NATIONAL SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLY

The use of the NEWS e-mail list

New technology can be used to serve the Faith, and the National Spiritual Assembly follows the example of the Universal House of Justice in using e-mail to ensure the rapid transmission of announcements and information.

Thus the NSA’s e-mail list NEWS@bahai.org.uk will be where the Friends will first see important items.

The National Assembly would like to remind the Friends that (a) all UK Bahá’ís who have e-mail access are urged to subscribe to this list, and (b) in each local community where there are Bahá’ís on e-mail - and we know this to be the great majority of communities - there should be one person (at least) specifically charged with sharing urgent news and important announcements that have appeared with the Assembly and the Friends in that community.

To join the list please contact mailto:NEWS.admin@bahai.org.uk

Reliability of e-mail news

The Friends are asked to verify source and information before passing on e-mail messages containing what appears to be significant news. If there is any doubt please check with an institution. Unnecessary confusion and sometimes distress have been caused recently by misinformation circulated on e-mail from sources outside the country. Furthermore Friends who innocently spread such inaccurate news were themselves upset when they realised it was not correct. In general the first means of making significant information known will be the NEWS e-mail list of the National Spiritual Assembly.

 School Governors’ “One Stop Shop”

The Department for Education and Employment is seeking support for an initiative known as the School Governors’ One Stop Shop, which will be recruiting people from the business community to serve on the governing bodies of inner city schools.

This is an important element in the Department’s Excellence in Cities programme, aimed at raising standards in schools in inner city areas. The One Stop Shop will strengthen the governing bodies of schools in these areas with people who have business skills and vision. It will set up a national database of such people who are willing to serve as governors and match them with inner city schools with governor vacancies near to where the individuals live or work. It will also work with Local Education Authorities and others to ensure that volunteers receive effective induction, training and support for their role as a governor.

As the Department for Education notes, being a school governor is a challenging and rewarding role. Governors can make a real difference to a school and the experience will help them to develop their own management and social skills in a different environment.

A registration form and further information is available in print or via e-mail. Anyone who feels that they are suitable for the role and who would like to offer this service, please contact the National Spiritual Assembly for this information.

The National Spiritual Assembly encourages Bahá’ís to use their skills and qualifications in public service in the wider community, and this would seem to provide an excellent opportunity for some of the friends.

 Bahá’í Information Office

New resource item

The Bahá’í community of the Isle of Wight have produced a document for their local A21 body “Local Agenda 21 and the Concept of World Citizenship Changing the ‘I’ at the Heart of Society”. Copies available on request from the Bahá’í Information Office.

12-month Plan available on the Web

In addition to its distribution in other ways, the 12-month Plan (2000 2001 C.E.) of the Bahá’ís of the United Kingdom has been posted on the National Spiritual Assembly’s Website and can be visited at: http://www.bahai.org.uk/admin/1yp.htm

WWW - your community’s own domain name

When your community establishes its site on the World Wide Web the URL (Internet-speak for its “address” on the Web) will depend on the service provider who is hosting it. Many URLs are long and unwieldy, and lack any indication of whether the site is official.

To help overcome this the National Spiritual Assembly encourages communities to link with its own Website and be accessed through a link from that site. This includes you in the list of local communities on the NSA site and also gives a short and easily-remembered official-looking URL, along the lines of www.bahai.org.uk/your-community which you can then use on your notepaper, publicity materials, advertisements, etc. It helps to convey a professional and organised image of the Faith.

This can be taken even further, by registering an official  domain name for your community, along the lines of www.your-community-bahais.co.uk - the cost of this is very reasonable, and the benefits from an official name like this can be great. See the Website: http://www.easyspace.com/for details. Communities taking up their own name can still be listed on the NSA site, and have a link to their own site established.

 DISCOVERING OUR FAITH

APPENDIX - Details of the Laws of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting:

In the May issue of Bahá’í Journal UK Counsellor Patrick O’Mara explained the vision of the Universal House of Justice for the Bahá’ís of the World and the significance of the recent application in the West of further laws of Bahá’u’lláh. The following appendix will aid study of the relevant sections of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.

KA = Kitáb-i-Aqdas.  QA = Questions & Answers  N = Notes to the Kitáb-i-Aqdas

Obligatory Prayers (N 3-9, 13-17, 19-22, 34, 109, 157) 

1. The sublime station occupied by the Obligatory Prayers in the Bahá’í Revelation. (QA 93)

2. The Qiblih:  a. Identified by the Báb with “the One Whom God will make manifest”. (KA 137) b. The appointment made by the Báb is confirmed by Bahá’u’lláh. (KA 6) c. Bahá’u’lláh ordains His resting-place as the Qiblih after His passing. (KA 6 & 137) d. Turning to the Qiblih is mandatory while reciting the Obligatory Prayers. (QA 14 & 67)

3. The Obligatory Prayers are binding on men and women on   attaining the age of maturity (KA 10), which is fixed at 15 (QA 20). 

4. Exemption from offering the Obligatory Prayers is granted to:  a. Those who are ill. (KA 10) b. Those who are over 70. (KA 10 & QA 70) c. Women in their courses provided they perform their ablutions and repeat a specifically revealed verse 95 times a day. (KA 13)

5. The Obligatory Prayers should be offered individually. (KA 12)

6. The choice of one of the three Obligatory Prayers is permissible. (QA 66)

7. 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. (QA 83)

8. The recital of the first (long) Obligatory Prayer, once in twenty-four hours is sufficient. (QA 82)

9. It is preferable to offer the third (short) Obligatory Prayer while standing. (QA 81)

10. Ablutions:  a. Ablutions must precede the recital of the Obligatory Prayers. (KA 18) b. For every Obligatory Prayer fresh ablutions must be performed. (QA 66) c. Should two Obligatory Prayers be offered at noon one ablution for both prayers is sufficient. (QA 86) d. If water is unavailable or its use harmful to the face or hands, the repetition, five times, of a specifically revealed verse is prescribed.  (KA 10, QA 51) e. Should the weather be too cold the use of warm water is recommended. (QA 51) f. If ablutions have been performed for other purposes, their renewal prior to the recital of the Obligatory Prayer is not required. (QA 62, 77 & 86) g. Ablutions are essential whether a bath has been taken previously or not. (QA 18)

11. Determining the times fixed for Prayer:  a.  Reliance on clocks is permissible in determining the times for offering the Obligatory Prayers. (KA 10, QA 64) b. In countries situated in the extreme north or south, where the duration of days and nights varies considerably, clocks and timepieces should be relied upon, without reference to sunrise  or sunset. (QA 64 & 103) 

12. In case of danger, whether when travelling or not, for every Obligatory Prayer not offered a prostration and the recital of a specific verse is enjoined, to be followed by the repetition, eighteen times, of another specific verse. (KA 14, QA 21, 58, 59, 60, 61)

13. 14. ... 15.  The Obligatory Prayer to be thrice repeated, three times a day, at morn, noon and evening, has been superseded by three Obligatory Prayers subsequently revealed. (QA 63)

Fasting (N 3, 13, 14, 17, 20, 25, 30-32) 

1. The sublime station occupied by fasting in the Bahá’í Revelation. (QA 93)

2. The period of fasting commences with the termination of the Intercalary Days, and ends with the Naw-Ruz Festival. (KA 16)

3. Abstinence from food and drink, from sunrise to sunset, is obligatory. (KA 17)

4. Fasting is binding on men and women on attaining the age of maturity (KA 10), which is fixed at 15 (QA 20). 

5. Exemption from fasting is granted to:  a. Travellers (KA 16) i. Provided the journey exceeds 9 hours. (QA 22)  ii. Those travelling on foot, provided the journey exceeds 2 hours. (QA 75) iii. Those who break their journey for less than 19 days. (QA 22)  iv. Those who break their journey during the Fast at a place where they are to stay 19 days are exempt from fasting only for the first three days from their arrival.  (QA 22) v.  Those who reach home during the Fast must commence fasting from the day of their arrival. (QA 22)  b. Those who are ill. (KA 10, 16 & QA 93) c. Those who are over 70. (KA 10 & QA 70) d. Women who are with child. (KA 16)  e. Women who are nursing. (KA 16) f. Women in their courses provided they perform their ablutions and repeat a specifically revealed verse 95 times a day. (KA 13)

g. Those who are engaged in heavy labour, who are advised to show respect for the law by using discretion and restraint when availing themselves of the exemption. (QA 76)

6. Vowing to fast (in a month other than the one prescribed for fasting) is permissible. Vows which profit mankind are however preferable in the sight of God. (QA 71)

 National Conference

10/11/12 November  Scarborough Spa Complex

Come and be inspired by Counsellor O’Mara and more...