Chapter 1
Baha'i Prayers: A Selection of Prayers Revealed by Baha'u'llah, the Bab, and 'Abdu'l-Baha
by Baha'u'llah, The Bab and 'Abdu'l-Baha
Edition 1, (September 2006)
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CONTENTS
Baha'i Terms of Use "Blessed is the spot, and the house..." "Intone, O My servant, the verses of God..." OBLIGATORY PRAYERS "The daily obligatory prayers are three in number...." SHORT OBLIGATORY PRAYER MEDIUM OBLIGATORY PRAYER LONG OBLIGATORY PRAYER GENERAL PRAYERS AID AND ASSISTANCE "O Thou Whose face is the object of my adoration,..." "My God, my Adored One, my King, my Desire!..." "Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord our God! Thou..." "O my God, my Lord and my Master! I have..." "Lord! Pitiful are we, grant us Thy favor; poor,..." "O Thou kind Lord! We are servants of Thy..." "Remove not, O Lord, the festal board that hath..." PRAYER FOR AMERICA "O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is turning..." ASSISTANCE WITH TESTS "Dispel my grief by Thy bounty and Thy generosity,..." "Lauded and glorified art Thou, O my God! I entreat..." "Is there any Remover of difficulties save God?..." "Say: God sufficeth all things above all things,..." "I adjure Thee by Thy might, O my God! Let no..." "O Lord! Thou art the Remover of every anguish..." "O Lord, my God and my Haven in my distress!..." "He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful!..." "O my Lord, my Beloved, my Desire! Befriend..." CHILDREN AND YOUTH "Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Graciously..." "O Thou peerless Lord! Let this suckling babe..." "O God! Rear this little babe in the bosom of..." "O God! Educate these children. These children..." "O Thou kind Lord! These lovely children are..." "O Lord! Make these children excellent plants...." "He is God! O God my God! Bestow upon me..." "O God, guide me, protect me, make of me a..." "O my Lord! O my Lord!..." "O Peerless Lord! Be Thou a shelter for this..." "O Lord! Make this youth radiant, and confer..." FOR THE DEPARTED "O my God! This is Thy servant and the son of..." "Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! Abase not..." "He is God, exalted is He, the Lord of loving-kindness..." "O my God! O Thou forgiver of sins, bestower..." "O my God! O my God! Verily, Thy servant,..." "O Thou forgiving Lord! Although some souls have..." DETACHMENT "Suffer me, O my God, to draw nigh unto Thee,..." "Glorified art Thou, O my God! I yield Thee..." "Lauded be Thy name, O my God! I entreat Thee..." "Many a chilled heart, O my God, hath been..." "I know not, O my God, what the Fire is which..." "Praise be unto Thee, O my God! I am one of..." "In the Name of thy Lord, the Creator, the Sovereign,..." "O Lord! Unto Thee I repair for refuge, and..." "O God, my God! Thou art my Hope and my..." "O God, my God! Fill up for me the cup of detachment..." EVENING "O my God, my Master, the Goal of my desire!..." "How can I choose to sleep, O God, my God,..." "O Lord, I have turned my face unto Thy kingdom..." FAMILIES "Glory be unto Thee, O Lord my God! I beg..." "I beg Thy forgiveness, O my God, and implore..." "O Lord! In this Most Great Dispensation Thou..." "O God, my God! This Thy handmaid is calling..." "My Lord! My Lord! I praise Thee and I thank..." FIRMNESS IN THE COVENANT "Glory be to Thee, O King of eternity, and the..." "He is the Mighty, the Pardoner, the Compassionate!..." "Make firm our steps, O Lord, in Thy path..." "O compassionate God! Thanks be to Thee for..." "O my Lord and my Hope! Help Thou Thy..." FORGIVENESS "Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech..." "I am he, O my Lord, that hath set his face towards..." "Thou seest me, O my Lord, with my face..." "Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Every..." "Lauded be Thy name, O my God and the God of..." "O God our Lord! Protect us through Thy..." "Praise be unto Thee, O Lord. Forgive us our..." "I beg Thee to forgive me, O my Lord, for every..." "Glory be unto Thee, O God. How can I make..." "O Thou forgiving Lord! Thou art the shelter..." THE FUND "O God, my God! Illumine the brows of Thy..." HEALING "O God, my God! I beg of Thee by the ocean..." "Thy name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance..." "Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore..." "Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! I implore..." "Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beg of..." THE LONG HEALING PRAYER MANKIND "My God, Whom I worship and adore! I bear..." "O Thou compassionate Lord, Thou Who art..." "O Thou kind Lord! O Thou Who art generous..." "O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all..." "O God, O Thou Who hast cast Thy splendor..." MARRIAGE "He is the Bestower, the Bounteous!..." "He is God!..." "Glory be unto Thee, O my God! Verily, this..." "O my Lord, O my Lord! These two bright..." MEETINGS "Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I implore..." "O Thou merciful God! O Thou Who art..." "O Thou kind Lord! These are Thy servants..." "O my God! O my God! Verily, these servants..." "O Thou forgiving God! These servants are..." "O Divine Providence! This assemblage is composed..." MORNING "O my God and my Master! I am Thy servant..." "I have wakened in Thy shelter, O my God, and..." "I have risen this morning by Thy grace, O my..." "I give praise to Thee, O my God, that Thou hast..." PRAISE AND GRATITUDE "All praise, O my God, be to Thee Who art the..." "In the Name of God, the Most High! Lauded..." "Magnified be Thy name, O Lord my God!..." "Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I yield..." "Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! Every time..." "All majesty and glory, O my God, and all dominion..." PROTECTION "Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! Thou seest..." "Praised be Thou, O Lord my God! This is Thy..." "Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! I entreat..." "O God, my God! I have set out from my..." "Ordain for me, O my Lord, and for those who..." "Glory be to Thee, O God! Thou art the God..." "In the Name of God, the Lord of overpowering..." "O God, my God! Shield Thy trusted servants..." "O my Lord! Thou knowest that the people..." "O God, my God! We are servants of Thine..." "O Thou Lord of the Kingdom! Though our..." "O God! O God! From the unseen kingdom of..." SPIRITUAL QUALITIES "From the sweet-scented streams of Thine eternity..." "Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew..." "He is the Gracious, the All-Bountiful!..." "O my Lord! Make Thy beauty to be my food,..." "Lauded be Thy Name, O Lord my God! I am..." "O my God, the God of bounty and mercy!..." "He is the prayer-hearing, prayer-answering..." "Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I give..." "Vouchsafe unto me, O my God, the full measure..." "O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify..." "O my God! O my God! Glory be unto Thee..." "O my Lord! O my Lord! This is a lamp lighted..." "O my God! O my God! This, Thy servant,..." "O God, my God! This is Thy radiant servant,..." "O God, my God! These are Thy feeble servants;..." "He is God!..." "O Thou Provider! Thou hast breathed over..." STEADFASTNESS "Glorified be Thy name, O Lord my God! I beseech..." "O Thou Whose nearness is my wish, Whose..." "O God, my God! I have turned in repentance..." "Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! I beseech..." "Praise be to Thee, O Lord, my Best Beloved!..." "Praised and glorified art Thou, O God! Grant..." "O Lord my God! Assist Thy loved ones to be..." "O Thou, my God! Who guidest the seeker to..." GENERAL PRAYERS FOR TEACHING "Magnified be Thy name, O my God, for that..." "Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I implore..." "Glory be unto Thee, O Lord of the world and..." "O God, Who art the Author of all Manifestations,..." "O my God, aid Thou Thy servant to raise up..." "O God, my God! Aid Thou Thy trusted servants..." "Thou seest me, O my God, bowed down in..." PRAYERS FOR TEACHING FROM THE TABLETS OF THE DIVINE PLAN REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: "O Thou incomparable God! O Thou Lord of..." REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: "O God, my God! Thou seest me enraptured..." REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: "O God! O God! Thou seest my weakness,..." REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA: "O God, my God! Thou seest how black darkness..." REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE NORTHEASTERN STATES: "O Thou kind Lord! Praise be unto Thee that..." REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE SOUTHERN STATES: "O my God! O my God! Thou seest me in..." REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE CENTRAL STATES: "O Lord, my God! Praise and thanksgiving be..." REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF THE WESTERN STATES: "O God! O God! This is a broken-winged bird..." REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF CANADA: "Praise be to Thee, O my God! These are Thy..." REVEALED TO THE BAHA'IS OF CANADA: "O God, my God! Thou beholdest this weak..." TESTS AND DIFFICULTIES "O Thou Whose tests are a healing medicine..." "Glory to Thee, O my God! But for the tribulations..." "Glorified art Thou, O Lord my God! Every..." "Thou knowest full well, O my God, that tribulations..." TRIUMPH OF THE CAUSE "Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my God! Darkness..." "Glory be unto Thee, O Lord, Thou Who hast..." "O Lord! Provide for the speedy growth of the..." "O Lord! Render victorious Thy forbearing..." "O Lord! Enable all the peoples of the earth to..." "O God, my God! Praise be unto Thee for..." "He is God!..." UNITY "O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of..." "O my God! O my God! Verily, I invoke Thee..." OCCASIONAL PRAYERS TABLET OF AHMAD "He is the King, the All-Knowing, the Wise!..." FIRE TABLET "In the Name of God, the Most Ancient, the Most Great...." TABLET OF THE HOLY MARINER "He is the Gracious, the Well-Beloved! O Holy Mariner!..." TABLETS OF VISITATION "The praise which hath dawned from Thy most..." "He is the All-Glorious!..." INTERCALARY DAYS "My God, my Fire and my Light! The days..." THE FAST "I beseech Thee, O my God, by Thy mighty..." "Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech..." "These are, O my God, the days whereon Thou..." "Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God! These are..." NAW-RUZ "Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast..." MARTYRS AND THEIR FAMILIES "He is God! O Lord my God! O Thou Helper of the..." MOTHER TEMPLE OF THE WEST "O God, my God! I implore Thee with a throbbing..."
"BLESSED IS THE SPOT, AND THE HOUSE..."
Blessed is the spot, and the house, and the place, and the city, and the heart, and the mountain, and the refuge, and the cave, and the valley, and the land, and the sea, and the island, and the meadow where mention of God hath been made, and His praise glorified.
--Baha'u'llah
"INTONE, O MY SERVANT, THE VERSES OF GOD..."
Intone, O My servant, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of all men. Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber, the verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb. Though he may, at first, remain unaware of its effect, yet the virtue of the grace vouchsafed unto him must needs sooner or later exercise its influence upon his soul. Thus have the mysteries of the Revelation of God been decreed by virtue of the Will of Him Who is the Source of power and wisdom.
--BAHA'U'LLAH
OBLIGATORY PRAYERS
"The daily obligatory prayers are three in number...."
"The daily obligatory prayers are three in number. ... The believer is entirely free to choose any one of these three prayers, but is under the obligation of reciting one of them, and in accordance with any specific directions with which they may be accompanied."
--from a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi
"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."--Synopsis and Codification of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 36
SHORT OBLIGATORY PRAYER
_TO BE RECITED ONCE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS, AT NOON_
I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee.
I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
MEDIUM OBLIGATORY PRAYER
_TO BE RECITED DAILY, IN THE MORNING, AT NOON, AND IN THE EVENING_
Whoso wisheth to pray, let him wash his hands, and while he washeth, let him say:
Strengthen my hand, O my God, that it may take hold of Thy Book with such steadfastness that the hosts of the world shall have no power over it. Guard it, then, from meddling with whatsoever doth not belong unto it. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.
And while washing his face, let him say:
I have turned my face unto Thee, O my Lord! Illumine it with the light of Thy countenance. Protect it, then, from turning to anyone but Thee.
Then let him stand up, and facing the Qiblih (Point of Adoration, i.e. Bahji, Akka), let him say:
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His are the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation. He, in truth, hath manifested Him Who is the Dayspring of Revelation, Who conversed on Sinai, through Whom the Supreme Horizon hath been made to shine, and the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing hath spoken, and through Whom the call hath been proclaimed unto all who are in heaven and on earth: "Lo, the All-Possessing is come. Earth and heaven, glory and dominion are God's, the Lord of all men, and the Possessor of the Throne on high and of earth below!"
Let him, then, bend down, with hands resting on the knees, and say:
Exalted art Thou above my praise and the praise of anyone beside me, above my description and the description of all who are in heaven and all who are on earth!
Then, standing with open hands, palms upward toward the face, let him say:
Disappoint not, O my God, him that hath, with beseeching fingers, clung to the hem of Thy mercy and Thy grace, O Thou Who of those who show mercy art the Most Merciful!
Let him, then, be seated and say:
I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee. Thou hast, verily, revealed Thy Cause, fulfilled Thy Covenant, and opened wide the door of Thy grace to all that dwell in heaven and on earth. Blessing and peace, salutation and glory, rest upon Thy loved ones, whom the changes and chances of the world have not deterred from turning unto Thee, and who have given their all, in the hope of obtaining that which is with Thee. Thou art, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
(If anyone choose to recite instead of the long verse these words: "God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting," it would be sufficient. And likewise, it would suffice were he, while seated, to choose to recite these words: "I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee.")
--Baha'u'llah
LONG OBLIGATORY PRAYER
_TO BE RECITED ONCE IN TWENTY-FOUR HOURS_
Whoso wisheth to recite this prayer, let him stand up and turn unto God, and, as he standeth in his place, let him gaze to the right and to the left, as if awaiting the mercy of his Lord, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. Then let him say:
O Thou Who art the Lord of all names and the Maker of the heavens! I beseech Thee by them Who are the Daysprings of Thine invisible Essence, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, to make of my prayer a fire that will burn away the veils which have shut me out from Thy beauty, and a light that will lead me unto the ocean of Thy Presence.
Let him then raise his hands in supplication toward God--blessed and exalted be He--and say:
O Thou the Desire of the world and the Beloved of the nations! Thou seest me turning toward Thee, and rid of all attachment to anyone save Thee, and clinging to Thy cord, through whose movement the whole creation hath been stirred up. I am Thy servant, O my Lord, and the son of Thy servant. Behold me standing ready to do Thy will and Thy desire, and wishing naught else except Thy good pleasure. I implore Thee by the Ocean of Thy mercy and the Daystar of Thy grace to do with Thy servant as Thou willest and pleasest. By Thy might which is far above all mention and praise! Whatsoever is revealed by Thee is the desire of my heart and the beloved of my soul. O God, my God! Look not upon my hopes and my doings, nay rather look upon Thy will that hath encompassed the heavens and the earth. By Thy Most Great Name, O Thou Lord of all nations! I have desired only what Thou didst desire, and love only what Thou dost love.
Let him then kneel, and bowing his forehead to the ground, let him say:
Exalted art Thou above the description of anyone save Thyself, and the comprehension of aught else except Thee.
Let him then stand and say:
Make my prayer, O my Lord, a fountain of living waters whereby I may live as long as Thy sovereignty endureth, and may make mention of Thee in every world of Thy worlds.
Let him again raise his hands in supplication, and say:
O Thou in separation from Whom hearts and souls have melted, and by the fire of Whose love the whole world hath been set aflame! I implore Thee by Thy Name through which Thou hast subdued the whole creation, not to withhold from me that which is with Thee, O Thou Who rulest over all men! Thou seest, O my Lord, this stranger hastening to his most exalted home beneath the canopy of Thy majesty and within the precincts of Thy mercy; and this transgressor seeking the ocean of Thy forgiveness; and this lowly one the court of Thy glory; and this poor creature the orient of Thy wealth. Thine is the authority to command whatsoever Thou willest. I bear witness that Thou art to be praised in Thy doings, and to be obeyed in Thy behests, and to remain unconstrained in Thy bidding.
Let him then raise his hands, and repeat three times the Greatest Name.(1) Let him then bend down with hands resting on the knees before God--blessed and exalted be He--and say:
Thou seest, O my God, how my spirit hath been stirred up within my limbs and members, in its longing to worship Thee, and in its yearning to remember Thee and extol Thee; how it testifieth to that whereunto the Tongue of Thy Commandment hath testified in the kingdom of Thine utterance and the heaven of Thy knowledge. I love, in this state, O my Lord, to beg of Thee all that is with Thee, that I may demonstrate my poverty, and magnify Thy bounty and Thy riches, and may declare my powerlessness, and manifest Thy power and Thy might.
Let him then stand and raise his hands twice in supplication, and say:
There is no God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Bountiful. There is no God but Thee, the Ordainer, both in the beginning and in the end. O God, my God! Thy forgiveness hath emboldened me, and Thy mercy hath strengthened me, and Thy call hath awakened me, and Thy grace hath raised me up and led me unto Thee. Who, otherwise, am I that I should dare to stand at the gate of the city of Thy nearness, or set my face toward the lights that are shining from the heaven of Thy will? Thou seest, O my Lord, this wretched creature knocking at the door of Thy grace, and this evanescent soul seeking the river of everlasting life from the hands of Thy bounty. Thine is the command at all times, O Thou Who art the Lord of all names; and mine is resignation and willing submission to Thy will, O Creator of the heavens!
Let him then raise his hands thrice, and say:
Greater is God than every great one!
Let him then kneel and, bowing his forehead to the ground, say:
Too high art Thou for the praise of those who are nigh unto Thee to ascend unto the heaven of Thy nearness, or for the birds of the hearts of them who are devoted to Thee to attain to the door of Thy gate. I testify that Thou hast been sanctified above all attributes and holy above all names. No God is there but Thee, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious.
Let him then seat himself and say:
I testify unto that whereunto have testified all created things, and the Concourse on high, and the inmates of the all-highest Paradise, and beyond them the Tongue of Grandeur itself from the all-glorious Horizon, that Thou art God, that there is no God but Thee, and that He Who hath been manifested is the Hidden Mystery, the Treasured Symbol, through Whom the letters B and E (Be) have been joined and knit together. I testify that it is He Whose name hath been set down by the Pen of the Most High, and Who hath been mentioned in the Books of God, the Lord of the Throne on high and of earth below.
Let him then stand erect and say:
O Lord of all being and Possessor of all things visible and invisible! Thou dost perceive my tears and the sighs I utter, and hearest my groaning, and my wailing, and the lamentation of my heart. By Thy might! My trespasses have kept me back from drawing nigh unto Thee; and my sins have held me far from the court of Thy holiness. Thy love, O my Lord, hath enriched me, and separation from Thee hath destroyed me, and remoteness from Thee hath consumed me. I entreat Thee by Thy footsteps in this wilderness, and by the words "Here am I. Here am I" which Thy chosen Ones have uttered in this immensity, and by the breaths of Thy Revelation, and the gentle winds of the Dawn of Thy Manifestation, to ordain that I may gaze on Thy beauty and observe whatsoever is in Thy Book.
Let him then repeat the Greatest Name thrice, and bend down with hands resting on the knees, and say: