This glossary define terms unique to the Bahá'í
Faith, but it is not an exhaustive list. Find the definition below
for the term you are looking for. If you find a Bahá'í
term or name that is not listed here, please email us: webmaster@bahaistudy.org
A:
'Abdu'l-Bahá (AB-dol ba-HAW) (1844-1921)
The son of Bahá'u'lláh, the Prophet-Founder
of the Bahá'í Faith. In His Will and Testament,
Bahá'u'lláh appointed 'Abdu'l-Bahá as
the head of the Bahá'í community. 'Abdu'l-Bahá
is also known by titles Bahá'u'lláh used in
reference to His son: the 'Master', and the 'Center of the
Covenant'. 'Abdu'l-Bahá is an Arabic name that means
"Servant of God." 'Abdu'l-Bahá authored some
27,000 writings (mostly letters) which Bahá'ís
consider scripture, and he is considered the infallible interpreter
of his father's writings and a perfect example of how to live
a Bahá'í life.
Ablutions
The act of washing ones' hands and face for the obligatory
prayer that Bahá'ís say daily.
ABM
See Auxiliary Board Member
Akka
The one-time prison city in present day Israel where Bahá'u'lláh
was kept for the last 20 years of His life. He eventually
passed on while still a prisoner, and is buried on the outskirts
in the property of Bahjí.
'Alá (a-LAW)
The Arabic word for "loftiness" and the name of
the Bahá'í month of fasting (March 2-20).
Appointed Arm (of Bahá'í
Administration)
The Appointed Arm, also know as the "Learned," are
member of Bahá'í administration who are appointed
to their position. All other administrative positions are
filled by election (known as the elected arm). Appointed members
are Counselors (appointed by the Universal House of Justice),
Auxiliary Board Members (appointed by Counselors) and assistants
(appointed by Auxiliary Board Members). Members of the Appointed
Arm are characterized by their level of wisdom, maturity,
and dedication to service.
Aqdas, Kitáb-i- (ke-TAWB-e-AQ-das)
The "Most Holy Book" of Bahá'u'lláh,
it was composed about 1873 and contains the main laws, ordinances,
and principles of the Bahá'í Faith.
Assistant
An individual appointed by an Auxiliary Board Member to be
his or her representative in a local community. An assistant
acts as an interface between a local community and its Auxiliary
Board Member, and can be asked to specialize in his or her
area of counsel. For example, some assistants dealing mostly
with youth activities or women's issues.
Auxiliary Board Member
An individual appointed by a Counselor who assists the Counselor
in his or her work. An Auxiliary Board Member (sometimes called
an ABM) then appoints assistants to get further help. A Counselor
usually serves a very large area, like the Eastern Seaboard
of the US, or perhaps an entire country. They appoint several
ABMs to help them, subdividing their region into jurisdictions
for the ABMs. The ABMs in turn finds assistants in each community
in their jurisdiction.
B:
The Báb (bawb), (1819-1850)
The Prophet-Founder of the Bábí Faith, a religious
movement that's fundamental purpose was to prepare people
for the coming of Bahá'u'lláh. In Arabic, The
Báb means "The Gate."
Bábís (baw-bees)
Followers of the Báb.
Bahá'u'lláh (ba-haw-oo-LAW)
(1817-1892)
The Prophet-Founder of the Bahá'í Faith. Born
into a wealthy family in Iran, His father worked in a high-ranking
position in the Iranian government. Bahá'u'lláh
never showed interest in the wealth and power of his family,
and when he advocated the cause of the Báb, he was
stripped of his property. For forty years, while teaching
the Bahá'í Faith, Bahá'u'lláh
was kept in prison and exile until his eventual death in 1892
outside of the prison city of Akka in Israel. He declared
himself the Promised One of the world's religions in 1863
and, in spite of imprisonment and persecution, wrote thousands
of letters and other documents, about 15,000 of which are
extant.
Bahá'í (ba-haw-ee; American
pronunciation, ba-HIGH)
Literally "follower of bahá." Also used as
an adjective. (Usage thus is the same as the word "Christian.")
Bahjí
The burial site of Bahá'u'lláh, in modern day
Israel. Bahjí is the holiest site for Bahá'ís,
and the direction to which Bahá'ís face when
they say their obligatory prayers. It is north of Haifa, the
Israeli city that is the seat of the Shrine of the Báb
and the Bahá'í world headquarters.
Bishárát (be-shaw-RAWT)
(Glad-Tidings)
One of Bahá'u'lláh's chief works of social ethics,
composed in the 1870s or 1880s.
C:
Calendar
The Bahá'í calendar is composed of nineteen
months of nineteen days with an additional four (or five,
in leap year) days to equal 364 days annually. The months
are named after different attributes of God (Beauty, Light,
Mercy, Splendor, etc.). The extra days 4-5 days are know as
the Intercalary Days, and are designated as a time of celebration,
gift giving and community service.
Continental Board of Counselors
The Counselors appointed to serve a particular continent meet
together and form this Board.
Counselor
An individual appointed by the Universal House of Justice
to serve a particular region or country. Counselors act as
the representative of the Universal House of Justice, and
are the highest position that an individual Bahá'í
can achieve today. Counselors are known as members of the
"Appointed Arm," as opposed to the "Elected
Arm" that is comprised of the Local and National Spiritual
Assemblies, and the House of Justice Itself. Counselors are
extremely well respected by the Bahá'ís of the
world. They in turn appoint Auxiliary Board Members who their
work.
D:
Dawn-Breakers, The
An account of the life of the Báb and the development
of the Bábí religion by Nabíl-i-Zarandí,
a companion of Bahá'u'lláh; it was edited and
translated into English by Shoghi Effendi in 1932.
Deepening
A meeting held to discuss a Bahá'í book or teaching
at an advanced level.
Declaration Card
A card that is filled out by someone wanting to become a Bahá'í.
Though the true definition of a Bahá'í is anyone
who believes in Bahá'u'lláh, signing a declaration
card is the formalization of that belief. The declaration
then registers the new Bahá'í as a voting member
of his or her Bahá'í community.
E:
Elected Arm
Members of the Elected Arm of the Bahá'í Faith
serve on the Local Spiritual Assembly, the Regional Council,
the National Spiritual Assembly, and the Universal House of
Justice. These individuals are elected by secret ballot, with
no electioneering. They are elected for their loyalty, devotion,
ability and experience.
F:
Fast
The Fast is the last month of the Bahá'í calendar,
a 19-day period during which Bahá'ís refrain
from eating and drinking between sunrise and sunset. It is
essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual
recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make
the necessary readjustments in our inner life, and to refresh
and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in our soul.
Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally
spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder
of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires. Children, the
elderly, pregnant/nursing mothers and the sick are not required
to fast.
Feast
The Bahá'í Feast is held every nineteen days
according to the Bahá'í calendar. The Feast
consists of three portions: Devotional, Administrative, and
Social. The devotional portion is a time for Bahá'ís
to gather together in prayer and worship. The administrative
portion allows for the community to attend to its affairs
as a group, and the social portion is so everyone can have
a good time and enjoy the fellowship of the Bahá'í
community.
Fireside
A fireside is a small meeting that is held in someone's home
with the purpose of educating people about various aspects
of the Bahá'í Faith. Both Bahá'ís
and non-Bahá'ís are welcome to attend.
G:
The Guardian
The official title of Shoghi Effendi, the grandson of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
Greatest Name
Some Islamic popular traditions hold that God has one hundred
names or attributes of God; ninety-nine are known; and that
the hundredth or Greatest Name would be revealed on the Day
of Judgment. Bahá'u'lláh maintained that the
Greatest Name was bahá (ba-HAW), "glory,"
and its superlative abhá (ab-HAW), "most glorious."
Bahá'ís use various forms of the two as a prayer
and a greeting.
H:
Haifa
The administrative center of the Bahá'í Faith
is located in the city of Haifa, Israel. This is also the
location of the resting place of the Báb.
Hand of the Cause
Hands of the Cause are individuals appointed by Bahá'u'lláh,
'Abdu'l-Bahá or Shoghi Effendi to assist the growth
and development of the Bahá'í Faith. Most Hands
of the Cause have passed on, and the few that remain are quite
elderly. They are the most highly respected individuals in
the international Bahá'í community.
Hidden Words:
A work composed by Bahá'u'lláh in 1858. It consists
of seventy-one Arabic, and eighty-two Persian paragraph-sized
sections. Each section consists of an aphorism on an ethical
or spiritual topic.
Holy Day
There are nine Bahá'í Holy Days that mark special
events in Bahá'í history. On a Holy Day, Bahá'ís
are urged to suspend work, and spend the day commemorating
it with family and community. These Holy Days are:
· April 21, First Day of Ridván (Declaration
of Bahá'u'lláh)
· April 29, Ninth Day of Ridván
· May 2, Twelfth Day of Ridván
· May 23, Declaration of the Báb
· May 29, Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh
· July 9, Martyrdom of the Báb
· October 20, Birth of the Báb
· November 12, Birth of Bahá'u'lláh
· March 21, New Year
Holy Land
The Holy Land refers to Israel, as the Bahá'í
Administrative Center. It is considered Holy not only because
it contains sites that are Holy for Jews, Christians and Muslims,
but also because it contains the resting places of the Báb,
Bahá'u'lláh, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
House of Justice
The governing council of a local or national Bahá'í
community in the future, and of the Bahá'í world
today. Local and national houses of justice are temporarily
styled spiritual assemblies.
I:
Íqán, Kitáb-i- (ke-TAWB-e
ee-GAWN) (Book of Certitude)
A work composed by Bahá'u'lláh in 1862 in response
to a list of questions prepared by an uncle of the Báb.
It consists of interpretation of biblical and quranic terms,
images, and prophecies, as well as containing many ethical
and spiritual exhortations.
Ishráqát (esh-raw-GAWT)
(Splendors)
One of Bahá'u'lláh's works on social ethics,
composed in response to questions by a prominent Persian Bahá'í
in the 1870s or 1880s.
J:
K:
Knight of Bahá'u'lláh
A Knight of Bahá'u'lláh is the first Bahá'í
to travel to a country or territory.
L:
Local Spiritual Assembly
The Local Spiritual Assembly (or LSA) is responsible for administering
the affairs of the Bahá'í Faith at the local
level. The Assembly may also be called upon for counsel or
advice. It is composed of nine elected members of the community.
The Local Assembly is elected once a year.
M:
The Master
A title of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, given to him by Bahá'u'lláh.
Manifestation of God
A Bahá'í term for the founders of the major
world religions, who are seen as mouthpieces of divine revelation
and examples of a divine life. Bahá'í scripture
clearly identifies ten historic individuals as Manifestations:
the founder of the Sabaean religion, mentioned in the Qur'án;
Abraham; Moses; Jesus Christ; Muhammad; Krishna; Zoroaster;
Buddha; the Báb; and Bahá'u'lláh.
N:
National Spiritual Assembly
The National Spiritual Assembly is a body of nine elected
members who administer the affairs of a National Bahá'í
Community. They also provide guidance to Local Spiritual Assemblies.
The National Assembly is elected once a year.
Naw Ruz
The Bahá'í New Year begins on Naw Ruz (pronounced
'Naw rooz'). This falls on March 21, and coincides with the
spring equinox.
O:
Obligatory prayer
Bahá'ís say an obligatory prayer on a daily
basis. There are actually three different prayers to choose
from. The short prayer is to be said once between noon and
sunset, the medium prayer is to be said at morning, noon and
night, and the long prayer is to be said once in a twenty
four hour period.
P:
Pioneering
When Bahá'ís travel overseas with the intention
of developing the Faith in a locality, this is termed "pioneering".
It should be noted that this differs from missionary undertakings
in that Bahá'ís are forbidden to proselytize.
Progressive Revelation
The Bahá'í belief that the major religions have
been founded by Manifestations of God and that the Manifestations
succeed one another, each bringing a greater measure of divine
truth to humanity.
Q:
R:
Regional Council
The Regional Council is an elected body of nine Bahá'ís
who assist in the administration of the community at a regional
level. In terms of the size of the population it serves, a
Regional Council lies between a Local Spiritual Assembly and
the National Spiritual Assembly.
Ridván
Ridván is the name of the 12-day festival that marks
the holiest time in the Bahá'í calendar. An
Arabic word meaning 'Paradise,' the 12 Days of Ridván
(pronounced 'Rizwan') are named after the 12 Days that Bahá'u'lláh
spend with his family and followers in the Garden of Ridván
outside of Baghdad. It was during this time that Bahá'u'lláh
officially declared himself to be a Prophet of God.
S:
Secret of Divine Civilization
A work composed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in 1875 detailing the
role of religion in the development of civilization, and social
reforms that Iran should undergo in order to become a modern
nation. It serves as one of the Bahá'í Faith's
major treatises on social reform.
Seven Valleys:
A mystical work composed by Bahá'u'lláh between
1856 and 1862, in response to questions asked him by a Sufi
leader. It is Bahá'u'lláh's major mystical work.
Shiraz
The city in Iran where the Báb declared His mission
on May 23, 1844.
Shoghi Effendi (1896-1957)
The great grandson of Bahá'u'lláh, Shoghi Effendi
led the Bahá'í world after the death of his
Grandfather, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in 1921 He was given the
title of The Guardian.
Shrine of the Báb
The Shrine in which the Báb is buried. It stands on
Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel.
T:
Tablet
The translation of the Arabic word súrih (pronounced
soo-RAY) or, more commonly, the word lawh (pronounced loh),
used in many of the titles of some of the writings of the
Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, and 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
Tajallíyát (ta-ja-lee-YAWT)
(Effulgences)
One of Bahá'u'lláh's most important social and
ethical works, composed about 1885.
Tarázát (ta-raw-ZAWT) (Ornaments)
One of Bahá'u'lláh's major ethical and social
works, composed in the 1870s or 1880s.
U:
Universal House of Justice
The supreme governing body of the Bahá'í world,
the Universal House of Justice is elected by the Bahá'ís
of the world once every five years. Like other Bahá'í
institutions, it has nine members. The Universal House of
Justice meets in Haifa, Israel, and administers the Bahá'í
community at a global level.
V:
W:
X:
Y:
Year of Service
Bahá'ís, especially youth, are encouraged to
spend a year offering volunteer service to communities around
the world. This service is generally related to assisting
the growth and development of Bahá'í communities
and participation in social and economic development projects.
Z:
