strategy, he only manipulates those pawns to carry it out. Again, remember, the Devil cannot coerce or force anyone to do anything, unless, perhaps, he has taken such extensive control of the human mind which simply failed to resist his influence previously (that is going into the disputed realm of demonic "possession")
The paradox remains, why does Hell continue to fight against Heaven if it knows it is bound to lose? And how is victory or defeat even defined in this War? The above quote from an academic journal discusses the idea that in Zoroastrianism the Devil is truly an independent force, and although Light will ultimately triumph over Evil, that is due to the nature of Light as an intrinsically superior force.
But we as Muslims believe Heaven will win because God Himself has written (ordained) it. In the Quran al-Karim, the Devil, after being sentenced to eternal damnation, asks God for a period of respite, in order to be the one to tempt mankind. God grants the Devil this respite and dispensation to do his worst in leading mankind astray.
This gives us a clue as to Hell's motivation. It is ultimately because of the Devil's desire for revenge and his burning hatred of mankind. The parable of Adam and the Devil is emphasized in the Quran to explain this very important issue of the (philosophical) "problem of evil".

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