The Bahá'í Faith: Worship And Devotion Explained

The Baháʼí Faith is a monotheistic religion founded in the 19th century by Baháʼu'lláh, which teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Bahá'ís believe that the main purpose of life is to know and love God, and this is achieved through prayer, fasting and meditation. There is no clergy or priesthood in the Bahá'í Faith, and each person is responsible for their own relationship with God and spiritual development.

Prayer, fasting, and meditation

Baháʼís believe that prayer and meditation are essential for spiritual sustenance and growth. Through prayer, they can praise God, express their love for Him, and beseech Him for assistance. Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, designated a nineteen-day period each year during which Baháʼís fast from sunrise to sunset. This period, known as the Baháʼí Fast, falls during the month of Alá, which immediately precedes the Baháʼí New Year. It is a time of prayer, meditation, and spiritual rejuvenation. During the Baháʼí Fast, Baháʼís abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset, which is seen as a test of one's will and discipline.

Baháʼí writings encourage followers to live in a state of prayer and meditation. According to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, prayer and fasting are "the cause of awakening and mindfulness and conducive to protection and preservation from tests." Shoghi Effendi, the leader of the Baháʼí Faith from 1921 to 1957, also emphasized the importance of meditation and prayer, stating that they can create a mystic feeling that unites believers with the Creator.

Meditation and prayer are believed to cultivate a heightened sense of mindfulness, leading to conscientious actions that positively impact one's social reality. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá further explains that fasting is a time for intense self-reflection and spiritual recuperation, allowing believers to make necessary adjustments in their inner life through meditation and prayer.

In addition to the Baháʼí Fast, Baháʼís are also expected to meditate and study sacred scriptures daily. They are encouraged to offer devotional prayers and reflect on Baháʼí writings, which include letters and epistles by Baháʼu'lláh and writings and talks by his son, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá.

Through prayer, fasting, and meditation, Baháʼís strive for spiritual advancement and a deeper connection with God, contributing to their individual and collective advancement.

Service to others as worship

The Baháʼí Faith teaches that service to others is a form of worship. In the Baháʼí Faith, any work or profession carried out in a spirit of service to humanity is considered an act of worship. This means that one's labour is elevated to the station of worship.

In the Baháʼí Writings, there are many aspects to service, and there are just as many ways to serve as there are 'servants of God'. For example, the Baháʼí teachings place great emphasis on the importance of working in a spirit of service; when performed in this way, work may be seen as an act of worship.

The Baháʼí Faith teaches that all human beings are born noble. Developing one's talents and capacities enables one to lead a life of service to society. Bahá'u'lláh teaches:

> Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.

Shoghi Effendi also states that service can work as a fuel for completely transforming our characters:

> The power of God can entirely transmute our characters and make of us beings entirely unlike our previous selves. Through … ever-increasing service to His Faith, we can change ourselves.

The purpose of life is to develop our capacities both for our own lives and for the service of humanity. Service to others and to humanity is the key to building a global society together. It provides spiritual and material prosperity for all people.

Service to humanity is service to God. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá writes:

> This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people. Service is prayer.

No clergy, sacraments, or rituals

The Baháʼí Faith is a monotheistic religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. It is estimated to have approximately 8 million adherents as of 2024, known as Baháʼís, spread throughout most of the world's countries and territories.

The Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, sacraments, or rituals. While there are a few rituals in the Baháʼí Faith, such as the actions prescribed for saying the Medium and Long Obligatory Prayer, these are few and far between. Baháʼu'lláh has reduced all ritual and form to an absolute minimum in His Faith. Baháʼís are urged to maintain a standard of utmost simplicity and observe flexibility in all matters of detail.

The Baháʼí Faith has no clergy. Instead, Baháʼís annually elect local, regional, and national Spiritual Assemblies that govern the religion's affairs, and every five years an election is held for the Universal House of Justice, the nine-member governing institution of the worldwide Baháʼí community that is located in Haifa, Israel, near the Shrine of the Báb.

The Baháʼí Faith has no sacraments. Baháʼís are free to incorporate traditional practices into their spiritual practice, as long as they do not become rituals that are seen as obligatory and unchangeable.

The Baháʼí Faith has no rituals. Rituals in other religions usually consist of elaborate ceremonial practices, such as those of the Catholic Church in the celebration of the Mass and the administration of the sacraments, which are performed by a member of the clergy. Baháʼís are warned against developing their simple rites into a system of uniform and rigid rituals by introducing man-made forms and practices.

Daily obligatory prayers

The short obligatory prayer is as follows:

> I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

The medium obligatory prayer is as follows:

> Whoso wisheth to pray, let him wash his hands, and while he washeth, let him say: 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.

> And while washing his face, let him say: 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.

> Then let him stand up, and facing the Qiblih (Point of Adoration, i.e., Bahjí, ‘Akká), let him say: 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!”

> Let him, then, bend down, with hands resting on the knees, and say: 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!

> Then, standing with open hands, palms upward toward the face, let him say: 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!

> Let him, then, be seated and say: 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 the hope of obtaining that which is with Thee.

Nineteen Day Feasts

The Nineteen Day Feast is a regular community gathering that occurs on the first day of each month of the Baháʼí calendar and is often nineteen days apart from each other. The Feast was ordained in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas by Bahá'u'lláh, who counselled His followers to meet once every Bahá'í month, even if "only water be served".

The Feast consists of a devotional, administrative, and social part. The devotional part can be compared to Sunday Services in Christianity, Friday Prayers in Islam, or Saturday Prayers in Judaism. However, the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy nor is congregational prayer performed at these meetings. The devotional part of the Feast involves readings and prayers from the Baháʼí holy writings.

The administrative part of the Feast is an opportunity for the community to report news or other salient items of interest to the community, and it allows for communication and consultation between the community and the Local Spiritual Assembly. It is also a critical arena for democratic expression within a Baháʼí Community.

The social part of the Feast is where community members can socialise and is usually accompanied by refreshments, although these can be served at any point.

The Nineteen Day Feast is described by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá as "The Lord's Supper", likening it to the Last Supper in Christianity. In this sense, participation at the Feast can be seen as analogous to the Christian practice of Communion, though only in the sense that it should provide fellowship and connection between the faithful, God, and each other.

The Feast should, if possible, begin on the first day of the new month of the Baháʼí calendar. Attendance is considered a spiritual responsibility, but it is not obligatory. The meeting can vary in style between any two communities, but each must have the same format: a devotional portion, followed by a community consultation, followed by a period of socialisation.

Frequently asked questions