Baha?i symbols

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Calligraphy of the Greatest Name

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 [ edit ]

See also: Hurufism

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. [1] 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. [3]

On 13 September 2022, the symbol was added to Unicode as U+1F7D9 🟙 NINE POINTED WHITE STAR .

Five-pointed star [ edit ]

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." [4] The five-pointed star has been used as the outline of special letters or tablets by both the Bab [5] and Baha?u'llah. [6]

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 . [7] 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. [7] [8] 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). [9] [10]

Baha?u'llah wrote the Suriy-i-Haykal (Tablet of the Temple) in the shape of a five-pointed star. [6] 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. [7] In the Tablet, the haykal is also used to refer to the word of God, which is revealed by the Manifestations of God. [11] 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..." [12]

  • Haykal by the Báb written in his own hand.
    Haykal by the Bab written in his own hand.
  • An unidentified tablet in the Báb's handwriting.
    An unidentified tablet in the Bab's handwriting.
  • An unidentified tablet in the Báb's handwriting.
    An unidentified tablet in the Bab's handwriting.

The Greatest Name [ edit ]

The word Baha?

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. [1] In the Baha?i Faith, this 'Greatest Name' is Baha? ( ???? ), translated as " glory, splendour . [1] 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".

Calligraphy of the Greatest Name

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?. [13] [14] Along with daily prayers, Baha?is are encouraged to recite the phrase "Allah-u-Abha" 95 times in a form of meditation. [15]

Arabic letters in the Greatest Name

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 , [1] 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. [16] The symbol can usually be seen in Baha?i homes and rings that are produced on a limited scale. [16]

Ringstone symbol [ edit ]

An artistic representation of the Baha?i Ringstone Symbol
Ringstone Symbol on jewelry

The Ringstone Symbol was designed by ?Abdu'l-Baha, [17] 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 [ edit ]

  1. ^ a b c d Smith 2000 , pp. 167?168.
  2. ^ On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, published in Hornby 1983 , p. 414
  3. ^ Universal House of Justice 1999 .
  4. ^ Effendi 1973 , p. 52.
  5. ^ Momen 2019 .
  6. ^ a b Bayat 2001 .
  7. ^ a b c Walbridge 1995 , pp. 165?169.
  8. ^ Faizi 1968 , pp. 19.
  9. ^ Riggs 1981 , pp. 70.
  10. ^ Faizi 1968 , pp. 9.
  11. ^ Taherzadeh 1984 , pp. 134.
  12. ^ Baha?u'llah 2002 , p. 21.
  13. ^ Riggs 1981 , pp. 126.
  14. ^ Lambden 1993 .
  15. ^ Smith 2000 , pp. 274?5.
  16. ^ a b Hornby 1983 , pp. 267?268.
  17. ^ Faizi 1968 , pp. 11.
  18. ^ ?Abdu'l-Baha, published in Hornby 1983 , p. 271
  19. ^ Hemmat, Amrollah (June 2016). "The Concept of the Manifestation of God in Chinese Symbolism: An Inter-civilizational Hermeneutic Study" . The Journal of Baha?i Studies . 26 (1?2): 55?89. doi : 10.31581/jbs-26.12.4(2016) .

References [ edit ]

External links [ edit ]

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