Allah-u-Abha and welcome to my review of Day 1 with the Baha’i Faith! The greeting “Allah-u-Abha” means “God the Most Glorious” and the founder of the faith, Baha’u’llah, bears a name which means “The Glory of God.” There’s a lot of glory involved in the Baha’i faith–as virtually every poetic verse speaks of God’s light and brilliance.

Today I’d like to share with you my Day 1 experience with the faith. My Baha’i Mentor for the month, Dr. McCormick, indicated from the moment she agreed to help that we would hit the ground running–and she wasn’t kidding!

For the most part, Baha’is do not meet in dedicated structures like churches or mosques, in fact once or maybe a few times a week (I meet my Mentor on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays) a group of Baha’is will meet in the homes of its members. These are called Study Circles. While there, Baha’is recite prayers, study scripture (and not only those written by the Bab, Baha’u’llah, or Abdu’l’Baha), share food, fellowship, and simply enjoy one another’s company. No clergy exists within the faith, so while each Study Circle might have a recognized guide or “tutor,” everyone present is equally recognized as a “consular.” The idea of consultation is very important in the faith, as few Baha’is believe there is a problem or issue that peaceful and loving discourse cannot surmount.

For our Study Circle the two of us were the only ones present. Hopefully that will change over time, however it allowed us to dive pretty deeply into the material. The text we are using is from the Ruhi Institute and is called Book 1: Reflections on the Life of the Spirit:

The booklet is divided into three sections:

1) Understanding the Baha’i Writings

2) Prayer

3) Life and Death

This is the source many Baha’is would use to help orient and educate a new Baha’i to the Faith. At the conclusion of my first Study Circle session, my Mentor and I had completed section one. Depending on the speed and depth of our progress, we will move on to other books in the series.

In addition to this formal weekly study with my Mentor, she has also graciously donated a small library of material for my perusal this month:

The four main contributors to Baha’i writings (The Bab, Baha’u’llah, Abdu’l’Baha, and Shoghi Effendi) left no stone unturned when it came to their material. Remember what I said about consultation? The Bab (the forerunner for Baha’u’llah), Baha’u’lla and son, Abdu’l’Baha, spent most of their adult lives in prison or heavily persecuted for their faith. During this time, many prayers and treatises were written as a guide, comfort, and counsel to the members of the young faith. Baha’u’llah was known for his otherworldly serenity despite horrible conditions. This is why love, charity, patience, and kindness are highly visible attributes in devout Baha’is.

Okay, so what is my daily schedule like? Well it starts at 6AM with a prayer. After that, I spend most of my day studying Baha’i texts and organizing Project Conversion around the faith. Many prayers were penned during the lives of the Bab, Baha’u’llah, and Abdu’l’Baha and despite the conditions in which most were written, each one reads and sounds like graceful, flowing poetry. Over the years, these prayers have been collected into several texts, often divided into categories for easy searching such as, Spiritual Growth, Help with Tests and Trials, Loss, and so forth. There is also a section for “Obligatory Prayers.” Three of these exist, the recitation of which are at the individual’s discretion. The first is the Short Prayer. This is exactly as it sounds. No more than a few lines, it is the minimum prayer and to be recited only once every 24 hours at noon. The Medium prayer is a few stanzas longer and includes an ablution ritual of washing the hands and face during recitation. This prayer takes place three times daily: once between sunrise and noon, another between noon and sunset, and lastly within two hours after sunset. Last but not least (sorry, I couldn’t resist the pun) is the Long Prayer. Again, exactly as it sounds and about twice as long as the medium. This one includes water ablution as well as full prostration with forehead to the ground. All prayers are recited facing east toward the Holy Land. Here is the Medium Prayer:

“Strengthen my hand, O my God, that it may take hold of Thy Book with such steadfastness that the hosts of the world shall have no power over it. Guard it, then, from meddling with whatsoever doth not belong unto it. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.”

“I have turned my face unto Thee, O my Lord! Illumine it with the light of Thy countenance. Protect it, then, from turning to anyone but Thee.”

“God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His are the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation. He, in truth, hath manifested Him Who is the Dayspring of Revelation, Who conversed on Sinai, through Whom the Supreme Horizon hath been made to shine, and the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing hath spoken, and through Whom the call hath been proclaimed unto all who are in heaven and on earth; ‘Lo, the All-Possessing is come. Earth and heaven, glory and dominion are God’s, the Lord of all men, and the Possessor of the Throne on high and of earth below!’

“Exalted art Thou above my praise and the praise of anyone beside me, above my description and the description of all who are in heaven and all who are on earth!”

“Disappoint not, O my God, him that hath, with beseeching fingers, clung to the hem of Thy mercy and Thy grace, O Thou Who of those who show mercy art the Most Merciful.”

“I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee. Thou hast, verily, revealed Thy Cause, fulfilled Thy Covenant, and opened wide the door of Thy grace to all that dwell in heaven and on earth. Blessing and peace, salutation and glory, rest upon Thy loved ones, whom the changes and chances of the world have not deterred from turning unto Thee, and who have given their all, in hope of obtaining that which is with Thee. Thou art, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.” 

Apart from these prayers, I’ve also decided to learn the following prayer–one of my Mentor’s favorites and one that we’ve decided to recite before each Study Circle:

Oh God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.

Oh God! Thou art more friend to me that I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.

Nice way to surrender yourself, your day, and all its stresses to a higher power, huh? This prayer was written by Baha’u’llah’s son, Abdu’u’Baha, no doubt during a time of great suffering.

So there’s a peek at my first day with the Baha’i Faith. I’ve received many emails from Baha’is all over the country whose gracious words of support and encouragement are part of what will make this month great. I encourage all of you to share your thoughts with me, as we are all councilors to one another in this great journey.

My next entry on Project Conversion will go over some of the history and principles of the faith. Thank you so much for spending time with me this morning. Until we meet again, Allah’u’Abha, and have a blessed day.