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Bahá'í Laws
Dr. Moojan Momen
Nothing worthy of attainment can be achieved without discipline.
We cannot hope to play a musical instrument well unless we submit ourselves to the
discipline of hours of practice. The same is true in the spiritual realm. To progress
spiritually, one must undergo a spiritual discipline. Bahá'u'lláh has introduced a
number of laws which he has instructed his followers to carry out. Some of these such as
prayer, meditation and fasting are to help the individual's spiritual progress; some, such
as the marriage laws, have social implications.
One of the primary purposes of the laws, as well as the teachings, that Bahá'u'lláh
has given is the uniting of the peoples of the world
O ye that dwell on earth! The distinguishing feature that marketh the preeminent
character of this Supreme Revelation consisteth in that We have, on the one hand, blotted
out from the pages of God's holy Book whatsoever hath been the cause of strife, of malice
and mischief amongst the children of men, and have, on the other, laid down the essential
prerequisites of concord, of understanding, of complete and enduring unity. Well is it
with them that keep My statutes.1
In the West, people tend to see the law as something that limits their freedom and
hence something that is only to be endured reluctantly because there is some indirect
overall benefit. In the Bahá'í Faith, however, there is a more positive attitude towards
the law brought by Bahá'u'lláh. It enables human beings to align themselves with the
spiritual laws that govern the universe. We would not jump from a fourth-storey window
because we know that the physical laws of the universe would cause us to injure ourselves
badly. Similarly, Bahá'ís believe that we should not break these spiritual laws,
otherwise we are inflicting spiritual harm upon ourselves. Bahá'u'lláh, therefore, does
not see these laws as rigid legalistic framework, concerned with enforcement and
punishment. He states that these laws are an indispensable part of a human being's
spiritual progress; signposts on the mystic path.
Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have
unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power.2
And so our obedience to these laws should not be for fear of punishment, but out of joy
and love.
Observe My commandments, for the love of My beauty.3
Prayer, Reading of Scripture, and
Meditation
Part of the spiritual discipline that Bahá'u'lláh has given to
his followers is to spend time every day in carrying out spiritual exercises. One of these
is daily obligatory prayer. There are three obligatory prayers and a Bahá'í is free to
choose any one of them to say daily. There are also many other prayers which one can use
as part of one's devotions.
Bahá'u'lláh has also instructed his followers to read a passage of the scripture and
meditate upon it twice a day, morning and evening. It is not the physical action of
performing these spiritual disciplines that is important but rather the spirit in which
they are done. The intention should be to turn away from the world and towards the
spiritual realm. It is the quality of the time spent in this way that is important not the
quantity.
Pride not yourselves on much reading of the verses or on a multitude of pious acts by
day and night. Fors were a man to read a single verse with joy and radiance it would be
better for him than to read with lassitude all the Holy Books of God . . . Read ye the
holy verses in such measure that ye be not overcome by languor and despondency. Lay not
upon your souls that which will weary them and weigh them down, but rather what will
lighten and uplift them. (Bahá'u'lláh)4
| PRAYER |
| The Short Obligatory Prayer -- to be said once daily between
noon and sunset. |
| 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. (Prayers
and Meditations, no. 181, p. 314) |
| Other Prayers |
| Is there any remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are
His servants and all abide by His bidding. (The Báb, Bahá'í Prayers, p. 28) |
| O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great
purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God in their
endeavour, and grant them strength to serve Thee. O God! Leave them not to themselves, but
guide their steps by the light of knowledge and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily,
Thou art their Helper and their Lord. (Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í Prayers, p. 204) |
| Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my
Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by
the light of Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire! Through the
power of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my
being, and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God! Let Thine
everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of
Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the
tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the
most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden! (Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í
Prayers, pp. 142-3) |
| O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all
my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and Refuge. I will no longer be full of anxiety,
nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. O
God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.
(`Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í Prayers, p. 152) |
| More Prayers... |
When asked the reason that it is important for human beings to pray, `Abdu'l-Bahá
replied:
O thou spiritual friend! Thou hast asked the wisdom of prayer. Know thou that prayer is
indispensable and obligatory, and man under no pretext whatsoever is excused from
performing the prayer unless he be mentally unsound, or an insurmountable obstacle prevent
him. The wisdom of prayer is this: That it causeth a connection between the servant and
the True One, because in that state man with all heart and soul turneth his face towards
His Highness the Almighty, seeking His association and desiring His love and compassion.
The greatest happiness for a lover is to converse with his beloved, and the greatest gift
for a seeker is to become familiar with the object of his longing; that is why with every
soul who is attracted to the Kingdom of God, his greatest hope is to find an opportunity
to entreat and supplicate before his Beloved, appeal for His mercy and grace and be
immersed in the ocean of His utterance, goodness and generosity.
Besides all this, prayer and fasting is the cause of awakening and mindfulness and
conducive to protection and preservation from tests . . . (`Abdu'l-Bahá)5
Although the Bahá'í writings urge one to meditate, there is no set form for
meditation prescribed. One is therefore free to use whatever method one prefers. Some
Bahá'ís confine themselves to reading a passage of scripture and meditating upon it.
Some use a particular method of meditation.
As an adjunct to prayer and meditation, there are a number of short phrases given by
Bahá'u'lláh and more particularly by the Báb. These can be chanted in the same way as
mantras or the Sufi dhikr. Bahá'u'lláh for example instructs that the phrase
"Alláhu Abhá" (God is most glorious!) should be said 95 times each day.
Prayers can be said or chanted or even set to music:
Among some of the nations of the Orient, music and harmony was not approved of, but the
Manifested Light, Bahá'u'lláh, in this glorious period has revealed in Holy Tablets that
singing and music are the spiritual food of the hearts and souls. In this dispensation,
music is one of the arts that is highly approved and is considered to be the cause of the
exaltation of sad and desponding hearts.
Therefore . . . set to music the verses and the divine words so that they may be sung
with soul-stirring melody in the Assemblies and gatherings, and that the hearts of the
listeners may become tumultuous and rise towards the Kingdom of Abhá in supplication and
prayer. (`Abdu'l-Bahá)6
| MEDITATION |
| . . . while you meditate you are speaking with your own spirit. In that state of mind
you put certain questions to your spirit and the spirit answers: the light breaks forth
and the reality is revealed. You cannot apply the name `man' to any being void of this
faculty of meditation; without it he would be a mere animal, lower than the beasts.
Through the faculty of meditation man attains to eternal life; through it he receives
the breath of the Holy Spirit - the bestowal of the Spirit is given in reflection and
meditation. The spirit of man is itself informed and strengthened during meditation;
through it affairs of which man knew nothing are unfolded before his view. Through it he
receives Divine inspiration, through it he receives heavenly food.
Meditation is the key for opening the doors of mysteries. In that state man abstracts
himself: in that state man withdraws himself from all outside objects; in that subjective
mood he is immersed in the ocean of spiritual life and can unfold the secrets of
things-in-themselves. To illustrate this, think of man as endowed with two kinds of sight;
when the power of insight is being used the outward power of vision does not see. This
faculty of meditation frees man from the animal nature, discerns the reality of things,
puts man in touch with God.
This faculty brings forth from the invisible plane the sciences and arts. Through the
meditative faculty inventions are made possible, colossal undertakings are carried out;
through it governments can run smoothly. Through this faculty man enters into the very
Kingdom of God. Nevertheless some thoughts are useless to man; they are like waves moving
in the sea without result. But if the faculty of meditation is bathed in the inner light
and characterized with divine attributes, the results will be confirmed.
The meditative faculty is akin to the mirror; if you put it before earthly objects it
will reflect them. Therefore if the spirit of man is contemplating earthly subjects he
will be informed of these. But if you turn the mirror of your spirits heavenwards, the
heavenly constellations and the rays of the Sun of Reality will be reflected in your
hearts, and the virtues of the Kingdom will be obtained.
Therefore let us keep this faculty rightly directed - turning it to the heavenly Sun
and not to earthly objects - so that we may discover the secrets of the Kingdom, and
comprehend the allegories of the Bible and the mysteries of the spirit.
May we indeed become mirrors reflecting the heavenly realities, and may we become so
pure as to reflect the stars of heaven. (`Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, pp. 174-6) |
Fasting
Apart from prayer and meditation, the other major spiritual
discipline or tool for spiritual advancement is fasting. Bahá'ís fast from sunrise to
sunset for nineteen days of the year (2 March to 20 March). This is a period of spiritual
regeneration.
It is essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during
which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and
to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and
purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character. (Shoghi Effendi)7
Indeed fasting is a symbol for our desire to become detached from the things of this
world.
For this material fast is an outer token of the spiritual fast; it is a symbol of
self-restraint, the withholding of oneself from all appetites of the self, taking on the
characteristics of the spirit, being carried away by the breathings of heaven and catching
fire from the love of God. (`Abdu'l-Bahá)8
Marriage and Divorce
Marriage is considered in the Bahá'í Faith to be one of the
most important social institutions. "And when He [God] desired to manifest grace and
beneficence to men, and to set the world in order, He revealed observances and created
laws: among them He established the law of marriage, made it as a fortress for well-being
and salvation . . ."9
Marriage, although enjoined and highly recommended, is not obligatory. Bahá'í law
allows only monogamous marriage between a man and a woman. The taking of more than one
wife or husband at a time is prohibited. While many religions condemn all expressions of
sexuality as being in some way base, the Bahá'í Faith "recognizes the value of the
sex impulse"10 but asserts that sexuality may only
legitimately be expressed within marriage.
Marriage must be with the free consent of the couple. To make marriage a stronger
source of social cohesion, Bahá'u'lláh has also made it conditional upon the consent of
their parents. He states that this is in order "to establish love, unity and harmony
amidst Our servants."11
The Bahá'í marriage ceremony has no set form to it. The couple can therefore arrange
their wedding ceremony according to their own wishes and can incorporate any features of
their local culture that would be appropriate. The only set part of the ceremony is the
exchange before witnesses of the marriage vow: "We will all, verily, abide by the
Will of God."
| A PRAYER FOR MARRIAGE |
| Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Verily, this Thy servant and this Thy maidservant have
gathered under the shadow of Thy mercy and are united through Thy favour and generosity. O
Lord! Confirm them in Thy servitude and assist them in Thy service. Suffer them to become
the signs of Thy name in Thy world and protect them through Thy bestowals which are
inexhaustible in this world and the world to come. O Lord! They are supplicating the
kingdom of Thy mercifulness and invoking the realm of Thy singleness. Verily, they are
married in obedience to Thy command. Cause them to become the signs of harmony and unity
until the end of time. Verily, Thou art the Omnipotent and the Almighty! (`Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í
Prayers, p. 45-6) |
It is customary in many parts of the world to give dowries and these frequently cause
much conflict and distress, either because the giver is unable to afford it or the
receiver considers the amount too small. Bahá'u'lláh has solved these problems by fixing
the amount of dowries.
Divorce is strongly condemned. It is only permitted if there is irreconcilable
differences and antipathy between the two parties. Several conditions must be met,
including a year of separation during which efforts are made to effect a reconciliation.
Death and Burial
Death is regarded by Bahá'ís as a stage in one's eternal life.
It is the point that marks one's passage to the next world. The body that has been the temple within which the human
soul has resided should be treated with respect and the funeral ceremonies carried out
"with dignity and honour"12.
Cremation is forbidden. `Abdu'l-Bahá explains that, according to the natural order of
things, the body should be allowed to decompose gradually.13
There is a specific prayer that should be said at the funeral. There are also other
prayers that may be said at the funeral or at a later time for the dead person's spiritual progress in the next world.
Bahá'ís are instructed to write a will and are free to dispose of their wealth in any
way they wish. Bahá'u'lláh has given a division of wealth for those who die without
leaving a will.
Cruelty to Animals
Bahá'u'lláh has enjoined kindness to animals14 and has specifically condemned burdening an
animal with more than it can bear.15
Because animals do not have the power of speech, `Abdu'l-Bahá states that they are to
be treated with even more consideration than are people: ". . . ye do worse to harm
an animal, for man hath a language, he can lodge a complaint, he can cry out and moan; if
injured he can have recourse to the authorities and these will protect him from his
aggressor. But the hapless beast is mute, able neither to express its hurt nor take its
case to the authorities. If a man inflict a thousand ills upon a beast, it can neither
ward him off with speech nor hale him into court. Therefore is it essential that ye show
forth the utmost consideration to the animal, and that ye be even kinder to him than to
your fellow man."16
Abolitions and Prohibitions
A number of doctrines and practices which have grown up in
various religions have been specifically abolished by Bahá'u'lláh. These include: the
priesthood; the waging of holy war; asceticism and monasticism; the confession of sins;
the burning of books; the use of pulpits; and regarding certain people or things as
impure.
Bahá'u'lláh prohibited his followers from a number of activities including: slavery;
begging; the kissing of hands; the taking of intoxicating drugs and alcohol; gambling;
carrying arms unnecessarily; and homosexuality.
Some other laws such as the Huqúqu'lláh
are referred to elsewhere.
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Introduction