Brief excerpts from the
Writings of Baha’u’llah
wherein He is speaking explicitly of the Fast

The heading in bold print below is an arbitrary and subjective designation; the numbering is also arbitrary and has no significance other than for referencing within this site.

Purposes of the Fast

1. “…that the fire of Thy love and the heat produced by the fast enjoined by Thee may inflame them in Thy Cause…”

2. “…and make them to be occupied with Thy praise and with remembrance of Thee.”

3. “…the ornament of Thine acceptance…”

4. “…that through it they may purify their souls…”

5. “…and rid themselves of all attachment to any one but Thee…”

6. “…and that out of their hearts may ascend that which will be worthy of the court of Thy majesty and may well beseem the seat of the revelation of Thy oneness.”

7. “Cleanse Thou by its means the hearts of Thy servants…”

8. “…attaining unto that which Thou didst ordain…”

9. “…cleanse us from the noisome savors of our transgressions.”

10. [We get to ask God such as this:] “Do Thou accept all that we have done for love of Thee, and for the sake of Thy pleasure, and all that we have left undone as a result of our subjection to our evil and corrupt desires.”

11. “…We have ordained obligatory prayer and fasting so that all may by these means draw nigh unto God, the Most Powerful, the Well-Beloved.”

12. “…observe that which will draw them nearer unto Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Loving.”

13. “All praise be unto God, Who hath… enjoined on them the Fast that those possessed of means may become apprised of the woes and sufferings of the destitute.”

14. “…be acceptable in the sight of God.”

15. “…that which hath been and will be of profit to them.”

16. “Well is it with the one who fulfilleth My decrees…”

17. “Verily, He hath no purpose therein save to benefit the souls of His servants…”

18. “Blessed is the one who through the heat generated by the Fast increaseth his love…”

19. “…and who, with joy and radiance, ariseth to perform worthy deeds.”

20. “Purification and training are conditioned and dependent only on such rigorous exercises as are in accord with the Book of God and sanctioned by Divine law, not those which the deluded have inflicted upon the people.”

21. “Verily, I say, fasting is the supreme remedy and the most great healing for the disease of self and passion.”

22. “…to fulfill that which hath been decreed in the Book.”

23. “…serveth solely to benefit His friends and loved ones.”

24. “…Thou hast bidden to observe the Fast for the sake of Thy love and good pleasure…”

25. “There are various stages and stations for the Fast and innumerable effects and benefits are concealed therein. Well is it with those who have attained unto them.”

26. “I beg of Thee, O my God, by those who have fasted for love of Thee and have quaffed the living waters of submission from the hands of Thy bounty, to ordain for Thy loved ones, who under the blaze of the orb of Thy trials have clung to the cord of patience, all the good Thou hast reckoned in Thy Books and Thy Tablets.”

27. “I beg of Thee, O my God, by these mighty pillars, [fasting and obligatory prayer] to keep Thy religion safe from the mischief of the ungodly and the plotting of every wicked doer.”

28. “All glory be to Thee, O my God, for Thou hast graciously enabled me to fast during this month which Thou hast related to Thy Name, the Most Exalted, and called Ala (Loftiness). Thou hast commanded that Thy servants and Thy people should fast therein and seek thereby to draw nearer unto Thee.”

29. “The days and the months of the year have culminated with the Fast, even as the first month began with Thy Name, Baha, that all might testify that Thou art the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden…”

30. “…and be well assured that the glory of all names is conferred only through the glory of Thy Cause and the word expounded only by Thy will and revealed through Thy purpose.”

31. “Thou hast ordained that this month be a remembrance and honor from Thee…”

32. “…and a sign of Thy presence among them…”

33. “…that they may not forget Thy grandeur and Thy majesty, Thy sovereignty and Thy glory…”

34. “…and may be well assured that from time immemorial Thou hast ever been and wilt ever be Ruler over the entire creation.”


Key to the Sources

PM – Prayers and Meditations By Baha'u'llah
IOPF – The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting

1. PM, p.67; 2. PM, p.67; 3. PM, p.67; 4. PM, p.79; 5. PM, p.79; 6. PM, p.79; 7. PM, p.79; 8. PM, p.80; 9. PM, p.82; 10. PM, p.84; 11. IOPF, Part 1, I; 12. IOPF, Part 1, I; 13. IOPF, Part 1, II; 14. IOPF, Part 1, VI; 15. IOPF, Part 1, VI; 16. IOPF, Part 1, XIII; 17. IOPF, Part 1, XIV; 18. IOPF, Part 1, XV; 19. IOPF, Part 1, XV; 20. IOPF, Part 1, XVI; 21. IOPF, Part 1, XVII; 22. IOPF, Part 1, XVIII; 23. IOPF, Part 1, XVIII; 24. IOPF, Part 3, VI; 25. IOPF, Part 1, XIX; 26. IOPF, Part 3, IV; 27. IOPF, Part 3, V; 28. IOPF, Part 3, VI; 29. IOPF, Part 3, VI; 30. IOPF, Part 3, VI; 31. IOPF, Part 3, VI; 32. IOPF, Part 3, VI; 33. IOPF, Part 3, VI; 34. IOPF, Part 3, VI 10

Were the mouth of Thy will to address them saying: “Observe, for My Beauty's sake, the fast, O people, and set no limit to its duration,” I swear by the majesty of Thy glory, that every one of them will faithfully observe it, will abstain from whatsoever will violate Thy law, and will continue to do so until they yield up their souls unto Thee, for they have tasted the sweetness of Thy call, and become inebriated with Thy remembrance and praise and with the words proceeding from the lips of Thy command.’ – Baha’u’llah

Brief excerpts from the
Writings of Baha’u’llah
wherein He is speaking explicitly of the Fast

The heading in bold print below is an arbitrary and subjective designation; the numbering is also arbitrary and has no significance other than for referencing within this site.

Descriptive of the Fast

1. “We have commanded you to pray and fast…”

2. “…this is ordained by God…”

3. “We have enjoined upon you fasting…”

4. “…during a brief period…”

5. “…the season of restraint…”

6. “…this grace that is appointed in the Book.”

7. “In truth, I say that obligatory prayer and fasting occupy an exalted station in the sight of God.”

8. “It is, however, in a state of health that their virtue can be realized.”

9. “…a service due to God…” [Baha’u’llah expands a statement of Muhammad to include fasting.]

10. “Fasting is illumination, prayer is light." [Baha’u’llah corroborates a saying or tradition.]

11. “…We are the Fast…” [Baha’u’llah quotes Imam Jaafar Sadiq, the sixth Shi’ih Imam. (83-148 A.H.)]

12. “…the ornament of the fast prescribed by Thee…”

13. “…Thou didst enjoin Thy servants to observe the fast.”

14. “With it Thou didst adorn the preamble of the Book of Thy Laws revealed unto Thy creatures…”

15. “…and didst deck forth the Repositories of Thy commandments in the sight of all who are in Thy heaven and all who are on Thy earth.”

16. “Thou hast endowed every hour of these days with a special virtue, inscrutable to all except Thee…”

17. “Thou hast, also, assigned unto every soul a portion of this virtue…”

18. “Fasting and obligatory prayer are as two wings to man's life.”

19. “Verily, the religion of God is like unto heaven; fasting is its sun, and obligatory prayer is its moon. In truth, they are the pillars of religion whereby the righteous are distinguished from those who transgress His commandments.”

20. “…that which He hath revealed in His Ancient Book.”

21. “Know thou that religion is as heaven; and fasting and obligatory prayer are its sun and its moon.”

22. “…that which they have been commanded in this Day.”

23. “…in accordance with His good-pleasure.”

24. “Fasting hath been decreed for you in the month of Ala.”

25. “Thus doth the Beloved of mankind instruct you as bidden by God, the All-Powerful, the Unconstrained.”

26. “We, verily, have commanded all to observe the Fast in these days as a bounty on Our part…”

27. “Say: By God! His Law is a fortress unto you, could ye but understand.”

28. “Even though outwardly the Fast is difficult and toilsome, yet inwardly it is bounty and tranquillity.”

29. “Whatsoever God hath revealed is beloved of the soul.”

30. “…that which is pleasing and acceptable unto Him.”

31. “The law of the Fast is ordained for those who are sound and healthy…”

32. “The days of fasting have arrived wherein those servants who circle round Thy throne and have attained Thy presence have fasted.”

33. “These are the days whereon Thou hast enjoined Thy chosen ones, Thy loved ones and Thy servants to observe the Fast, which Thou hast made a light unto the people of Thy Kingdom…”

34. “Since they are turning to the court of Thy good-pleasure, all their days are days of fasting.”


Key to the Sources (Alphabetically)

ESW – Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
IOPF – The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting
KA – Kitab-i-Aqdas
KI – Kitab-i-Iqan
PM – Prayers and Meditations By Baha'u'llah
TB – Tablets of Baha’u’llah

Opening quote: “Were the mouth of Thy will…” (IOPF, Part 3, VI.)
[See also Gleanings CLX, p.337, where Baha’u’llah briefly quotes His own ‘Prayer of Fasting.’]

1. KA, p.22; 2. KA, p.22; 3. KA, p.24; 4. KA, pp.24-25; 5. KA, p.25; 6. KA p.25; 7. KA, p.134; 8. KA, p.134; 9. TB, p.109; 10. KI, p.39; 11. ESW, p.113; 12. PM, p.67; 13. PM, p.143; 14. PM, p.143; 15. PM, p.143; 16. PM, p.143; 17. PM, p.143; 18. IOPF, Part 1, III; 19. IOPF, Part 1, IV; 20. IOPF, Part 1, IV; 21. IOPF, Part 1,V; 22. IOPF, Part 1, XII; 23. IOPF, Part 1, XIII; 24. IOPF, Part 1, XIII; 25. IOPF, Part 1, XIII; 26. IOPF, Part 1, XIV; 27. IOPF, Part 1, XIV; 28. IOPF, Part 1, XVI; 29. IOPF, Part 1, XVI; 30. IOPF, Part 1, XVI; 31. IOPF, Part 1, XXI; 32. IOPF, Part 3, II; 33. IOPF, Part 3, V; 34. IOPF, Part 3, VI

ANGIO TEST

Last wednesday i went to the VICTORIA HOSPITAL FOR A HEART TEST
It was scary lol but when i enter the operation room i know i put HIS NAME IN MY HEART
armed with the power of Thy Name nothing can ever hurt me and with His Love in my heart nothing can alarm me....
So, once more God has taken me through a tests and as always He Suffices. My being is flooded with gratitude for His grace and mercy and His bounties.
thanks to all the friends around the world who say prayers some loud some whispered some say it to the holy shrine what a bounty to be a bahai these days

here are the quotes that the UHJ representative and Counselor, Mr. Birkland, made use of in his presentation; or at least the one he gave in NAIROBI

"If, however, for a few days, in compliance with God's all-encompassing wisdom, outward affairs should run their course contrary to one's cherished desire, this is of no consequence and should not matter. Our intent is that all the friends should fix their gaze on the Supreme Horizon, and cling to that which hath been revealed in the Tablets. They should strictly avoid sedition, and refrain from treading the path of dissension and strife. They should champion their one true God, exalted be He, through the hosts of forbearance, of submission, of an upright character, of goodly deeds, and of the choicest and most refined words."
(Baha'u'llah, Fire and Light, p. 10)

"Even or odd, thou shalt win the wager." The friends of God shall win and profit under all conditions, and shall attain true wealth. In fire they remain cold, and from water they emerge dry. Their affairs are at variance with the affairs of men. Gain is their lot, whatever the deal. To this testifieth every wise one with a discerning eye, and every fair-minded one with a hearing ear.
(Baha'u'llah: Crisis and Victory, p 154)

"One cannot obtain the full force of the sunlight when it is cast on a flat mirror, but once the sun shineth upon a concave mirror, or on a lens that is convex, all its heat will be concentrated on a single point, and that one point will burn the hottest. Thus is it necessary to focus one's thinking on a single point so that it will become an effective force."
(Abdu'l-Baha, Selections, 111)

"Regarding your own condition: He strongly urges you not to dwell on yourself. Each one of us, if we look into our failures, is sure to feel unworthy and despondent, and this feeling only frustrates our constructive efforts and wastes time. The thing for us to focus on is the glory of the Cause and the Power of Bahá'u'lláh which can make of a mere drop a surging sea!"
(Shoghi Effendi, 13 October, 1947, Unfolding Destiny, 447)

"The champion builders of Bahá'u'lláh's rising World Order must scale nobler heights of heroism as humanity plunges into greater depths of despair, degradation, dissension and distress. Let them forge ahead into the future serenely confident that the hour of their mightiest exertions and the supreme opportunity for their greatest exploits must coincide with the apocalyptic upheaval marking the lowest ebb in mankind's fast-declining fortunes."
(Shoghi Effendi, November 3, 1948, Citadel of Faith, 58)

"Putting on the armor of His love, firmly buckling on the shield of His mighty Covenant, mounted on the steed of steadfastness, holding aloft the lance of the Word of the Lord of Hosts, and with unquestioning reliance on His promises as the best provision for their journey, let them set their faces towards those fields that still remain unexplored and direct their steps to those goals that are as yet unattained, assured that He Who has led them to achieve such triumphs, and to store up such prizes in His Kingdom, will continue to assist them in enriching their spiritual birthright to a degree that no finite mind can imagine or human heart perceive."
(Shoghi Effendi, From a letter dated April 1956; Messages to the Baha'i World, p. 102)