What does BAHA'I mean? The Baha’i ring-stone symbol, a calligraphic rendering of the phrase “Allah’u’abha”, means “God is most glorious” — but it also does something I think is truly lovely. Since the symbol refers more directly to the Name of God and of the Messenger of God, than any other symbol in the Baháʼí Faith, it is not generally used in a casual manner or to adorn the personal artifacts that are put to common use. I spelled it as I pronounced it in my mind. To put you in touch with a Baha’i in your area who can answer your questions, we would like to kindly ask for a few details about yourself. We used one of our Baha’i rings to show the actual symbol. Because of these attributes, The Circle represents a completeness which encompasses all space and Time. The top bar represents the world of God (the spiritual realm); the bottom bar that mirrors it signifies our world; and the line between them … Also, the Arabic word 'Abka' is associated with weeping, crying, First of all, I mispelled it. The two stars or haykals represent Baháʼu'lláh and the Báb. I don't know what made you think and say that. The five-pointed star, or haykal (Arabic: temple‎) is the symbol of the Baháʼí Faith as mentioned by Shoghi Effendi, head of the Baháʼí Faith in the first half of the 20th century: "Strictly speaking the 5-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the Báb and explained by Him. While the star is not a part of the teachings of the Baháʼí Faith, it is commonly used as an emblem representing "9", because of the association of number 9 with perfection, unity and Baháʼ. On the significance of the number 9, Shoghi Effendi wrote: "Concerning the number nine: the Baháʼís reverence this for two reasons, first because it is considered by those interested in numbers as the sign of perfection. The symbol is taken from the Nyame legend of the python. I have heard it said that when two people are arguing about religion, they are both wrong. RELATED: Houses of Worship: Spiritual Centers for Community Life. Amen. I find it difficult to see how Allah'u'Abha means both, considering that Muslims. The position of Manifestation of God in this symbol is said to be the linking point to God. The Bahá’i faith claims to be the fulfillment of all prior religions. Baha'i means follower of Baha'u'llah, the Manifestation of God for this present age. It graphically depicts the relationship between God, His Manifestations, and Man. :-). When you read the Writings and compare with the original Arabic, you do see both. A documentary film about the community-building efforts of the Baha’i world. There is no one official religious symbol representing the Bahá'í Faith, but some symbols is commonly used. It incorporates the Arabic letters in “Baha” into a visual representation of the relationships between the worlds of God, of Revelation and of humanity. Thank dear Maya for this wonderful explanation of the Baha'i symbols. The Bahá’is do not have any form of priesthood or clergy. it means God, the ALL-Glorious, not God, the MOST Glorious. The Desire of the World: Materials for the Contemplation of God and His Manifestation for This Day. It symbolizes the essential purpose of the Baha’i teachings – to create one world, united under God. Since the lines and circles are made from the Arabic letters ba and ha, the symbol may be more recognizable to those familiar with the Arabic alphabet if they see the letters as the Master had them drawn. Frontiers of Learning. And "Allahu Abha" means both "God is the All-Glorious" and "God is the Most Glorious". Etymology. It is, however, enough to make the Baháʼís use it when an arbitrary number is to be chosen. Hand of the Cause Abu’l-Qasim Faizi wrote “No less a person than Abdu’l-Baha could have designed this emblem, for who else could have condensed so much of the divine mystery into so little space and into so few letter… "The number nine, which in itself is the number of perfection, is considered by the Bahá’ís as sacred, because it is symbolic of the perfection of the Bahá’í Revelation which constitutes the ninth in the line of existing religions, the latest and fullest Revelation which mankind has ever known. I would add, just for greater clarification, that the vertical line in the ringstone symbol may beautifully represent the Holy Spirit, yes, and it is also identical to the middle line of the Manifestation. Definition of BAHA'I in the Definitions.net dictionary. Looks like you have little to no knowledge in the Arabic language, dear friend. These religions are not the only true religions that h… because it is considered by those who are interested in numbers as the sign of perfection. [16], The ringstone symbol was designed by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá,[17] and, as its name implies, is the most common symbol found on rings worn by Baháʼís, but it is also used on necklaces, book covers, and paintings. Baha’i temples have nine sides, as well, which symbolizes the fact that everyone is welcome to come in and pray, regardless of what religious direction they come from. I believe it was Abdu'l-Bahá who said it, with the intent that the wrong of arguing was greater than the wrong of being incorrect in an assumption. Mirza Husayn ali Nuri founded the Baha’i Faith in Iran in 1863, that is 150 years ago. The symbol known as Greatest Name is an Arabic calligraphic rendering of "Yá Baháʼu'l-Abhá" (يا بهاء الأبهى usually translated as "O Thou the Glory of the Most Glorious!"). It could be sufficient simply to remove the claim that it is “the symbol of the Baha’i Faith.” Best regards, James The five-pointed star, or haykal (Arabic: temple) is the symbol of the Bahá'í Faith as mentioned by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith: "Strictly speaking the 5-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the Báb and explained by Him." The number 9 also comes up several times in Baháʼí history and teachings. My friend, I'm a first generation Baha'i of Muslim background. It is the Manifestation that connects the world of humanity to the unknowable world of God, so in one sense, it is the Manifestation that perfectly reflects the Holy Spirit to us here in the world of creation...The realm of God, the top line will forever be unreachable and unattainable, First of all, thank you for this page. Anyway, if you have issues with the way the words in the Writings are translated, you should take that up with the Research Department of the Baha'i World Center. Baha’is believe that Baha’ Allah and his forerunner, the Bab, were manifestations of God. Hence, the "top-most" line is really the "left-most" line. The five-pointed star, or haykal (Arabic: temple) is the official Baha’í Faith symbol as indicated by Shoghi Effendi, “strictly speaking, the five-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the Báb and explained by Him.”. Baha'is often use a nine-pointed star or flower to represent the number nine which is the highest single digit, therefore it is a symbol of unity. Anticipated in Past Religions. "[15], Its use on gravestone markers was approved by Shoghi Effendi, then head of the religion, in 1944. Baha’i followers or Baha’is are literally “citizens of the world”. We have, in very truth,...ordained Thee to be the emblem of My Cause betwixt the heavens and the earth..."[9]. "A simple nine-pointed star is generally used by Bahá'ís as a symbol of their Faith. Check out our baha'i symbol selection for the very best in unique or custom, handmade pieces from our shops. *Hugs to you! Christopher Buck analyses a selection of six key scenarios (the Promised One, the Covenant, illumination, lover and the beloved, the Maid of Heaven, the crimson ark and the Holy Mariner) and six root metaphors (physician, wine/water of life, mirror/gems, the journey, lote-tree/Sinai, paradise). Nine also symbolizes comprehensiveness and culmination, simply because it is the highest single digit number. Hope that short piece of info helped While the five-pointed star is the symbol of the religion, being used to represent the human body and Messengers of God, more common symbols include the nine-pointed star, the Greatest Name, and the Ringstone symbol, representing perfection, and the Messengers of God. Baha'u'llah (which means, "Glory of God"), the founder of the Baha'i Faith, was actually born Mirza Husayn Ali but he adopted the title of "Baha'u'llah" much like Jesus adopted the title of Christ when he began his ministry. The two stars in the ring-stone symbol stand for The Bab (who prepared the way for Baha’u’llah) and Baha’u’llah. In Islamic belief God has 99 names, and in some Islamic traditions it is believed that there is a special hidden 100th name, which is the greatest. [10] Many symbols of the Baháʼí Faith derive their significance from the word Baháʼ, and it is the root word used in many other names and phrases including Baháʼí (a follower of Baháʼ), Baháʼu'lláh (Glory of God), ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (Servant of Glory), Yá Baháʼu'l-Abhá (O Thou Glory of the Most Glorious), and Alláh-u-Abhá (God is Most Glorious). So pervasive is the Rainbow Serpent in Aboriginal tradition, that respecting and honoring what their tradition represents is an important … Check your email for the latest from BahaiTeachings.org. ... Bahá’í ringstone symbol. The Rainbow Serpent represents an Aboriginal perspective on the divine spirit and creative power manifest in all creation. A feature film about the life and teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. [4] In the Baháʼí tradition, the haykal was established by the Báb — who told of Baháʼu'lláh's coming — who represented the haykal as a five-pointed star representing the human body as a head, two hands, and two feet. fretting, whining, etc. The lower line is said to represent humanity and the world of creation, the upper line the world of God, and the middle line represents the special station of Manifestation of God and the world of revelation; the vertical line is the Primal Will or Holy Spirit proceeding from God through the Manifestations to humanity. Baháʼu'lláh often referred to Baháʼís in his writings as "the people of Baháʼ", and in addition, the Báb sent a tablet to Baháʼu'lláh with 360 derivatives of the word Baháʼ. ‌ On the keyboard LEDs, a square with a number "1" on it is an indicator for the Num Lock on some keyboards. [22], A true understanding of the multiple meanings in the sacred texts can only be reached by a purification of the heart, together with the guidance of the Manifestations of God and their appointed interpreters. [3], Haykal is a loan word from the Hebrew word hēyḵāl, which means temple and specifically Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. Nine-Point Star in the Baha'i Faith The most commonly used symbol for the Baha'i Faith is the nine-pointed star. The Baha’i ring-stone symbol, a calligraphic rendering of the phrase “Allah’u’abha”, means “God is most glorious” — but it also does something I think is truly lovely. Mean The mean of a set if the average of all the values in the set. In English, the word Baháʼí is used either as an adjective to refer to the Baháʼí Faith or as a term for a follower of Baháʼu'lláh. Baha'i: The Bahai symbol of the nine-pointed star reflects the importance of the number for the Faith. It may be wise to update it to reflect the fact that the number 9 is *not* a symbol of the Baha’i Faith. :-). Question: Is there some sort of meaning behind these symbols, similar to how the cross reminds Christians that Jesus died for our sake; or the Star of David represents the teachings of Judaism? [4] In the Tablet, the haykal is also used to refer to the word of God, which is revealed by the Manifestations of God. ‌A symbol of a rectangular box filled with other small solid boxes with a line coming out of the top is used to represent a computer keyboard. [10] In Baháʼí belief the Greatest Name is Baháʼ (بهاء), translated as "glory" or "splendour". He is too Powerful and Glorious to share It with anyone, ever! This beautiful symbol reminds Baha’is that we are connected to God through the Holy Spirit and the Manifestation of God. How can they best reach you? The word 'Abha' in Arabic means both 'All-Glorious' and 'Most Glorious'. 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