Birth of Bahá'u'lláh

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The shrine of Bahá'u'lláh

The Birth of Bahá'u'lláh is one of nine holy days celebrated by Bahá'ís in the Bahá'í calendar where work is suspended.^[1] The holy day celebrates the birth of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith.

Bahá'u'lláh was born on on November 12, 1817 in Tehran, Iran^[2], and this holy day was instituted in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, "The Most Holy Book", where Bahá'u'lláh first refers to four great festivals: the Festival of Ridván, the Declaration of the Báb, the birth of the Báb, and the birth of Bahá'u'lláh.^[3] The Báb is considered to be a Manifestation of God Who foretold the coming of Bahá'u'lláh. In questions submitted to Bahá'u'lláh after the writing of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh states that the two days commemorating the births of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh are seen to be one in the "sight of God" and are referred to as the "Twin Birthdays".^[4]^[5]

`Abdu'l-Bahá, the son of Bahá'u'lláh, stated that during the holy day the community should rejoice together to increase the unity of the community.^[6] Bahá'ís usually observe the holy day with community gatherings where prayers are shared and the birth of Bahá'u'lláh is celebrated. In Iran and other communities where the majority of the population are Shi'a Muslims, Bahá'u'lláh stated that that His followers should exercise caution in celebrating the twin birthdays so that do not upset the majority of the population who are mourning during the Islamic month of Muharram.^[7]

In the Islamic calendar, which is a lunar calendar, the two holy days fall on consecutive days; the birth of Bahá'u'lláh falls on the second day of Muharram in 1233 AH (November 12, 1817), and the birth of the Báb falls on the first day of Muharram in 1235 AH (October 20, 1819).^[5]^[7] Bahá'u'lláh also states that should the holy days fall in the Bahá'í month of fasting, Bahá'ís do not have to fast for those days.^[5]

Since the Bahá'í calendar is a solar calendar, the decision to celebrate the twin holy birthdays in a solar or lunar basis remains to the Universal House of Justice.^[5] Currently in most of the world, the holy day is celebrated according to the solar year on November 12 and the birth of the Báb is celebrated on October 20.^[1] Since days in the Bahá'í calendar start at sunset, the holy day starts on the evening of November 11 and proceeds until sunset on November 12.

[edit] References

^ ^a ^b Esslemont, J.E. (1980). Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, 5th ed., Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, pp. 182-183. ISBN 0877431604.
^ Nigosian, Solomon A. (1994). "Chapter 15", World Faiths. New York: St. Martin's Press, pp. 459-470.
^ Bahá'u'lláh [1873] (1992). The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, pp. 59. ISBN 0853989990.
^ Bahá'u'lláh [1873] (1992). The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, pp. 105. ISBN 0853989990.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Universal House of Justice (1992). "Notes", The Kitáb-i-Aqdas: The Most Holy Book. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, pp. 224-225. ISBN 0853989990.
^ National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States. Developing Distinctive Bahá'í Communities.
^ ^a ^b Taherzadeh, Adib (1987). The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Volume 4: Mazra'ih & Bahji 1877-92. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853982708.