The Nuṣayrīs (ʿAlawites), the syncretistic Shiite sect founded in the tenth century, observe a ritual in which they drink consecrated wine, called ʿabd al-nūr. Many scholars have assumed that this ritual is an Islamized reformulation of the Christian Eucharist. The ritual is often called a quddās (Mass), and the wine that is consumed is considered to be a manifestation of ʿAlī, a doctrine reminiscent of transubstantiation. Nevertheless, an examination of several early Nuṣayrī treatises describing ʿabd al-nūr that have recently become available reveals that doctrinally, the ʿabd al-nūr ritual has more to do with Iranian religious traditions than with Christianity. In these early sources it is associated with fire worship, cosmic dualism, the Nawrūz festival, and the deification of Sasanian kings. This paper will examine the significance of the ʿabd al-nūr ritual for the early Nuṣayrī community, and explore some of the Iranian elements that are at its core. In doing so, it hopes to uncover something about the heterodox milieu from which this sect emerged.