The Kitab-i-Aqdas Part 17

The Arabic expression "haykalu't-tawhid", translated here as "cross-legged", means the "posture of unity". It has traditionally signified a cross-legged position.

23. Say: G.o.d hath made My hidden love the key to the Treasure #15

There is a well-known Islamic tradition concerning G.o.d and His creation:

I was a Hidden Treasure. I wished to be made known, and thus I called creation into being in order that I might be known.

References and allusions to this tradition are found throughout the Baha'i Writings. For example, in one of His prayers, Baha'u'llah reveals:

Lauded be Thy name, O Lord my G.o.d! I testify that Thou wast a hidden Treasure wrapped within Thine immemorial Being and an impenetrable Mystery enshrined in Thine own Essence. Wishing to reveal Thyself, Thou didst call into being the Greater and the Lesser Worlds, and didst choose Man above all Thy creatures, and didst make Him a sign of both of these worlds, O Thou Who art our Lord, the Most Compa.s.sionate! Thou didst raise Him up to occupy Thy throne before all the people of Thy creation. Thou didst enable Him to unravel Thy mysteries, and to shine with the lights of Thine inspiration and Thy Revelation, and to manifest Thy names and Thine attributes. Through Him Thou didst adorn the preamble of the book of Thy creation, O Thou Who art the Ruler of the universe Thou hast fashioned! (Prayers and Meditations by Baha'u'llah)

Likewise, in the Hidden Words, He states:

O Son of Man! I loved thy creation, hence I created thee.

Wherefore, do thou love Me, that I may name thy name and fill thy soul with the spirit of life.

'Abdu'l-Baha, in His commentary on the above-cited tradition, wrote:

O wayfarer in the path of the Beloved! Know thou that the main purpose of this holy tradition is to make mention of the stages of G.o.d's concealment and manifestation within the Embodiments of Truth, They who are the Dawning-places of His All-Glorious Being.

For example, before the flame of the undying Fire is lit and manifest, it existeth by itself within itself in the hidden ident.i.ty of the universal Manifestations, and this is the stage of the "Hidden Treasure". And when the blessed Tree is kindled by itself within itself, and that Divine Fire burneth by its essence within its essence, this is the stage of "I wished to be made known". And when it shineth forth from the Horizon of the universe with infinite Divine Names and Attributes upon the contingent and placeless worlds, this const.i.tuteth the emergence of a new and wondrous creation which correspondeth to the stage of "Thus I called creation into being". And when the sanctified souls rend asunder the veils of all earthly attachments and worldly conditions, and hasten to the stage of gazing on the beauty of the Divine Presence and are honoured by recognizing the Manifestation and are able to witness the splendour of G.o.d's Most Great Sign in their hearts, then will the purpose of creation, which is the knowledge of Him Who is the Eternal Truth, become manifest.

24. O Pen of the Most High! #16

"Pen of the Most High", "the Supreme Pen" and "the Most Exalted Pen" are references to Baha'u'llah, ill.u.s.trating His function as Revealer of the Word of G.o.d.

25. We have enjoined upon you fasting during a brief period #16

Fasting and obligatory prayer const.i.tute the two pillars that sustain the revealed Law of G.o.d. Baha'u'llah in one of His Tablets affirms that He has revealed the laws of obligatory prayer and fasting so that through them the believers may draw nigh unto G.o.d.

Shoghi Effendi indicates that the fasting period, which involves complete abstention from food and drink from sunrise till sunset, is

...essentially a period of meditation and prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal desires.

Fasting is enjoined on all the believers once they attain the age of 15 and until they reach the age of 70 years.

A summary of the detailed provisions concerning the law of fasting and of the exemptions granted to certain categories of people is contained in the Synopsis and Codification, section IV.B.1.-6. For a discussion of the exemptions from fasting see notes 14, 20, 30 and 31.

The nineteen-day period of fasting coincides with the Baha'i month of 'Ala, usually 2-20 March, immediately after the termination of the Intercalary Days (see notes 27 and 147), and is followed by the feast of Naw-Ruz (see note 26).

26. and at its close have designated for you Naw-Ruz as a feast #16

The Bab introduced a new calendar, known now as the Badi or Baha'i calendar (see notes 27 and 147). According to this calendar, a day is the period from sunset to sunset. In the Bayan, the Bab ordained the month of 'Ala to be the month of fasting, decreed that the day of Naw-Ruz should mark the termination of that period, and designated Naw-Ruz as the Day of G.o.d. Baha'u'llah confirms the Badi calendar wherein Naw-Ruz is designated as a feast.

Naw-Ruz is the first day of the new year. It coincides with the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere, which usually occurs on 21 March.

Baha'u'llah explains that this feast day is to be celebrated on whatever day the sun pa.s.ses into the constellation of Aries (i.e. the vernal equinox), even should this occur one minute before sunset (Q and A 35).

Hence Naw-Ruz could fall on 20, 21, or 22 March, depending on the time of the equinox.

Baha'u'llah has left the details of many laws to be filled in by the Universal House of Justice. Among these are a number of matters affecting the Baha'i calendar. The Guardian has stated that the implementation, worldwide, of the law concerning the timing of Naw-Ruz will require the choice of a particular spot on earth which will serve as the standard for the fixing of the time of the spring equinox. He also indicated that the choice of this spot has been left to the decision of the Universal House of Justice.

27. Let the days in excess of the months be placed before the month of fasting. #16

The Badi calendar is based on the solar year of 365 days, 5 hours, and 50 odd minutes. The year consists of 19 months of 19 days each (i.e. 361 days), with the addition of four extra days (five in a leap year). The Bab did not specifically define the place for the intercalary days in the new calendar. The Kitab-i-Aqdas resolves this question by a.s.signing the "excess" days a fixed position in the calendar immediately preceding the month of 'Ala, the period of fasting. For further details see the section on the Baha'i calendar in The Baha'i World, volume XVIII.

28. We have ordained that these ... shall be the manifestations of the letter Ha #16

Known as the Ayyam-i-Ha (the Days of Ha), the Intercalary Days have the distinction of being a.s.sociated with "the letter Ha". The abjad numerical value of this Arabic letter is five, which corresponds to the potential number of intercalary days.

The letter "Ha" has been given several spiritual meanings in the Holy Writings, among which is as a symbol of the Essence of G.o.d.

29. these days of giving that precede the season of restraint #16