Baha'i Prayer (Revelation, scriptures, Israel, worship, Almighty)

[FerventGodSeeker]

What's it like? I was reading something (I think it was "Prayers and Meditations of Baha'u'llah) and it seems like Baha'i prayer, like Muslim prayer, is very structured, with not only recitations but also various body positions to maintain while saying certain parts of prayers. Am I understanding things correctly? I don't remember a Baha'i responding to my prayer thread, so I'll ask you guys here: is your prayer mostly recited or spontaneous?

[UnityNow101]

I know that Bahai's have a daily obligatory prayer to recite each day...A short prayer, medium length prayer and a long prayer which were all revealed by Baha'u'llah. A Bahai picks one of the three to recite on any given day. As far as I know, there are no regulations on how one must position the body other than to face east when reciting the daily prayer. Other than the obligatory prayer, Bahai's are free to pray whenever and whichever way they choose.

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings!

Only two Baha'i prayers, the Medium and Long Obligatory prayers, include physical postures or gestures.

We have many, many prayers in our scriptures, and NONE of these except the two I just mentioned include anything of the sort. (And even the Short Obligatory Prayer has no such aspects, please note.)

In addition, we're fully free to use other prayers from various sources, and to make up our own!

Best, :-)

Bruce

[Booko]

Originally Posted by FerventGodSeeker

What's it like? I was reading something (I think it was "Prayers and Meditations of Baha'u'llah) and it seems like Baha'i prayer, like Muslim prayer, is very structured, with not only recitations but also various body positions to maintain while saying certain parts of prayers. Am I understanding things correctly? I don't remember a Baha'i responding to my prayer thread, so I'll ask you guys here: is your prayer mostly recited or spontaneous?

It can be either, though I've observed a marked preference to the prayers revealed to us by the Central Figures in the faith (the Bab, Baha'u'llah, and Abdu'l-Baha). Actually, marked preference is a gross understatement. But what people do in their own private lives, I wouldn't know.

The reason for this preference is that those prayers come to us by way of revelation from God, as it were, so they are regarded as having more power than anything us less-tapped-into-the-Almighty might come up with.

We don't always have the wisdom to pray for things that are good for us (ever pray for a new bike when you were a kid? Or maybe that your annoying sibling should fall down and scrape a knee? ), and the prayers we have are as instructive for us just as much as they are conversation with God.

In a similar vein, since you are a Christian, it's not uncommon for Baha'is to view the Lord's Prayer as the most powerful prayer Christians could say. I mean, how can you possibly go wrong with something that comes so clearly from God?

As for the spontaneity part, you may or may have not run across the warnings in our texts about the dangers of mindless repetition. To just mindlessly recite a prayer is kinda missing the point.

The vast majority of the prayers don't have any specific body motions with them. Two of the three Obligatory prayers do, but not much else. The Short Obligatory Prayer has only one instruction, which is to face the Qiblih. (In our case, you'd be aimed roughly at Israel.)

Other prayers don't have any of those requirements. You can say them anywhere you like. You can say them at a red light if you like. (There's a really short prayer for "detachment" that comes in mighty handy for dealing with rude drivers...haha!)

Actually, it's kinda cool to visualize all the Baha'is across the world who are saying the Short Obligatory Prayer at noon wherever they are. It would be like a bit of humanity doing a constant "Wave" across the globe, all day, every day.

[Booko]

Originally Posted by BruceDLimber

We have many, many prayers in our scriptures, and NONE of these except the two I just mentioned include anything of the sort. (And even the Short Obligatory Prayer has no such aspects, please note.)

Well, every year during the Holy Day (July 9th) that is the Martyrdom of the Bab, we say the appropriate Tablet of Visitation (which is what you'd say if you were on pilgrimage...visiting). There are sometimes people who insist that you have to stand and face the Shrine of the Bab (which is on Mt. Carmel), but it's not a requirement. Aside from occasionally mentioning that it isn't a requirement, I don't bother to say anything. It's not like it's harmful to do so, and it's better not to make some divisive thing out of it.

[FerventGodSeeker]

Originally Posted by Booko

It can be either, though I've observed a marked preference to the prayers revealed to us by the Central Figures in the faith (the Bab, Baha'u'llah, and Abdu'l-Baha). Actually, marked preference is a gross understatement. But what people do in their own private lives, I wouldn't know.

The reason for this preference is that those prayers come to us by way of revelation from God, as it were, so they are regarded as having more power than anything us less-tapped-into-the-Almighty might come up with.

We don't always have the wisdom to pray for things that are good for us (ever pray for a new bike when you were a kid? Or maybe that your annoying sibling should fall down and scrape a knee? ), and the prayers we have are as instructive for us just as much as they are conversation with God.

In a similar vein, since you are a Christian, it's not uncommon for Baha'is to view the Lord's Prayer as the most powerful prayer Christians could say. I mean, how can you possibly go wrong with something that comes so clearly from God?

As for the spontaneity part, you may or may have not run across the warnings in our texts about the dangers of mindless repetition. To just mindlessly recite a prayer is kinda missing the point.

The vast majority of the prayers don't have any specific body motions with them. Two of the three Obligatory prayers do, but not much else. The Short Obligatory Prayer has only one instruction, which is to face the Qiblih. (In our case, you'd be aimed roughly at Israel.)

Other prayers don't have any of those requirements. You can say them anywhere you like. You can say them at a red light if you like. (There's a really short prayer for "detachment" that comes in mighty handy for dealing with rude drivers...haha!)

Actually, it's kinda cool to visualize all the Baha'is across the world who are saying the Short Obligatory Prayer at noon wherever they are. It would be like a bit of humanity doing a constant "Wave" across the globe, all day, every day.

Thanks Booko! Why do you face Qiblih, and why at noon?

[arthra]

Originally Posted by FerventGodSeeker

Thanks Booko! Why do you face Qiblih, and why at noon?

The obligatory prayers as above are three in number and they have instructions...such as ablutions, facing Bahji (where Baha'u'llah ascended) and following some of the basic prayer positions which are similar to those used in Islam. Baha'is however perform these prayers by themselves and not in congregation as in the case of Islam.

"Noon" for us can mean anytime from noon till sunset...

So these are ordained prayers for every Baha'i and we can choose which one to do... I think the "why" is similar to doing what God has ordained through the Manifestation out of our love for Him similar to many Christian who will recite the Lord's prayer and have their worship.

Baha'is also recite other prayers revealed by the Manifestations and can compose their own prayers and practise meditation (there is no prescribed form).

- Art

[arthra]

Verily I say, this is the Day in which mankind can behold the Face, and hear the Voice, of the Promised One. The Call of God hath been raised, and the light of His countenance hath been lifted up upon men. It behoveth every man to blot out the trace of every idle word from the tablet of his heart, and to gaze, with an open and unbiased mind, on the signs of His Revelation, the proofs of His Mission, and the tokens of His glory.

Great indeed is this Day! The allusions made to it in all the sacred Scriptures as the Day of God attest its greatness. The soul of every Prophet of God, of every Divine Messenger, hath thirsted for this wondrous Day. All the divers kindreds of the earth have, likewise, yearned to attain it. No sooner, however, had the Day Star of His Revelation manifested itself in the heaven of God’s Will, than all, except those whom the Almighty was pleased to guide, were found dumbfounded and heedless.

O thou that hast remembered Me! The most grievous veil hath shut out the peoples of the earth from His glory, and hindered them from hearkening to His call. God grant that the light of unity may envelop the whole earth, and that the seal, “the Kingdom is God’s”, may be stamped upon the brow of all its peoples.

~ Baha'u'llah

[FerventGodSeeker]

Originally Posted by arthra

The obligatory prayers as above are three in number and they have instructions...such as ablutions, facing Bahji (where Baha'u'llah ascended) and following some of the basic prayer positions which are similar to those used in Islam. Baha'is however perform these prayers by themselves and not in congregation as in the case of Islam.

"Noon" for us can mean anytime from noon till sunset...

So these are ordained prayers for every Baha'i and we can choose which one to do... I think the "why" is similar to doing what God has ordained through the Manifestation out of our love for Him similar to many Christian who will recite the Lord's prayer and have their worship.

Baha'is also recite other prayers revealed by the Manifestations and can compose their own prayers and practise meditation (there is no prescribed form).

- Art

Thanks Art! Is Bahji the same place as Qiblih? Forgive my ignorance, but I thought Booko said you were to face Qiblih when praying.