In
Mandaeism
Mandaeism ( Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ ; Arabic: المندائيّة ), sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnostic, monotheistic and ethnic religion. Its adherents, the Mandaeans, revere Adam, Ab ...
, zidqa ( myz, ࡆࡉࡃࡒࡀ) refers to
alms or
almsgiving
Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of virtue or charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving, and it is a widespread practice in a number ...
.
[Drower, Ethel Stefana. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.] Mandaean priest
A Mandaean priest or ''Rabbi'' refers to an ordained religious leader in Mandaeism.
Overview
All priests must undergo lengthy ordination ceremonies, beginning with tarmida initiation. Mandaean religious leaders and copyists of religious texts ho ...
s receive regular financial contributions from laypeople, since priesthood is typically a full-time occupation. Zidqa is also offered to the poor and needy.
Other uses
The
Mandaic term ''
zidqa brika'' (literally "blessed
oblation
Oblation, meaning "the act of offering; an instance of offering" and by extension "the thing offered" (Late Latin ''oblatio'', from ''offerre'', ''oblatum'', to offer), is a term used, particularly in ecclesiastical use, for a solemn offering, s ...
") refers to a ritual meal blessed by priests. An early self-appellation for Mandaeans is ''bhiri zidqa'', meaning 'elect of righteousness'.
See also
*
Charity (Christian virtue)
In Christian theology, charity (Latin: ''caritas'') is considered one of the seven virtues and is understood by Thomas Aquinas as "the friendship of man for God", which "unites us to God". He holds it as "the most excellent of the virtues". ...
*
Zakat
Zakat ( ar, زكاة; , "that which purifies", also Zakat al-mal , "zakat on wealth", or Zakah) is a form of almsgiving, often collected by the Muslim Ummah. It is considered in Islam as a religious obligation, and by Quranic ranking, is ...
in Islam
*
Sadaqah
or Sadqah ( ar, صدقة , "charity", "benevolence", plural ' ) in the modern context has come to signify "voluntary charity". According to the Quran, the word means voluntary offering, whose amount is at the will of the "benefactor".
Etymol ...
in Islam (Arabic cognate)
*
Tzedakah
''Tzedakah'' or ''Ṣedaqah'' ( he, צדקה ) is a Hebrew word meaning "righteousness", but commonly used to signify '' charity''. This concept of "charity" differs from the modern Western understanding of "charity". The latter is typically u ...
in Judaism (Hebrew cognate)
*
Dāna
Dāna (Devanagari: दान, IAST: Dānam) is a Sanskrit and Pali word that connotes the virtue of generosity, charity or giving of alms in Indian philosophies.
In Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, dāna is the practice of cultiva ...
in Hinduism
References
Alms
Mandaeism
Mandaic words and phrases
{{Mandaeism-stub