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The Baha'i Faith recognizes a total of nine Living Religions that are true Revelations of God for this planet. They are:
1. Sabeanism There are certainly more than 9 Manifestation of God for this planet, but these are the only Living Religions which the Faith accepts as Revelations of God. Religions such as Sikhism is not considered a 'Revelation', but rather a reformation and amalgamation of Hinduism and Islam. The founder of Sihkism, Guru Nanak, for example, is not believed by Baha'is to be a prophet (lesser or otherwise) nor a Manifestation of God. However, Baha'is are free to accept him as a Seer (one who receives divine inspiration without a Dispensation) if they wish. The same is true for Joseph Smith, Emmanuel Swedenborg, Ellen G. White, and Native American Seers. Sabeanism is a great mystery to most Baha'is. Most are familiar with the other named Living Religions, but the great majority of Baha'is cannot tell you what a 'Sabean' is, or even where they are or what they believe. It is a mystery to Baha'is. This article will solve that mystery. The term Sabean (also Sabian) is first mentioned in the Bible and the Qu'ran. It comes from the Aramaic word Saba; which means to immerse in water, or baptize. The Sabians practiced ritual baptism. The Qur'an says:
"Those who believe and those who are the Jews and the Sabeans and the Christians and the Magians and those who set up gods (with God)--God will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection for God is a Witness over all things." (Qu'ran 22:17) 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote: "...when after the martyrdom of the son of Zachariah [John the Baptist] some of his followers did not turn to the Manifestation of the All-Mercificul, that is Jesus, and strayed from the way of the Unity of God. They still dwell on earth and are known by some as the Sabeans." ('Abdu'l-Baha quoted in Directives of the Guardian, p.51) Shoghi Effendi wrote: "As to the religion of the Sabeans very little is known about the origins of this religion, though we Baha'is are certain of one thing, that the founder of it has been a divinely sent Messenger. The country where Sabeanism was widespread and flourished was Chaldea, and Abraham is considered to having been a follower of that Faith." (Lights of Guidance 1994:1694) Modern scholars are in basic agreement that the Sabeans are the modern-day Mandaeans ("Man-day-enz") of Iraq and southwestern Iran. They exist in an area anciently known as "Chaldea". The Mandeans believe that theirs is the oldest Religion of God on earth. They write:
"God ordered Adam to teach his children this religion and spread its celestial commandments." (Mandaean Research Center, Council of General Affairs, 1999, p.4 online) "Abraham was of our people--we called him Bahram. Yes, he was a Mandai, a Nas'urai. His brother was a rish 'amma (head-of-the-people, a king-priest) and they were a family of priests." (The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran, 1962, p.266) In 1994 Professor Sinasi Gunduz published an extensive study in the Journal of Semitic Studies showing conclusively that the Mandaeans and Sabians are the same; the remnants of a very ancient monotheistic religion which originated in or about eastern Syria and northern Iraq sometime about 4,000 B.C. Some of the disciples of John the Baptist did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. They considered Him a 'false messiah'. After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. some of these followers of John the Baptist made their way to Iraq, and met the Sabeans there. That is why today the Mandaeans of Iraq and southwestern Iran honor John the Baptist as a Prophet, but not Jesus. This is why one of their sacred books is The Book of John the Baptizer.
 The Muslim scholar Abu Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Mazm al-Qurtubi (994-1063) did a study of the Sabeans, and concluded that the "religion of the Sabians was the oldest from the historical aspect and the most common religion until they fabricated some new things and therefore changed their binding law (shariah) with these things....Consequently God sent the prophet Abraham with the religion of Islam and Hanif, which God also revealed to the prophet Muhammad, and now, we are followers of it, inorder to correct what they changed." (Gunduz,The Knowledge of Life, pp.42-3) Today, the Mandaeans number about 100,000 worldwide; mostly in Iraq. But Mandean immigrants can also be found in most Western Countries. Among the sacred books of the Mandaeans are The Book of Adam and the Ginza. In the Ginza the word for "abortion" is iahtia; which comes from the root Mandaeic (dialect of Aramaic) word hta which means "to sin". (Gunduz, p.85) The Mandaean Research Centre, Council of General Affairs, produced a website in 1999, which says in part:
"Mandaeanism shares with other celestial religions in identifying and diagnosing many prohibitions. This religion takes scientific and deep human dimensions in setting forth these prohibitions; they are: The child in the womb is considered a "child" in Sabeanism, and abortion is therefore the killing of a child in the womb.
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The Baha'i Faith and Abortion |
