Shoghi Effendi translated the word 'Abha' as 'All-Glorious', 'Most Glorious', 'Most Luminous', etc., in various passages. "Love is heaven’s kindly light... Love is the on, The happiness of mankind will be realized when wom, Masud Olufani welcomes his father for a conversati, Love gives life to the lifeless. One of our visiting students noticed that some of the Baha’is she met wore jewelry with a nine-pointed star or a Baha’i ring-stone symbol. Question: Is there some sort of meaning behind these symbols, similar to how the cross reminds Christians that Jesus died for our sake; or the Star of David represents the teachings of Judaism? There is no one official religious symbol representing the Bahá'í Faith, but some symbols is commonly used. I spelled it as I pronounced it in my mind. number of words for which there are multiple English (and other) equivalents. Baháʼís are free to hold to their own understanding of the texts, as long as they do not force it on others, realize that their understanding is limited, and that they all follow the binding authority of the appointed interpreters. It incorporates the Arabic letters in “Baha” into a visual representation of the relationships between the worlds of God, of Revelation and of humanity. As promised, here is the post about the meaning of the Bahá’í ring symbol. I find it difficult to see how Allah'u'Abha means both, considering that Muslims. "The number nine, which in itself is the number of perfection, is considered by the Bahá’ís as sacred, because it is symbolic of the perfection of the Bahá’í Revelation which constitutes the ninth in the line of existing religions, the latest and fullest Revelation which mankind has ever known. How can they best reach you? And "Allahu Abha" means both "God is the All-Glorious" and "God is the Most Glorious". You may see this version, first drawn by a renowned 19th Century Baha’i calligrapher named Mishkin-Qalam (who was one of the earliest Baha’is), hanging on the wall in Baha’i homes. The Nine-Pointed Star: ... second, it represents the number of perfection, being the highest single number; third, it is the numerical value of the word "Baha". The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded in Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. Thank dear Maya for this wonderful explanation of the Baha'i symbols. Christopher Buck analyses a selection of six key scenarios (the Promised One, the Covenant, illumination, lover and the beloved, the Maid of Heaven, the crimson ark and the Holy Mariner) and six root metaphors (physician, wine/water of life, mirror/gems, the journey, lote-tree/Sinai, paradise). ‌ On the keyboard LEDs, a square with a number "1" on it is an indicator for the Num Lock on some keyboards. Updated Dec 9, 2020. the Shrine of the Báb, but this website won't let me. Muslims greet each other by saying 'Salamu-`Alaykum', which means 'Peace be upon you'. I don't know what made you think and say that. Get in touch with the Baha’is in your community. The Bahá’i faith claims to be the fulfillment of all prior religions. I meant it as you said: Allah'u'Akbar. fretting, whining, etc. Also, the Arabic word 'Abka' is associated with weeping, crying, First of all, I mispelled it. This beautiful symbol reminds Baha’is that we are connected to God through the Holy Spirit and the Manifestation of God. "A simple nine-pointed star is generally used by Bahá'ís as a symbol of their Faith. It may be wise to update it to reflect the fact that the number 9 is *not* a symbol of the Baha’i Faith. In Arabic, the word also means the body or form of something, particularly the human body. Hence, the "top-most" line is really the "left-most" line. Also, it was nine years after the announcement of Baha’u’llah’s Forerunner, the Bab, that Baha’u’llah received His own revelation in a dungeon in Tehran (the Black Pit or Siyah-chal). All the explanations on the significance of the number 9 are correct. My friend, I'm a first generation Baha'i of Muslim background. [3], Haykal is a loan word from the Hebrew word hēyḵāl, which means temple and specifically Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. © 2021 BahaiTeachings.org All Rights Reserved. I would add, just for greater clarification, that the vertical line in the ringstone symbol may beautifully represent the Holy Spirit, yes, and it is also identical to the middle line of the Manifestation. ‌ On the keyboard LEDs, a square with a letter "A" on it is an indicator for the Caps Lock on some keyboards. It is, however, enough to make the Baháʼís use it when an arbitrary number is to be chosen. Hope that short piece of info helped It is the Manifestation that connects the world of humanity to the unknowable world of God, so in one sense, it is the Manifestation that perfectly reflects the Holy Spirit to us here in the world of creation...The realm of God, the top line will forever be unreachable and unattainable, First of all, thank you for this page. It could be sufficient simply to remove the claim that it is “the symbol of the Baha’i Faith.” Best regards, James The Bahá’is do not have any form of priesthood or clergy. What does BAHA'I mean? The number 9 also comes up several times in Baháʼí history and teachings. In Islamic belief God has 99 names, and in some Islamic traditions it is believed that there is a special hidden 100th name, which is the greatest. The number nine has significance in the Bahá'í Revelation. Information and translations of BAHA'I in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions … Hand of the Cause Abu’l-Qasim Faizi wrote “No less a person than Abdu’l-Baha could have designed this emblem, for who else could have condensed so much of the divine mystery into so little space and into so few letter… The top bar represents the world of God (the spiritual realm); the bottom bar that mirrors it signifies our world; and the line between them symbolizes the Manifestation of God (Christ, Buddha, Baha’u’llah, etc). This rendering was originally drawn by the early Baháʼí calligrapher Mishkín Qalam,[10] and later adopted by Baháʼís everywhere. Question: Is … Take care :). The Baha’i Faith is among the fastest growing religions in the world, with followers from practically every nation on earth, coming from varied cultural backgrounds and ethnic heritage. The position of Manifestation of God in this symbol is said to be the linking point to God. What does the Baha'i symbol mean? The Baha’i ring-stone symbol, a calligraphic rendering of the phrase “Allah’u’abha”, means “God is most glorious” — but it also does something I think is truly lovely. When you read the Writings and compare with the original Arabic, you do see both. Baha'is often use a nine-pointed star or flower to represent the number nine which is the highest single digit, therefore it is a symbol of unity. The number nine is significant for Bahá'ís for several reasons. Since the symbol refers more directly to the Name of God and of the Messenger of God, than any other symbol in the Baháʼí Faith, it is not generally used in a casual manner or to adorn the personal artifacts that are put to common use. RELATED: A New Way to Comprehend the Holy Spirit. Baháʼu'lláh often referred to Baháʼís in his writings as "the people of Baháʼ", and in addition, the Báb sent a tablet to Baháʼu'lláh with 360 derivatives of the word Baháʼ. Mean The mean of a set if the average of all the values in the set. Meaning of BAHA'I. Rendered in the shape of an ark or boat, it can serve as a metaphor for how the Faith of God through the ages has preserved believers from the spiritual storm of this earthly life. Bahai Symbol Nine-Pointed Star: The simple nine-pointed star is generally used by Bahá'ís as a symbol of their Faith. We have, in very truth,...ordained Thee to be the emblem of My Cause betwixt the heavens and the earth..."[9]. He is more popularly referred to as Bahaullah or Baha Allah which means “splendor of God” in Arabic. The symbol known as Greatest Name is an Arabic calligraphic rendering of "Yá Baháʼu'l-Abhá" (يا بهاء الأبهى usually translated as "O Thou the Glory of the Most Glorious!"). Baha'i means follower of Baha'u'llah, the Manifestation of God for this present age. Are you implying that someone or something else is awesome enough to be glorious BESIDES Almighty Allah?? In Baháʼu'lláh's writings, specifically the Súriy-i-Haykal (Tablet of the Temple), while the meaning of temple remains present, the haykal is used mainly to mean the human body, but particularly the body of the Manifestation of God — a messenger from God — and the person of Baháʼu'lláh himself. [16], The ringstone symbol was designed by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá,[17] and, as its name implies, is the most common symbol found on rings worn by Baháʼís, but it is also used on necklaces, book covers, and paintings. Also, they don't say "Allahu Akbar" as a greeting, but as an expression to describe God's greatness. Anyway, if you have issues with the way the words in the Writings are translated, you should take that up with the Research Department of the Baha'i World Center. Thank you, Maya for this great article. So pervasive is the Rainbow Serpent in Aboriginal tradition, that respecting and honoring what their tradition represents is an important … While the star is not a part of the teachings of the Baháʼí Faith, it is commonly used as an emblem representing "9", because of the association of number 9 with perfection, unity and Baháʼ. I would post a link to the symbol as Shoghi Effendi placed it on, Thank you so much for such a simple explanations on the baha'i symbols. In English, the word Baháʼí is used either as an adjective to refer to the Baháʼí Faith or as a term for a follower of Baháʼu'lláh. Baha’i Faith, religion founded in Iraq in the mid-19th century by Mirza Hosayn ‘Ali Nuri, who is known as Baha’ Allah. God is not the MOST Glorious, Sarjil. I appreciate it. The most commonly used symbol connected to the number 9 is the nine-pointed star; there is no particular design of the nine-pointed star that is used more often than others. [4][5] The Báb wrote many letters, tablets, prayers and more in the shape of a five-pointed star, including some that included many derivatives of the word Baháʼ (see below).[6][7]. The number nine is the highest single digit number symbolizes completement and the fulfillment of the expectations of all prior religions. The symbol is taken from the Nyame legend of the python. Baha’i followers or Baha’is are literally “citizens of the world”. The lower line is said to represent humanity and the world of creation, the upper line the world of God, and the middle line represents the special station of Manifestation of God and the world of revelation; the vertical line is the Primal Will or Holy Spirit proceeding from God through the Manifestations to humanity. Also, I just want to correct your explanation of "Allah'u'Abha". Definition of BAHA'I in the Definitions.net dictionary. [19] Other analysis has been done by Baháʼí scholars John Hatcher,[20] William Collins,[21] and Ruhiyyih Khanum. The five-pointed star, or haykal (Arabic: temple‎) is the symbol of the Baháʼí Faith as mentioned by Shoghi Effendi, head of the Baháʼí Faith in the first half of the 20th century: "Strictly speaking the 5-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the Báb and explained by Him. The second consideration, which is the more important one, is that it is the numerical value of the word "Baháʼ"…"Besides these two significances the number nine has no other meaning. [10] The most commonly used symbol connected to the number 9 is the nine-pointed star; there is no particular design of the nine-pointed star that is used more often than others. Mirza Husayn ali Nuri founded the Baha’i Faith in Iran in 1863, that is 150 years ago. ‌A symbol of a rectangular box filled with other small solid boxes with a line coming out of the top is used to represent a computer keyboard. 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