Mandealaiset

The Mandaeans were known in Arabia as Sabians. Mohammed was acquainted with their teachings, and sometimes called Sabian by his contemporaries because they saw him practicing many Sabian rituals, such as: praying five times a day; preceding each prayer with ablution like the Sabian Mandaeans did; and adopting the same movements during prayer, and other rituals.

Mohammed was called a Sabian by his co-citizens. For example, on his return from one of his campaigns, he was thirsty. His companions asked a woman who carried a water skin to carry water for him. The woman asked, “Where?” They said “To the prophet of Allah,” to which she replied, “To that one who is called a Sabian?” and they answered, “Exactly, to the one you call a Sabian.” The woman returned to Mecca and said, “Two men I encountered brought me to the one called Sabian.”[2][2] We see that Mohammed was recognized by the people of Mecca as a member of the Sabian community. Earlier Islamic literature says that the tribe of Quraish called Mohammed a Sabian, and they called the followers of Mohammed Sabians as well,[3][3] demonstrating to us that the Arabians at the time of Mohammed were acquainted with the Sabian sects, their rituals and teachings. They knew the relationship Mohammed enjoyed with the Sabian sects of Mecca, so when Mohammed came out with new religious claims, it appeared to the Quraish tribe as coming from the Sabians who lived among them.

http://religionresearchinstitute.org/quran/analysis.htm

http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandealaisuus