Bahá’í Laws/Obligatory Prayer and Fasting

Bahá’í Laws

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2. Obligatory Prayer and Fasting

The commandments to pray daily and fast for one month a year are precious gifts from God because prayer and fasting refresh, purify, and strengthen the soul. Obedience to these commandments assures steady spiritual growth.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá was asked why one should pray, since God knows the needs of all souls and arranges all matters in His great wisdom. He replied, “The wisdom of prayer is this, that it causes a connection between the servant and the True One. . . .”³ “Know thou, verily,” He further explained, “it is becoming of a weak one to supplicate to the strong One and it behoveth a seeker of bounty to beseech the glorious, bountiful One. When one supplicates to his Lord, turns to Him and seeks bounty from His ocean this supplication is by itself a light to his heart, an illumination to his sight, a life to his soul and an exaltation to his being.”⁴

What attitude should one have when he prays? Certainly one must be thankful for all the blessings with which God has showered him. “Thank thou the kind Father,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says, “. . . that the world of creation and the heart of the universe found comfort in His mercy.”⁵ More important, though, one must yearn to know and follow the will of God.

While one can pray as often as he wishes, Bahá’u’lláh commands Bahá’ís to pray at least once a day. He has revealed three obligatory prayers. Each believer is free to choose one of these [Page 3] three prayers and use it according to the specific directions which accompany each prayer. The short prayer is said once a day between noon and sunset; the medium prayer is recited in the morning, at noon, and in the evening; the long prayer may be used any time during the day or night.

When the disciples of Christ asked Him to teach them to pray, He gave the Lord’s Prayer. This certainly is not the only prayer Christ ever used, but it is the only one which was written down and preserved in the Gospels. Bahá’ís are fortunate to have hundreds of beautiful prayers revealed by Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. One can, of course, make up his own prayers from the fullness of his heart; but the prayers of Bahá’u’lláh, the Báb, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá have a special power. They also serve as an example, teaching man how to approach God and what to pray for:

I render Thee thanks, O Thou Who has lighted Thy fire within my soul, and cast the beams of Thy light into my heart, that Thou has taught Thy servants how to make mention of Thee, and revealed unto them the ways whereby they can supplicate Thee . . .⁶

The period of fasting is a time of cleansing and renewal. Turning away from food and drink reminds man that he is a [Page 4] spiritual as well as a physical being. The Bahá’í Fast lasts nineteen days, from March 2 through March 20. During this time Bahá’ís do not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset.

The spirit in which one approaches the Fast is very important. It is not enough merely to abstain from food and drink. One should spend time in prayer and meditation and consider how he can improve and enrich his life. The Fast is a time when one should devote special attention to cleansing his heart of selfish desires, prejudices, lusts, and other impurities. This spiritual preparation helps one begin the new year, which starts immediately after the Fast, strengthened and refreshed.

The Fast is often a time of great closeness in Bahá’í families and communities. Many Bahá’ís enjoy gathering before dawn or after sunset to pray, eat, and share fellowship.

In some situations Bahá’u’lláh says one should not fast. Bahá’ís who are traveling, sick, pregnant, nursing a child, over seventy years old, or younger than fifteen are not required to fast. All other Bahá’ís should take advantage of the opportunities for spiritual growth and renewal which the Fast offers.

3. Teaching

One who has fallen in love with Bahá’u’lláh and been blessed with the guidance and inspiration found in His Writings will naturally want to share this gift with others. Teaching others about the Faith is both a privilege and a duty: “Teach ye the Cause of God, O people of Bahá, for God hath prescribed unto every one the duty of proclaiming His Message, and regardeth it as the most meritorious of all deeds.”⁷

In the past, ministers—who were often the only people able to read holy books—studied scriptures and did most of the teaching. Now there is a new way of spreading the knowledge of His Cause. Since most people around the world can learn to read and write and can think for themselves, ministers are no longer needed. Instead each Bahá’í has the responsibility of studying the Writings himself and teaching the Faith to others.

There are several ways of teaching. Each Bahá’í can try to