# Prayer and Worship

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 1 clipping.*

---

> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: John Walbridge, Prayer and Worship, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> Prayer and Worship
> 
> John Walbridge
> published in Sacred Acts, Sacred Space, Sacred Time: Bahá'í Studies volume 1
> 
> Oxford: George Ronald, 1996
> 
> Reverent words addressed to God, either directly or through an
> intermediary, such as Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'ís must perform a fixed obligatory
> prayer daily, are encouraged to offer other prayers regularly, and are to
> read or recite from Bahá'í scripture in the morning and evening. Bahá'ís
> usually use prayers composed by Bahá'u'lláh, the Bab, `Abdu'l-Bahá and
> Shoghi Effendi. Bahá'í collective worship generally consists of
> individuals successively reading prayers and selections from scripture while
> the others present listen silently. The main occasions for Bahá'í collective
> worship are dawn prayers (mashriqu'l-adhkar), nineteen-day feasts, and
> observances of holy days. Regarding the Bahá'í concept of word as worship,
> see "Work, Bahá'í attitude towards."
> 
> 1. Bahá'í teachings about prayer
> 2. Obligatory prayer
> 3. Devotional
> Prayer
> 4. Other required prayers and observances
> 5. Optional and popular
> observances
> 6. Collective worship
> 7. Publication, translation, and
> distribution of prayers
> 8. Babi prayer
> 
> Prayer cannot be precisely defined because it touches many areas of
> religious life. To define it narrowly as reverent speech addressed to God
> omits both the wordless prayer of the mystics and such observances as pious
> recitation of scripture and other devotional acts. It also omits the
> gestures, postures, and other ritual elements that are often an intimate
> part of prayer. Prayer must always be understood in its full religious,
> ritual, and social context. Confusion is sometimes caused by the fact
> that the single word "prayer" in English translates two different Arabic
> words denoting two different religious activities, salat, which is
> obligatory prayer, and du`a' or munajat, which is devotional prayer. Many of
> the regulations and teachings relating to prayer apply only to the former.
> Such distinctions are not always clear in translations.
> 
> 1. Teachings about prayer
> 
> The Bahá'í writings teach that the impulse to
> pray is natural and that prayer is essential to the development of
> spirituality. However, it is not the physical act of praying but the
> spiritual state induced by prayer that is important. Thus, Bahá'u'lláh
> stresses that brief and joyful prayer is superior to long but wearying
> prayer. Though prayer may be efficacious in obtaining specific material
> ends, it is more important to pray for conformity to the Will of God. The
> highest prayer is offered only out of love for God, without any other hope
> or fear. Nevertheless, prayer must be linked with practical measures to
> attain the goals sought. Prayer is essential to any undertaking and attracts
> the confirmations of God. Bahá'í prayer may be addressed to
> Bahá'u'lláh, which Shoghi Effendi recommends, to other Manifestations of
> God, to `Abdu'l- Baha, or to God Himself.
> 
> 2. Obligatory prayer
> 
> (Arab. salat, Pers. namaz) The most important kind of Bahá'í prayer is the
> daily obligatory prayer. Its purpose is to cultivate humility and devotion.
> The obligatory prayers and fasting are the most important ritual obligations
> of Bahá'ís, and the Bahá'í writings warn strongly against neglecting them
> or minimizing their importance. Unlike almost all other forms of Bahá'í
> prayer, specific regulations govern the performance of the obligatory
> prayers. Obligatory prayer is a personal spiritual obligation, meaning that
> no communal or administrative sanctions can be brought through failure to
> perform it. The only penalty for failure to observe this law is a spiritual
> one.
> 
> a. History
> 
> The original Bahá'í obligatory prayer, mentioned in the
> Kitab-i-Aqdas, which involved nine cycles of movement starting with a bow
> (rak`ah) and was to be said morning, noon, and afternoon--probably
> three rak`ahs at each time. Bahá'u'lláh revealed the text but did not
> release it in order to avoid provoking conflict with Muslims. This prayer
> was one of the documents in the strongbox taken by `Abdu'l-Bahá's brothers
> shortly after the death of Bahá'u'lláh. Some time later--after the writing
> of the Kitab-i-Aqdas but before that of its supplement Questions and
> Answers--Bahá'u'lláh wrote a second set of obligatory prayers, which are in
> use today. Three alternative forms were provided: a very short prayer to be
> said between noon and sunset; a somewhat longer prayer to be said in the
> morning, the afternoon, and the evening; and a long prayer to be said once
> during twenty-four hours.
> 
> b. Exemptions
> 
> Obligatory prayer is binding on all Bahá'ís between the
> ages of fifteen and seventy with the exception of the sick, though partial
> exemptions apply to travelers and menstruating women. For each prayer
> missed by travelers and others who are prevented from praying by some
> condition of "insecurity", they are to prostrate themselves, upon completing
> their journey or reaching a suitable place, and say "Glorified be God, the
> Lord of Might and Majesty, of Grace and Bounty." After completing the
> required number of prostrations, they are to sit cross-legged and repeat
> eighteen times "Glorified be God, the Lord of the kingdoms of earth and
> heaven." Menstruating women are exempt provided that between noon of one
> day the next they perform ablutions and say ninety-five times "Glorified be
> God, the Lord of Splendor and Beauty."
> 
> c. Prohibition of congregational prayer
> 
> Bahá'u'lláh confirmed the Bab's
> prohibition of congregational obligatory prayer (i.e. the collective
> performance of the prayers, such as is practiced in Islam). The prohibition
> only applies to the daily obligatory prayers, not to any other Bahá'í
> prayers. The obligatory prayer does not necessarily have to be said in
> private, however.
> 
> d. Ablutions
> 
> Ablutions must be performed before each obligatory prayer.
> (For details see "Cleanliness, purity and refinement.3") The prayer must be
> said in a clean place, though Bahá'u'lláh abolishes all the specific Islamic
> and Babi regulations governing this. Unlike Islamic obligatory prayer,
> Bahá'í obligatory prayers are not invalidated by the worshipper's contact
> with bone, fur, and other such things.
> 
> e. Qiblih (point of adoration, i.e., the direction to face in prayer)
> 
> The Bab had specified that in prayer believers should face He Whom God shall
> make manifest. Thus during his lifetime Bahá'ís prayed facing the person of
> Bahá'u'lláh. `Abdu'l-Bahá later explained that after Bahá'u'lláh's death,
> the qiblih was Bahá'u'lláh's shrine and that a tablet explaining this
> existed but had been stolen by Covenant-breakers. Facing the qiblih is
> obligatory for all three obligatory prayers.
> 
> f. Details of the three prayers
> 
> Unlike most other Bahá'í prayers, the
> obligatory prayers include specific rules for postures and gestures during
> the prayers. These motions are part of the obligatory prayer and are
> themselves obligatory, except in the case where an individual is physically
> incapable of performing them. Shoghi Effendi states that the motions and
> postures are symbolic and are aids to concentration in the prayers. The
> short obligatory prayer is a brief affirmation of the supreme power of God
> and the servitude of the worshipper. It is should be said while standing in
> an attitude of humility before God. It is to be said between noon and sunset
> and is thus commonly called "the noon prayer." The medium obligatory
> prayer, which is said three times daily (between the first light of dawn and
> the astronomical noon, between noon and sunset, and between sunset and two
> hours after sunset), consists of four paragraphs. The first is said standing
> facing the qiblih, the second bowed with hands on the knees, the third
> standing with the palms facing upward, and the fourth sitting-- preferably
> on the floor rather than on a chair. Shorter, alternative forms are
> supplied for the first and fourth paragraphs. The text of the prayer
> stresses the loftiness and power of God and His grace shown through
> revelation. The long obligatory prayer, which is said once in twenty-four
> hours, consists of fifteen parts of various lengths, each of which is to be
> said in a particular posture. These postures are the same as in the medium
> prayer with the addition of prostration. The prayer also calls for the
> Greatest Names in the form "Allah-u-Abha" to be said at several points. One
> instruction calls for the worshiper to "raise his hands thrice and say:
> Greater is God than every great one!" Shoghi Effendi explained that the
> phrase is to be repeated each time the hands are raised. In high
> latitudes, where days can be very long or short, prayer times may be fixed
> by the clock rather than determined by sunrise and sunset. The obligatory
> prayers may be said aloud or silently. The worshiper is free to read in
> addition any other prayers and selections from Bahá'í scripture that he or
> she may wish.
> 
> 3. Devotional Prayer
> 
> Most Bahá'í prayers are of the type called du`a'
> (literally, invocation or supplication [addressed to God]) or munajat
> (literally, a private and confidential talk [with God]). They are thus
> prayers for private devotions. Bahá'u'lláh, the Bab, `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi
> Effendi wrote thousands of prayers, many originally included in letters to
> individuals. These prayers are in Arabic and Persian (`Abdu'l-Bahá wrote a
> few in Turkish). Many of these prayers, except those of Shoghi Effendi,
> have been translated into English.
> 
> a. Description and contents
> 
> There is considerable variation in form and
> content of Bahá'í prayers. A typical prayer begins with the invocation of
> several attributes of God. There is then a statement of praise, a request
> for something, such as divine guidance or spiritual protection. The prayer
> concludes with a list of God's attributes. Each element can be elaborated,
> repeated, or omitted. The imagery is often striking, drawing on the imagery
> of Islamic religious literature and Persian poetry. The prayers are thus
> much more diverse than this simple formula would indicate. Most prayers
> are rather general statements of praise and desire for spiritual qualities,
> but many are for specific purposes. Most Bahá'í prayers are in a classical
> Arabic style reminiscent of the Qur'an and the Shi`i prayers, generally in
> a less complicated style than the prayers of the Bab. The tone is austere
> and lofty.
> 
> b. Regulations and Bahá'í practice
> 
> There are few specific rules about the
> use of these prayers, other than the general instructions to maintain
> dignity and avoid developing ritual. They may be chanted, sung, or repeated.
> The text should not be changed, even to the extent of changing the number or
> gender of pronouns. It is permissible to use them as the basis of songs. It
> is not necessary to face the qiblih. In practice, Bahá'í prayers, when
> not said in private devotions, are most often recited by one individual
> while others listen silently. If being recited in the original languages,
> they are normally chanted. A few prayers have been set to music in
> English and other languages. Because Bahá'ís believe that the prayers of
> Bahá'u'lláh, the Bab, and `Abdu'l-Bahá are the word of God, they are thought
> to have special spiritual power. Thus most Bahá'í private prayer and almost
> all public prayer consists of their recitation. Prayer using one's own words
> is permissible, however.
> 
> 4. Other required prayers and observances
> 
> There are a few other required
> prayers and related observances.
> 
> a. Prayer for the dead
> 
> This is also an obligatory prayer (salat). Unlike
> the daily obligatory prayers, it is to be said in congregation; one person
> recites it while the congregation stand. (See "Funeral Laws.")
> 
> b. Repetition of Allah-u-Abha
> 
> The last remnant of the many daily
> invocations ordained by the Bab is the requirement to perform ablutions then
> sit facing the qiblih and repeat "Allah-u-Abha" ("God is Most Glorious")
> ninety-five times every day. This is usually done after the obligatory
> prayer, without any need for renewed ablutions.
> 
> c. Recitation of verses
> 
> Bahá'ís are obliged to recite the sacred text in
> the morning and evening. Any of the Bahá'í scriptures may be used: i.e., any
> of the writings of the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh, and `Abdu'l-Bahá of any form.
> Bahá'u'lláh strongly stresses this obligation in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, saying
> that whoever does not fulfill it is not faithful to the covenant of God.
> Elsewhere, Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá state that such recitation should
> not be so lengthy as to be wearying and dull: it is better to recite a
> short passage with joy than to wearily repeat whole books. Moreover, the
> purpose is to understand the texts, not uncomprehending recitation.
> 
> 5. Optional and popular observances
> 
> There are a number of popular Bahá'í
> devotional practices, some of them lacking strict scriptural authority.
> 
> a. Remover of difficulties
> 
> This short prayer of the Bab, beginning "Is
> there any remover of difficulties save God. . . " is frequently recited by
> Bahá'ís in times of need. Popular practices include the recitation of this
> prayer in turn by all those present and its recitation nine, nineteen,
> ninety-five, or five hundred times.
> 
> b. Tablet of Ahmad
> 
> This tablet, a letter to one Ahmad-i-Yazdi, is stated
> by Bahá'u'lláh to have special power, especially when recited in times of
> trouble. (See "Ahmad, Tablet of")
> 
> c. Invocations
> 
> The several invocations based on the word Baha--
> "Allah-u-Abha" and "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha"--and some other invocations such
> as "Ya'llahu'l-Mustaghath" ("O God on Whom we call for help") and "Ya
> `Aliyu'l-A`la" ("O Most Exalted One," referring to the Bab) are used,
> especially in times of difficulty. (See "Name, Greatest")
> 
> d. Prayers for specific occasions
> 
> A number of prayers (munajat) are for
> particular circumstances or occasions. These are not obligatory and are of
> varying importance. These include prayers for the fast and specific holy
> days, which have an importance nearly equal to the obligatory prayers, and
> prayers for purposes such as healing, intercession for the dead, safety,
> removal of difficulties and for particular occasions such as morning, night,
> leaving the house, and going to bed.
> 
> e. Prayer of the Signs
> 
> In Islam a special form of obligatory prayer
> (salat) was to be said when frightening natural events occurred such as
> earthquakes and eclipses. Bahá'u'lláh abolished this, providing instead the
> verse "Dominion is God's, the Lord of the seen and the unseen, the Lord of
> Creation." It is not obligatory, however.
> 
> f. Other related observances
> 
> Muslims customarily add blessing after
> mentioning the names of prophets and saints: "May God bless Him and give Him
> peace" after the name of Muhammad and "May God have mercy on him," after the
> name of someone deceased, for example. In Persian, Bahá'í formulae such as
> "May the Glory (baha') of God rest upon him" are used. This is rarely done
> in Western languages except in translations of the sacred writings.
> 
> 6. Collective worship
> 
> In contemporary practice, there is a wide
> variability in the stress placed upon collective worship in the Bahá'í
> Faith. A strict prohibition on the development of ritual not endorsed in the
> sacred writings prevents the development of liturgy, while the Faith's
> strong emphasis on social affairs directs attention to other things.
> Moreover, in the Bahá'í community, collective worship does not serve an
> essential religious purpose comparable to the sacraments of Christianity or
> congregational salat in Islam. Consequently, although several occasions
> for collective worship are ordained in the Bahá'í writings and a number of
> texts stress its importance, it often remains a somewhat neglected area of
> Bahá'í life.
> 
> a. Morning prayer (mashriqu'l-adhkar)
> 
> The one occasion of collective
> worship specified in the Kitab-i-Aqdas itself is morning prayer. The
> believers are encouraged to gather to listen to prayers and scripture in the
> early morning. This worship service is the main purpose of Bahá'í houses of
> worship, which are also called mashriqu'l-adhkar (literally,
> dawning-place of the mention of God). Community morning prayers are not
> common in the contemporary Bahá'í community, although the Universal House of
> Justice encourages them. (See "Mashriqu'l-adhkar.")
> 
> b. Nineteen Day Feast
> 
> In the contemporary Bahá'í community the main
> occasion for collective worship is the "devotional portion" of the nineteen
> day feast. Though based on a law of the Bab, this institution was developed
> by `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, who treated it as a way of meeting the
> spiritual, administrative, and social needs of local Bahá'í communities. The
> worship service is the first part of the feast and usually consists of
> prayers and readings from the writings of Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá. (See
> "Feast, Nineteen Day.")
> 
> c. Holy days
> 
> Local Bahá'í communities usually have worship services to
> commemorate the Bahá'í holy days. These are usually much like the worship at
> nineteen-day feasts, though there is in fact more latitude for variation at
> holy day observances. There are special prayers for the individual holy
> days.
> 
> d. Other collective worship
> 
> Bahá'í communities sometimes have community
> worship on other occasions. Early in the twentieth century many Bahá'í
> communities in the West held Sunday morning worship services, but in the
> U.S.A., this practice had largely died out by the early 1940s. Bahá'í
> conferences and summer schools usually feature "devotions"--the reading of
> prayers and scripture, and sometimes songs. Bahá'í meetings of even the most
> prosaic character invariably begin with one or more prayers. Communities
> will sometimes have special prayer meetings, usually in connection with a
> major project or a crisis. Memorial meetings are sometimes held for
> prominent believers who have recently died. Such meetings will be held world
> wide on the occasion of the death of a major figure such as a Hand of the
> Cause (q.v.). Families sometimes have devotions, often undertaken as part of
> the spiritual education of the children.
> 
> e. Regulations and customs for collective worship
> 
> Bahá'í law, especially
> as it developed under Shoghi Effendi, strongly discourages the
> development of ritual. Even practices that are acceptable in themselves--the
> collective recitation of prayers, for example-- are avoided if they are
> likely to turn into traditions or rituals. The actual rules limiting Bahá'í
> worship are not restrictive: the predominant element should be the sacred
> writings, particularly the writings of the Bab, Bahá'u'lláh, and `Abdu'l-
> Baha; dignity and simplicity should always be maintained. Prayers
> and scripture may be chanted or sung. Hymns and poems based on Bahá'í
> scripture may be used. When the sacred texts and prayers are read, those
> listening should sit still and silent. (GHA 189) No practice not ordained in
> the sacred text should be allowed to become a fixed ritual. Current
> practice is, however, somewhat more limited. In the East, worship consists
> mainly of chanted prayers. In the West it is usually prayers read by
> individuals. In the early twentieth century the singing of Bahá'í hymns was
> common and was encouraged by `Abdu'l-Bahá, but the practice died out around
> 1940. (Armstrong-Ingram)
> 
> 7. Publication, translation, and distribution of prayers
> 
> Collections of the Bab's and Bahá'u'lláh's prayers certainly circulated in manuscript in
> their own lifetimes. A collection of important prayers and tablets,
> Ad`iyiy-i-Hadrat-i-Mahbub, still in use, was first published in Egypt in
> 1911. The American Bahá'ís published a prayer book as early as 1900. The
> most important collections of Bahá'í prayers in Arabic, Persian, and
> English are cited in the bibliography. Bahá'í doctrine encourages
> translations of the sacred writings. Prayers are usually among the first
> pieces of Bahá'í scripture translated into a language. Beginning with vol.
> 14 the successive volumes of Bahá'í World (q.v.) have included the short
> obligatory prayer in many languages. It has been translated into at least
> XXX languages and dialects.
> 
> 8. Babi prayer
> 
> Bahá'í prayer and the laws and customs relating to it
> develop out of Islamic and Babi prayer. Babi ritual life is saturated in
> prayer. The Bab's legal works specify dozens of rituals involving prayer.
> Only a few can be mentioned here.
> 
> a. Concept and theology of prayer
> 
> The most striking characteristic of
> prayer in the ritual life ordained by the Bab is its all-pervasive
> character. In one way or another, the believer is to be in a state of nearly
> constant remembrance of God: praying, repeating the names of God, reading
> the writings of the Bab. However, the Bab stresses that prayer and other
> ritual obligations should not be burdensome and tiring. Prayers should not
> be of wearisome length. The person who prays should be fervent and
> attentive. The Bab stresses that prayer should be motivated neither by hope
> or fear. Prayer should be performed in private so that the worshiper will be
> able to give it full attention. Finally, like every other aspect of the
> Bab's religious thought, the efficacy of prayer is conditioned on the
> approval of Him Whom God shall make manifest (q.v.).
> 
> b. Obligatory Prayer (salat)
> 
> Distinctive rules for Babi obligatory prayer
> date from the period of the production of the Bayan after the abrogation of
> Islamic law. The Bab's obligatory prayer consisted of one prayer of nineteen
> actions of bowing (rak`ahs) performed between noon and sunset. It is not to
> be performed in congregation. The Bab appears not to have specified a text,
> but he does specify that during the first three rak`ahs the worshiper is
> to testify to the unity of God's essence, in the next four to the unity of
> His attributes, in the next six to the unity of His actions, and in the last
> six to the unity of His worship. A shortened form of the obligatory prayer
> is available for those who are traveling. Although there is only one Babi
> obligatory prayer, the prayer-call is still to be sounded five times a day,
> though the text is different from the Muslim prayer-call. There are a
> variety of specific regulations for obligatory prayer, but nothing like
> the very detailed regulations found in Islam.
> 
> c. Daily rituals
> 
> The earliest writings of the Bab contained many prayers
> intended for specific times, days, months, and festivals. These were extra
> observances to be added to the strict observance of Islamic law. Later,
> after the abrogation of Islamic law, the Bab ordained many daily
> observances; for example: * Each day the believer should recite one name
> of God ninety- five times. The first day of the month he should say, "God
> is most glorious (Allahu Abha);" the second day, "God is most mighty
> (Allahu A`zam);" and the nineteenth day, "God is most ancient (Allahu
> Aqdam)." Other names such as "God is most great (Allahu Akbar);" "God is
> most bright (Allahu Anvar);" or "God is most manifest (Allahu Azhar)" may
> be said on other days, apparently at the believers option. * The
> believer is to recite at least nineteen verses of the Bayan each day--or
> seven hundred, according to another passage. * Every Friday the believer
> is to face the sun and recite a prayer to it. There is a similar monthly
> prayer to the moon. This is a striking contrast to Islam, which forbids
> prayer at the moments of sunrise, noon, and sunset in order to avoid any
> taint of sun- worship.
> 
> d. Special prayers
> 
> The Bab provided special prayers for particular
> occasions, notably the obligatory prayers (salat) for the newborn and the
> dead, both very similar to the Bahá'í prayer for the dead. The prayer for
> the newborn is based on the number five and the prayer for the dead on six.
> These numbers correspond to the letters ha and vav respectively, which
> together form the word huva, "He"-- that is, God--symbolizing that we come
> from God and return to Him.
> 
> e. Devotional Prayer (munajat)
> 
> The Bab stated that the Bayan--meaning the
> whole corpus of his writings--was in five modes, of which the second was
> prayers, munajat. The Bab wrote hundreds of Arabic prayers. They are in a
> lofty and intense style and are characterized by a vivid and personal
> awareness of the might and sublimity of God.
> 
> f. Tablets of visitation (see "Visitation, Tablets of.")
> 
> g. Collective worship
> 
> The Bab prohibited obligatory prayer in congregation
> and the public recitation of the names of God (dhikr). Nevertheless, the Bab
> still encouraged the Babis to pray in mosques and shrines and to gather
> there to hear sermons on Fridays. The prayer for the dead, however, was to
> be said in congregation.
> 
> h. Rhapsodies on Divine Names
> 
> There are several works of the Bab, notably
> the Kitabu'l-Asma' ("Book of Names") and the Panj Sha'n ("Five Styles") that
> consist largely of extended meditations on particular attributes of God,
> each of which is repeated in innumerable variations, many of them
> grammatically innovative. These works, which were very popular among the
> Babis, are perhaps to be understood as ecstatic rhapsodies, mystical prayers
> whose recitation creates a mood of spiritual exhilaration.
> 
> i. Babi practice
> 
> In the short and turbulent history of the Babi religion,
> there was little time to put into practice the laws of the Bab or even to
> investigate what they were. It is likely that few of the Bab's prayers or
> his laws regarding prayer were put into regular use. Most of the Babis
> clearly continued to perform the Islamic salat, perhaps with the addition
> of some Babi prayers. There are only scattered references to distinctively
> Babi practices. Shortly before the Bab's return to Shiraz, one of his
> followers used the distinctive Babi form of the prayer-call. The Zanjan
> Babis are said to have publicly recited the works of the Bab. During the
> battle they chanted what was evidently a variant of the prayer-call given in
> the Arabic Bayan. It is not clear to what extent the later Azali Babi
> community practiced these rituals.
> 
> See also: "Feast, Nineteen-Day" "Mashriqu'l-Adhkar," "Visitation, Tablets
> of," "Work, Bahá'í attitude towards." Prayers relating to particular
> occasions, subjects, persons, and places are discussed under appropriate
> headings.
> 
> Bibliography
> 
> Bahá'í prayer:
> 
> There are thousands of Bahá'í prayers books
> in hundreds of languages, as well as prayers scattered throughout Bahá'í
> scripture. The most important original collections in Arabic and Persian are
> A. Ishraq-Khavari, Tasbih va-Tahlil containing the obligatory prayers and
> prayers for particular occasions and purposes; Ad`iyiy-i-Mahbub, a compact
> prayer book for daily use; Nafahatu'r-Rahman, a collection of devotional
> prayers reproduced from a MSS of Zaynu'l-Muqarrabin (q.v.); and
> Majmu`ih-i-Munajat, several small volumes of prayers of `Abdu'l-Bahá, the
> Bab, and Shoghi Effendi.
> 
> The most important source for the prayers of
> Bahá'u'lláh in English is Prayers and Meditation (trans. Shoghi Effendi).
> Bahá'í Prayers, an American compilation of prayers for daily use, derived
> from PM and from other sources. Most prayers in other languages are
> translated from these two sources.
> 
> Babi prayer:
> 
> The only systematic
> study of Babi prayer (and Babi ritual in general) is Denis MacEoin, Ritual
> and Semi-Ritual Observances in Babism and Bahá'ísm, Cambridge, 1991.
> Otherwise, information must be sought in the Bab's own works, for the early
> period "Sahifiy-i-Bayna'l-Haramayn" and "Sahifiy-i-Makhzunih" and for
> the later period the Persian and Arabic Bayans. A selection of the prayers
> of the Bab is found in SWB, ch. 7.
> 
> On the theology and spiritual value of
> prayer, see Prayer, Meditation, and the Devotional Attitude, a compilation
> by the Universal House of Justice, in CoC XXXX. Laws and regulations about
> prayer are found throughout SCKA; GHA; AVK 3:21-153; LoG 1479-
> 1539:455-468; PBA 7-8.
> 
> A modern Bahá'í interpretation of prayer is William
> and Madeline Hellaby, Prayer: a Bahá'í Approach, Oxford, 1985.
> 
> See also R.
> Jackson Armstrong-Ingram, Music, Devotions, and Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, Los
> Angeles, 1987.
> 
> METADATA
> 
> Views42314 views since posted 1999; last edit 2025-07-19 02:33 UTC;
> 
> previous at archive.org.../walbridge_encyclopedia_prayer_worship;
> URLs changed in 2010, see archive.org.../bahai-library.org
> Language
> English
> Permission
> author
> Share
> 
> Shortlink: bahai-library.com/447
> Citation: ris/447
> 
> select Collection:
> Archives
> Articles
> Articles-unpublished
> Audio
> Bibliographies
> BIC
> Biographies
> Books
> Chronologies
> Compilations
> Compilations-NSA
> Compilations-personal
> Documents
> East-asia
> Encyclopedia
> Essays
> Etc
> Excerpts
> Fiction
> Glossaries
> Guardian
> Histories
> Introductory
> Letters
> Maps
> Music
> Newspapers
> NSA-documents
> NSA-letters
> Personal
> Pilgrims
> Poetry
> Presentations
> Resources
> Reviews
> Scripts
> Software
> Statistics
> Study
> Talks
> Theses
> Transcripts
> Translations
> UHJ-documents
> UHJ-letters
> Video
> Visual
> Writings
> 
> home
> 
> sitemap
> 
> series
> 
> chronology
> 
> search:
> author
> 
> title
> 
> date
> 
> tags
> 
> adv. search
> languages
> 
> inventory
> 
> bibliography
> 
> abbreviations
> 
> links
> 
> about
> 
> contact
> 
> RSS
> 
> new
>
> — *Prayer and Worship (Used by permission of the curator)*