Baha?i religious observance; birthday of Baha?u'llah
The
Birth of Baha?u'llah
is one of nine
holy days
in the
Baha?i calendar
that is celebrated by adherents of the
Baha?i Faith
and during which work is suspended.
[1]
[2]
The holy day celebrates the birth of
Baha?u'llah
, the founder of the Baha?i Faith. The 2024 date is November 3.
[3]
Baha'u'llah was born on 12 November 1817 in
Tehran
,
Iran
,
[4]
and this holy day was instituted in the
Kitab-i-Aqdas
, his book of laws, where Baha?u'llah first refers to four great festivals: the
Festival of Ridvan
, the Declaration of the
Bab
, the birth of the Bab?who is considered to be a
Manifestation of God
, and who foretold the coming of Baha?u'llah?and the birth of Baha?u'llah.
[5]
In questions submitted to Baha?u'llah after writing the Kitab-i-Aqdas, Baha?u'llah states that the two days commemorating the births of the Bab and Baha?u'llah are seen to be one in the "sight of God" and are referred to as the "
Twin Birthdays
".
[6]
[7]
?Abdu'l-Baha
, the son of Baha?u'llah, stated that during the holy day the community should rejoice together to increase the unity of the community.
[8]
Baha?is usually observe the holy day with community gatherings where prayers are shared and the birth of Baha?u'llah is celebrated. Baha?u'llah stated that in communities where the majority of the population are
Shi?a Muslims
, such as Iran, his followers should exercise caution in celebrating the twin birthdays so that they do not upset the majority of the population who are mourning during the Islamic month of
Muharram
.
[9]
In the
Islamic calendar
, which is a lunar calendar, the two holy days fall on consecutive days: the birth of the Bab is on the first day of Muharram in 1235
AH
(20 October 1819), and the birth of Baha?u'llah is on the second day of
Muharram
in 1233 AH (12 November 1817).
[7]
[9]
Baha?u'llah stated that if the holy days occur during the
Baha?i month of fasting
, Baha?is need not observe the fast those days.
[7]
Since the Baha?i calendar is a
solar calendar
, the decision to celebrate the
Twin Holy Birthdays
in a solar or lunar basis remains to the
Universal House of Justice
.
[7]
Until March 20, 2015, in most of the world, the holy day was celebrated according to the solar year on 12 November, and the birth of the Bab was celebrated on 20 October.
[2]
Since days in the Baha?i calendar start at sunset, the holy day started on the evening of 11 November and proceeded until sunset on 12 November.
However, in 2014, the Universal House of Justice decided to celebrate the twin holy days on the first and second day following the eighth new moon after Naw-Ruz, starting from March 20, 2015 onwards.
[10]
Thus from March 20, 2015 onward the day where the Birth of Baha?u'llah is celebrated will change from year to year.
Year
|
Naw-Ruz
|
1st day of Ridvan
|
9th day of Ridvan
|
12th day of Ridvan
|
Declaration of the Bab
|
Ascension of Baha'u'llah
|
Martyrdom of the Bab
|
Birth of the Bab
|
Birth of Baha'u'llah
|
Day of the Covenant
|
Ascension of ?Abdu'l-Baha
|
2022
|
21 Mar
|
21 Apr
|
29 Apr
|
2 May
|
24 May
|
29 May
|
10 Jul
|
26 Oct
|
27 Oct
|
26 Nov
|
28 Nov
|
2023
|
21 Mar
|
21 Apr
|
29 Apr
|
2 May
|
24 May
|
29 May
|
10 Jul
|
16 Oct
|
17 Oct
|
26 Nov
|
28 Nov
|
2024
|
20 Mar
|
20 Apr
|
28 Apr
|
1 May
|
23 May
|
28 May
|
9 Jul
|
2 Nov
|
3 Nov
|
25 Nov
|
27 Nov
|
2025
|
20 Mar
|
20 Apr
|
28 Apr
|
1 May
|
23 May
|
28 May
|
9 Jul
|
22 Oct
|
23 Oct
|
25 Nov
|
27 Nov
|
2026
|
21 Mar
|
21 Apr
|
29 Apr
|
2 May
|
24 May
|
29 May
|
10 Jul
|
10 Nov
|
11 Nov
|
26 Nov
|
28 Nov
|
2027
|
21 Mar
|
21 Apr
|
29 Apr
|
2 May
|
24 May
|
29 May
|
10 Jul
|
30 Oct
|
31 Oct
|
26 Nov
|
28 Nov
|
2028
|
20 Mar
|
20 Apr
|
28 Apr
|
1 May
|
23 May
|
28 May
|
9 Jul
|
19 Oct
|
20 Oct
|
25 Nov
|
27 Nov
|
2029
|
20 Mar
|
20 Apr
|
28 Apr
|
1 May
|
23 May
|
28 May
|
9 Jul
|
7 Nov
|
8 Nov
|
25 Nov
|
27 Nov
|
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Smith, Peter (2000).
"holy days"
.
A concise encyclopedia of the Baha?i Faith
. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. pp. 182?183.
ISBN
1-85168-184-1
.
- ^
a
b
Esslemont, J.E. (1980).
Baha?u'llah and the New Era
(5th ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baha?i Publishing Trust. pp. 182?183.
ISBN
0-87743-160-4
.
- ^
"Baha'i Holy Days"
.
- ^
Nigosian, Solomon A. (1994). "Chapter 15".
World Faiths
. New York: St. Martin's Press. pp.
459?470
.
- ^
Baha?u'llah
(1992) [1873].
The Kitab-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book
. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baha?i Publishing Trust. p. 59.
ISBN
0-85398-999-0
.
- ^
Baha?u'llah
(1992) [1873].
The Kitab-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book
. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baha?i Publishing Trust. p. 105.
ISBN
0-85398-999-0
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Universal House of Justice (1992). "Notes".
The Kitab-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book
. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baha?i Publishing Trust. pp. 224?225.
ISBN
0-85398-999-0
.
- ^
National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha?is of the United States.
Developing Distinctive Baha?i Communities
.
- ^
a
b
Taherzadeh, Adib
(1987).
The Revelation of Baha?u'llah, Volume 4: Mazra'ih & Bahji 1877?92
. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. pp. 334?5.
ISBN
0-85398-270-8
.
- ^
The Universal House of Justice (2014-07-10).
"To the Baha?is of the World"
. Retrieved
2014-07-10
.
- ^
Universal House of Justice
(2014-07-10).
"Regarding the Implementation of the Badi` Calendar"
. Retrieved
2024-03-13
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
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