Sabians

"Sabaism" redirects here. For general star worship, see Astrotheology.

For the ancient people in South Arabia, see Sabaeans. For the people of ancient Italy, see Sabines. For the followers of Sabbatai Zevi, see Sabbateans. For other uses, see Sabian (disambiguation).
"... and the Sabians", Quran 5:69[a]

The Sabians, sometimes also spelled Sabaeans or Sabeans, are a mysterious religious group mentioned three times in the Quran (as الصابئون al-Ṣābiʾūn, in later sources الصابئة al-Ṣābiʾa),[1] where it is implied that they belonged to the 'People of the Book' (ahl al-kitāb).[2] Their original identity, which seems to have been forgotten at an early date,[3] has been called an "unsolved Quranic problem".[4] Modern scholars have variously identified them as Mandaeans,[5] Manichaeans,[6] Sabaeans,[7] Elchasaites,[8] Archontics,[9] ḥunafāʾ (either as a type of Gnostics or as "sectarians"),[10] or as adherents of the astral religion of Harran.[11] Some scholars believe that it is impossible to establish their original identity with any degree of certainty.[12]

At least from the ninth century on, the Quranic epithet 'Sabian' was claimed by various religious groups who sought recognition by the Muslim authorities as a People of the Book deserving of legal protection (dhimma).[13] Among those are the Sabians of Harran, adherents of a poorly understood ancient Semitic religion centered in the upper Mesopotamian city of Harran, who were described by Syriac Christian heresiographers as star worshippers.[14] These Harranian Sabians practiced an old Semitic form of polytheism,[15] combined with a significant amount of Hellenistic elements.[16] Most of the historical figures known in the ninth–eleventh centuries as al-Ṣābiʼ were probably either members of this Harranian religion or descendants of such members, most notably the Harranian astronomers and mathematicians Thabit ibn Qurra (died 901) and al-Battani (died 929).[17]

From the early tenth century on, the term 'Sabian' was applied to purported 'pagans' of all kinds, such as to the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, or to Buddhists.[18] Ibn Wahshiyya (died c. 930) used the term for a type of Mesopotamian paganism that preserved elements of ancient Assyro-Babylonian religion.[19]

Today in Iraq and Iran, the name 'Sabian' is normally applied to the Mandaeans, a modern ethno-religious group who follow the teachings of their prophet John the Baptist (Yahya ibn Zakariya). These Mandaean Sabians, whose most important religious ceremony is baptism,[20] are monotheistic, and their holy book is known as the Ginza Rabba.[21]: 1  Mandaean Sabian prophets include Adam, Seth, Noah, Shem and John the Baptist with Adam being the founder of the religion and John being the greatest and final prophet.[22]: 45 


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  1. ^ Van Bladel 2017, p. 5.
  2. ^ De Blois 2004; Marks 2021, p. 20.
  3. ^ De Blois 1960–2012; Van Bladel 2009, p. 67.
  4. ^ Buck 1984, p. 172.
  5. ^ This was extensively argued by Chwolsohn 1856 and Gündüz 1994 (both cited by Van Bladel 2009, p. 67). The view has also been adopted by such Mandaean scholars as Drower 1960, p. ix and Nasoraia 2012, p. 39 (citing Gündüz 1994).
  6. ^ De Blois 1995 (cited by Van Bladel 2009, p. 67).
  7. ^ Bell 1926, p. 60 (cited by Van Bladel 2009, p. 67).
  8. ^ Dozy & de Goeje 1884 (cited by Green 1992, pp. 105–106); Buck 1984 (cited by Van Bladel 2009, p. 67).
  9. ^ Tardieu 1986 (cited by Van Bladel 2009, p. 67).
  10. ^ As Gnostics: Pedersen 1922, p. 390 and Hjärpe 1972 (both cited by Van Bladel 2009, p. 67). As "sectarians": Genequand 1999, pp. 123–127 (cited by Van Bladel 2009, p. 67).
  11. ^ Margoliouth 1913 (cited by Green 1992, pp. 106–108); Strohmaier 1996 (cited by Van Bladel 2009, pp. 67–68).
  12. ^ Green 1992, pp. 119–120; Stroumsa 2004, pp. 335–341; Hämeen-Anttila 2006, p. 50; Van Bladel 2009, p. 68.
  13. ^ De Blois 1960–2007; Fahd 1960–2007; Van Bladel 2017, pp. 5, 10.
  14. ^ Van Bladel 2009, p. 68; cf. p. 70.
  15. ^ De Blois 1960–2007.
  16. ^ Van Bladel 2009, p. 66.
  17. ^ A genealogical table of Thabit ibn Qurra's family is given by De Blois 1960–2007. On some of his descendants, see Roberts 2017.
  18. ^ Van Bladel 2009, p. 67.
  19. ^ Hämeen-Anttila 2006, p. 49; cf. pp 46–52, p. 20 note 42, p. 37 note 91.
  20. ^ Cite error: The named reference USATodaySabians was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  21. ^ Al-Saadi, Qais; Al-Saadi, Hamed (2019). Ginza Rabba (2nd ed.). Germany: Drabsha.
  22. ^ Brikhah S. Nasoraia (2012). "Sacred Text and Esoteric Praxis in Sabian Mandaean Religion" (PDF).