Date: Mon, 24 Jul 1995
From: Juan R Cole
Subject: Aqdas Pillar II, prayer, K30
On p. 231 of Mr. Ishraq-Khavari's "Treasure of Laws and Ordinances," he quotes a letter from `Abdu'l-Baha to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Bushruyih in which He says words to this effect:
"The Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is the dawning-place of lights, the gathering-place where precious souls appear. For in those heavenly gatherings they meet, and begin to say prayers (namaz), and to chant the verses with the most wondrous of melodies . . ."He goes on to encourage supplicatory prayers (munajat, du`a).
Cole: Remember that `Abdu'l-Baha is speaking, not solely of a cathedral-style building like that in Wilmette, but really of any building erected or set aside for Baha'i worship in any town or village.
I do not believe the word "namaz" in this letter refers to Obligatory prayers. It can mean simply "prayer" in Persian, and is used to refer to other acts of worship than the 5 daily prayers in Islam.
Both Baha'u'llah and `Abdu'l-Baha expected that local Baha'i communities would own a building, and that they would meet in it for heartfelt prayers.
cheers Juan Cole, History, University of Michigan