Mandaean Youth of Canada

"Sabians"
"Sabian" is a word derived from the Aramaic-Mandic verb "Saba" which  means "baptised" or "dyed", "immersed in water". "Mandaeans" is derived from "menda" which means in the mandiac language "knowledge". Thus, "Mandaean Sabians" means those who are baptised and who know the religion of God.

Symbol

The Darfash

 Aspects of the Mandaean Religion
a-Monotheism
b-Baptism
c-Praying
d-Fasting
e-Alms-giving

 Beliefs and prophets:
Mandaean Sabians believe in God and His Monotheism. God is called in their holy book and other religious sources, The Great Life or The Eternal Life. Also, they believe that Adam was their first prophet and teacher. Their second prophet was Sheet who is named "shetel" in Mandaiac; followed by Sam son of Noah and Yahya son of Zakariah (Yahya : Arabic version for John The Baptist, Yuhana: Aramaic version of the name) 

 Holy Books:
Mandaean Sabians have many holy books:

 a-Ginza Raba
(The Great Treasure): which contains the books of Adam, Sheet and Sam. It consists of 600 pages and falls into two parts:

 Part one: from the right hand, includes the book of Genesis; the teachings of the Great Life; the ever lasting struggle between Good and Evil, Light and Darkness. It relates details of how the "Soul" came down into Adam's body. The book contains prayers to the Creator, and religious and theological rules.

 Part two: from the left-hand deals with the Soul, reward and punishment.

 b-Drasha id Yahia:
It includes the teachings and wise sayings of the prophet Yehia bin Zekaria.

 c-The book of souls:
telling the story of how the soul descended into Adam's body.

 d-Adam' Boghra (body):
an explanation of Adam's body.

 e-The Kilesta:
Hymns of marriage rituals

 f-Niani:
Book of prayers

Seven- Various Booklets

 The language:
The Mandiac language is a dialect of the Eastern Aramic language, which is derived from the Semitic family of languages. All religious manuscripts concerning rites were written in this language. The Mandaeans believe that God taught Adam His knowledge. Adam, therefor knew his God and himself, and began to read the alphabet (Aa, ba, ka, da…). His select sons (Adam's) and his descendants knew it. The Mandaean alphabet consist of 24 letters starting with "alef" and ending with it because the Mandaeans believe that all things return to their origins and beginnings.

(Bellow is a picture of the Mandaean Alphabet)

 Rituals:
The mandaeans direct their faces northwards while practicing their religious rites because the world of Light (paradise) lies in that sacred place of the universe to which souls go when the journey of life ends. There they enjoy immortality alongside their God. Besides, the Mandaean religion recommends alms giving (moral and material). It recommends also the great Fasting, which means the abstinence from anything that distorts man's relation with his God; while the small Fasting means abstinence from slaughtering animals and eating meat at certain days of the year. This religion stresses on the importance of marriage (including the marriage of the clergymen). Marriage rites are performed by the clergyman, attended by witnesses and a crowd of people in a happy festival. The rituals stress the sacredness of marriage. The rituals summed up as follows:

a- Baptism:The purpose is to purify the couple physically and spiritually while they are dressed in the Resta, ....the white religious clothes.
b- Taking the oath before their Lord, angles and attending people.
c- Complimentary rites symbolising partnership in a new house; fertility and breeding or regeneration.

 Prohibition in Mandaeasim:
Mandaeansim shares other celestial religions in identifying and diagnosing many prohibitions. This religion takes scientific and deep human dimensions in setting forth these commandments; they are:

1-Blasphemy
2-Murder
3- Adultery
4-Stealing
5-Telling lies
6-False testimony
7-Disloyalty and dishonesty
8-Lust
9-Magic and witchcraft
10-Circumcision
11-Alcoholic drinks
12-Usury
13-Moarning(crying) over the dead
14-Eating dead animals, pregnant animals or animals attacked by other furious animals and blood
15-Divorce (save in some exceptional cases)
16-Suicide and abortion
17-Self-torturing and body-hurting.

 Women in the Mandaean Religion:
The Mandaean religion stresses the importance of the active role of women in life since she constitutes half of society. Man and woman are equal creatures in the greatest miracle of heavenly creation. All holy books including the Ginza Raba emphasise that the Great Creator created all creatures. He created Adam and Eve by his Power, from clay, and he created them as two equals. The woman is a symbol of fertility, regeneration and the cornerstone of the family and its happiness.

 Religious feasts:
Mandaeans have four feasts:

a- The Great Feast (Dihwa Raba) and lasts two days.
b- The Short Feast (Dihwa Hanina) and lasts one day.
c- The feast of Creation (Bronaia) and lasts five days.
d- Feast of Golden Baptism (Dihwa id Dimana) one day.

 Their History:
The Ginza Raba, in the book of Genesis, mentions that the world of light is a Mandaean world. The book describes them in detail while they are praying to the Great Life. God, the Eternal Life, ordered the creation of Adam and Eve, knowing the teachings of the Mandaean religion. God ordered Adam to teach his children this religion and spread its celestial commandments. Under the inspiration of the Great Life, prophets and messengers followed Adam, to continue spreading the Mandaean teachings. (Yehia bin Zekria), John son of Zakariah, is the last Mandaean prophet whose name was mentioned in three Sura (chapters) of the Holy Quran.

 Outstanding Names in their History:
Mandaeans have been well known throughout history by their interest in knowledge and literature. They were also well known in the fields of astronomy and medicine. Some of them were concerned with history. The list of names includes:

1- Ibrahim bin Sinan: who was a famous engineer during the Abassid period.

2- Albutani: who was a mathematician and astronomer.

3- Abu Ishak Alsabi: Minister of letters during Abassid era.

4- Thabit bin Qura: who was a physician philosopher and mathematician during Abassid era.

5- Sinan bin Thabit: who was the chief doctor in Baghdad during the Abassid era.

6- Dr. Aabdul Jabar Abdullah: a well-known modern physicist.

7- Dr. Abdelatheem Alsabti: First middle eastern astronmer to discover a planet and have it named after his name.

 Modern History:
 The Mandaean community is part and parcel of Iraqi society. They have  shared with the Iraqis their happiness and suffering especially under the unjust embargo imposed on Iraq since 1990. The community produced a large number of outstanding intellectuals, doctors, engineers, professors, men of letters, artists, tradesmen and industrialists who contributed actively to the development of Iraqi people. However, this small minority is suffering a great deal from persecution.

 Their Relations with other religions:
 The Mandaean Sabians respects all heavenly religions in their society and  the world at large. They live peacefully with their Muslim and Christian brothers as well as other religions because the Mandaean religion is not  missionary. Therefore, others had always respected the Mandaeans in their  practices and rites.

This information was cited from: http://www.mandaeans.org/aboutthemandaeans.htm