Ma`rifat Adyan

The concept of footprint (qadamgah) and its various philosophies and functions has - in inter-religious studies – an important part in the works related to the common religious rituals. Orientalists, and especially the researchers in the field of Buddhism, have analyzed the meaning of this concept and its archeology most of the time. Their result is some biased opinions in the field of antiquity and the influence of Buddhism in imposing the concept of footprint on other religions. Based on a historical analysis, this article aims to clarify that despite some Orientalists’ theories, footprints do not have Buddhist roots, in the history of Abrahamic religions. They are, in fact, a representation of the universal common beliefs of people who have a monotheistic root and basis, which has turned into customs and rituals at the level of collective unconscious. Quranic and narrational sources represent some proofs for this claim. The result of this research is that the concept of footprint has its own theological meaning in every religion; and considering the age of Abraham's footprint in Makkah, I can acknowledge that monotheistic religions were pioneers in inventing this concept and its philosophy, based on Quranic verses. In addition, the multiple number of footprints in the Buddhist tradition does not mean they are the founder of such religious pilgrimage sites in the history of religions.