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Daily prayer in Mandaeism, called brakha ࡁࡓࡀࡊࡀ in Mandaic (cognate with Hebrew berakhah and Arabic barakah) or occasionally birukta (birukhta),^[1] consists of set prayers that are recited three times per day.^[2] Mandaeans stand facing north while reciting daily prayers.^[3] Unlike in Islam and Eastern Christianity, prostration is not practiced.

Mandaean priests recite rahma prayers^[4]^[5] three times every day, while laypeople also recite the Rushuma (signing prayer) and Asut Malkia ("Healing of Kings") daily.^[2] When priests lead laypeople during prayers, laypeople repeat each word or phrase of a prayer after the priest, similar to certain parts of Roman Catholic masses.

In Mandaic, the generic term for an individual prayer is buta ࡁࡅࡕࡀ (plural form: bawata ࡁࡀࡅࡀࡕࡀ).^[6]

Prayer times

The three prayer times in Mandaeism are:^[7]^[4]^[8]

dawn (sunrise) (corresponding to the Fajr prayer in Islam and Shacharit in Judaism; mentioned in Book 8 of the Right Ginza as rahmia ḏ-miṣṭipra = ࡓࡀࡄࡌࡉࡀ ࡖࡌࡉࡎࡈࡉࡐࡓࡀ)
noontime (the "seventh hour") (corresponding to the Zuhr prayer in Islam and Mincha in Judaism; mentioned in Book 8 of the Right Ginza as rahmia ḏ-šuba šaiia = ࡓࡀࡄࡌࡉࡀ ࡖࡔࡅࡁࡀ ࡔࡀࡉࡉࡀ)
evening (sunset) (corresponding to the Maghrib prayer in Islam and Maariv in Judaism; mentioned in Book 8 of the Right Ginza as rahmia ḏ-l-paina = ࡓࡀࡄࡌࡉࡀ ࡖࡋࡐࡀࡉࡍࡀ)

Traditionally, the prayers are performed while wearing the rasta (robe), burzinqa (turban), and himiana (belt).^[7]

Opening rahma prayer

Before each of the daily prayers, the following opening rahma (daily devotional prayer; recorded multiple times as prayers 108 (morning prayer), 109 (noontime prayer), and 112 (evening prayer) in E. S. Drower's 1959 Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans^[4]) is recited.


Mandaic transliteration (Lidzbarski 1920^[5])	English translation (Gelbert & Lofts 2025^[9])
b-šuma ḏ-hiia l-hiia sagidna u-l-marai manda ḏ-hiia mšabana u-l-hak parṣupa rba ḏ-ʿqara ḏ-mn napšiḥ praš	In the name of the [Great] Life. I venerate the Life, and I praise my lord Manda ḏ-Hiia, and that great Countenance of glory, who emanated from Himself.

References

↑ Nasoraia, Brikha H.S. (2021). The Mandaean gnostic religion: worship practice and deep thought. New Delhi: Sterling. ISBN 978-81-950824-1-4. OCLC 1272858968.
1 2 Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010). The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history. Piscataway, N.J: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-59333-621-9.
↑ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
1 2 3 Drower, E. S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
1 2 Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. Mandäische Liturgien. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin.
↑ Segelberg, Eric (1958). Maṣbūtā: Studies in the Ritual of Mandaean Baptism. Uppsala: Almqvist and Wiksell.
1 2 Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.
↑ Choheili, Shadan. Rishama and Barakha Rituals. Liverpool, NSW: Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi.
↑ Gelbert, Carlos; Lofts, Mark J. (2025). The Qulasta. Edensor Park, NSW: Living Water Books. ISBN 978-0-6487954-3-8.

External links

[Nasoraia_2021-1] Nasoraia, Brikha H.S. (2021). The Mandaean gnostic religion: worship practice and deep thought. New Delhi: Sterling. ISBN 978-81-950824-1-4. OCLC 1272858968.

[Buckley2010-2] 1 2 Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010). The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history. Piscataway, N.J: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-59333-621-9.

[Buckley_2002-3] Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.

[Drower_1959-4] 1 2 3 Drower, E. S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.

[Liturgien-5] 1 2 Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. Mandäische Liturgien. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin.

[Segelberg-6] Segelberg, Eric (1958). Maṣbūtā: Studies in the Ritual of Mandaean Baptism. Uppsala: Almqvist and Wiksell.

[Drower_1937-7] 1 2 Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.

[8] Choheili, Shadan. Rishama and Barakha Rituals. Liverpool, NSW: Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi.

[Qulasta2025-9] Gelbert, Carlos; Lofts, Mark J. (2025). The Qulasta. Edensor Park, NSW: Living Water Books. ISBN 978-0-6487954-3-8.

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Prayer times

Opening rahma prayer

See also

References

External links