Symbols used in the Baha?i Faith.
There are several symbols used to express identification with the
Baha?i Faith
: the
nine-pointed star
, a calligraphy known as the "Greatest Name", the Ringstone Symbol, or a five-pointed star.
Nine-pointed star
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According to the
Abjad
system of
isopsephy
, the word Baha? has a numerical equivalence of
9
, and thus there is frequent use of the number 9 in Baha?i symbols.
The most commonly used symbol connected to the number 9 is the
nine-pointed star
,
; there is no particular design of the nine-pointed star that is used more often than others. While the star is not a part of the teachings of the Baha?i Faith, it is commonly used as an emblem representing "9", because of the association of
number 9
with perfection, unity and Baha?.
The number 9 also comes up several times in Baha?i history and teachings. On the significance of the number 9,
Shoghi Effendi
wrote:
Concerning the number nine: the Baha?i's reverence this for two reasons, first because it is considered by those interested in numbers as the sign of perfection. The second consideration, which is the more important one, is that it is the numerical value of the word "Baha"[.]
Besides these two significances the number nine has no other meaning. It is, however, enough to make the Baha?is use it when an arbitrary number is to be chosen.
[2]
Its use on gravestone markers was approved by Shoghi Effendi, then head of the religion, in 1944.
On 13 September 2022, the symbol was added to
Unicode
as
U+1F7D9
🟙
NINE POINTED WHITE STAR
.
Five-pointed star
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The
five-pointed star
, or
haykal
(
Arabic
:
temple
) is a symbol of the
Baha?i Faith
as mentioned by
Shoghi Effendi
, head of the Baha?i Faith in the first half of the 20th century: "Strictly speaking the 5-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the
Bab
and explained by Him."
The five-pointed star has been used as the outline of special letters or
tablets
by both the Bab
and Baha?u'llah.
Haykal is a loan word from the
Hebrew
word
h?y??l
, which means temple and specifically
Solomon's Temple
in Jerusalem. In Arabic, the word also means the body or form of something, particularly the
human body
.
In the Baha?i tradition, the
haykal
was established by the
Bab
— and represents the human body as a head, two hands, and two feet.
The Bab wrote many letters, tablets, prayers and more in the shape of a five-pointed star, including some that included many derivatives of the word
Baha?
(see below).
Baha?u'llah wrote the
Suriy-i-Haykal (Tablet of the Temple)
in the shape of a five-pointed star.
While the meaning of temple remains present, the haykal is used mainly to mean the human body, but particularly the body of the
Manifestation of God
— a messenger from God — and the person of Baha?u'llah himself.
In the Tablet, the haykal is also used to refer to the word of God, which is revealed by the Manifestations of God.
He also says in the same Tablet:
"O Living Temple! We have, in very truth,...ordained Thee to be the emblem of My Cause betwixt the heavens and the earth..."
-
Haykal by the Bab written in his own hand.
-
An unidentified tablet in the Bab's handwriting.
-
An unidentified tablet in the Bab's handwriting.
The Greatest Name
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In Islam,
God has 99 names
, and in some Muslim traditions it is believed that there is a special hidden 100th name, which is the greatest.
In the Baha?i Faith, this 'Greatest Name' is
Baha?
(
????
), translated as "
glory, splendour
.
Many symbols of the Baha?i Faith derive their significance from the word Baha?. It is the root word used in many other names and phrases including Baha?i (a follower of Baha?), Baha?u'llah "Glory of God", ?Abdu'l-Baha "Servant of Glory", Ya Baha?u'l-Abha "O Thou Glory of the Most Glorious", and
Allah-u-Abha
"God is Most Glorious".
Baha?u'llah often referred to Baha?is in his writings as "the people of Baha?". The Bab sent a tablet to Baha?u'llah with 360 derivatives of the word Baha?.
Along with daily prayers, Baha?is are encouraged to recite the phrase "Allah-u-Abha" 95 times in a form of meditation.
The symbol known as Greatest Name is a calligraphic rendering of "Ya Baha?u'l-Abha" (
Arabic
:
?? ???? ??????
,
romanized
:
Y? bah?? al-Abha
,
lit.
'most glorious splendour!'), usually translated as "O Thou the Glory of the Most Glorious!"). This rendering was originally drawn by the early Baha?i calligrapher
Mishkin-Qalam
,
and later adopted by Baha?is everywhere.
Since the symbol refers more directly to the Name of God and the
Manifestation of God
than any other symbol in the Baha?i Faith, it is not generally used casually or to adorn the personal artifacts that are put to common use.
The symbol can usually be seen in Baha?i homes and rings that are produced on a limited scale.
Ringstone symbol
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]
The
Ringstone Symbol
was designed by ?Abdu'l-Baha,
and, as its name implies, is the most common symbol found on rings worn by Baha?is, but it is also used on necklaces, book covers, and paintings. It consists of two stars (
haykal
) interspersed with a stylized
Baha?
. The lower line is said to represent humanity and the world of creation, the upper line the world of God, and the middle line represents the special station of
Manifestation of God
and the world of
revelation
; the vertical line is the primal will or Holy Spirit proceeding from God through the manifestations to humanity. The position of Manifestation of God in this symbol is said to be the linking point to God. The two stars or haykals represent Baha?u'llah and the Bab.
[18]
It is also probably no coincidence that the shape of the symbol bears similarity to the Chinese characters for king
王
,
Jade Emperor
玉帝, and master
主
.
[19]
Notes
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]
References
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]
- Baha?u'llah
(2002) [composed 1868].
The Summons of the Lord of Hosts
. Haifa, Israel: Baha?i World Centre.
ISBN
0-85398-976-1
.
- Bayat, Mohamad Ghasem (2001).
"An Introduction to the Suratu'l-Haykal (Discourse of The Temple)"
. Lights of Irfan.
- Buck, Christopher (1999).
Paradise and Paradigm
.
SUNY Press
.
ISBN
9780791497944
– via Baha?i Library Online.
- Collins, William (1990).
"Sacred Mythology and the Baha?i Faith"
(PDF)
.
Journal of Baha?i Studies
.
2
(4): 1?15.
doi
:
10.31581/JBS-2.4.1(1990)
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 2011-07-18
. Retrieved
2016-06-24
.
- Effendi, Shoghi
(1973).
Directives from the Guardian
. Hawaii Baha?i Publishing Trust.
- Faizi, Abu'l-Qasim (1968).
Explanation of the Symbol of the Greatest Name
. New Delhi: India Baha?i Publishing Trust – via Baha?i Library Online.
- Hatcher, John S. (1997).
The Ocean of His Words: A Reader's Guide to the Art of Baha?u'llah
. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baha?i Publishing Trust.
ISBN
0-87743-259-7
.
- Hornby, Helen, ed. (1983).
Lights of Guidance: A Baha?i Reference File
. New Delhi: India Baha?i Publishing Trust.
ISBN
81-85091-46-3
– via Baha?i Library Online.
- Lambden, Stephen (1993).
"The Word Baha?: Quintessence of the Greatest Name"
.
Baha?i Studies Review
.
3
(1) – via Baha?i Library Online.
- MacEoin, Denis (1997). Hinnells, John R. (ed.).
A New Handbook of Living Religions
. Blackwell Publishers.
ISBN
0-631-18275-6
.
- Momen, Moojan
(2019).
"The Star Tablet of the Bab"
. British Library Blog.
- Rabbani, Ruhiyyih (1984).
The Desire of the World: Materials for the Contemplation of God and His Manifestation for This Day
. Oxford, UK: George Ronald.
- Riggs, Robert F. (1981).
Apocalyspe Unsealed
. New York: Philosophical Library.
ISBN
0-8022-2367-2
.
- Saiedi, Nader (2000).
Logos and Civilization - Spirit, History, and Order in the Writings of Baha?u'llah
. USA: University Press of Maryland and Association for Baha'i Studies.
ISBN
1883053609
.
OL
8685020M
.
- Smith, Peter (2000).
A concise encyclopedia of the Baha?i Faith
. Oxford: Oneworld Publications.
ISBN
1-85168-184-1
.
- Taherzadeh, Adib
(1984).
The Revelation of Baha?u'llah, Volume 3: 'Akka, The Early Years 1868-77
. Oxford, UK: George Ronald.
ISBN
0-85398-144-2
.
- Universal House of Justice
(1999-01-24).
"The Nine-Pointed Star: History and Symbolism"
. Baha?i Library Online
. Retrieved
Sep 14,
2014
.
- Walbridge, John (1995),
Sacred Acts, Sacred Space, Sacred Time
, Oxford: George Ronald,
ISBN
0-85398-406-9
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