Rishama (ablution)

Mandaeans performing rishama at the Karun River in Ahvaz, Iran

Instructions in Arabic on how to perform rishama (photograph taken at the Yahya Yuhana Mandi in Sydney, Australia). Summary:

1. Wash the hands
2. Wash the face 3 times
3. Wash the forehead 3 times
4. Wash the ears 3 times
5. Wash the nose
6. Wash the seat
7. Wash the mouth 3 times
8. Wash the knees 3 times
9. Wash the legs 3 times
10. Throw water on the head with the fingers of both hands
11. Dip right and then left foot in water

For the priestly title, see Rishama.

In Mandaeism, rishama (rišama) is a daily ablution ritual. Unlike the masbuta, it does not require the assistance of a priest. Rishama (signing) is performed before prayers and involves washing the face and limbs while reciting specific prayers such as the rushma. It is performed daily, before sunrise, with hair covered and after evacuation of bowels, or before religious ceremonies.

Tamasha (ṭamaša) is another type of ablution performed by Mandaeans in which the entire body is fully immersed three times in water.

Although the term for the Mandaean daily minor ablution is also spelled the same in written Classical Mandaic (rišama), the word for 'minor ablution' is pronounced in Modern Mandaic as rešāmā, while 'head priest' is pronounced rišammā.

Procedures

Rishama ritual steps or procedures may vary according to the location or priest's instructions. Below is a list of rishama procedures by Shadan Choheili of the Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi in Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia.

1. Squat or kneel down in front of the yardna.
2. Purify ("ṭmasha") hands in water.
3. Purify face 3 times.
4. Dip right hand in water and draw a line ("rišam") 3 times from right to left across the forehead.
5. Dip index fingers in water and point to ears 3 times.
6. Take water using the right-hand palm and inhale the water's scent 3 times.
7. Slightly dip left hand in water and splash water using the right hand towards the left hand.
8. Using the right-hand palm, fill and wash the mouth, and spit towards the left 3 times.
9. Dip fingers in water and point towards the knees 3 times.
10. Dip fingers in water and point towards the feet 3 times.
11. Dip fingers in water, recite a prayer, and use the fingers to dip then splash water forward 3 times.
12. Stand up, dip toes in water (right foot first, then left foot afterwards).

Specific Mandaic prayers are said during each step of the rishama.

Parallels

The ablution is comparable to wudu in Islam.

John D. Turner and other scholars have noted that in Sethianism, rituals reminiscent of Mandaean ablutions (i.e., the rishama and tamasha) are mentioned in Nag Hammadi texts such as the Trimorphic Protennoia, since they involve triple immersion in water, signing, and other similar features.

See also

• Rushma
• Ablution in Christianity
• Ritual washing in Judaism
• Wudu in Islam

External links

• The Worlds of Mandaean Priests (University of Exeter)
  • Rishama (Ablution)
  • Sydney 2014 Masbuta 01: Rishama (Ablution)
• Brakha and Rishama instructional video (in Arabic)
• Afternoon brakha and ablution in Amarah, Iraq