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Baha?i Faith
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Key scripture Kitab-i-Aqdas Kitab-i-Iqan The Hidden Words Some Answered Questions Other Texts
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History Baha?i history Timeline Babism Persecution
People Shoghi Effendi Hands of the Cause Apostles Other Baha?is Babis Letters of the Living Mulla Husayn Tahirih
Places House of Worship Shrine of Baha?u'llah Qiblih Shrine of the Bab Siyah-Chal World Centre Pilgrimage Haifa Acre
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In the Baha?i Faith the Qiblih ( Arabic : ???? ‎ , "direction") is the location to which Baha?is face when saying their daily obligatory prayers . The Qiblih is fixed at the Shrine of Baha?u'llah , near Acre , in present-day Israel ; approximately at 32°56′37″N 35°5′31″E  /  32.94361°N 35.09194°E  / 32.94361; 35.09194 .

In Babism the Qiblih was originally identified by the Bab with " the One Whom God will make manifest ", a messianic figure predicted by the Bab. Baha?u'llah , the Prophet-founder of the Baha?i Faith claimed to be the figure predicted by the Bab. In the Kitab-i-Aqdas , Baha?u'llah confirms the Bab's ordinance and further ordains his final resting-place as the Qiblih for his followers. ^[1] ?Abdu'l-Baha describes that spot as the "luminous Shrine", "the place around which circumambulate the Concourse on High". The concept exists in other religions. Jews face Jerusalem, more specifically the site of the former Temple of Jerusalem . Muslims face the Kaaba in Mecca, which they also call the Qibla (another transliteration of Qiblih).

Baha?is do not worship the Shrine of Baha?u'llah or its contents, the Qiblih is simply a focal point for the obligatory prayers . When praying obligatory prayers the members of the Baha?i Faith face in the direction of the Qiblih. It is a fixed requirement for the recitation of an obligatory prayer, but for other prayers and devotions one may follow what is written in the Qur?an: "Whichever way ye turn, there is the face of God." ^[2]

Burial of the dead [ edit ]

"The dead should be buried with their face turned towards the Qiblih. This also is in accordance with what is practiced in Islam . There is also a congregational prayer to be recited. Besides this there is no other ceremony to be performed" (From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, July 6, 1935).

See also [ edit ]

• Direction of prayer
  • Mizrah , the direction of prayer in the Jewish faith , facing the Temple Mount in Jerusalem
  • Ad orientem , comparable concept in traditional Christianity ; informs orientation of many church buildings
  • Qibla , the Muslim direction of prayer
• Orientation of churches
• Spatial deixis , spatial orientation relevant to an utterance

Citations [ edit ]

References [ edit ]

• Baha?u'llah (1873). The Kitab-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book . Wilmette, Illinois: Baha?i Publishing Trust. ISBN   0-85398-999-0 .
• Smith, Peter (1999). A Concise Encyclopedia of the Baha?i Faith . Oxford: Oneworld Publications. ISBN   1-85168-184-1 .

External links [ edit ]

• Excerpts from the Kitab-i-Aqdas regarding the Qiblih
• Direction to Bahji
• Find the direction to Bahji with Google Maps