Nawruz Prayers | Manichaean Faith آیینِ مانی

The Nawruz Festival is also known as the observance of the New Year by Manichaeans.

The following is a translation from the Syriac and Persian published in 2012 and revised in 2023. This prayer may be recited by individuals and families. An alternative edition is provided for congregations further down the page for use after the Worship Service.

Prayer for the Nawruz Festival

Praise to the Beneficent One, Abba d’Rabbuta, the Highest of all Kings in the Universe, the Source of Light, and in the Name of the Holy Messengers, which You send down to make the path straight so that humankind may seek liberation of the Light from the darkness.

Praise be Abba d’Rabbuta, Alaha, Holy One of the lofty heights, great is Your Name in all the Universe, O Alaha.

Blessed are You, O Alaha, for Your Name is to be praised at all times.
Blessed are You, O Alaha, for Your Majesty is above that of any other.
Blessed are You, O Alaha, for Your Power is beyond all imagining.

Abba d’Rabbuta, You have permitted us to be brought to this occasion, and we give You praise with our songs and we bow in obedience to Your Most Holy Throne in the highest heavens.

We ask, with humble hearts and with hands outstretched, facing Your Throne in the East, to safeguard us from all attacks of the enemy, physical and verbal, throughout this year.

We ask, with humble hearts and with hands outstretched, facing Your Throne in the East, to bring to us blessings, spiritual and physical, so as to share Your Truth with all humankind, throughout this year.

We ask, with humble hearts and with hands outstretched, facing Your Throne in the East, to raise up the Manichaean Faith as the true source of blessing to all humankind in the earth, throughout this year.

May Your Name, O Abba d’Rabbuta Alaha, You who are the God of Truth and Righteousness, be praised in all the universe. May all humankind see Your Light and may they seek the Truth of the Path which You revealed to the Holy Prophet Mani.

May Your Name, O Abba d’Rabbuta Alaha, You who are the God of Truth and Righteousness, be praised in all the universe. May all humankind seek liberation of the Light from the darkness through the teaching of Your Messenger whom we know as Rukha Khaya, the Third Messenger, the Holy Teacher in our day.

May our actions, O Alaha, throughout this year and all the remaining years of our existence as sojourners in this earth, bring honour and glory to You and to the Way of the Light.

We stand before You, O Abba d’Rabbuta, on the beginning of this Nawruz (new year) festival with the highest respect for Your Authority and the Divine Authority which You have bestowed upon our Lord and Teacher the Third Messenger. When we bow before the Messenger we bow before You, the One True God.

Help us, O Alaha, to be humble, to see the plight of our brothers and of our sisters, and to act accordingly with the compassion which You planted within our hearts.

Help us, O Alaha, to be responsible servants within the congregation of Your people and to watch our every step so as to bring only honour and praise to Your Name.

Help us, O Alaha, to be wise to the reports around us so that we may assist others with comfort and that we ourselves do not become frightened as to what we hear of the atrocities in the world.

May this new year be a blessing to all those who walk the Holy Path of Light.

May this Nawruz festival be observed with thanks for Your Presence within our Teacher and in honor of the blessings You have provided in the previous year. Ameen.

The following is for use by congregations after the Worship Service.

Prayer for the Nawruz Festival

Officiant: Let us recite the prayer of the Nawruz festival.
Praise to the Beneficent One, Abba d’Rabbuta, the Highest of all Kings in the Universe, the Source of Light, and in the Name of the Holy Messengers, which You send down to make the path straight so that humankind may seek liberation of the Light from the darkness.

Praise be Abba d’Rabbuta, Alaha, Holy One of the lofty heights, great is Your Name in all the Universe, O Alaha.

All: Ameen.

Officiant: Blessed are You, O Alaha, for Your Name is to be praised at all times.
All: Blessed are You, Alaha.

Officiant: Blessed are You, O Alaha, for Your Majesty is above that of any other.
All: Blessed are You, Alaha.

Officiant: Blessed are You, O Alaha, for Your Power is beyond all imagining.
All: Blessed are You, Il-Ya. Ameen.

Officiant: Abba d’Rabbuta, You have permitted us to be brought to this occasion, and we give You praise with our songs and we bow in obedience to Your Most Holy Throne in the highest heavens.

(Congregation should raise their hands facing the East)

Officiant: We ask, with humble hearts and with hands outstretched, facing Your Throne in the East, to safeguard us from all attacks of the enemy, physical and verbal, throughout this year.

All: Ameen.

Officiant: We ask, with humble hearts and with hands outstretched, facing Your Throne in the East, to bring to us blessings, spiritual and physical, so as to share Your Truth with all humankind, throughout this year.

All: Ameen.

Officiant: We ask, with humble hearts and with hands outstretched, facing Your Throne in the East, to raise up the Religion of Light as the true source of blessing to all humankind in the earth, throughout this year.

All: Ameen.

Officiant: Blessed are You, O Alaha, for Your Name is to be praised at all times.

All: Blessed are You, O Alaha.

Officiant: Blessed are You, O Alaha, for Your Majesty is above that of any other.

All: Blessed are You, O Alaha.

Officiant: Blessed are You, O Alaha, for Your Power is beyond all imagining.

All: Blessed are You, O Alaha. Ameen.

Officiant: May Your Name, O Abba d’Rabbuta Alaha, You who are the God of Truth and Righteousness, be praised in all the universe. May all humankind see Your Light and may they seek the Truth of the Path which You revealed to the Holy Prophet Mani.

All: Ameen.

Officiant: May Your Name, O Abba d’Rabbuta Alaha, You who are the God of Truth and Righteousness, be praised in all the universe. May all humankind seek liberation of the Light from the darkness through the teaching of Your Messenger whom we know as Rukha Khaya, the Third Messenger, the Holy Teacher in our day.

All: Ameen.

Officiant: May our actions, O Alaha, throughout this year and all the remaining years of our existence as sojourners in this earth, bring honor and glory to You and to the Way of the Light.

All: Ameen.

Officiant: We stand before You, O Abba d’Rabbuta, on the beginning of this Nawruz (new year) festival with the highest respect for Your Authority and the Divine Authority which You have bestowed upon our Lord and Teacher the Third Messenger. When we bow before the Messenger we bow before You, the One True God.

All: Ameen.

Officiant: Help us, O God, to be humble, to see the plight of our brothers and of our sisters, and to act accordingly with the compassion which You planted within our hearts.

All: Help us, Lord.

Officiant: Help us, O God, to be responsible servants within the congregation of Your people and to watch our every step so as to bring only honor and praise to Your Name.

All: Help us, Lord.

Officiant: Help us, O God, to be wise to the reports around us so that we may assist others with comfort and that we ourselves do not become frightened as to what we hear of the atrocities in the world.

All: Help us, Lord.

Officiant: May this new year be a blessing to all those who walk the Holy Path of Light.

All: Ameen.

Officiant: May this Nawruz festival be observed with thanks for Your Presence within our Teacher and in honor of the blessings You have provided in the previous year.

All: Ameen.