1521. There are Mysteries and A Wisdom in Every Word and Movement of the Obligatory Prayers
"Know thou that in every word and movement of the obligatory prayer there are allusions, mysteries and a wisdom that man is unable to comprehend, and letters and scrolls cannot contain."
- (‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Vol. I, p. 85)
1522. Obligatory Prayers
"As obligatory prayers require either genuflection or ablution and orienting toward Bahjí, they cannot truly be said by one person for a group of people without it being in effect a form of congregational prayer, so he thinks it better to avoid it."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, July 31, 1946: Bahá’í News, No. 197, July 1947, p. 6)
1523. Turning Towards 'Akká in prayer is a Physical Symbol of an Inner Reality—One Who Does not Understand the Acts Accompanying the Long Prayer Can Use the Short
"He would advise you to only use the short midday Obligatory Prayer. This has no genuflections and only requires that when saying it the believer turn his face towards 'Akká where Bahá’u’lláh is buried. This is a physical symbol of an inner reality, just as the plant stretches out to the sunlight—from which it receives life and growth—so we turn our hearts to the Manifestation of God, Bahá’u’lláh, when we pray; and we turn our faces, during this short prayer, to where His dust lies on this earth as a symbol of the inner act.
"Bahá’u’lláh has reduced all ritual and form to an absolute minimum in His Faith. The few forms that there are—like those associated with the two longer obligatory daily prayers, are only symbols of the inner attitude. There is a wisdom in them, and a great blessing but we cannot force ourselves to understand or feel these things; that is why He gave us also the very short and simple prayer, for those who did not feel the desire to perform the acts associated with the other two."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, June 24, 1949: Spiritual Foundations: Prayer, Meditation, and the Devotional Attitude, op. cit.)
1524. If a Believer is Ill or Physically Unable to Perform Genuflexions
"As regards the questions about the proper use of the Long Obligatory Prayer: All the writings of the Faith may be read and should be read for the instruction and inspiration of the friends. This includes the specific prayers. If a believer is physically incapable of performing the genuflexions accompanying one of the prayers, and yet he longs to say it as an obligatory prayer, then he may do so. By physically incapable is meant a real physical incapacity which a physician would attest as genuine."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, February 17, 1955)
1525. The Medium Prayer—Repeating the Greatest Name 95 times
"With regard to the three daily obligatory prayers:… The Bahá’í worshipper is free to choose any of these three prayers. The short prayer consists of one verse to be recited once a day at noon. The medium prayer should be recited three times a day: in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. It is accompanied by certain physical gestures such as kneeling, raising the hands, etc. The long prayer which is also accompanied by regulations should be recited once every twenty-four hours. The adoption of one of these three prayers is a spiritual obligation imposed upon all the believers. For as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá says in His Writings—prayer and fasting are the twin pillars that sustain the Law of God.
"As regards the repeating of the Greatest Name ninety-five times, this also has been mentioned by Bahá’u’lláh but He has given no directions as to how the prayer beads should be used in this connection."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, April 25, 1937)
1526. Physical Gestures and Washing Hands and Face in Connection with Obligatory Prayers are Laws of Bahá’u’lláh
"…The genuflections and washing of hands and face (as clearly put down in 'Prayers and Meditations of Bahá’u’lláh', which he himself translated), associated with the two longer daily prayers (obligatory prayers) are laws of Bahá’u’lláh, applicable to any Bahá’í whether of Muslim background, Christian background or otherwise. It is blasphemy to suggest otherwise. However, the Bahá’ís have been left free by Bahá’u’lláh to choose one of the 3 obligatory prayers, and those who prefer not to perform these acts can say the very short one."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of Germany and Austria, June 30, 1949)
1527. Each One Must Say his Obligatory Prayer by Himself
"As to the obligatory prayer: Each one must say his prayer alone by himself, and this is not conditional on a private place; that is, both at home and in the worshipping-place, which is a gathering-place, it is allowable for one to say his prayer; but each person must say his prayer by himself. But if they chant supplications together, in a good and effective voice, that is very good."
- (‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Tablets of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Vol. II, p. 464)
1528. Regarding Reading The Báb's Prayer 500 Times
"On page 1 of your October News letter you have quoted the Báb's prayer for the removal of difficulties and have added: 'Bahá’u’lláh has said to repeat this prayer 500 times by day and by night that it may aid us to recognize Him and our souls will be illumined.'
"The above statement gives the impression that the repetition of the said prayer 500 times is one of the prescribed devotionals of the Faith, and has a specified effect on the believer who observes this form of prayer.
"We do not feel it is justified to infer such conclusions from the reference in 'God Passes By", page 119, which you mention. The passage in question obviously refers to a specific circumstance in the life of Bahá’u’lláh in Baghdád before the declaration of His Mission, and should not be presented to the believers as one of the prescribed observances of the faith."
- (From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, November 24, 1971)
- Bahai.works note: There is a link here from No. 1517
1529. The Medium Prayer to be Recited Morning, Noon and Evening—Three Times a Day
"… The friends are free to choose any one of these three prayers, but have to follow the instructions revealed by Bahá’u’lláh concerning them. The long prayer should be recited once in every 24 hours, and is accompanied by certain physical acts. The short prayer, consisting of one verse, should be recited once a day at noon; while the medium prayer should be said three times a day; in the morning, at noon and in the evening. The believer is entirely free to choose any one of these three prayers for daily use."
- (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of India, April 27, 1937)
1530. Definition of "Morning", "Noon" and "Evening"
"By 'morning', 'noon' and 'evening', mentioned in connection with the Obligatory Prayers, is meant respectively the intervals between sunrise and noon, between noon and sunset, and from sunset till two hours after sunset."
- (Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 146)
1531. In High Latitudes the National Spiritual Assembly May Fix Hours of Prayer and Fasting by the Clock.
"Concerning the times for prayer and fasting, it is correct that, in the high latitudes, where the lengths of day and night vary considerably from season to season of the year, it is permissible to observe the laws of prayer and fasting in accordance with the clock rather than with the rising and setting of the sun. As Iceland lies in such latitudes, it is for your Assembly to decide this matter for the believers in your country. All should then abide by whatever your Assembly lays down."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, July 27, 1976: Notes on Obligatory Prayers and Ablutions, a compilation of the Universal House of Justice)
1532. Based on Texts in the "Kitáb-i-Aqdas" and "Questions and Answers"—The Universal House of Justice Permits Use of Clock
"There are two texts, in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and its annexe, which refer to the use of clocks. In the Book itself it is written that in lands where the days and nights are long the hours of prayer shall be determined by reference to clocks and other timepieces. In the 'Questions and Answers', in answer to the more general question whether, in determining time, it is permissible to make use of timepieces, Bahá’u’lláh states that it is permissible.
"Although in the first instance the Sacred Text specifically mentions the use of clocks for determining the times of prayer it does not limit their use to that purpose, and the Universal House of Justice, on the basis of the more general statement in the 'Questions and Answers', has permitted their use also in determining the hours of fasting, leaving the application of the law to the National Spiritual Assembly in each country that lies in the high latitudes.
"In the case of fasting, as Mr. … correctly comments, there is little difference between sunrise and sunset as observed astronomically and hours of fasting as fixed by the clock, because the fast falls just before the Equinox. However, by this ruling it is possible for the believers in the high latitudes to use the same standard for both prayer and fasting, as well as for fixing the ending of each day in the Bahá’í calendar in determining the time for the starting of each Holy Day and the holding of the Nineteen Day Feasts."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to a National Spiritual Assembly, June 13, 1978: Ibid.)
1533. "Alláh-u-Abhá" is the Form of the Greatest Name to be Used in the Long Obligatory Prayer
"Shoghi Effendi has explained that 'Alláh-u-Abhá' should be used when the Greatest Name is to be repeated three times in the Long Obligatory Prayer."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, January 28, 1977: Ibid.)
1534. Instructions in the Long Obligatory Prayer
"The Universal House of Justice received your letter of 7 January 1975, enquiring about the correct way of following certain instructions in the Long Obligatory Prayer, and has asked us to give you this reply.
"In following the direction stating: 'Let him then stand and raise his hands twice in supplication, and say.… ': the believer does not have to read twice the paragraph which follows. Whether the believer raises his hands twice before the reciting of the paragraph, or commences the reciting after having raised his hands once, and raises them a second time soon thereafter, is left to his choice.
"As to the direction which states: 'Let him then raise his hands thrice, and say.… ', an individual believer asked the beloved Guardian the following question:
'… the direction to raise the hands thrice and say "Greater is God than every great one." Does this mean after every raising of the hands, or only to be said once, after the three raisings?'
"Shoghi Effendi's secretary answered on his behalf as follows:
'The hands should be raised three times and each time the sentence be repeated in conjunction with the act.' "
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice, February 13, 1975: Ibid.)
1535. Instructions for the Medium Obligatory Prayer
"Each phrase which one may substitute is for a particular portion of the prayer, and the instructions are quite specific where the substitutions may be made. For instance, the longest verse in the prayer begins with the same words as those which may be substituted; that is, after the instructions 'Then let him stand up, and facing the Qiblih, let him say: God testifieth that there is none other God but Him.' The second phrase which may be substituted, which states, 'it would suffice were he, while seated,…' may be used in place of the concluding paragraph which carries the instruction 'Let him, then, be seated and say:'—and, again, the substituted words follow exactly the first sentence of that final paragraph."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, April 23, 1981: Ibid.)
1536. The Correct Position for "Sitting" During Obligatory Prayers
"…one of the believers asked the Guardian a question about the correct position for sitting. From the context it seems clear that this question is related to the medium Prayer, but this is not explicitly stated. The Guardian's reply states that sitting on a chair is permissible, but to sit on the floor is preferable and more fitting."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, April 1, 1982: Ibid.)
1537. Ablutions and Movements to Accompany the Recitation of the Long Obligatory Prayer
"Concerning the movements to accompany the recitations of the Long Obligatory Prayer, in response to an enquiry from the National Spiritual Assembly of the Near East, the House of Justice stated in a letter dated September 1, 1975:
'Ablutions are necessary for all three Obligatory Prayers.'
'Reciting the words specified in the medium Obligatory Prayer pertains only to that prayer, i.e., for the short and long Obligatory Prayers it would be sufficient to wash one's hands and face in preparation for each of these two prayers.'
"However, the Universal House of Justice has stated to National Spiritual Assemblies in the West that no issue should be made of this matter at the present time and since it has not been clarified and applied in detail to the western believers, they are under no obligation to go beyond the instructions given by the beloved Guardian in 'Prayers and Meditations' in which ablutions are prescribed only in connection with the medium Obligatory Prayer.
"The instruction to raise one's hands occurs once in the medium Obligatory Prayer and five times in the long Obligatory Prayer. The term used in the original Arabic for the first, second and fourth occasions in the long Prayer is the same as that used in the medium Prayer. Therefore it would be entirely correct for the worshipper, when raising his hands on these occasions during the recitation of the long Obligatory Prayer, to follow the more specific instructions given in English by the Guardian in his translation of the medium one. On the third and fifth occasions the instruction is given in the long Prayer, the words 'in supplication' are omitted. The House of Justice does not wish at this time to give any specific guidance in this connection; it leaves the matter to the discretion of the friends."
- (From a letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, April 1, 1982: Ibid.)
1538. Ablutions Before Obligatory Prayers and Repetition of the Greatest Name
"It hath been ordained that every believer in God, the Lord of Judgement, shall, each day, having washed his hands and then his face, seat himself and, turning unto God, repeat 'Alláh-u-Abhá' ninety-five times. Such was the decree of the Maker of the Heavens when, with majesty and power, He established Himself upon the thrones of His Names. Perform ye likewise, ablutions for the Obligatory Prayer; this is the command of God, the Incomparable, the Unrestrained."
- (Bahá’u’lláh: The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, K18, p. 26)
- Bahai.works note: There is a link here from No. 905
1539. The Verse to be Recited when There is No Water
"… Let him that findeth no water for ablution repeat five times the words 'In the Name of God, the Most Pure, the Most Pure', and then proceed to his devotions. Such is the command of the Lord of all worlds…."
- (Ibid., K10, p. 23)
