Baha'i Library Forum

Dear Friends

I would be very grateful if someone could share the older English translation of this prayer (perhaps by Ali Kuli Khan?). It used to circulate in typewritten form before the newer translation was included in the prayer book. I would also be grateful for an older published version of that prayer (anta al-kafi) in the Arabic.

Warmest Naw Ruz wishes,

Todd Lawson

Hello Todd,

I only recently received a scanned typewritten copy of Ali Kuli Khan's translation of the Long Healing Prayer by someone who knew Marzieh Gail. Here are the three images of it that I have:

http://adibflash.googlepages.com/LongHealingPrayer1.jpg

http://adibflash.googlepages.com/LongHealingPrayer2.jpg

http://adibflash.googlepages.com/LongHealingPrayer3.jpg

I am afraid I don't have it in the Arabic. I hope this helps!

Adib

The Long Healing Prayer is one of my favorites. I say it to bring healing and happiness to
my Baha'i community.

Have you ever noticed, at Feast, how some of the friends seem to get fidgety during the
devotional part, after the first half hour or so of prayers? That is when I realize that they
are in desperate need of healing.

You should see their eyes light up when I offer that last prayer before we move on to the
consultation session. I can see that their hearts have been stimulated with warm thoughts
towards each other and even towards me. It happens the moment I begin the prayer:

"He is the Healer, the Sufficer, the Helper, the All-Forgiving, the All-Merciful...
..........
..........
..........
...and the ways of Thy forgiveness and grace."

Just a tip for new believers:

The Long Obligatory Prayer is NOT suitable for saying at Feast. It can be especially
annoying to the people sitting directly behind you as you go through the motions
in the prayer. That is why it is, usually, better to say the Long Healing Prayer instead.

-Peter

Many thanks to the several responses and especially to Adib. That is exactly what I was looking for (looks just like the copy I once had - and maybe even still do somewhere). I am very grateful to you for your kindness, Adib, in taking the trouble to post the scans.

Best wishes to all,

Todd

coatofmanycolours wrote:Just a tip for new believers:

The Long Obligatory Prayer is NOT suitable for saying at Feast. It can be especially
annoying to the people sitting directly behind you as you go through the motions
in the prayer. That is why it is, usually, better to say the Long Healing Prayer instead.

-Peter

Wow... has anyone even done this before?! Thats so odd. Not to mention 'wrong'.
Obligatory prayers should be said in private. Im pretty sure of this because if said infront of people then the atmosphere would somehow be like a congregation prayer -- which im pretty sure we're not allowed to do.

It is ideal that the Obligatory Prayer be said in private, but not obligatory. What is obligatory is that it be said alone. Not to be said in a congregation style, but it may be said in the same room as other people.

1527. Each One Must Say his Obligatory prayer by himself

"As to the obligatory prayer: Each one must say his prayer alone by himself, and this is not conditional on a private place; that is, both at home and in the worshipping-place, which is a gathering-place, it is allowable for one to say his prayer; but each person must say his prayer by himself. But if they chant supplications together, in a good and effective voice, that is very good."
('Abdu'l-Bahá: Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Vol. II, p. 464)

(Compilations, Lights of Guidance, p. 465)

Apparently passages in the writings in Persian seem to say that saying the obligatory prayer in a group, as long as silent and not led by any individual but said wholly communally is allowable. But that is pretty unclear, and I don't read Persian, so I don't know much about it.

I can't find the quote, but the Bab talks about how prayer alone in our room is the most advisable.

---

As a former atheist who struggles a lot with prayer, let me put this plea out to you all:
Please do not read the Long Obligatory Prayer at feast without the consent of the rest of the friends. Long devotionals for many people defeat the purpose, and become tedious, frustrating, and unspiritual. Baha'u'llah does not advise us to needlessly lengthen our prayers. If you just ask, even though it is doubtfull anyone will object, you let those who struggle with prayer (I am not the only one) prepare ourselves and work at getting into a longer focus.

I enjoy people who can really do devotionals well and fall into prayer well, so I never object, but I need warning! I can enjoy long prayer when done by people who enjoy it, but sometimes it is excessive. Do not associate being "good at" devotionals or prayer with being spiritual or, "being bad" at those things with needing healing. The Holy Spirit interacts with each of us in different ways, and Baha'u'llah has made it clear there is no need to impose one type of religiosity on all Baha'is.

Be considerate in prayer!

Does anybody have any information about history of Log healing prayer? I just found: «Lawh-i-Anta'l-Kafi or the Long Healing Prayer is a prayer written in Arabic by Baha'u'llah, Founder of the Baha'i­ Faith, in the 'Akka period.» anything else?

Two identified versions of the Arabic Long Healing Prayer have been published by Bahá’í book presses. Overall, while having about five noteworthy differences in the main body, and a couple more in the final, long paragraphs, the two versions are over 96% identical. Here's a link with an overview and a table which details these differences: https://bahai-library.com/pschaida_healing_prayer_notes

The Bismi version can easily be found online and Baha'i prayer apps, but here is a scanned copy of the Huwa version (scanned originally and shared by Dr. Steven Phelps): https://bahai-library.com/pdf/b/bahaullah_long_healing_prayer_arabic.pdf