The Bahá'í Faith-Antelope Valley

love the Creator, as well as acquiring and practicing virtues. This is done through personal effort arising from free choice. These virtues are the faculties of the soul that are essential provisions for its journey in the infinite worlds of God. Bahá'u'lláh explains:

"Thou hast asked Me concerning the nature of the soul. Know, verily, that the soul is a sign of God, a heavenly gem whose reality the most learned of men hath failed to grasp, and whose mystery no mind, however acute, can ever hope to unravel. It is the first among all created things to declare the excellence of its Creator, the first to recognize His glory, to cleave to His truth, and to bow down in adoration before Him. If it be faithful to God, it will reflect His light, and will, eventually, return unto Him. If it fail, however, in its allegiance to its Creator, it will become a victim to self and passion, and will, in the end, sink in their depths." --Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 158-159

"The reason for God's having made Himself manifest, and for this shining forth of infinite lights from the realm of the invisible, is none other than the training of all men's souls and the refining of the characters of all on earth -- so that blessed individuals, who have freed themselves from the murk of the animal world, shall rise up with those qualities which are adorning of the reality of man." --`Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 10

Daily Prayer

The Bahá'ís believe that, since we are, in essence, spiritual beings presently in a physical realm, we must not neglect the needs of the soul. The daily obligatory prayer is nurturance for the soul. More importantly, it is an indispensable means of reaffirming love between the created and the Creator. Bahá'u'lláh has commanded His followers to recite daily one of three obligatory prayers to be chosen by the individual. To be said between noon and sunset every day, the shortest of these prayers is just three sentences long.

"I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting." --Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í Prayers, p. 4

In this brief prayer, the individual daily reaffirms his or her covenant with God. "To know and to worship God," to a Bahá'í, is the purpose for life. We know God through His Messengers and Their Writings. We worship God through obedience to His teachings for this day and through service to His creation.

There are many prayers that Bahá'ís use in addition to the daily obligatory prayer, such as prayers for assistance with difficulties, healing, spiritual growth, praise and gratitude to God, on behalf of children, and for the deceased.

Prayer gives us a glimpse into the happiness of the spiritual realm and lifts us out of the limitations of the material world. `Abdu'l-Bahá tells us:

"...all the sorrow and the grief that exist come from the world of matter--the spiritual world bestows only the joy!"

"...the spiritual Kingdom never causes sadness. A man living with his thoughts in this Kingdom knows perpetual joy. The ills all flesh is heir to do not pass him by, but they only touch the surface of his life, the depths are calm and serene."

"...You see all around you proofs of the inadequacy of material things--how joy, comfort, peace and consolation are not to be found in the transitory things of the world....If material anxiety envelops you in a dark cloud, spiritual radiance lightens your path....Thus, spirituality is the greatest of God's gifts." --`Abdu'l-Bahá, Paris Talks, p. 110-112

Daily Readings and Meditation

In addition to the obligatory prayers, Bahá'ís read passages from their Sacred Scriptures on a daily basis. This practice is indispensable for spiritual well-being and to maintain one's feeling of closeness to the Creator. Bahá'ís are also encouraged to practice meditation in order to discover the deep meanings of the Writings. Bahá'ís are free to meditate in any way they wish.

Acquisition and Practice of Virtues

As essential as praying is, it is not sufficient by itself. Bahá'ís are required to live a life of prayer through the acquisition and practice of virtues such as trustworthiness, truthfulness, honesty, kindness, generosity, chastity, purity of motive, and service to others. Virtues are only evident when they have virtuous actions to indicate their presence.

"Let deeds, not words, be your adorning."

--Bahá'u'lláh, Hidden Words, Persian No. 5

To Bahá'ís, belief in God and His Messenger is essential, but not enough--observance of His laws is equally important.

"These twin duties are inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other." -- Bahá'u'lláh, Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 19

Observance of the Fast

Virtually all of the world's religions practice some form of fasting as a means of spiritual growth. Bahá'u'lláh called on Bahá'ís to refrain from eating and drinking from sunrise to sunset for nineteen consecutive days each year from March 2nd to March 20th. This period is a time for deep reflection on one's own spiritual progress.

Efforts are made to detach oneself from material desires. Bahá'ís rise before dawn to eat breakfast and to pray. Those who are ill are exempt from fasting, as are pregnant and nursing women, people under 15 and over 70 years old, travelers, and those engaged in arduous physical labor. Bahá'ís often speak of the spiritual and physical energy released both during and after the nineteen days. The period of Fast ends at sunset on March 20th when the New Year is celebrated.

Life After Death

The Bahá'í concept of life after death is inseparable from the reality of the soul and the purpose of earthly life. Bahá'u'lláh confirms the existence of a separate, everlasting soul for every human. Although non-material, the soul is intimately associated with the physical body. One's soul can be expressed through the individual's attributes or spiritual qualities. The soul is the motive force for love, compassion, courage, faith and other humane qualities.

The soul does not die. Since it is not composed of material elements, it will not decompose when the human body dies. The soul is then freed from its tie with the body and begins its progress through the spiritual world. Bahá'ís understand the spiritual world to be a timeless and placeless extension of God's creation.

Ascending into the world of spirit can be potentially a great joy as the soul leaves behind the limitations of physical reality. Bahá'u'lláh likened death to birth. He explains that the spiritual realm beyond is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the baby while still in the womb of its mother.

The analogy to the womb summarizes the Bahá'í view of earthly existence. Just as the womb is an important context for a person's initial physical development, so is the physical world a place for the spiritual development and the progressive advancement of the soul. Bahá'ís view this earthly life as a form of school, as a workshop for the acquisition and practice of the qualities that are needed in the spiritual realm. Bahá'u'lláh wrote:

"Know thou, of a truth, that if the soul of man hath walked in the ways of God, it will, assuredly return and be gathered to the glory of the Beloved ... By the righteousness of God! It shall attain a station such as no pen can depict, or tongue can describe." --Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, p. 161

In the Bahá'í view, heaven is seen as a state of nearness to God, while hell is a state of remoteness from God. The joys and sorrows of nearness and remoteness to God areif theypresent here on earth as well. Each state follows as a consequence of individual efforts, or the lack thereof, to develop spiritually. The key for spiritual development is to learn and practice the lessons of the Messengers from God in this school of life.

Bahá'í Administration