Mani (216-277 CE) was born in Persia and was brought up in a community that was divided between Zoroasterian and agnostic people. He was educated by the agnostics and traveled widely in India. He claimed at the age of 12 he was given the right to be an apostle and be the greatest prophet of God that ever was or ever would be. He claimed that his revelations were the word of God. When he was rejected the first time he went to India and learned from a Zoroasterian cult leader in Budi.
When Mani returned to Persia in 242CE, he began his faith based speeches where he claimed once again that he was superior to all prophets who preceded him because unlike Zoroaster, Buddha and Jesus and that none greater would come after him. He had published his cannons of the will of God called the Cannons of God. These Cannons would stand as the only authority to what God wanted from man and included his system and ascetic practices of how his followers could obtain salvation through elaborate mythical cosmogony and eschatology ideology.
Mani was first to use the terms of founding principles of Light verses Darkness where he then used the common ascetic way of salvation which included the common prayers facing the holy sun rise upon a prayer rug.
Mani claimed continuous revelations and inspiration from an angel, "The Twin””, who as his heavenly alter ego prepared and protected him as a teacher and initiated him in the way of salvation.
Unlike Muhammad, Mani claimed to have healed people of strange illnesses as proof that he was chosen as a divine prophet and holy man before God. But he could never produce sufficient witnesses for conformation which lead to his demise and lead to his heresy trial where he was found guilty.
He was crucified after he was arrested after the death of the ruler(Shapur) who was religions(plural) curious wanting to learn about the different religions of the world and had many different holy men from around the world. Mani was accused by Persian priests who followed after Zoroasterism for heresy. Mani requested crusifiction as a means of death to be like Jesus the Christ as the prophecies concerning such a death could not be denied from the holy Hebrew texts which he gave much authority to saying it proved he was the great one it predicted would come to lead the righteous to salvation.
The Bema festival celebrated yearly in March is the festival which celebrates the death of Mani where Mani used his ideas to replace the Lord Supper of Christians.
Manichaeism was exported into Arabia and North Africa were it was widely accepted and vigorously fought to keep the traditions of Mani.
In 395-418CE, Augustine had wared to eliminated much of this religion from North Africa but it remained acutely strong in Arabia until the rise of Islam.
The Cannons of Mani (216-277 CE)
1. He was the greatest prophet to have ever lived or would ever live.
2. His written cannons were the written will of God.
3. All must obey the messenger Mani along with the written word of the Lord.
4. Must take care of the poor, widows and orphans. Taking them into your household if necessary.
5. Sex in any form was ok. There was no age limit for marriage to a child.
6. allows for Homosexuality with boys.
7. Paradise allows sexual pleasure of your " Dreams" ( If you dream of being a pedephile with a boy or girl then its ok in paradise according to Mani)
8. people must give money to Him and him only as spiritual leader.
9. Only Mani the greatest prophet knows the will of God as the rest of the world is in the "Darkness"
10. Mani changed his cannons at will to match the situations like Muhammad did when he changed the Koran to fit the changes of personal desires.
11. Women were for service to man.
12. Children were property to use as you will. (source)