Rahma (Mandaeism)

In Mandaeism, a rahma ( myz, ࡓࡀࡄࡌࡀ; plural form: ''rahmia'' ) is a daily devotional prayer that is recited during a specific time of the day or specific day of the week.

Translations

E. S. Drower's version of the Qolasta, the ''Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans'', has 64 rahma prayers translated into English that are numbered from 106 to 169. In Drower's ordering, the rahma prayers directly follow the '' Asiet Malkia'' prayer (''CP'' 105), while the ''Ṭabahatan'' prayer (''CP'' 170) comes after the rahma prayers.

Part 1 of the Oxford Collection in Mark Lidzbarski's ''Mandäische Liturgien'' (1920) contains 60 rahma prayers translated into German that correspond to prayers 106–160 and 165–169 in Drower (1959).Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. ''Mandäische Liturgien''. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin.

List of rahma prayers

Below, ''Oxford'' refers to Lidzbarski's (1920) numbering, while ''CP'' refers to Drower's (1959) number.

Hourly prayers

The first 13 prayers are recited during the three times of the day for prayer, which are dawn (sunrise), noontime (the "seventh hour"), and evening (sunset).

* ''Oxford'' 1.1 (''CP'' 106): opening prayer
* ''Oxford'' 1.2 (''CP'' 107): dawn prayer
* ''Oxford'' 1.3 (''CP'' 108): dawn prayer
* ''Oxford'' 1.4 (''CP'' 109): noontime (seventh hour) prayer
* ''Oxford'' 1.5 (''CP'' 110)
* ''Oxford'' 1.6 (''CP'' 111)
* ''Oxford'' 1.7 (''CP'' 112): opening evening prayer

Rahma prayers recited after incense is offered:

* ''Oxford'' 1.8 (''CP'' 113): dawn prayer, after incense
* ''Oxford'' 1.9 (''CP'' 114): dawn prayer, after incense
* ''Oxford'' 1.10 (''CP'' 115): dawn prayer, after incense
* ''Oxford'' 1.11 (''CP'' 116): dawn prayer, after incense
* ''Oxford'' 1.12 (''CP'' 117): noontime (seventh hour) prayer, after incense
* ''Oxford'' 1.13 (''CP'' 118): evening prayer, after incense

Prayers for the days of the week

There are 6 rahma prayers for each day of the week. Each set consists of alternating long and short prayers (i.e., the 1st prayer is a long one, the 2nd prayer is a short one, while the 3rd prayer is again a long one, etc.).

;Sunday prayers
* ''Oxford'' 1.14 (''CP'' 119)
* ''Oxford'' 1.15 (''CP'' 120)
* ''Oxford'' 1.16 (''CP'' 121)
* ''Oxford'' 1.17 (''CP'' 122)
* ''Oxford'' 1.18 (''CP'' 123)
* ''Oxford'' 1.19 (''CP'' 124)

;Monday prayers
* ''Oxford'' 1.20 (''CP'' 125)
* ''Oxford'' 1.21 (''CP'' 126)
* ''Oxford'' 1.22 (''CP'' 127)
* ''Oxford'' 1.23 (''CP'' 128)
* ''Oxford'' 1.24 (''CP'' 129)
* ''Oxford'' 1.25 (''CP'' 130)

;Tuesday prayers
* ''Oxford'' 1.26 (''CP'' 131)
* ''Oxford'' 1.27 (''CP'' 132)
* ''Oxford'' 1.28 (''CP'' 133)
* ''Oxford'' 1.29 (''CP'' 134)
* ''Oxford'' 1.30 (''CP'' 135)
* ''Oxford'' 1.31 (''CP'' 136)

;Wednesday prayers
* ''Oxford'' 1.32 (''CP'' 137)
* ''Oxford'' 1.33 (''CP'' 138)
* ''Oxford'' 1.34 (''CP'' 139)
* ''Oxford'' 1.35 (''CP'' 140)
* ''Oxford'' 1.36 (''CP'' 141)
* ''Oxford'' 1.37 (''CP'' 142)

;Thursday prayers
* ''Oxford'' 1.38 (''CP'' 143)
* ''Oxford'' 1.39 (''CP'' 144)
* ''Oxford'' 1.40 (''CP'' 145)
* ''Oxford'' 1.41 (''CP'' 146)
* ''Oxford'' 1.42 (''CP'' 147)
* ''Oxford'' 1.43 (''CP'' 148)

;Friday prayers
* ''Oxford'' 1.44 (''CP'' 149)
* ''Oxford'' 1.45 (''CP'' 150)
* ''Oxford'' 1.46 (''CP'' 151)
* ''Oxford'' 1.47 (''CP'' 152)
* ''Oxford'' 1.48 (''CP'' 153)
* ''Oxford'' 1.49 (''CP'' 154)

;Saturday prayers
* ''Oxford'' 1.50 (''CP'' 155)
* ''Oxford'' 1.51 (''CP'' 156)
* ''Oxford'' 1.52 (''CP'' 157)
* ''Oxford'' 1.53 (''CP'' 158)
* ''Oxford'' 1.54 (''CP'' 159)
* ''Oxford'' 1.55 (''CP'' 160)

Saturday evening priest initiation prayers

The 2 prayers for novices in priest initiation ceremonies, recited on Saturday evening (sunset):

*''CP'' 161 (not in Lidzbarski)
*''CP'' 162 (not in Lidzbarski)

Sunday dawn priest initiation prayers

The 2 prayers for novices in priest initiation ceremonies, recited on Sunday dawn (sunrise):

*''CP'' 163 (not in Lidzbarski)
*''CP'' 164 (not in Lidzbarski)

"Fruits of Ether" prayers

The last 5 prayers are the prayers for the "Fruit(s) of Ether".

* ''Oxford'' 1.56 (''CP'' 165)
* ''Oxford'' 1.57 (''CP'' 166)
* ''Oxford'' 1.58 (''CP'' 167)
* ''Oxford'' 1.59 (''CP'' 168)
* ''Oxford'' 1.60 (''CP'' 169)

See also

* Brakha (daily prayer in Mandaeism)
*'' Asiet Malkia''
*''Tabahatan''
*Qolasta

References

{{Mandaeism footer

Mandaean prayer
Mandaic words and phrases