Manichaeism

== Religious practices ==
=== Prayers ===
Evidently from Manichaean sources, Manichaeans observed daily prayers, either four for the hearers or seven for the elect. The sources differ about the exact time of prayer. The ''Fihrist'' by [[al-Nadim]], points them after noon, mid-afternoon, just after sunset and at nightfall. [[Al-Biruni]] places the prayers at dawn, sunrise, noon, and nightfall. The elect additionally pray at mid-afternoon, half an hour after nightfall and at midnight. Al-Nadim's account of daily prayers is probably adjusted to coincide with the public prayers for the Muslims, while Al-Birunis report may reflect an older tradition unaffected by Islam.<ref>J. van (Johannes) Oort, Jacob Albert van den Berg ''In Search of Truth. Augustine, Manichaeism and Other Gnosticism: Studies for Johannes Van Oort at Sixty'' BRILL, 2011 {{ISBN|978-90-04-18997-3}} p. 258</ref><ref>Jason BeDuhn ''New Light on Manichaeism: Papers from the Sixth International Congress on Manichaeism, Organized by the International Association of Manichaean Studies'' BRILL, 2009 {{ISBN|978-90-04-17285-2}} p. 77</ref>

When Al-Nadim's account of daily prayers had been the only detailed source available, there was a concern that these practises had been only adapted by Muslims during the [[Abbasid Caliphate]]. However, it is clear that the Arabic text provided by Al-Nadim corresponds with the descriptions of Egyptian texts from the fourth century.<ref name="ReferenceA">Johannes van Oort ''Augustine and Manichaean Christianity: Selected Papers from the First South African Conference on Augustine of Hippo, University of Pretoria, 24–26 April 2012'' BRILL, 01.08.2013 {{ISBN|978-90-04-25506-7}} p. 74</ref>

Every prayer started with an [[ritual purification|ablution]] with water or, if water was not available, with other substances comparable to [[ablution in Islam]]<ref>Charles George Herbermann ''The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church, Band 9'' Universal Knowledge Foundation, 1913 Digit. 16. Aug. 2006 p. 594</ref> and consisted of several blessings to the apostles and spirits. The prayer consisted of prostrating oneself to the ground and rising again twelve times during every prayer.<ref>New Light on Manichaeism: Papers from the Sixth International Congress o p. 78</ref> During day, Manichaeans turned towards the Sun and during night towards the Moon. If the Moon is not visible at night, they turned towards north.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

Evident from [[Faustus of Mileve]], [[Celestial bodies]] are not the subject of worship themselves, but are "ships" carrying the light particles of the world to the [[Father of Greatness|supreme god]], who can not be seen, since he exists beyond time and space, and also the dwelling places for [[Emanationism|emanations]] of the supreme deity, such as [[Jesus the Splendour]].<ref name="ReferenceB">Johannes van Oort ''Augustine and Manichaean Christianity: Selected Papers from the First South African Conference on Augustine of Hippo, University of Pretoria, 24–26 April 2012'' BRILL, 01.08.2013 {{ISBN|978-90-04-25506-7}} p. 75</ref> According to the writings of [[Augustine of Hippo]], ten prayers were performed, the first devoted to the Father of Greatness, and the following to lesser deities, spirits and angels and finally towards the elect, in order to be freed from rebirth and pain and to attain peace in the realm of light.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Comparably, in the [[Uyghurs|Uyghur]] confession, four prayers are directed to the supreme God (''Äzrua''), the God of the Sun and the Moon, and fivefold God and the [[Buddha (title)|buddhas]].<ref name="ReferenceB"/>