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Brakha

For the Israeli settlement, see Har Brakha.
Not to be confused with Berakhah or Barakah.
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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

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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

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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.

See also

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References

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  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.
  2. ^ a b Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010). The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history. Piscataway, N.J: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-59333-621-9.
  3. ^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
  4. ^ a b c Drower, E. S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
  5. ^ a b Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. Mandäische Liturgien. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin.
  6. ^ Segelberg, Eric (1958). Maṣbūtā: Studies in the Ritual of Mandaean Baptism. Uppsala: Almqvist and Wiksell.
  7. ^ a b 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.
  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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