Tiny Seeds is a book of prayers and writings from the Baha’i Faith and comes with a 10 page colouring book on CD (so you can print it out over and over again!) It’s got some very bright and cute illustrations and is perfect for little ones the world over!

The book is up for sale on Etsy, a site where you can also find lots of Baha’i Jewellery and Handcrafted Goodies! If you’ve got a little one in your life or teach a children’s class, head over and Buy a Copy of Tiny Seeds and support this talented artist by buying a copy.

A Page from Tiny Seeds

A Page from Tiny Seeds

If you know of any other great children’s books available online, let me know in the comments section or add it to our Resource Directory!

The Shrine of the Báb located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel is where the remains of The Báb are laid to rest. (Photo courtesy Nancy Wong)

Baha’is around the world celebrate the 22^nd May 1844 as the day of the declaration of The Báb, who was the forerunner of Baha’u’llah the founder of the Baha’i Faith.

The events surrounding the declaration of The Báb have been told in many ways, but perhaps the most widely read is the account in The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl’s Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá’í Revelation. This book was written by Nabil (one of the Letters of the Living), and chronicles the early days of the revelation of The Báb and Baha’u’llah.

The story begins in 1783, when a learned man named Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsá’í (1743-1826) began, at the age of 40, to travel through Persia teaching that the advent of a great day was drawing near, the day that would see the advent of the Qá’im, the Promised One of Islám. During this time, there was great discontent in the East as certain prominent clerics practiced disunity and behaved in a way that was damaging Islam.  As he spread this message, his knowledge and wisdom impressed many, who were eager to learn from him. Among these was a gifted young man named Siyyid Kázim-i-Rashtí (1793-1843), who became Shaykh Ahmad’s favoured pupil and eventual successor.

After his teacher’s death in 1826, Siyyid Kázim continued to spread the word of the advent of the Promised One, but opposition to the message was rising. In an effort to enlist the voices of some well-respected authorities, he therefore sent one of his pupils, Mullá Husayn, to relate these teachings to the authorities and answer their questions. In this task, Mullá Husayn was successful. Yet opposition to message grew and caused him considerable hardship as his enemies used every means at their disposal to discredit him and if possible put his life in jeopardy. Throughout this time, however, he continued to steadfastly announce the coming revelation, although when pressed to reveal the identity of the Promised One, he always refused, often adding that even if he did reveal this secret, none would be able to accept it. Shortly before his death in 1843, he instructed his students to go out and search for the Promised One, saying He was about to be revealed.

It was this quest that led Mullá Husayn, his brother, and a nephew to the city of Shíráz on May 22, 1844. Having traveled far in his search, Mullá Husayn sent his companions to the mosque to await him while he wandered awhile, promising to rejoin them for evening prayers. While walking outside the gates of the city a few hours before sunset, he was unexpectedly greeted by a young man. Mullá Husayn thought this man must be a disciple of Siyyid Kázim who had heard of his arrival in Shíráz and had come to welcome him. Even so, the manner of the greeting was astonishing. He described the expressions of affection and loving kindness as well as the gentle and compelling manner in which the young man (The Báb) spoke to him.

He accompanied the young man to his house, where tea was served and preparations begun for the evening prayer. Mullá Husayn then relates the astonishing occurrences that followed.

The first test was to produce an in depth treatise (detailed commentary) regarding concealed teachings  of Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kázim. The second was to unravel the mysteries of the Súrih of Joseph (Yusuf) .This was a chapter of the Quran. (However he only uttered the first test to The Báb)

Rarely have I come across photographic work as inspired and stunning as that of Baha’i photographer Shahriar Erfanian. Hailing originally from Ecuador, Shahriar now lives in Vancouver, Canada, where he and his wife run a photography agency. Shahriar has been a participant in the wonderful Baha’i photographic project Nineteen Months and has many of his uniquely vivid photos online over at Flickr and 500px.

Baha’i Blog caught up with Shahriar to ask him if we could showcase some of his beautiful work here on the blog, and to learn a bit more about what inspires this passionate Baha’i photographer. But before we get to his answers, here are some of Shahriar’s photographs to gaze at!

The Interview

You have some of the most evocative photography I’ve ever come across, what inspires your work?

I get inspiration from many amazing photographers around the world, from the past and the present, as well as things that I see every day around me. Sometimes I see beauty in things that others wouldn’t, or in faces that are not conventionally “beautiful” and some of my favorite photos have come out of those moments. But I also love experiencing and photographing natural beauty, such as landscapes, the love between a parent and child, or the sweet moments in a wedding celebration.

You have been involved in the Baha’i photographic project Nineteen Months, how important do you think projects like that are?

Projects like these are great collaborative efforts between people from all over the world with very different perspectives, inspirations and techniques. They serve as inspiration for the people involved in the project to explore and learn from one another, as well as the people that enjoy the posts every month. It is an opportunity for artists to share their love and art, and for the audience to engage with it in an easily accessible way.

How would you like to see the state of Baha’i photography change in the future?

Every day more and more people are sharing and engaging with life through their photos. The same can happen with Baha’i photography, making it an integral part of our life experiences and sharing those experiences with our communities. I think that photography can be a great source of connectivity between people…the sharing of one’s experiences, emotions and reactions to different aspects of life…and connectivity and love is what the Faith is about!

If you had one piece of advice for aspiring Baha’i photographers, what would it be?

Have your camera with you always and shoot, shoot and shoot! You don’t have to have the most expensive gear or sophisticated training…just a love for it, and a desire to engage with the world around you. All the technical stuff will come with practice

And I have to ask, favourite equipment?

Canon 5D mark II with a 85mm lens.

Thank you Shahriar!

Image by seier+seier (Flickr)

The Baha’i Faith is a global religion. It is acknowledged today as one of the most wide-spread religions – present in over 200 countries and territories, with its central texts translated into over 800 languages and its adherents hailing from diverse traditions and cultures. This is something that many of us Baha’is are proud of and see as a testament to our diversity and universal worldview.

However, wherever you may encounter the Baha’i Faith, sooner or later you’re bound to encounter Baha’is from a Persian background. They will vary in their relative “Persian-ness”. Some will be second or third generation immigrants with a strong cultural foundation in their new country, such as my husband who is more Australian than he is Persian. Others will be much more culturally Persian and might tarof with you every chance they get. You’ll also find people like me, who are a good old mix of a lot of different things. (I am one quarter Persian, although most people wouldn’t know it, and often assume my last name is taken from my husband.) There are also those who have no ethnic links to Persia or Iran, but may have Persian names after early heroes of the Faith’s history, like Vahid or Tahirih.

So what is the relationship between the Baha’i Faith and Persian culture?

A World-Embracing Vision

The Baha’i Faith has its historical roots in 19^th century Persia, but it’s outlook has always been “world-embracing”.

Baha’u'llah, the Prophet-founder of the Baha’i Faith, and His forerunner, the Bab, were both born in 19^th century Persia.  They spoke and wrote in Persian and Arabic, incorporated references to events of that time period in their Writings, and quoted from poetry and art relevant to that cultural context. Naturally, their early disciples also came from this same cultural background.

Consider the rise of many of today’s other global religions, such as Christianity, which arose from a Roman-Judaean context—though today most wouldn’t think of it as a Middle-Eastern religion. Christ was born into a Jewish community in the Galilean region and his early followers also came from this same ethnic and cultural background. However, His teachings were relevant far beyond His own historical and cultural context and became widespread throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

The Baha’i Faith, though still a very young faith, is also significantly broader than its historical roots. This has been largely driven by the Faith’s “world embracing” outlook—which has been core to its teachings from the very beginning. In the words of Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Baha’i Faith, some of the essential elements from Baha’u’llah’s Writings include (emphasis added):

The independent search after truth, unfettered by superstition or tradition; the oneness of the entire human race, the pivotal principle and fundamental doctrine of the Faith; the basic unity of all religions; the condemnation of all forms of prejudice, whether religious, racial, class or national; the harmony which must exist between religion and science; the equality of men and women, the two wings on which the bird of humankind is able to soar; the introduction of compulsory education; the adoption of a universal auxiliary language; the abolition of the extremes of wealth and poverty; the institution of a world tribunal for the adjudication of disputes between nations; the exaltation of work, performed in the spirit of service, to the rank of worship; the glorification of justice as the ruling principle in human society, and of religion as a bulwark for the protection of all peoples and nations; and the establishment of a permanent and universal peace as the supreme goal of all mankind—these stand out as the essential elements [which Bahá'u'lláh proclaimed].

Shoghi Effendi personally emphasised that the Baha’i Faith has a destiny beyond its origins. While both Baha’u’llah and ‘Abdu’l-Baha observed many Islamic and Persian cultural customs throughout their lifetimes, Shoghi Effendi made a clear break with tradition in a number of ways.

At the behest of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, Shoghi Effendi was both Eastern and Western educated. He  attended Oxford University for his studies, where he mastered and became fluent in the English language. He adopted western-style clothing, shaved daily, and did not visit the local mosque on Fridays. He translated and made available many important texts and historical writings of the Faith into English and also French, which set the standard for all other translations of Baha’i literature. He also prepared the Baha’i community for the world’s first, truly global democratic election in the founding of the Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Baha’i Faith, in 1963.

The Baha’is in Iran

Given the ongoing and intensifying persecution of members of the Iranian Baha’i community, Persian Baha’is have a relatively high profile in relation to other developments and populations within the global Baha’i community. The wide-spread news of their hardship often serves to reinforce a Persian image for those with minimal exposure to the Baha’i community.

A Distinctive Baha’i Culture

Far from promoting Persian culture, a new distinct Baha’i culture is in development – even if its has yet to fully distinguish itself from the diverse ethnic backgrounds of its members. As Baha’is, we look to the principles of the Baha’i Faith and its vision for humanity, which celebrates all the wonderfully diverse and rich ethnic and cultural backgrounds of its adherents (just check-out these photos from the opening of the Baha’i terrace gardens in 2001). It is impressive that with such diversity, Baha’is constitute one, unified global community.

In fact, the Baha’i Faith explicitly provides space for people to celebrate their traditions and cultures by minimalising rituals and not adopting a “sacred language”.  For example, in a Baha’i marriage you would likely observe a markedly different ceremony in Samoa to one in Paris, even though both events would share the same spiritual centre.

So, is the Baha’i Faith a Persian religion?

The Baha’i Faith may be Persian in its origins – but not in its teachings, practices, and constituency. It is a global Faith which at its core embraces and promotes the principle of the unity and diversity of humankind.

It’s going to take a long time to create that new Baha’i culture that both celebrates and distinguishes itself from the respective cultural heritages of its adherents. In the meantime, we can all certainly enjoy a nice serving of Ghormeh Sabzi from time to time.

There are already lots of Baha’is on Tumblr, so I went looking for a few Tumblogs to showcase. Much to my delight, I found lots of interesting blogs and became totally engrossed and lost reading them all. Eventually I managed to pull myself back out to finish this post, so I’m happy to present six of the best I came across.

If you’re a Tumblr user you can choose to ‘follow’ these and other Tumblogs, and if you’re just a casual browser like myself, then you can just bookmark them! Either ways I highly recommend supporting them, and if you know of more please do leave a comment and link!

1. Little Miss Conceptions

LittleMissConceptions is the Tumblog of a self described Afro-Persian Baha’i Advocate living in South Africa. She posts up a variety of things (this is a personal blog) including lots of interesting thoughts, quotes, stories and posts about the Baha’i Faith which you can jump to by browsing her posts tagged ‘Baha’i Faith’.

You can easily get lost in this site as there are tons of interesting posts and the ‘related posts’ feature means you can just go skipping through her archives. A really interesting find!

2. ‘Serve’ – the Junior Youth Edition

Serve – the Junior Youth Edition, is a Tumblog of photos, quotes, videos, stories and just generally interesting stuff to do with Junior Youth. It’s a fairly new blog started by ‘two girls from the bottom of Africa’ – one of whom is the same person behind LittleMissConceptions!

The Tumblog encourages submissions, so if you have something to share that’s relevant to JY, head over to their submission page.

3. Baha’i History in Postcards

A gorgeous Tumblog by a Baha’i who has set out to document and share postcards from ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s visit to North America. There aren’t a lot of posts, but the ones that are there are fascinating. Not only an interesting Tumblog to visit, but a very worthwhile project to contribute to!

4. Baha’i Faith Quotes

The Word of God is the essential daily spiritual sustenance every Baha’i needs, so this lovely little Tumblog is worth following if you are a Tumblr user (the quotes will appear in your Tumblr dashboard!) The site does what it says and provides lots of inspiring quotes from the Baha’i writings.

5. US Baha’i Video Library

We’ve previously linked to lots of the US Baha’i Community’s videos on Vimeo here on Baha’i Blog, but this Tumblog is not just the videos. There are also sneak peeks at upcoming videos, interesting links, photos and more. Definitely worth a visit!

6. FUNDamentals

FUNDamentals is an initiative from the US Baha’i Office of the Treasurer with the catchphrase of being where the spiritual and material meet. It’s quite a quirky little blog with links, quotes, videos and even memes. It’s actually a lot more interesting than I was ever expecting!

Photo by Leila Barbaro

Singer-songwriter Omid Master lives in Port Douglass, a small coastal town popular with the tourists in the tropical north-east of Australia. Omid has been strumming and thumping out the tunes with a rock band for years, and having already released a few commercial albums with tracks successfully hitting the local charts, he’s recently taken it down a notch and recorded an acoustic album with the help of a few friends.

The album’s called Acoustic Baha’i Devotions, and that’s exactly what it is – Baha’i Prayers and Writings set to unplugged, down-to-earth acoustic guitar and other instruments.

Well I was facilitating a Ruhi book 6 with a group of young people in Cairns, Australia, and I would sing Holy Writings while playing the host’s guitar – it was a nice nylon string. The group asked if I had an album, and in fact I had made home recordings of these songs, but I had included drums and other instruments on the songs. I gave copies to the Ruhi group, but after they had all heard the tracks, they said that they felt the recording didn’t replicate the beauty of the solo performance. I replied that it would cost thousands of dollars to record an album like this properly, but then two of the participants offered to fund it, but I’m going to pay them back once it generates enough sales. I also really enjoyed performances by other artists in the Cairns region at meetings, namely Nabil, Jay, Danika and Saphira, and felt they should be on an album – so I asked them to participate and they did.

Composing music to the Writings is much easier than commercial music. The Writings are so poetic and structured so neatly that the music is easily added. Most writers write lyrics first – and this is the hard part. I often write the music first to get inspiration for the lyrics, and this is hard – so I think I am destined to continue to put the Writings to music.

Most of the songs have come about from being asked to do a prayer at a function, or if I find a Baha’i reading that looks like it should be put to song. Usually the shorter ones like the Hidden Words appear to suit musical presentation. One of the financiers for this album also asked me to do one for the long Healing Prayer, so I did.

I hope it calms people and puts them in a reverent mood. I would like them to feel they can listen to the songs again and learn the writings because they enjoy the words and tunes. Also, I hope that it can not only be put on at functions, but can also be used in the background in the car or at dinner.

I have been writing since I was 15 years of age. Most songs require emotion and passion about a topic or event. The theme that runs through the albums is love, drama, my life and dreams. The title track of my first album “everything is okay” is about going home and disconnecting from the day. The title track from the second album “forgotten about today” is more about trying to enjoy the ‘now’. I sing  “spent so much time thinking about tomorrow I have forgotten about today”.

Its hard to say, once someone has taken the CD home I don’t hear from them. Most of the positive feedback I get comes from live performances. I often play these Bahá’i songs at commercial shows and people love them and want to buy all three albums. I have had some good comments from my friends on Facebook, but I don’t find out about sales until I receive a cheque. Unfortunately I earn much more from live shows than from CD sales.

We are to be happy with God’s will. The track on the album “Prefer not your will to Mine” reminds me of this every time I play it, so I try to be content with what I have achieved so far. I want to travel and do large shows to crowds of 1,000′s, but I usually don’t get to play to more than 200. The good thing about living in a location where there are lots of tourists, is that I don’t need to tour for audience because people come here and see me play at various events and venues like in the rainforest every Saturday at a place called “Flames of the Forest”. The only disadvantage is that the media elsewhere don’t hear about me, and so I don’t get a lot of airplay outside of tropical north Queensland.

To be detached from your art. Some people will like it, and others wont take to it. It is most important to do what you feel is right, and not take everything people say as correct – but it is good to listen without feeling hurt. It is also important to remember the art and not the competition. The Writings warn us of the “prostitution of the arts” and the way the commercial business has gone, it  has sunk to its lowest depths where hard work, talent and skill are not as important as image, familiarity, competitive strategy, marketing – particularly promotion, youth appeal and computer production.
 

Baha’i Blog: Thanks so much for your time Omid, and congratulations on the album!

For all those who would like to listen to samples or purchase the album, just click here.

Today, Baha’is around the world commemorate the 12th and final day of Ridvan - a period to reflect on the day Baha’u'llah first proclaimed His message of unity to the world.

Ridvan is also the time when Baha’i elections are held. These elections are a time at which Baha’i communities all around the world prayerfully reflect on the spiritual wellbeing of their community. It is also a time to reflect on Baha’u'llah’s vision for unity and for communities to think about the path of service they will tread together over the coming year in their efforts to realise this vision.

What does unity mean, however, in a world in which prejudice and conflict are still widespread? And what role does the Baha’i community have in fostering global unity?

Unity – Not just the lack of disunity 

As Baha’is, “unity” is a word we use often.

In a world struggling with the consequences of ethnocentricism and ultranationalism, many of us have friends from all over the world that we’ve formed deep spiritual bonds with and know what it’s like to feel like you have family in every part of the world you go to. My friends who have served at the Baha’i World Centre often tell me their stories of serving with Baha’is from literally every part of the world  - an experience many of them have likened to working at the United Nations.

We’re fortunate to be protected by the Covenant from the sectarianism that has become synonymous with religion. We’re also fortunate to have access to verse after verse in the Writings which instruct us to eliminate every trace of prejudice from our hearts and show us what universal brotherhood and love looks like in practice.

Baha’i elections, in themselves, premised on concepts of humility, detachment and purity of motive, stand in stark contrast to the adversarial nature of modern society’s political machinery.

These experiences are all a beautiful and refreshing change of scenery from the disunity and conflict that is rife in our world. But what does unity really mean, beyond being simply the absence of conflict, hatred, divisiveness and prejudice? What will unity really look like when it illuminates relationships between people everywhere and sits at the heart of our societal structures?

And what do we, as Baha’is, need to do to advance this vision of unity?

Unity and Social Transformation

In its Ridvan 2012 message, the Universal House of Justice refers to the transformation that will occur when a community achieves unity in vision and action:

The purpose of every Manifestation of God is to effect a transformation in both the inner life and external conditions of humanity. And this transformation naturally occurs as a growing body of people, united by the divine precepts, collectively seeks to develop spiritual capacities to contribute to a process of societal change.

Unity within the Baha’i community is at the very heart of the efforts being made to achieve social transformation around the world. This unity not only empowers a community of people to work together for social transformation, but is in itself, a model for the rest of the world as to what unity looks like and what it can achieve. The Universal House of Justice, in the Ridvan message, continues:

To observe the Baha’i world at work is to behold a vista bright indeed. In the life of the individual believer who desires, above all, to invite others into communion with the Creator and to render service to humanity can be found signs of the spiritual transformation intended for every soul by the Lord of the Age. In the spirit animating the activities of any Baha’i community dedicated to enhancing the capacity of its members young and old, as well as of its friends and collaborators, to serve the common weal can be perceived an indication of how a society founded upon divine teachings might develop. And in those advanced clusters where activity governed by the framework of the Plan is in abundance and the demands of ensuring coherence amongst lines of action are most pressing, the evolving administrative structures offer glimmerings, however faint, of how the institutions of the Faith will incrementally come to assume a fuller range of their responsibilities to promote human welfare and progress.

Clearly, then, the development of the individual, the community, and the institutions holds immense promise. But beyond this, we note with particular joy how the relationships binding these three are marked by such tender affection and mutual support.

By contrast, relations among the three corresponding actors in the world at large—the citizen, the body politic, and the institutions of society —reflect the discord that characterizes humanity’s turbulent stage of transition. Unwilling to act as interdependent parts of an organic whole, they are locked in a struggle for power which ultimately proves futile. How very different the society which ‘Abdu’l-Baha, in unnumbered Tablets and talks, depicts — where everyday interactions, as much as the relations of states, are shaped by consciousness of the oneness of humankind. Relationships imbued with this consciousness are being cultivated by Baha’is and their friends in villages and neighbourhoods across the world; from them can be detected the pure fragrances of reciprocity and cooperation, of concord and love. Within such unassuming settings, a visible alternative to society’s familiar strife is emerging.

What then is the role that we, as Baha’is, play in achieving this vision of unity?

In the Ridvan message, the House talks about the duty of the individual to engage in consultation with humility and detachment, the importance of nurturing and encouragement on the part of the Baha’is institutions and the whole-hearted involvement of Baha’i communities within the plans drawn up by the institutions.

So it becomes apparent that the individual who wishes to exercise self-expression responsibly participates thoughtfully in consultation devoted to the common good and spurns the temptation to insist on personal opinion; a Baha’i institution, appreciating the need for coordinated action channelled toward fruitful ends, aims not to control but to nurture and encourage; the community that is to take charge of its own development recognizes an invaluable asset in the unity afforded through whole-hearted engagement in the plans devised by the institutions. Under the influence of Baha’u'llah’s Revelation, the relationships among these three are being endowed with new warmth, new life; in aggregate, they constitute a matrix within which a world spiritual civilization, bearing the imprint of divine inspiration, gradually matures.

It is in this manner, that the Baha’i world can act as a microcosm of the society we are working to achieve – a united humanity.

What are your thoughts on our roles – as individuals and communities – in achieving this vision of unity?

Photo: Baha'i Media Bank

With Ridvan, The King of Festivals, upon us, we start to rejoice and reflect on all things Ridvan. With the Northern Hemisphere bursting into the full bloom of spring we start daydreaming about what it might have been like to be in the presence of Baha’u’llah, in the garden of Ridvan.

This brings us to an interesting point: there are in fact two gardens of Ridvan amongst the gardens of holy significance to the Baha’is. What the two have in common is that they were both blessed by the presence of Baha’u’llah and that they both were places of beauty and joy for Baha’u’llah and His followers.

While it is the garden of Ridvan near Akka that most of us are familiar with, the original garden of Ridvan is situated by the Tigris in Baghdad, Iraq.

Baha’u’llah had been in exile in Baghdad for a period of ten years when, in 1863, he was further exiled to Constantinople (present-day Istanbul, in Turkey). During His years of exile in Baghdad, the greatness of Baha’u’llah had touched the hearts of the people of Baghdad and many surrounding areas and they thronged to bid Him farewell.

It soon became clear that His house was not large enough to receive the masses of people grieving His departure. In response to the need for a larger gathering place, a prominent figure in the city of Baghdad offered his garden – known as ‘Najibiyyih’ – to Baha’u’llah to use leading up to His departure. This was a garden of great beauty on the outskirts of Baghdad and was named ‘The garden of Ridvan (Paradise)’ by the followers of Baha’u’llah.

Baha’u’llah and many of His followers stayed in this garden for twelve days, during the first of which He declared to those present that He was the Promised One from God for Whom they had all been awaiting. Accounts of the twelve days in the Garden of Ridvan describe the immense joy experienced by all present due to the events that transpired there and also recount the enchanting beauty of the garden that was filled with roses and the song of nightingales. It was indeed a glorious time, which unfortunately was followed by a long period of immense suffering by Baha’u’llah and the Holy Family.

Fifteen years later, in 1877, after living in harsh and unimaginable conditions as a captive in the filthy and foul-smelling prison city of Akka, in Ottoman-run Palestine, Baha’u'llah left the prison city and moved to the Mansion of Mazra’ih. This was a house outside the city that Abdu’l-Baha had rented and prepared for Baha’u’llah.

Abdu’l-Baha had also rented a small island garden for Baha’u’llah which was called the garden of Ridvan, which remains today to be a garden of great beauty with verdant plants, a fountain and gurgling streams. Baha’u’llah would often visit this garden of paradise, which Abdu’l-Baha had so lovingly prepared for Him, and He received much pleasure from spending time in this garden – which was such a stark contrast to the stone walls and grime of the prison city where he was held captive.

As well as the garden, there is also a small room on the site that was later used as an occasional place of rest by Baha’u’llah, where on one occasion He stayed for a period of nine days during which pilgrims traveled from Akka to visit Him.

In recent years much work has been carried out at the garden of Ridvan to restore it to how it was during the time of Baha’u’llah. This garden of great beauty is visited as a place of pilgrimage by Baha’is from around the world.

When one thinks of elections, perhaps for many of us what immediately comes to mind are political parties and candidates, expensive campaigns, televised debates, the digging up of dirt on the opposing party, and copious amounts of campaign flyers and confetti.

This is not the case however with Baha’i elections. There are no political parties or independent candidates. Rather than debates, there is community consultation. Rather than smear campaigns, there is encouragement and accompaniment. Rather than campaign flyers and confetti, there are prayers and personal meditation.

Participation in the elections is a sacred duty, and being elected onto a Local Assembly is considered a position of service rather than a position power. For instance those who are elected onto an Assembly do not posses a higher ‘rank’ or authority over any other members of their community, but are really members who make up an administrative body which does have the authority to both guide the community, and serve its needs.

Besides the fact that the individual’s vote is to be kept strictly confidential, one of the interesting features of the election process is the fact that no reference of any nature should be made to individual names, as this is not allowed.

Shoghi Effendi offers clear guidance on this point:

…reference to personalities before the election would give rise to misunderstanding and differences. What the friends should do is to get thoroughly acquainted with one another, to exchange views, to mix freely and discuss among themselves the requirements and qualifications for such a membership without reference or application, however indirect, to particular individuals.

The Universal House of Justice has also shed some light on the confidentiality of the votes by stating:

…while there should be no mention of personalities in connection with Baha’i elections, it is quite appropriate for believers to discuss the requirements and qualifications for membership in the institution to be elected.

Shoghi Effendi has also given us the qualities these individuals should possess, for instance things like unquestioned loyalty, selfless devotion, a well-trained mind, recognized ability and mature experience are qualities we should be looking for when meditating on who to vote for. In order for us to recognize these qualities however, we must make an effort to get to know all the members of our community as best as possible, and Shoghi Effendi stated that this is only achieved through “close and continued contact with all local activities, be they teaching, administrative or otherwise, and to fully, and wholeheartedly, participate in the affairs of the local as well as national committees and assemblies in his country”.

I personally live in a large community, and while meditating on who to vote for, I often find myself coming up with a list of more than nine people who match these qualities. In cases like this, The Universal House of Justice has advised that attention and consideration is made to factors such as age distribution, diversity and gender.

Fortunately there is a lot of guidance about the Baha’i elections, and I could literally sit here for hours and write about the many different aspects of the elections, but for now I’ll leave it here by wishing you all a very happy Ridvan, and ending with a lovely quote from Abdu’l-Baha about our Spiritual Assemblies:

These Spiritual Assemblies are shining lamps and heavenly gardens, from which the fragrances of holiness are diffused over all regions, and the lights of knowledge are shed abroad over all created things. From them the spirit of life streameth in every direction. They, indeed, are the potent sources of the progress of man, at all times and under all conditions.

Grab your video camera because the Tony Blair Faith Foundation has announced its call for entries to all young filmmakers for this year’s Faith Shorts film competition!

Faith Shorts is a global film competition that provides young people with the opportunity to express their faith through film, and anyone between the ages of 14 and 27 can submit a short film showing how faith impacts their life and the lives of those around them.

Last year young Canadian Baha’is Blair Cameron and Nadim Merrikh won the competition with their rap video about the importance of young people being agents of social change.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Founder and Patron of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation encourages young people to apply:

I am delighted to announce the launch of Faith Shorts 2012. Now in its third year, this global short film competition provides young people with a creative and innovative opportunity to showcase their personal views about faith, their ideals and the world around them. More than ever before, filmmaking has the power to expand the reach of religious ideas to new horizons. But film also has the power to shape public perspectives on religious traditions. Films that feature faith often focus on religious conflict and division, leaving out scores of positive stories of co-existence and co-operation. It is my hope that this competition continues to nurture a generation of young people who embrace and respect difference rather than fear it.

The Foundation is accepting film submissions from 29^th March – 9^th July 2012, and entries will be judged by a panel that includes Tony Blair and actors Hugh Jackman and Jet Li.

Don’t have a video camera? Well Faith Shorts is designed to be as accessible as possible, so those who don’t have access to film making equipment can apply to win a portable video camera as well.

It would be great to see more Baha’is enter the competition this year!

To learn more about Faith Shorts 2012, and to enter this year, please visit the Faith Shorts website or follow it on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.

When ‘Abdul-Baha arrived in America, newspapers called him the “Apostle of Peace.”

He “will surely unite the East and West,” the president of Stanford University remarked, “for he treads the mystic way with practical feet.” “There is no doubt, among thinking people,” a famous columnist wrote, “that this man represents, in great degree, the growing and evolving spirit of our times.” “Let him visit any bank, factory, office building, church, and everything is laid aside, and eyes bulge and ears listen until he takes his departure.” 239 Days in America

239 Days in America follows ’Abdu’l-Baha’s 1912 journey across North America in real time (but exactly 100 years later), essentially reconstructing this little-known period in history hour-by-hour, for the entire 239 days of ‘Abdu’l Baha’s travels in America. It describes how ‘Abdu’l-Baha reached across political, religious, racial, class and gender divisions within American society with a bold vision of unity.

In this blog post on how the project came about, Rob Sockett, the Producer of 239 Days explains:

The subject matter would be the 100th anniversary of an event close to our hearts: the visit of Abdu’l-Bahá to America. As Bahá’ís, the occasion is of great consequence to us. It is a compelling and improbable story. In 1912, an aging Persian man, just released from 40 years of imprisonment at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, traveled across North America for 239 days, and confronted Americans with a vision of human nature, social unity, and the nation’s future that was 100 years ahead of its time.

You can follow the 239 Days updates on Twitter which will provide you with a “real-time itinerary” so you can follow ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s activities – who he meets and where he goes – constantly.

Magazine-style articles will be available on the website daily, fleshing out the stories of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s daily travel in rich detail.

Facebook is a great way to track along with the documentary too!

And for those of you who are super keen and can’t get enough of this wonderful project, the affiliated 239 Days blog is a great resource too. It gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the project (The Making Of: Part 1 and The Making Of: Part 2) as well as a number of other posts about the period leading up to the beginning of ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s travels in America, which provide a great introduction to the 239 Days story.

I’m really excited about participating in this over the next 239 days and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too. Don’t forget to spread the word and share it with your social networks!

The repeated overlap of Easter and Passover, however, has historically been a source of tension among some Christians and Jews. Interfaith Family calls this the “Passover Predicament”:

For Jews, Easter crystallizes the religious differences between them and Christians. The week leading up to Easter is filled with important historical events from Jesus’ life. From the commemoration of the Last Supper on Thursday, through observance of the crucifixion on Good Friday, to celebration of the resurrection on Easter Sunday, Christians reflect on the foundation of their beliefs — beliefs that separate them from Jews. Moreover, the legacy of anti-Semitism, rooted in beliefs of some Christians that Jews were responsible for Jesus’ death, can make Easter a particularly difficult holiday for Jews.

While people very often do prefer to focus on the beliefs that distinguish them from followers of other religions, the truth is that these religions have an incredible amount in common – more than most people realise!

Additionally, a careful study of the various traditions and commemorations which seemingly serve to highlight differences in beliefs – such as in the case of Passover and Easter – can actually, in my opinion, be a starting point to reflect on the shared heritage that all religions share.

The book I happen to be currently reading – and a great one to be reading during the season of Easter and Passover, if you ask me – is Frances Worthington’s Abraham: One God, Three Wives, Five Religions. In this book, Worthington traces the world’s religions back to Abraham and fully explores the links that Judaism, Christianity, Islam, the Babi Faith and the Baha’i Faith have to each other.

It’s been a fascinating read, so far, and provides a historical backdrop that I believe is crucially important in really understanding the Baha’i concept of progressive revelation. The book looks at the origins of each of the world’s religions and demonstrates how the followers of each are all equal heirs to the faith of Abraham. The differences that divide the followers of each religion, it seems to me, arose at each point in history at which a new Messenger revealed a new religion to meet the spiritual needs of the people of the time.

Between the Jews and Christians, this split arose with the Revelation of Jesus. While some Jews in the time of Jesus recognised Him as the promised Messiah, many other Jews had a different understanding and interpretation of the Messianic prophecies , and accordingly, could not accept the Christian belief that Jesus could be the Messiah.  This became the source of great hostility and tension between the Christians and the Jews. Jews have suffered a long history of persecution and oppression for their religious beliefs – a significant amount of their mistreatment, at least in the early history of Christianity, being a response by Christians to the unwillingness of the Jews to recognise Jesus as the promised Messiah.

But Christians, too, would later refuse to recognise Muhammad as a Messenger of God, disagreeing with Muslims as to the interpretation of biblical passages that refer to the One who was to follow Christ. Like the Jews in the times of Christ, Christians had a different interpretation from Muslims of what Jesus had taught. Many Christians today commonly believe that Islam denies the teachings of Jesus, even though Muhammad Himself affirms the divinity of Jesus – referring to him as Ruhullah, or Spirit of God – and repeatedly urges the Christians to be faithful and obedient to the teachings of Jesus.

Referring to the teachings of Muhammad about the existence of various world religions, Worthington states:

He … recognized the legitimacy of other religions by explaining that religious diversity was created by God for the specific purpose of testing whether or not each person is being true to the faith he or she professes: “To each of you God has prescribed a Law and a Way. If God would have willed, He would have made you a single people. But God’s purpose is to test you in which he has given each of you, so strive in the pursuit of virtue, and know that you will all return to God [in the Hereafter], and He will resolve all the matters in which you disagree.”

Perhaps most powerfully, the book looks at the story of the sons of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael – born of different mothers and each, themselves, the father of a different nation – and offers profound insight into the way in which adherents of the different religions can, regardless of their differing interpretations of holy scripture, come together in true love and harmony.

… the story of Abraham contains a shimmering dewdrop of hope because it foreshadows a time when enmity will fade and a movement toward reconciliation will begin.

The prophetic foreshadowing of this religious reconciliation took place after the death of Abraham, when the two oldest sons, who had long been separated – Ishamel in Mecca and Isaac in Canaan – reunited. The two sons can be understood as representing the five Abrahamic faiths: Islam and the Babi Faith through Ishamel; Judaism, Christianity, and the Baha’i Faith through Isaac.

When Isaac and Ishamel met, they ignored their past differences and concentrated, instead, on doing something postive: they buried their father with love and dignity. This act of solidarity transmitted the clear and powerful message that their common descent from Abraham was more improtant than the fact that they had different mothers.

The tension and hostility that sometimes arises whenever a follower of one religion takes a close look at the differences in interpretation of the scriptures by a follower of another religion – as seen in the Easter and Passover example – is often the result of the followers of one religion not recognising the teachings of a Messenger and the offence this causes to the followers of that Messenger.

Rather than allowing for this to be a source of hostility, it is important to remember that the recognition of any of the Messengers of God is essentially a spiritual decision for the individual believer to make, and not a reason for discord, animosity or judgment. All followers of God will, as Muhammad taught, return to God.

Similarly, during this season of Easter and Passover, perhaps we can all follow the example of Isaac and Ishmael, and rather than allowing ourselves to be overcome with suspicion, resentment or discord, simply look at the common divine origin of our respective religions, and stand shoulder to shoulder as faithful servants of God.

A very blessed Easter and Passover to our Christian and Jewish readers!

So I’m excited to let you know we have now set up a Baha’i Blog Pinterest account. We’re kicking off with four boards, you can follow any one of them, or follow the whole account and you’ll get updates from all. The four boards we currently have going are:

Baha’i Quotes
This is where we’ll be posting images and photos of quotes and prayers.

Baha’i Photography
This board will collect beautiful imagery by Baha’is and of Baha’i themed stuff.

Baha’i Interest
This board will be pins of news stories and links to sites that are interesting and worth visiting.

Baha’i Products
This is where we’ll be posting pins of beautiful Baha’i jewellery, accessories and other products.

So be sure to find Baha’i Blog on Pinterest and help us share beautiful Baha’i imagery, writings and links with the world!

If you’re not a Pinterest user you can request an invite on the site which I don’t think takes too long to arrive, or if you know someone on Pinterest they can invite you. It’s a wildly popular site, and I will warn you, rather addictive!

Image by Juliana Coutinho via Flickr

I remember stepping off the airplane into my new home, my pioneering post, thousands of miles away from all that was easy and familiar to me and from all that was loved and precious in my life. It was exciting. It was also scary.

The sun stayed hidden for days, the heat was heavy, and the air was thick with smog and exhaust. I had never seen the apartment where I would be living for the next year (part of my package with the university that had hired me) and when I arrived, the first thing I noticed was the stench of cigarettes. The second was the half bathroom. The third was that there was no kitchen.

It should have been a long, scary night full of questions and doubt. Actually, it was a long, scary night full of questions and doubt.

But it was surmountable because I was being accompanied.

A few weeks before I had arrived at my pioneering post, two of my friends, who were now married to each other, had also moved to the same city and, as it turned out, were only a 20-minute bicycle ride away from my new home.  They asked if they could come see me that very first night. Feeling tired and overwhelmed, I said no.

They insisted.

They rode over on their bicycles and upon seeing my apartment, they also insisted I spend the night with them. (They did this, however, with such tact and grace, assuring me that my apartment was run of the mill and I could probably get rid of the cigarette smell with the right chemicals. It wasn’t until months later that the wife confessed that the second she walked in the bathroom, she knew I should not be alone that night and that she would not be taking no for an answer.)

There was also the matter of getting to their place. I didn’t have a bicycle yet and for some reason we decided it would be a good idea for me to ride on the back of the husband’s, rather than just have me catch a cab to their apartment. So memories of my first night include riding on the back of a bicycle, giggling about how slowly we were moving, how absurd this whole scene was, and yet considering deep in my heart how sweet and beautiful it was too.

In the weeks that followed, they showed me where to buy my groceries, helped me buy a bicycle, taught me how to ride my new bicycle (which was another absurd and sweet scene) and they constantly checked in on me to offer their help and support.

In the months that have transpired since, we have reflected together, planned together, cried together, learned together, prayed together, and supported each other’s efforts. On days when I wanted so badly to give up, they urged me forward.

I had known the wife for ten years, and the husband for three. I had loved and admired them both from the very beginning of our frienships, but the friendship we had before cannot compare in even one measure to the one we have now—one that has been strengthened by service, support, hardship and accompaniment.

In its Ridvan 2010 message, the Universal House of Justice discusses the concept of accompaniment and its role within the Baha’i community. The Universal House of Justice describes accompaniment in these words:

It signals the significant strengthening of a culture in which learning is the mode of operation, a mode that fosters the informed participation of more and more people in a united effort to apply Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to the construction of a divine civilization.

As Dr. Janet Khan explains in this article about accompaniment, the process of accompanying an individual in his or her efforts to serve the Faith is of paramount importance for both the individual in their path of service, as well as to the Baha’i community as a whole.

There are already quite a lot of posts on the site as the pair have been blogging with a vengeance. My personal favourite so far is the activity based “Write Your Spiritual Bucket List” which is super pertinent with Baha’i new year just past! Definitely a time to use your new fast-induced spiritual powers to map out new year’s resolutions!

Chelsea and Penina, the site’s creators, are also working on developing resources for Baha’i mums. Their first resource the “Dream & Scheme” booklet for the Fast and Naw Ruz to reflect and plan out goals. So if you are planning on making your own spiritual bucket list, this downloadable PDF will come in handy!

There’s a lot to take in with the site, and it’s all been very well packaged in the shape of a beautiful looking blog. If you’re a mum, dad, anticipating becoming one, or just curious, I highly recommend you head over and visit and support the site!

Photo courtesy: Morris Salahifar

As most of you already know, Bahá’ís and their friends around the world participate in what is known as study circles, and these study circles use a sequence of books which are mainly based on the Bahá’í Writings, and they were developed by the Ruhi Institute in Colombia, so the books are often referred to as Ruhi books.

I often get asked by a lot of friends about different ideas or resources they can use for their study circle, and there’s no doubt that there are a bunch of great initiatives and resources out there for us all to use.

1) Ruhi Resources dot org

The name says it all! This fantastic site has been around for the last 10 years and it’s packed with all things related to the Ruhi books. So if you’re in a study circle and looking for things related to a certain Ruhi book – no problem – just jump straight to the book tab to find out what music, course outlines and other materials are available for that particular book. There’s a ton of great material here so definitely pay the site a visit!

2) The MANA series of albums

What began as a Ruhi study circle of Pacific Islanders in Sydney, Australia, resulted in the wonderful service project and formation of the group called “MANA”. So far the group has produced 4 albums, each based on the quotations and passages found in Ruhi books 1 – 4, and their catchy Pacific rhythms and tunes make the memorization of the Ruhi quotes easy and fun! They are about to release a new album based on Ruhi book 6 as well, so keep an eye out for that too!

3) iMemorize iPhone App

This nifty little iPhone app will help you memorize your Ruhi book quotes in a jiffy. The app helps you memorize by using a word omission tool, and not only does it include quotes from other religions, but it also lets you add your own quotes as well. The app is also available for the iPad, and in both online and desktop versions as well, so check it out.

4) Ruhi Crafts website

This awesome site is packed with great ideas and activities dedicated to the role of the use of the arts, and it’s a great place to learn how to make crafts for your study circle! Want to learn how to make a rotating booklet or a woven star? This site lists the materials you’re going to need and takes you through the steps of making the actual craft, so get your colored paper an scissors ready!

5) The Official Ruhi Institute Website

This should be an obvious one, but I think it often gets overlooked. The official Ruhi Institute website offers some great reference materials like songs and videos, and it directs you to other resource links which are great for your study circle. It’s also a great place to send your new participants and friends who may be thinking about joining a study circle, as it explains what study circles are all about beautifully.

It’s been an exciting year for Baha’i Blog, as we’ve had over 60,000 visits from 191 different countries (out of 195 in the world) so that’s pretty AWESOME!

The top countries were mostly the English speaking ones (this blog is in English after all!) but places like Malaysia, Germany and Romania were in the top 20!

Some 16,000 visits came from Google with people searching for things like “bahai test and difficulties”, “2011 baha’i conference”, “bahai jewelry” and “baha’i music”.

Our biggest source of traffic however was our Facebook page, which makes sense since we have almost 1,800 followers there now! Twitter also sent a couple thousand visits, and blogs like bahaithought.com and designthefaith.com also sent over some small doses of traffic.

Over 600 people stopped in to read our page on “What is the Baha’i Faith“. Over 5000 visited the directory and calendar facilities, where we’ve added 110 items to our Resource Directory and 28 events to our Calendar of Events, and our mailing list reaches over 430 people so far, so sign on if you want to be notified of our new posts.

We posted over 100 posts over the year which is about one every three days, and these posts have gathered over 700 comments from our growing Baha’i Blog community – so thank you to you all who participated in making the place a little more lively!

As you know, our posts cover a wide variety of topics relating to the Baha’i Faith, and we’ve had 20 different authors contribute, which is fantastic as we’ve always aimed to have a diversity of voices here on the blog. We’d love more so if you’re interested in writing a guest post, you can find out how here.

Here are the 10 most popular posts of the year:

1. 5 Year Plan Talks by Tom Price

2. Top 10 Signs You Are a Baha’i

3. What Christmas means to Baha’is

4. 21 Stunning Photos of Baha’i Houses of Worship

5. In Memory of My Father: Sirus Naraqi

6. 5 Unique Baha’i Apps for the iPhone

7. 9 Handmade Baha’i Jewellery and Craft Pieces from Etsy

8. Where to Find Free Baha’i eBooks online

9. What is a Five Year Plan?

10. 3 Problems with Religion and Solutions

If you’ve enjoyed what you’ve seen on Baha’i Blog so far, we’d love to hear more from you, so please comment,  email or ‘Like’ our Facebook Page! Please feel free to contact us to share any thoughts, feedback, or if you’d like to get involved or contribute!

Here’s to another year of Baha’i Blog, and thanks again to everyone for their support!

Happy reading!

-The Baha’i Blog team

Image by Bert Kaufmann (Flickr)

Every year, on March 21st, Baha’is from all over the world and of all cultural backgrounds celebrate Naw Ruz.

Naw Ruz has its origins as a Zoroastrian observance in ancient Iran and, to this day, is celebrated as a cultural festival by Iranians of all religious backgrounds. In addition to being celebrated by Iranians and members of the Iranian diaspora, the observance of Naw Ruz has also spread to many other parts of the world, and is celebrated a a cultural holiday in India, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Iraqi Kurdistan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Naw-Ruz, which means “New Day”, is celebrated at the vernal equinox, on the first day of spring. It is a time of joy and celebration, with the darkness of winter coming to an end and the reappearance of light, warmth and the beauty of spring’s flowers. It is a day of new beginnings – of change and hope.

However, for Baha’is, Naw Ruz also has deep spiritual significance. Naw Ruz marks the end of the 19-day Baha’i Fast, which is a period of reflection and profound spiritual reinvigoration for Baha’is. Naw-Ruz was ordained by Baha’u'llah as a celebration of humanity’s “spiritual springtime”: the Baha’i dispensation.

The Baha’i dispensation began with the Declaration of the Bab, whose entire mission was to prepare the world for a Divine Teacher with a Message he considered greater than His own: Baha’u'llah. The revelation of Baha’u'llah – the latest in humanity’s long history of receiving Divine Teachings through the Messengers of God – is often, in Baha’i writings, likened to the beginning of springtime.

‘Abdu’l-Baha spoke of the effect that Baha’u'llah’s revelation – like the revelations of the previous Manifestations of God in previous Dispensations – had on the world, and likens it to a spiritual springtime:

At the time of the vernal equinox in the material world a wonderful vibrant energy and new life-quickening is observed everywhere in the vegetable kingdom; the animal and human kingdoms are resuscitated and move forward with a new impulse. The whole world is born anew, resurrected. Gentle zephyrs are set in motion, wafting and fragrant; flowers bloom; the trees are in blossom, the air temperate and delightful; how pleasant and beautiful become the mountains, fields and meadows.

Likewise, the spiritual bounty and springtime of God quicken the world of humanity with a new animus and vivification. All the virtues which have been deposited and potential in human hearts are being revealed from that Reality as flowers and blossoms from divine gardens. It is a day of joy, a time of happiness, a period of spiritual growth. I beg of God that this divine spiritual civilization may have the fullest impression and effect upon you. May you become as growing plants. May the trees of your hearts bring forth new leaves and variegated blossoms. May ideal fruits appear from them in order that the world of humanity, which has grown and developed in material civilization, may be quickened in the bringing forth of spiritual ideals.

Surrounded by the changes in the physical world accompanying the vernal equinox and the beginning of spring, Baha’is are provided with a profoundly beautiful opportunity to contemplate on beginnings and renewal, and in particular, what it means to stand at the beginning of a new Dispensation in the history of humanity’s eternal Covenant with God.

The spiritual significance of the vernal equinox – and the promise of a New Day that the Baha’i observance of Naw Ruz celebrates – is best captured in these words by ‘Abdu’l-Baha:

Do you know in what day you are living? Do you realize in what dispensation you are alive ? Have you not read in the holy scriptures that the consummation of the ages there shall appear a day which is the sun of all the past days?

This is the day in which the Lord of Hosts has come down from heaven on the clouds of glory! This is the day in which the inhabitants of all the world shall enter under the tent of the word of God. This is the day whose real sovereign is His Highness, The Almighty. This is the day when the East and the West shall embrace each other like unto two lovers. This is the day in which war and contention shall be forgotten. This is the day in which nations and governments will enter into an eternal bond of amity and conciliation. This century is the fulfillment of the Promised Century.

The East shall become illumined, the West perfumed and the children of men shall enter beneath the all-embracing can- opy of the oneness of the world of humanity.

The foundation of divine religion is love, affinity and con- cord. Praise God that this cycle is the period of illumination ! Minds have made great progress; intelligences have been un- folded ; the means of unity and agreement are brought about ; communication between the races of men is rapidly established. Now is the time that all of us may embrace the law of peace and treat each other with honesty and straightforwardness. Let the religious prejudices be wiped away. Let the law of racial supremacy be discontinued. Let political expediences be done away with. Let the love of country be superseded by the love of the world. Let us all deal with each other with infinite kindness. We are all the servants at the one Divine Threshold. We are all receiving the rays of truth from the same Sun of Reality. We must all believe in all of the prophets. We must all acknowledge the divine authority of all the heavenly books. We must wash our hearts free of all human prejudices. We must serve God. We must propagate the oneness of the realm of humanity. We must be the cause of the appearance of the perfections of the world of man. We must not be like the beasts of prey. We must not allow carnage and bloodshed. We must regard the blood of man as sacred. We must not shed the holy blood of man for the paltry earth. We must all agree upon one fundamental principle – that principle is the oneness of the kingdom of humanity.

In this age, Baha’u'llah has breathed the Holy Spirit into the dead body of the world. Consequently every weak soul is strengthened by these fresh divine outbreathings. Every poor man will become rich, every darkened soul will become illum- ined, every ignorant one will become wise, because the confir- mations of the Holy Spirit are descending like unto torrents. A new era of divine consciousness is upon us. The world of humanity is going through a process of transformation. A new race is being developed. The thoughts of human brotherhood are permeating all regions. New ideals are stirring the depths of hearts and a new spirit of universal consciousness is being profoundly felt by all men.

A very blessed Naw Ruz to all our dear readers!

Photo: Braden Gunem via Flickr

The fasting period is a special time for Bahá’í’s, but Bahá’í’s of course are not the only ones who fast. Fasting is also observed in various ways by other religions and belief systems as well, so I thought it would be interesting to take a brief look at how some of these religions and belief systems practice fasting.

Please keep in mind that this is only a mere glimpse of some of the belief systems of the world, and I am aware that there are many, many more not included here. Each one could definitely have its own dedicated article (which we may do in future), however, for the time being and for the purposes of this article, I’m just going to give you all a quick overview of a handful of fasting practices.

The First Nations People of North America

Many of the indigenous peoples of North America practice fasting at different times in their lives and for different reasons, depending on their nation. Some of the nations for instance practice a fast during certain spiritual ceremonies, and fasting can also take place in correspondence to the changes in seasons.

In general, it is more common for men to undergo these fasts, however women who are not pregnant, nursing, or ill may also take part.

It is believed that fasting takes the individual to a higher spiritual realm and it also reminds individuals to appreciate what the earth provides in the way of food and water. Perhaps one of the most commonly known forms of fasting amongst indigenous North Americans is the “Vision Quest”. A Vision Quest is where a person (quite often a young person seeking identity and self-awareness) goes out alone into the wilderness for a period of 4 days and nights, during which they deprive themselves of food and water, and pray to the spirits for a vision. If they are contacted by the spirits and given a vision, then they would have this vision interpreted by a spiritual leader when they return to their home.

Hinduism

Fasting is an integral part of Hinduism and it is performed in a variety of ways depending on the deity one follows. For instance in some cases fasting can be total abstinence from food or liquid from sunset to sunrise the next day, or it could mean limiting the number of meals one has in a day, or abstaining from certain food types.

There are numerous Hindu festivals and fasting during these religious festivals is very common. The exact methods and traditions of fasting however are quite often tied to a Hindu’s ethnic background and tradition, and/or geographical location. In India for example, depending on the region a person is from, the type of clothing worn during the fast and what foods are eaten can be completely different from region to region. Certain days of the week for instance, can also be designated or assigned to honor Lord Shiva for example, or a persons guru, however these designated days will differ depending on the region one comes from, or their personal belief in a certain deity.

Buddhism

In the Buddhist Holy Book, the Vinyana, The Buddha Himself encouraged monks and nuns to limit their food intake after the noon meal, and therefore it is common practice among Buddhist monks and nuns to refrain from eating after noon until the next morning on a daily basis.  

Many lay Buddhists also fast by not eating after noon until the following morning as well, but this is only carried out once a week, as lay Buddhists are encouraged to follow what is known as the Middle Path and are discouraged from taking things to an extreme. In general, this regulation of food is not really called or perceived as a fast per-Se, but rather as a disciplined regimen, which is meant to aid meditation and good health.

Judaism

Jews fast for six days which are spread out at various times in the Jewish calendar year. As with the Bahá’í Fast, this means abstinence from food and liquids for both men and women – unless certain exemptions are necessary such as illness or pregnancy.

The most important and holiest day of the Jewish year is Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement), and on this day Jews will fast and pray for a period of 25 hours.

It is believed that fasting can assist an individual or a community in achieving atonement, however fasting is by no means a replacement for an individuals sense of sincere regret. As a result, besides the designated days set aside for fasting, Jews may also conduct either personal or a communal fasts to seek repentance when tragedy strikes, or in order to avert tragedy. It is also common amongst certain Jewish traditions for instance, for couples to fast on their wedding day before the ceremony takes place.

Christianity

Although Christian scripture does not explicitly command its followers to fast, Christ Himself fasted for 40 days and nights, and there are also several references to fasting in the New Testament, which present it as something positive and beneficial.

There are various forms of fasting practiced amongst many Christians depending on the denomination they belong to, but probably the most commonly known fasting practice is Lent, which is mainly practiced by Catholics, and it’s a 40 day partial fast commemorating Christ’s 40 days in the desert. Followers usually give up some type of food special to them, as it is also seen as a time of mourning in preparation of the crucifixion of Christ.

There are several references to fasting in the New Testament, and one that I feel is a lesson which all of us who are fasting can learn from, is from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, when He said:  Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. (Matthew 6:16-18)

Islam

Muslims fast between sunrise and sunset for 30 days during the month of Ramadan, (which is the month the Prophet Muhammad revealed the Quran), and much like the Bahá’í Fast, followers are to abstain from food, liquid and smoking.

Fasting is considered the fourth of the Five Pillars of Islam (These pillars are: i. Creed; ii. Daily prayer; iii. Almsgiving; iv. Fasting; v. Pilgrimage), and it is obligatory for both men and women.

Perhaps testimony to the fact that fasting is something prescribed by other religions is a quote from the Quran, where the Prophet Muhammad said:  “O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you, as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may (learn) self-restraint.” (Quran 2:183)

Image by Paul Stevenson (Flickr)

What is sacrifice? As Baha’is, we believe that it is – in short – the act of giving up something for something of greater value.

Sacrifice has always been a concept of great fascination to me. It is fundamental to the progress and consummation of the human soul. Consequently, it is a practice that I try to apply in all aspects of my life.

As you would already know from previous posts, Baha’is are currently observing the Fast. In this time, I find myself asking: how does the concept of sacrifice tie in with the act of fasting?

One might say that I’m sacrificing my physical comfort because my Faith tells me to do so, but am I observing these commandments merely out of a sense of duty or because there are greater underlying reasons – to perfect my spiritual character or out of the “love for the beauty of the Best-Beloved”?

‘Abdu’l-Baha says:

Fasting is the cause of awakening man. The heart becomes tender and the spirituality of man increases.

How has the Fast caused my heart to become tender and my spirituality to increase, as stated in the above passage?

I think I can safely say that this is achieved only through prayer and meditation, a hugely important aspect of observing the Fast. Baha’u’llah characterises obligatory prayer and fasting as “two wings to man’s life.” This simple analogy likens one’s life to a bird and the fast and obligatory prayer to the two wings of the bird. Just as the bird cannot fly without either wing, fasting and prayer are both crucial to our life.

‘Abdu’l-Baha continues:

 This is produced by the fact that man’s thoughts will be confined to the commemoration of God, and through this awakening and stimulation surely ideal advancements follow…

It is our spiritual nature to seek and turn to our Creator. During the Fast, when we abstain from the material comforts that we have become so dependent on, these spiritual inclinations are reinvigorated and we find ourselves turning to this greater Being. It is then that we become susceptible to His ways and teachings, thus allowing for those “ideal advancements” which ‘Abdu’l-Baha makes reference to.

‘Abdu’l-Baha then goes on to say:

Fasting is of two kinds, material and spiritual. The material fasting is abstaining from food or drink, that is, from the appetites of the body. But spiritual, ideal fasting is this, that man abstain from selfish passions, from negligence and from satanic animal traits. Therefore, material fasting is a token of the spiritual fasting.

The physical fast we observe is a portal to the spiritual Fast. It is the tool enabling us to reach our spiritual perfection – the first step we need to make in order to cultivate our spiritual life to the very standards set before us.

If we step back and analyse the observance of the Fast, we can see that all the spiritual rewards associated with the Fast begin with a small act of sacrifice. Like all the other sacrifices we make out of love for God, this sacrifice involves forgoing a temporal material gain for a greater spiritual gain, eternal in nature.

What are your thoughts on sacrifice and how it relates to the observance of the Fast? We’d love to hear from you in the comments!