Shalama,

There was a Persian man named Mani, son of Patek. He was a Parthian and of noble descent.

What spur's this question is that Mani claimed to be the Seal of the Prophets.

However, as Muhammed claimed this also and being the second in this act. Unlike Muhammed Mani did not succeed in spreading the faith across the world, some which believe he wanted to do. He's claimed to have been a man of extreme passions and lived during the time of King Shapur I and faced insult at the hands of the Magi.

His religion of light, at his time bonded Gnosticism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism. As the faith spread it changed faces, so in distinictive regional areas, the faith and practice of the Manichess would have differed. The religion view is one of uniqueness and clearly shows that previous faiths and beliefs were absorbed into this new passion. After his death and the following century the Manichees were close to dominating the Roman Church, if they had succeed Manichaean views would have survived, other then through the Carthars and small groups.

However, no Muslims know of him and so it's had to have an informed discussion. His doctrine of the Manichee faith endorsed many light deities, events and twists and turns that your'd expect to find in a religion, but one has to find the core of the Manichaean faith, in order to expect that Mani's intensions were. At his time he thought he was given a task, to preach a new faith, and a religion for the whole of men.

Although I am posting this for the means of discussion, please keep it civil.

I would appreciate if you view the sources and to have a good understanding. Know this, in my view Mani's works compose of mysticism and intrigue. Also, if you respond, post appropriate quotes, and to prove your views, quote from respective sources.

So, who is this Mani? Was he ordained to be a Messenger of Light, an Envoy and Herald of that Good Realm?


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References:

http://www.farvardyn.com/mani1.php (Detailed profile)

http://i-cias.com/e.o/mani.htm (Short Profile)

http://www.gnosis.org/library/Mani.html (Text)

http://fam-faerch.dk/pseudigrapher/gnostic/deficien.htm (Text)

http://www.gnosis.org/library/manis.htm (Collection of Texts)