This is an extract from a letter written to the Bahá’ís of Canada by Hand of the Cause John Robarts in 1960. The titles have been added.

I should like to say a few things about the long obligatory prayer. From my observations of some years I feel it is one of the most precious bounties, and yet one of the most neglected, that Baha’u’llah has brought to us. So many Bahá’ís have told me they never say it.

During our consultations the most common question was: "Do we have to use the postures?"

One answer is that when we do, we express our plea, our adoration, our humility, our praise, our yearning, our poverty, our lamentation, our remoteness, our thankfulness, our dependence upon God, with our heart, our mind, our soul, and our body. The postures aid concentration. They change the flow of the blood. They are a part of the instructions, given to us by Bahá’u’lláh.

Another question often asked - the meaning of "... through Whom the letters B and E (be) have been joined and knit together." I asked a friend, who replied - "... In the previous translation, by Ali Kuli Khan, the wording was: ‘Through Whom the letter Kaf hath been joined to the letter Noon.’ I asked the Guardian what it meant, in December 1932, and he said that these two letters when put together made a Persian word meaning the same as the imperative ‘Be!’ I would say, from my limited understanding of the Teachings, that the Manifestation took the power of God, vast, illimitable and undefined, and expressed it in definite form to do specific tasks. Just as the Divine Essence is God in Repose, so the Holy Spirit, Who speaks through the Manifestation, is God in Action. ‘To take drops of water and make them into oceans; to take grains of sand and make them into worlds; verily it is an easy matter!’ Surat ul Haycal, quoted from memory. I think it is another way of saying: ‘He doeth whatsoever He willeth, and He is the Powerful, the Unconstrained!"

It does not seem to be generally understood that the obligatory prayers are a part of the laws. Many believers say they recite the short, noon prayer. It is, of course, a beautiful one, but there are times when we forget it, as I wonder if Bahá’u’lláh intended we should do, and then we have the long one, assuming we haven’t already begun the medium one.

Bahá’u’lláh wrote - "The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Day Spring of His Revelation ... Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof, hath gone astray ... It behoveth every one who reacheth this most sublime station ... to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other." (Bahá’u’lláh, Gleanings, p330).

These twin duties are inseparable - recognition of the Manifestation and obedience to Him. To say this prayer, with love, with an understanding of its meanings, is a spiritual experience. Many telephone calls, many … letters, bear eloquent testimony to the joy this prayer brings. One friend spoke so enthusiastically about it that I asked him to write to me about his feelings and his experience. He wrote, in part, as follows -

"I first approached the long obligatory prayer with a good deal of reservation if not actual hostility. It was lengthy and moreover quite foreign in content and gestures to anything I had known before. Still feeling this way, I did, however, try it out once in a while ... Well, little seemed to happen for a while but gradually I noticed a pattern developing. On the day following my use of the long obligatory prayer my attitude and actual experience seemed to be much better than on the days I failed to use it. As a result, I began to make a point of always saying that prayer when I knew I had a tough speech to write or some other difficulty to meet. In my particular job, pressure is the general rule and I am constantly called upon for new ideas ... The long obligatory prayer has inspired me with thoughts and success beyond my fondest expectations. ... We have had many successful firesides and meetings made possible, we are convinced, through a continuing and sustained prayer effort."

Another friend was pleased to learn the long obligatory prayer could be said in the early morning, or at any time of the day. He had thought it was only to be said the last thing at night, as a punishment for having forgotten to say the noon prayer!

Here are some excerpts from letters of other dear friends -

"(The long obligatory prayer) - suddenly something clicks and it sinks in and ... we are saying it daily without exception. Every day we see a bit more of the light that will lead us into the Ocean of His Presence, and it is, we could say, miraculous, but is it a miracle if God is keeping His promises?"

"... The prayers, especially the long obligatory prayer, have become like new, and a phrase has been running through my head to explain why I feel so happy - (roughly) ‘Whoso hath tasted the sweetness of deeds performed in His service would refuse to barter it for all the wealth of creation."

Why is it that sometimes negative character traits, like bullying or cruelty to others seem to take hold of a person and all sense of conscience is consumed by an unquenchable thirst to be unkind? ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in many of His talks, teaches us that it is natural for a human being to behave like an animal, such as by bullying his or her fellow students in school, if the spiritual nature has not developed.

"... For if the spiritual qualities of the soul, open to the breath of the Divine Spirit, are never used, they become atrophied, enfeebled, and at last incapable; whilst the soul’s material qualities alone being exercised, they become terribly powerful and unhappy, misguided man, becomes more savage, more unjust, more vile, more cruel, more malevolent than the lower animals themselves. All his aspirations and desires being strengthened by the lower side of the soul’s nature, he becomes more and more brutal, until his whole being is in no way superior to that of the beasts that perish ..." (‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p97)

It is the role of religion, not science, to transform human motivation and thus make it possible to radically change human behaviour. The Bahá’í Faith teaches us to use images to help us understand new ways of thinking. Let us consider the implications of the familiar theme of the spiritual seasons, beginning with spring brought on by a new Revelation, summer and then autumn with their growth and fruition, and finally winter.

When it is winter time how much change do we work for in our gardens? None at all. Everything is dormant. But when spring comes, growth will begin.

Those who are Bahá’ís are living in the springtime of a new Revelation. If we think deeply about the significance of this image, we will find it easy to understand why we should work for transformation. If we accept the common view that it is "only natural" and therefore "unavoidable" for children to care more about what their friends think than what their parents expect of them then we too, are affected by the "wintertime" environment.

Once the Master was taking an important Pasha as his guest back to lunch in a carriage; when they got there the driver asked for a great deal more than was his right; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá refused to pay it; the driver, a big rough bully, seized Him by sash and jerked Him back and forth, shouting he would be paid what he asked; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá continued to refuse; finally the man let go of Him, the Master paid him what He owed him and told him if he had acted honestly he would have received a good tip but as he had not done so he would now get nothing but his fare and walked off. (When we grow up, Bahíyyih Nakhjavání, p36)

Needless to say, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the embodiment of detachment. However with this action He showed us the concept of honesty was not deflated and that bullying of individual lie along the external rim of humanity and not within the hub which makes for its perpetual strength.

Is humanity aware of the divine springtime which the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh has brought? ‘Abdu’l-Bahá repeatedly asks us to know the value of the Bahá’í Faith.

Kamyar Solhjoo

At times we get "caught on the hop" when people ask the question: "What is the Bahá’í Faith?" When faced with such a BIG subject the answer can depend upon how much time we have to explain. Here are a few suggestions

It’s an independent world religion that embraces all the others. - (5 seconds)

It’s an independent world religion that embraces all the others. The main theme of the Bahá’í Faith is unity of mankind and religion. - (10 seconds)

It’s an independent world religion that embraces all the others. The main theme of the Bahá’í Faith is unity of mankind and religion. It teaches that all the major religions are part of a single process and should be seen as progressive stages in God’s revelation to mankind. - (15 seconds)

It’s an independent world religion that embraces all the others. The main theme of the Bahá’í Faith is unity of mankind and religion. It teaches that all the major religions are part of a single process and should be seen as progressive stages of God’s revelation to mankind. The Bahá’í Faith started in 1844 and since that time has spread all over the world. In fact it is now the second most widespread religion in the world. It promotes tolerance and understanding between people of different beliefs, the equality of men and women and that everyone has the right to at least a basic education... etc. - (30+ seconds)

Tony Fleming