Anniversary of the Birth of Baha'u'llah

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Anniversary of the Birth of Baha'u'llah is coming up soon in a few weeks from now... this is also a Holy Day for Baha'is and is observed around November 12...that is from sunset November 11th to sunset November 12th.

Baha'u'llah was born in 1817 a few years before the Bab... His family was actually noble..that is His father was a vizier in the Qajar court and it was expected that Baha'u'llah would assume His father's role...but this didn't really happen. More on that later.

Another aspect of the Birth of Baha'u'llah that has stirred some interest is that it roughly coincides with the Leonid meteor shower.. this has been symbolic of the loss of clerical power in the heavens of the religions.



Here's some background information of Baha'u'llah and about His early childhood:


On 12 November 1817 in Teheran, the capital of Persia, a son was born to a prominent minister of state, Mirza Buzurg, and his wife Khadijih. The boy, to whom they gave the names of Husayn-Ali, was later to be known as Baha'u'llah. The child led a carefree life, growing up as a member of a wealthy family who never suspected that their son might one day proclaim Himself to be the great Universal Teacher foretold by every earlier Messenger of God. Yet the father soon realised that his son was different from other children. For, although little Mirza Husayn-Ali had never been in school and had only recieved some instruction at home, He was extraordinarily knowledgable.

Before He was thirteen He was already famous at the Court for His learning. The ministers used to come to Him to discuss their problems with Him. He was already speaking at great assemblies of theologians and explaining the most complicated matters to them. But it was not only because of His knowledge that everyone came to Him. As a child He was extremely kind and helpful. Wherever people were in need, Mirza Husayn-Ali extended a helping hand and used to spend His time in caring for the sick and the poor.

When His father died in 1839, the government wished to appoint Him as his successor but He would not accept the appointment.
Shortly before this, He had married Navvab, the daughter of another minister. Husband and wife devoted themselves to the care of the poor and became known respectively as the Father of the Poor and the Mother of Consolation. A few years later, on 23 May 1844, a son was born. They called Him 'Abbas and He later took the title of 'Abdu'l-Baha. A short time after this event Mirza Husayn-'Ali, who was now twenty-seven years of age, received a scroll written by the Bab.

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Some symbolic interpretation of the Star Fall:

The Great Star Fall or Leonids Meteor Shower has been asssociated with the anniversary of the Birth of Baha'u'llah... and in the Writings it explains the stars falling as refering to the fall of clerical powers from the Heaven of Religion...

In "The Book of Certitude", Baha'u'llah reveals, "In
another sense, by the terms 'sun,' 'moon,' and 'stars' are meant
such laws and teachings as have been established in every
Dispensation, such as the laws of prayer and fasting... Hence,
it is clear and manifest that by the words 'the sun shall be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from
heaven' is intended the waywardness of the divines, and the
annulment of laws firmly established by divine Revelation..."

 

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Have the stars fallen?

There is a verse found in Ishraqat found on p. 118 of the "Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas":

They say: ‘Have the stars fallen?’ Say: ‘Yea, when He Who is the Self-Subsisting dwelt in the Land of Mystery.

It is believed that the reference to the "Land of Mystery" is Adrianople...so if we know when Baha'u'llah was in Adrianople we can perhaps tell what the "stars fallen" refers to.

According to "A Basic Baha'i Chronology" Baha'u'llah and His family arrived in Adrianople on December 12th 1863 and stay there for almost four years. On July 26, 1868 Sultan Abdul-Aziz issues a firman condemning Baha'u'llah to perpetual banishment and on August 12, 1868 Baha'u''lah and His family are escorted by soldiers and they embark from Adrianople to Gallipoli. They arrive in Haifa Bay on August 31, 1868 and are subsequently imprisoned in the prison fortress of Akka.

So can we say when the "star fall" described by Baha'u'llah when He was in Adrianople occurred?

The Leonids were first discovered around November 12th in 1833:

The night of November 12-13, 1833, not only marks the discovery of the Leonid meteor shower, but it marks the actual birth of meteor astronomy.

Source:

[URL="http://meteorshowersonline.com/leonids.html"]http://meteorshowersonline.com/leonids.html[/URL]


Leonid showers were recorded over two years while Baha'u'llah was in Adrianople:

"The expected meteor storm occurred in 1866 as predicted, with observers reporting hourly rates ranging from 2000 to 5000 per hour. The Leonids were again seen in 1867, when moonlight reduced the rates to 1000 per hour. Another strong appearance of the Leonids in 1868 reached an intensity of 1000 per hour in dark skies."

Source:

[URL="http://meteorshowersonline.com/leonids.html"]http://meteorshowersonline.com/leonids.html[/URL]

So we can say that the Leonid shower was visible over the years from 1866 to 1867.. By the time the 1868 shower occurred which would have been around November 11-12 Baha'u'llah would have been in Akka. So it's most likely the showers Baha'u'llah referred to were the ones in 1866 and 1867. There were earlier showers to be sure but these were the most notable ones after the 1833 Great Star Fall which prompted many Millerites to believe the end of the world was indeed drawing nigh and Jesus was returning.

- Art

 

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Prayer of Visitation:


The Tablet oif Visitation is often read for the anniversary of the Birth of Baha'u'llah:

(This Tablet is read at the Shrines of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb. It is also frequently used in commemorating Their anniversaries.)
The praise which hath dawned from Thy most august Self, and the glory which hath shone forth from Thy most effulgent Beauty, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art the Manifestation of Grandeur, and the King of Eternity, and the Lord of all who are in heaven and on earth!

I testify that through Thee the sovereignty of God and His dominion, and the majesty of God and His grandeur, were revealed, and the Daystars of ancient splendor have shed their radiance in the heaven of Thine irrevocable decree, and the Beauty of the Unseen hath shone forth above the horizon of creation.

I testify, moreover, that with but a movement of Thy Pen Thine injunction “Be Thou” hath been enforced, and God’s hidden Secret hath been divulged, and all created things have been called into being, and all the Revelations have been sent down.
I bear witness, moreover, that through Thy beauty the beauty of the Adored One hath been unveiled, and through Thy face the face of the Desired One hath shone forth, and that through a word from Thee Thou hast decided between all created things, caused them who are devoted to Thee to ascend unto the summit of glory, and the infidels to fall into the lowest abyss.
I bear witness that he who hath known Thee hath known God, and he who hath attained unto Thy presence hath attained unto the presence of God. Great, therefore, is the blessedness of him who hath believed in Thee, and in Thy signs, and hath humbled himself before Thy sovereignty, and hath been honored with meeting Thee, and hath attained the good pleasure of Thy will, and circled around Thee, and stood before Thy throne. Woe betide him that hath transgressed against Thee, and hath denied Thee, and repudiated Thy signs, and gainsaid Thy sovereignty, and risen up against Thee, and waxed proud before Thy face, and hath disputed Thy testimonies, and fled from Thy rule and Thy dominion, and been numbered with the infidels whose names have been inscribed by the fingers of Thy behest upon Thy holy Tablets.

Waft, then, unto me, O my God and my Beloved, from the right hand of Thy mercy and Thy loving-kindness, the holy breaths of Thy favors, that they may draw me away from myself and from the world unto the courts of Thy nearness and Thy presence.

Potent art Thou to do what pleaseth Thee. Thou, truly, hast been supreme over all things.

The remembrance of God and His praise, and the glory of God and His splendor, rest upon Thee, O Thou Who art His Beauty!

I bear witness that the eye of creation hath never gazed upon one wronged like Thee.

Thou wast immersed all the days of Thy life beneath an ocean of tribulations. At one time Thou wast in chains and fetters; at another Thou wast threatened by the sword of Thine enemies. Yet, despite all this, Thou didst enjoin upon all men to observe what had been prescribed unto Thee by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.

May my spirit be a sacrifice to the wrongs Thou didst suffer, and my soul be a ransom for the adversities Thou didst sustain. I beseech God, by Thee and by them whose faces have been illumined with the splendors of the light of Thy countenance, and who, for love of Thee, have observed all whereunto they were bidden, to remove the veils that have come in between Thee and Thy creatures, and to supply me with the good of this world and the world to come.

Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Exalted, the All-Glorious, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Compassionate.
Bless Thou, O Lord my God, the Divine Lote-Tree and its leaves, and its boughs, and its branches, and its stems, and its offshoots, as long as Thy most excellent titles will endure and Thy most august attributes will last. Protect it, then, from the mischief of the aggressor and the hosts of tyranny. Thou art, in truth, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.

Bless Thou, also, O Lord my God, Thy servants and Thy handmaidens who have attained unto Thee. Thou, truly, art the All-Bountiful, Whose grace is infinite. No God is there save Thee, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous.

~ Baha'u'llah

 

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New web site focuses on life of Baha'u'llah

PHOTOS ON NEW WEB SITE BRING THE LIFE OF BAHA'U'LLAH INTO FOCUS

HAIFA, Israel, 7 November 2007 (BWNS) -- A new Web site featuring
photographs that help viewers experience the life of Baha'u'llah has been
launched by the Baha'i International Community.

Some of the photographs have not been published before, and many of
them have had only limited distribution.

The launch of the Web site comes just before the Baha'i holy day on 12
November that marks the anniversary of the birth of Baha'u'llah.

"The purpose of the Web site is to provide illustration of
Baha'u'llah's life through photographs of places and artifacts and relics
associated directly with Him," said Douglas Moore, director of the Office of
Public Information of the Baha'i International Community.

"We've tried to bring together a unique collection of photos, many of
them not generally available, so that you get a better sense of
Baha'u'llah's life and the time period in which He lived," Mr. Moore said.

Rather than providing a comprehensive history or literary presentation
of the Baha'i Faith, the new Web site aims rather to be
impressionistic.

"It's more contemplative, more experiential," Mr. Moore said.

Thus it complements other Web sites that do provide a more complete
description of the religion, he said.

Baha'u'llah was a Persian nobleman who in the 19th century claimed to
be nothing less than a new and independent Messenger from God, the one
whose advent was anticipated by all the divine Messengers of the past -
including Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, and
Muhammad - and foretold in the holy books.

Baha'u'llah, who was born in 1817, was exiled from his native Tehran
and banished to the Ottoman Empire - to Baghdad, Constantinople (now
Istanbul), and finally Acre.

"The new Web site is appropriate for a range of audiences, not only
Baha'is and those who have a deep interest in the Baha'i Faith, but also
people who, from an academic or historical perspective, want to see what
kind of photographic documentation exists for such a unique figure as
Baha'u'llah," Mr. Moore said.

He noted that the Web site does not include a photograph of Baha'u'llah
Himself. Such a photograph does exist, but it is treated with extreme
reverence and viewed only in special circumstances; it is never
published by Baha'is, nor would Baha'is reproduce it.

The photographs on the Web site are from the archives at the Baha'i
World Center in Haifa.

The address of the site is www.bahaullah.org.



To view the photos and additional features click here:
http://news.bahai.org

--
22-sw-071107-1-WEBSITELAUNCH-586-S

 

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Celebrating the Birth of Baha'u'llah

Celebrating the Birth of Baha’u’llah:

Divine teacher for this age

“The face of him on whom I gazed I can never forget, though I cannot describe it. Those piercing eyes seemed to read one's very soul; power and authority sat on that ample brow.... No need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I bowed myself before one who is the object of a devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in vain!”

Baha’u’llah, Whose birthday Baha’is celebrate on Monday, Nov. 12, was thus described by the well-known Cambridge University Orientalist Edward Granville Browne in 1890. Baha’u’llah had at that time been a prisoner and exile for almost 40 years, and His teachings were shrouded in obscurity.

Today Baha’u’llah is recognized by close to six million followers around the world as the Manifestation of God, or Divine Teacher for this age. He taught that all of the Manifestations of God, including Moses, Abraham, Christ, Muhammad, Krishna and Buddha, have appeared at intervals throughout history to found the world's great religions. They have been sent by a loving Creator to help us know and worship Him and bring human civilization to ever-higher levels of achievement.

Baha’u’llah's central message for humanity in this day is one of unity and justice. In two oft-quoted passages He wrote, "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens,” and "The best beloved of all things in My sight is justice. He also stated, "The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.”

While such statements have become part of mainstream thinking in the contemporary world, we can only imagine the startling effect they would have had on someone like E.G. Browne, to whom Baha’u’llah uttered the following remarkable statement:

“Thou hast come to see a prisoner and an exile.... We desire but the good of the world and the happiness of the nations; yet they deem us a stirrer-up of strife and sedition worthy of bondage and banishment.... That all nations should become one in faith and all men as brothers; that the bonds of affection and unity between the sons of men should be strengthened; that diversity of religion should cease, and differences of race be annulled -- what harm is there in this? ...Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the `Most Great Peace' shall come...”

Born into a noble family in 19th century Persia, Baha’u’llah's destiny would seem to have been one of wealth and ease. Yet, from an early age He showed little interest in following in His father's footsteps at the Shah's court, preferring to spend His time and resources in ministering to the poor. Later, His recognition of the religion of His forerunner, the Bab, caused Him to be cast into prison and subsequently exiled.

It was during His initial imprisonment that Baha’u’llah first experienced divine revelation. Of it, He wrote:
“During the days I lay in the prison of Tihran, though the galling weight of the chains and the stench-filled air allowed Me but little sleep, still in those infrequent moments of slumber I felt as if something flowed from the crown of My head over My breast, even as a mighty torrent that precipitateth itself upon the earth from the summit of a lofty mountain. Every limb of My body would, as a result, be set afire. At such moments My tongue recited what no man could bear to hear.”

Throughout His long years of exile, Baha’u’llah revealed divinely inspired passages equivalent to more than 100 volumes. This revelation comprises mystical writings, social and ethical teachings, laws and ordinances, and a fearless proclamation of His message to the kings and rulers of the world, including Napoleon III, Queen Victoria, Pope Pius IX, the Shah of Persia, Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany and the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.

Baha’u’llah's son, Abdu'l-Baha, who was appointed by Him as His successor, described the mission of His Father in these words:

“He bore these ordeals, suffered these calamities and difficulties in order that a manifestation of selflessness and service might become apparent in the world of humanity; that the Most Great Peace should become a reality; that human souls might appear as the angels of heaven; that heavenly miracles would be wrought among men; that human faith should be strengthened and perfected; that the precious, priceless bestowal of God, the human mind, might be developed to its fullest capacity in the temple of the body; and man become the reflection and likeness of God, even as it hath been revealed in the Bible: `We shall create man in Our own image.”

Baha’u’llah passed from this earthly world in 1892, still nominally a prisoner in Palestine. The day of His birth (Nov. 12) and Ascension (May 29) are two of nine holy days on which Baha'is suspend work and school.

We invite you to learn more about Baha’u’llah’s life and mission; to study the prayers and sacred writings revealed by Him; and to investigate His astounding claim to be "the Promised One of All Ages" and His promise of a future when "these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the `Most Great Peace' shall come."

 

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I had a great day yesterday on the Birth of Baha'u'llah... Baha'is from around the valley had a fine celebration and got to know one another.. like a big family reunion. Even my sister visited and asked about Tahireh the Babi poetess and martyr..

- Art