The word “Sabi’an” derives from the verb “Saba’a” or “Sibagha” as pronounced today, and it is a Manda’ian word meaning “to submerge in water” or “to be baptized” and this title given to them because they practiced baptism which is considered one of the most important of their rituals, a basic and major ritual of their religion. There is no relationship between this word and the Arabic word “Sabi’a” which means “to apostate” from his ancestral family religion and convert to another monotheistic religion. But the word “mandai’an” is derived from the Aramaic word “manda” which means the higher knowledge and “knowledge” here means the spiritual knowledge of God’s existence as One God, and belief in Him: “Blessed is the soul who has knowledge and a whole heart” ; and from this word came the phrase “Manda id hayyi” which means “Knower of God.” It is the name of the greatest among the Angels of Light, according to their Bible (Ginza Rabba). Therefore the phrase “Sabi’an Mandai’an” means “Baptized Knowers of the Existence of God”.
Concerning their creed, it is based on three pillars: faith in God, belief in the Judgment, and faith in Salvation. The Sabi’an Mandai’an believes in God and believes in the end of the physical world, and in the Day of Reckoning and Judgment , The Book (Drasha id Yahya) said: “Do not think that the world that you will enter is established for salvation, but for judgment… everyday day that passed, the good deed and evil deeds were written, and the one who had good deeds will rise, but the one who has evil deeds has punishment awaiting him” ; and the Judgment is for everyone, their Bible (Ginza Rabba) said: “The galaxies will be judged at the last judgment... everyone will rise to be judged.”
The Creator (God), according to the Mandai’an religion, is a non-physical entity and cannot know him except by His works and His evidence, and He is Himself the mind and unlimited ability and he is joined with eternity and immortality. They believe that the body will pass away and the soul (not the spirit) is eternal, and its true and eternal destination is the World of Light, because it is the breath from God’s being, the Great Creator. It ultimately returns to Him: “Enter with peace, O coral, O pure pearl which was taken from the treasures of God, and to the treasures of God returned.”
The followers of this religion considered it the oldest of the monotheistic religions in history. Some of their history and religious books trace it back to the time of Adam. The first teaching, which was given to Adam by the angel Gabriel the messenger (in Mandai’an Gabri’el Shaliha), was written on papers to guide him and his posterity. These pages were collected later, as they claim, and formed into their Bible, Kinza Raba, which means “the Great Treasure.”
The book Ginza Raba speaks about the act of Adam’s creation and his death: “The Messenger of the Living One… came and stood on the pillow and said, ‘O Adam, stand up on your feet, and take off your clay garments, because your time has finished in this world.’ Adam said, ‘If I come with you, who will take care of the world? Who will plant the blessed seeds...? Who will carry the water from the Tigris and the Euphrates…?’ The Savior says, ‘O Adam, stand up and go to your homeland from which you came... Put on the garments of light, and sit on your throne of light prepared for you by God, sit down as the Living God desires you to do’ ”; “And Adam sat down on the throne which was prepared for him by God’s command, surrounded by lights.”
The text indicates, as is clear, that Adam had a very high standing in heaven, therefore the Manda’ians consider him the first of their prophets. In the book of John’s teaching (Drasha id Yahya), it is written, “O Adam, listen and believe, blessed be the one who listened and believed; O Adam, take the covenant, blessed be the one who took the covenant after you. O Adam, take a good look around and rise, blessed be the one who rose after you.” Their Bible records that Adam was dead and was raised to heaven, and only his soul (Nishmatha in Manda’ian) rose up, without his body (Satoona in Manda’ian) for the bodies do not rise up to heaven: “O Adam, no body rises upward.”
Adam was created from clay and Eve also and God gave Eve to Adam to multiply upon the earth: “By the command of God, Eve was created as a wife for Adam to multiply upon the earth, and their descendants continued.” The teaching of this religion centered on necessity of marriage: “Take wives for yourselves and reproduce so that your numbers will increase.” Its attention is on the necessity of procreation and fruitfulness: “O Bachelors and Maidens… O men who do not like women… O women who do not like men… were you standing one day on the shore of the sea? Have you seen the fish, how they swim in pairs? Have you climbed the bank of the Great Euphrates River? Have you meditated on the standing trees, drinking water on its bank and bearing fruit? Why do you not bear fruit?” In another quote, “O Believers, who believe in God, make weddings for your sons and make weddings for you daughters, and believe in your Lord…”
The Manda’ians consider the flowing-living water Yardana the origin of life: “With water life gushed forth; the life with water gushed forth. From the water, life emanated.” It was before everything and from it everything came into being, and it is a symbol of the first life: “By the ability of the King of the Highest Light, life became… and the Great Fruit became, and Yardana entered into the life, and when the Great Yardana became, the Living Water became… the bright, delightful water. And from the Living Water, the life became.” The water for the Manda’ian is the basis of all the rites and rituals, and if there is no water, they cannot perform any ritual.
The worship day for the Manda’ians is Sunday (Habashaba in Manda’ian) and it is the only day permitted for performing rituals of baptism, marriage and ordination of priests. Sunday is sacred for them because they believe that God started the creation process on that day. Therefore, they respect it and make it a day of rest. It is the first day of the week for Manda’ians. Also, their books record that there is a special angel for this day: “Love the Angel of Sunday and honor his day”; they have a special prayer for this day called the Sunday Prayer: “In the Name of the Great Living One, may you give me health… in the Sunday Prayer I stand on the light and on the Great Light which gushes forth. This is me, Manda id Hayyi, the Son of the Great First Life, call for the Glorious Angel of Sunday, the Pure Guardian.”
The Manda’ian is similar in this way to Christianity, and also shares with it in the realm of baptism and the style of fasting (the abstinence from meat only) and wearing of the waistband, and also they share the principle of respect for John the Baptist and the Communion Meal, and their position on circumcision. But the Manda’ians are prohibited from monasticism (the principle of celibacy in particular), because in their beliefs such practice is opposed to the rule of life and contrary to the commandments of God which are written in their books.
The Manda’ians consider the direction of North as a kibleh, because in their belief it is the source of light and good and the location of the World of Lights (The World of Truth or Paradise). It is called in Manda’ian, Alma id Nhoora and the throne of God is there and the highest heavens, and the angels. There is a special angel for the North, and for the Worlds of Lights called Abathir. The Sabi’an in antiquity was guided by the North Star to know the direction of North. They face toward the North during their prayers and also during the baptism and during the slaughter of animals. The dead when he is buried should be laid facing northward.
The North according to the Manda’ian religious books is the source of light and purity and the source of everything sacred and lofty. But the South is the direction and location of evil forces and the stagnant, black water and the sinners, and they called it by the name, “The World of Darkness” (in Manda’ian Alma id Hshookha) which their Bible describes: “The World of Darkness, the World of Evils and Sins… it is a wilderness that was put to the farthest South, far away from the lands. It is the World of Smoke, Fire and full of the wicked.” The World of Darkness came from the Black and Dirty Water, pushed into the far south, and it possesses nothing but evil.