1. n.d.. Obligatory Prayer, Exemption from. Shoghi Effendi, Universal House of Justice, Research Department, Universal House of Justice, Research Department, comp. . Compilations.
2. 2025-10. Qiblih in Bahá'í Thought and Comparative Perspective, The. Omid Ghaemmaghami, Shahin Vafai. Examines the theological, symbolic, and historical significance of the Qiblih in Bahá’í thought, situating it within Jewish, Zoroastrian, Christian, and Islamic comparative perspectives. Articles.
3. 2024. Sacred Refrains: Arabic and Persian Dhikrs in the Bahá'í Community. Margaret Caton. introduction to dhikr (remembrances) and the use of music in Bahá'í spiritual practices; 74 recordings from 58 sacred texts, including original Arabic and Persian languages with English translation, music transcription, and historical context. Music.
4. 2023. Role of Wonder in Creating Identity, The. Todd Lawson. The term badí', "wondrous" or "new," is used dozens of times by the Báb in his proclamatory work the Qayyúm al-Asmáʾ. Wonder plays a major role in Bábí and Bahá'í thought and practice, and in their ethos and message. Link to article (offsite). Articles.
5. 2021. Long Obligatory Prayer: Printable, Foldable Version. Anonymous, comp. Layout of the Long Obligatory Prayer designed to be printed, trimmed to pocket size, and foldable. Available in more than 50 languages. Writings.
6. 2021. Transliteration of the Long Obligatory Prayer. Hajir Moghaddam. Trilateral presentation of the Prayer in Arabic, English translation, and roman transliteration in the International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies system. Resources.
7. 2021. Light of the World: Selected Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. Abdu'l-Bahá. Tablets of ‘Abdul-Bahá describing aspects of the life of Bahá’u’lláh including the tribulations He suffered, events in His homeland, the purpose and greatness of His Cause, and the nature and significance of His Covenant. Writings.
8. 2019-09. Worldview and the Laws of the Bayán. Nader Saiedi. Explores the Persian Bayán's spiritual worldview and laws through four talks, offering insights into the Báb's Dispensation. Audio.
9. 2019-02. Prayer and Devotional Life. The Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, Universal House of Justice, comp. . A compilation to assist Bahá'ís in a time when, as the House says in its cover letter, "devotional activities are everywhere multiplying and are increasingly being integrated into the core of community life." Compilations.
10. 2018/2025. Additional Tablets, Extracts and Talks. Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í World Centre, trans. . 216 selections, last updated 2025. Writings.
11. 2018/2024. Additional Tablets and Extracts from Tablets Revealed by Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'u'lláh, Bahá'í World Centre, trans. . 85 selections, last updated August 2024. Writings.
12. 2018. Persian Translation of Arabic verses. Universal House of Justice. There are no authorized Persian translations of any of the Arabic Writings; personal translations are acceptable but should not be recited in Bahá’í gatherings; explanations in Persian may be shared for the sake of better understanding the Arabic. UHJ-letters.
13. 2014. Short Obligatory Prayer in Conlangs. Jeffrey R. Brown, comp. Provisional translation of the Bahá'í prayer in Esperanto, Klingon, Interlingua, and 10 other "constructed languages." Translations.
14. 2014. Reflections on the Concept of Law in the Bahá'í Faith, Some. Roshan Danesh. The concept of law in the Bahá’í Faith; its early Islamic context; the nature of legal language and discourse in Bahá’u’lláh’s writings. Religious law, rooted in conscious knowledge and the dynamics of love, rejects rigid and legalistic rules. Articles.
15. 2011-04. Forces of Our Time: Lecture Series. Hooper Dunbar. Six lectures series at Bosch Bahá'í School, April 15-17 2011. Audio.
16. 2010-07-15. Qiblih, Determining the direction of. Universal House of Justice. Guidance on how best to ascertain the direction of the Qiblih, the focus to which the faithful turn in prayer. For Bahá’ís the Qiblih is the tomb of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahji, "the Heart and Qiblih of the Bahá’í world" — similar to the Ka'bah for Muslims. UHJ-letters.
17. 2009/2010/2018. Consultation, Portraits, Rakahs, Murtus, and Unknown Language. Universal House of Justice, Research Department. Three replies from the Research Department to an individual, dated 2009, 2010 and 2018, on a variety of topics. UHJ-letters.
18. 2009-2025. Translation List: Provisional Translations of Baháʼí Texts. Adib Masumian, trans. Index to talks, letters, and other items translated from Persian and Arabic to English by Adib Masumian; listed here for the sake of search engines and tagging. Bibliographies.
19. 2008. Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Bab (contents and index only). Nader Saiedi. A lengthy, detailed examination of the context, chronology, and content of the writings of the Báb. (Link to document, offsite; only the contents and index are on this site, for keyword searching.) Excerpts.
20. 2008. Prayers and rituals in the Bahá'í Faith: Introduction to A Tablet to Jináb-i-Mullá 'Alí-Akbar fí Ardi'l-Álif. Julio Savi, Faezeh Mardani. A tablet of Bahá'u'lláh to one of the Bábís to renew his faith before He had revealed his mission; its recipient and circumstances of composition; a prayer of 'reunion' and its attendant rituals. Articles.
21. 2006. Entering into Obligatory Prayer: Introduction and Commentary. Ismael Velasco. Overview of Bahá'í prayer, its historical background, and a detailed commentary on the preamble to the Long Obligatory Prayer. Articles-unpublished.
22. 2006. Out of Jewish Roots: Studies of Prayer Patterns in Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Bahá'í Worship. Ted Brownstein. An exploration of the development of liturgy and personal prayer patterns from its roots in Judaism and subsequent development in Christianity, Islam and the Bahá'í Faith. Articles.
23. 2005. Obligatory Prayer Reminder Script: Applescript code for Entourage 2004 (Macintosh only). Brett Zamir. Microsoft Entourage apple script to remind one to say the obligatory prayer before sunset. Script retrieves the sunset time from the internet for your local area and uses that as a basis for the reminder. Software.
24. 2004-06-06. Obligatory Prayer, Ablutions, and Repetition of the Greatest Name. Universal House of Justice. On recitation of the specific verses associated with the performance of ablutions for the medium Obligatory Prayer. Includes compilation of references regarding repetition of the Greatest Name 95 times per a Day. UHJ-letters.
25. 2002. Searching for God in time and memory: An examination of Bahá'í prayer as 'remembrance'. Christopher White. Describes Bahá'í prayer practices as a way to understand the human self and the Divine and overcoming the gap between the two. Articles.
26. 2001. Tablet on Interpretation of Sacred Scripture (Lawh-i-Ta'wíl). Bahá'u'lláh, Mehran Ghasempour, trans. . An undated tablet from the Akka period on the interpretation of sacred scripture, with references to previous Tablets revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Asl-i-Kullu’l-Khayr (Words of Wisdom) and Lawh-i-Maqsúd (Tablet of Maqsúd). Translations.
27. 2000-11-28. Obligatory Prayer, Questions about. Universal House of Justice. Answers to four questions about reciting prayers at meetings; changing language gender; repetition of Greatest Name; and raising hands. UHJ-letters.
28. 2000-11-28. Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Most Holy Book): The Obligatory Prayers. Universal House of Justice, Ismael Velasco, Peter Terry, Michael W. Sours. Study.
29. 2000-10-08. Physical disability preventing genuflections of Long Obligatory Prayer. Universal House of Justice. How can a believer with physical disabilities say the Long Obligatory Prayer, which requires genuflections. Preceded by original question asked. UHJ-letters.
30. 2000-09-27. Obligatory Prayer and Fasting, The Importance of. Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá, Universal House of Justice, Research Department, comp. . Compilations.
31. 2000-05. Oracion Obligatoria y el Ayuno, La Importancia de la. Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá, Universal House of Justice, Research Department, comp. . Compilations.
32. 2000-03-27. Exemption from Obligatory Prayer for the Sick. Universal House of Justice. UHJ-letters.
33. 2000-03. Long Obligatory Prayer, The. Alí Nakhjavání. Notable talk from March 2000 by Ali Nakhjavani, who served on the Universal House of Justice from 1963 to 2003, about various aspects of the long obligatory prayer (link to audio, off-site). Talks.
34. 1999-12-28. Laws of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, Further Application of. Universal House of Justice. Announcement to the Bahá'í world that all elements of the laws dealing with obligatory prayer and fasting are now applicable. UHJ-letters.
35. 1998-02-15. Bahá'í Obligatory Prayer and the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár. Universal House of Justice. Obligatory prayer may be performed at home or in the Temple — in private or in public — but on condition that each believer recite it individually. UHJ-letters.
36. 1998-01-02. Contacting the Universal House of Justice; Obligatory Prayer, Greatest Name, Exemptions. Universal House of Justice. Procedures on contacting the Universal House of Justice; memorandum on obligatory prayer, reciting the Greatest Name, and exemptions from prayer. UHJ-letters.
37. 1996. Prayer and Worship. John Walbridge. An overview of devotional practices and prayers in Babism and the Bahá'í Faith. Encyclopedia.
38. 1996. Комментарии к Пространной обязательной молитве (Commentary on the Long Obligatory Prayer). Bill Washington, Vladimir Chupin, trans. . Комментарий к Пространной обязательной молитве Бахауллы Articles.
39. 1996. Passing Comments on the Long Obligatory Prayer of Bahá'u'lláh, Some. Bill Washington. An exploration of the Long Obligatory Prayer, examining the purpose of prayer, spiritual detachment, humility, and the inner transformation it fosters. Articles.
40. 1996. Universality of the Laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, The. Bijan Samali. The laws of the Aqdas focus on the individual; are applicable to everyone; facilitate the realisation of the oneness of human race; ensure the equality of the sexes; are adaptable to cultural diversities; and call for the elimination of all prejudices. Articles.
41. 1995-06-25. Legislative Responsibilities of the Universal House of Justice Regarding Obligatory Prayers, Guardian's Statement on. Universal House of Justice. Brief note about which aspects of obligatory prayer the House may one day legislate on. UHJ-letters.
42. 1994. Rituals in Babism and Baha'ism. Denis MacEoin. On practices of prayer, invocations, talismans, jewelry, fasting, purity, birth, death, marriage, festivals, pilgrimage, and Feast. Includes 26 appendices with texts and translations. Books.
43. 1994. Arc of Ascent: The Purpose of Physical Reality II, by John S. Hatcher: Review. Ross Woodman. Reviews.
44. 1993/2001. Daily Devotions: Warwick Leaflets. Warwick Bahá'í Bookshop. A summary of Bahá'í laws on daily obligatory prayer, reading the Writings, and meditation. Essays.
45. 1991-01-02. Obligatory Prayers and Ablutions. Universal House of Justice, Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi. Letter from the House on missing prayers due to ailment, an insecure environment, or an inability to speak. Followed by a brief compilation. UHJ-letters.
46. 1988. Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference File. Bahá'u'lláh, Abdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, Universal House of Justice, Helen Bassett Hornby, comp. . The classic Bahá'í reference book. This is its first online edition. Compilations-personal.
47. 1985. Unrestrained as the Wind: A Life Dedicated to Bahá'u'lláh. National Youth Committee, comp. Compilation of quotations on topics of especial interest to Bahá'í youth. Compilations-NSA.
48. 1984. Growing in the Bahá'í Faith. Adib Taherzadeh. Talk at an Alaskan summer school, covering topics such as the nature of the soul, our purpose, and personal and collective growth. Audio.
49. 1983-12. Remembrance of God, The: An Invocation Technique in Sufism and the Writings of The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh. Steven Scholl. Dhikru'lláh, the invocation or "remembrance" of God, is a Sufi technique of chanting or repeating prayers, divine names, or mantras to achieve heightened spiritual consciousness or a sense of mystical union. Includes commentary by Moojan Momen et al. Articles.
50. 1983-09-01. Spiritual Growth, Essential Requisites for. Universal House of Justice. Letter to Europe; its historically-recent turn away from religion, six ways to improve spirituality, and the importance of prayer and meditation. UHJ-letters.
51. 1983-09-01. Meditation, Prayer, and Spiritualization. Universal House of Justice. Practicing personal spirituality and methods for achieving spiritual growth. UHJ-letters.
52. 1982. Spiritualization of the Bahá'í Community: A Plan for Teaching. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Ireland, Adib Taherzadeh. A three-part collection consisting of a letter from the NSA of Ireland, a letter from Taherzadeh to the Bahá'ís of Ireland regarding the spiritualization of the Bahá'í community, and the preamble for a plan of action for teaching. NSA-letters.
53. 1976-04-21. Some Themes and Images in the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh. Bahíyyih Nakhjavání. Exploring the relationship between the Creative Word, particularly its expression in language, and the journey of the human soul to its Creator. Articles.
54. 1974-03-20. Value of Prayer, The. John Robarts. Talk at the House of Worship in Wilmette by a Hand of the Cause. Talks.
55. 1966. Seven Valleys, The: Notes from a Deepening Class. Abu'l-Qásim Faizí. Lengthy notes from a deepening led by Hand of the Cause Faizi in Haifa, Israel. Study.
56. 1956. Notes on Words of the Guardian. Virginia Orbison. Ten pages of notes, preserved as an appendix to Orbison's lengthy manuscript "Diary of a Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Made by Virginia Orbison, January 15 to February 11". Pilgrims.
57. 1945. Prayers of Bahá'u'lláh, The. Rúhíyyih Khánum. Essay about various prayers and meditations of Bahá'u'lláh. Articles.

1. 1873-02-02 —
   The revelation of the obligatory prayers.

   "Many of the laws of the Báb...are carefully designed in a way that testifies that the advent of Him Whom God shall make manifest was impending....The Báb never revealed the words of the (obligatory) prayer itself, thus making the implementation of this law dependent on the arrival of the Promised One." [GH366]

   The original Bahá'í obligatory prayer, mentioned in the Kitab-i-Aqdas, involved nine cycles of movement starting with a bow (rak`ah) and was to be said morning, noon, and afternoon. It probably called for three rak`ahs at each time. Bahá'u'lláh revealed the text but did not release it in order to avoid provoking conflict with Muslims. (This prayer was one of the documents in the cases taken by `Abdu'l-Bahá's brothers shortly after the passing of Bahá'u'lláh.) Some time later, after the writing of the Kitab-i-Aqdas but before that of its supplement Questions and Answers, Bahá'u'lláh wrote a second set of obligatory prayers which are in use today. Three alternative forms were provided: a very short prayer to be said between noon and sunset; a somewhat longer prayer to be said in the morning, the afternoon, and the evening; and a long prayer to be said once during twenty-four hours. [Prayer and Worship by John Walbridge]

   • See Entering into Obligatory Prayer: Introduction and Commentary by Ismael Velasco.
   • See as well the message from the Universal House of Justice message of 28 November 2000 with commentary from Ismael Vlasco, Peter Terry and Michael Sours.
2. 1887-10-27 —
   "When Bahá'u'lláh revealed the Kitáb-i-Aqdas He withheld the publication of certain laws. These included the text of the Obligatory Prayers. In one of His Tablets Bahá'u'lláh orders His amanuensis, Mírzá Áqá Ján, to send a copy of the Obligatory Prayers to Persia as a favour to Mullá 'Alí-Akbar who had asked for them. He confirms that the Obligatory Prayers had been revealed a few years earlier." [RoB4p299-300]
   • (It) "was shared with Hand of the Cause Alí Akbar SháhMírzádeh Hajji Akhund in the Lawh-i Bishárát-i 'Uzma (Tablet of the Most Great Glad-tidings), and thus diffused among the community. [Kitáb-i-Aqdas: the Obligatory Prayers Notes by the Universal House of Justice, Ismael Velasco, Peter Terry, Michael Sours]
   • See Kitáb-i-Aqdas: Tablet Study Outline .
3. 1892-05-29 —
   The Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh  

   Bahá'u'lláh passed away at Bahjí in His seventy–fifth year. [AB47; BBRXXIX, 233; BKG420; CB148; GPB221; RB4:411]

   "The news of His ascension was instantly communicated to Sultán 'Abdu'l-Hamíd by 'Abdu'l-Bahá in a telegram which began with the words "the Sun of Bahá has set". [GPB222; AB47; BKG420]

   • He cited these last words, two verses from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas:

     "Say: Let not your hearts be perturbed, O people, when the glory of My Presence is withdrawn, and the ocean of My utterance is stilled. In My presence amongst you there is a wisdom, and in My absence there is yet another, inscrutable to all but God, the Incomparable, the All-Knowing. Verily, We behold you from Our realm of glory, and shall aid whosoever will arise for the triumph of Our Cause with the hosts of the Concourse on high and a company of Our favoured angels."

     "Be not dismayed, O peoples of the world, when the day-star of My beauty is set, and the heaven of My tabernacle is concealed from your eyes. Arise to further My Cause, and to exalt My Word amongst men. We are with you at all times, and shall strengthen you through the power of truth. We are truly almighty. Whoso hath recognized Me will arise and serve Me with such determination that the powers of earth and heaven shall be unable to defeat his purpose." [GWB137]

   • For an account by Túbá Khánum see CH105–9.
   • Bahá'u'lláh had spent 23 years, 8 months and 29 (or 30) days in the Holy Land. [DH12]
   • He passed away eight hours after sunset. [GPB221; UD170]
   • Shortly after sunset, on the very day of His passing, Bahá'u'lláh was buried beneath the floor of the northermost room in the house adjacent to the mansion of Bahjí, the house which had served as a dwelling-place for His son-in-law, Háji Siyyid 'Ali Afnán. This became the Qiblih of the Bahá'í Faith. [AB47; BBD211; BKG427; GPB222]
   • See CB149 and RB4:149 for the effect of Bahá'u'lláh's ascension on`Abdu'l-Bahá.
   • See ARG71-72 for `Abdu'l-Bahá's account of His attempt to convince Mírzá Muhammad-'Alí to be faithful to the Covenant.
   • See CoC132-134; AB52–3, CB148–9, 152-153 and RB4:148–9 for the theft of Bahá'u'lláh's cases containing His seals, papers and other items. See as well An Epistle to the Bahá'í World by Mirza Badi'u'llah, page 13, written during his short-life period of confession/redemption.
     • One of the documents in these cases was the original Long Obligatory Prayer that had been mentioned in the Kitab-i-Aqdas. Bahá'u'lláh had revealed the text but did not release it in order to avoid provoking conflict with Muslims. [Prayer and Worship by John Walbridge]
     • The box also contained a valuable ring and a rosary. "The ring was sold by Mírzá Muhammad-`Alí in the course of his journey in India and spent as travel money. And Mírzá Badi`u'llah wasted the rosary." [MBBA214
   • See AB52–61, CB148–51 and RB4:148–54 for the Covenant-breaking activities of Bahá'u'lláh's family immediately following His death.
   • For 'Abdu'l-Bahá's description of His Father see BWF220-224.
   • See GPB222–3 for the mourning following the ascension of Bahá'u'lláh.
   • In his book about Shoghi Effendi, Ugo Giachery recounted how that Guardian had asked him, "In the late forties" to bring to the Holy Land an alabaster sarcophagus that had been made by the believers in Rangoon, Burma. It was similar to the one they had made for the remains of the Báb. It had "reached the shores of the Mediterranean" but because of the unrest in the region, it had not been delivered.. He reported that "The sarcophagus is now in good hands waiting for the opportunity to be sent to its rightful destination." [SER117]
   • See BBR234–6 for a list of Europeans who had met Bahá'u'lláh.
4. 1935-10-01 — Shoghi Effendi wrote to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada stating that the laws of fasting, obligatory prayer, the consent of parents before marriage, the avoidance of alcoholic drinks and monogamy should be regarded as universally applicable and binding. [CB313] iiiii
5. 1999-12-28 —
   In a message from the Universal House of Justice addressed to the Bahá'ís of the world, some laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas which had not yet been universally applied were put into effect. Those were the laws that directly foster the devotional life of the individual and of the community which pertained to obligatory prayer, fasting and recitation of the Greatest Name ninety-five times a day.
   "The friends have long been familiar with the great importance which Bahá’u’lláh attaches to daily obligatory prayer and to the observance of the fast, but a number of aspects of the law, such as those concerning ablutions, traveling and the compensation for prayers missed, remained to be made universally applicable. This step is now taken. Thus all elements of the laws dealing with obligatory prayer and fasting are, without any exception, now applicable."
   • Those laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas that were not yet universally applicable were delineated in the message dated 8 February, 2001.
6. 2000-05-00 — Subsequent to the message of the Universal House of Justice of 28 December 1999 in which the laws of obligatory prayer, fasting and the recitation of the Greatest Name 95 times per day where made applicable to all believers, the compilation The Importance of Obligatory Prayer and Fasting was published. It was prepared by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice with the purpose “to deepen their awareness of the blessings conferred by the laws which directly foster the devotional life of the individual and, thus, of the community.”

   In a letter to an individual dated 23 February 2000 the Universal House of Justice described these three laws as "a matter of conscience" in that they are not enforceable as are the laws of marriage. They also point out that, unlike most laws, "genuine ignorance of a law is acceptable as an excuse for not adhering to it'.

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