The Bahai Fast (ritual, Ramadan, choices, choice, Revelation)

[arthra]

Baha'is have begun to fast for the next nineteen days during the month of 'Ala or loftiness (March 2 - March 20th). The Baha'i Fast means that we abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset... The Fast is only required of those fifteen years of age till seventy years of age.

If one is ill or travelling a long distance during fast, or doing really hard manual labor they are also exempt. There are no make-ups ... that is if you are not fasting due to the above you don't have to make it up later.

The purpose of the Fast is to focus on our spiritual food..that is chant the revealed verses and immerse ourselves in the Writings. It is also a good discipline and helps us focus on transforiming our spiritual life.

The following is one of the prayers revealed for the Fast:

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by this Revelation whereby darkness hath been turned into light, through which the Frequented Fane hath been built, and the Written Tablet revealed, and the Outspread Roll uncovered, to send down upon me and upon them who are in my company that which will enable us to soar into the heavens of Thy transcendent glory, and will wash us from the stain of such doubts as have hindered the suspicious from entering into the tabernacle of Thy unity.
I am the one, O my Lord, who hath held fast the cord of Thy loving-kindness, and clung to the hem of Thy mercy and favors. Do Thou ordain for me and for my loved ones the good of this world and of the world to come. Supply them, then, with the Hidden Gift Thou didst ordain for the choicest among Thy creatures.
These are, O my Lord, the days in which Thou hast bidden Thy servants to observe the fast. Blessed is he that observeth the fast wholly for Thy sake and with absolute detachment from all things except Thee. Assist me and assist them, O my Lord, to obey Thee and to keep Thy precepts. Thou, verily, hast power to do what Thou choosest.
There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. All praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

—Bahá’u’lláh
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[Hema]

May the good Lord shower you and the other Baha'i sisters and brothers with many spiritual rewards for your fasting. This reminds me of how the Muslims fast for Ramadan. Fasting has many spiritual benefits and health benefits. Thanks for sharing this. I never knew that the Baha'is go through a period of fasting like this. Is it that you rely on spiritual power to support you rather than the physical energy derived from food?

[arthra]

Is it that you rely on spiritual power to support you rather than the physical energy derived from food?

Thanks Hema for the question...

I believe that spiritual power is always around us and through us or available just like electricity.... We may not be able to scientifically prove this at present. But Fasting is a kind of reminder that the real life is spiritual rather than material.

Abdul-Baha was said:

That celestial reality ... delivers man from the material world. Its power causes man to escape from nature's world. Escaping, he will find an illuminating reality, transcending the limited reality of man and causing him to attain to the infinitude of God, abstracting him from the world of superstitions and imaginations, and submerging him in the sea of the rays of the Sun of Reality.

And

Universal peace is an impossibility through human and material agencies; it must be through spirtual power. There is need of a universal impelling force which will establish the oneness of humanity and destroy the foundations of war and strife. None other than the divine power can do this; therefore, it will be accomplished through the breath of the Holy Spirit.

[Laila]

Thank you Arthra for being informative. As a muslim I would agree with some of the ideas you stated behind fasting. Congratulations to the bahai's during this period of fasting.

I am curious to know if you share any other similarities with muslims like for example praying (salat) or the obligatory charity (Zakah).

[arthra]

Thanks for your post Laila and welcome to the Baha'i Forum!

Your question:

I am curious to know if you share any other similarities with muslims like for example praying (salat) or the obligatory charity (Zakah).

Thanks also for the great question!

Baha'is do have obligatory prayers that are said daily some what similar to the way Muslims pray except we recite our obligatory prayers privately. We also pray together and often recite the preayers revealed by the Bab and Baha'u'llah but we can also read from other revealed Holy Writings like the Bible and the Qur'an.

For a source on Baha'i prayers see the following:

http://www.bahaiprayers.org/

As to Zakat it is different from Islam, Baha'is who are well off enough contribute 19% of the profit income to what is called the Right of God or Huquq'u'llah and the proceeds from that are used by the international Baha'i community on many projects around the world. While many of us also support charities begging is forbidden for Baha'is as well as encouraging it so we stresss the need to be self supporting as much as in possible.

- Art

[Laila]

Thanks for answering my question Art and for the link.