Baha'i calendar

Bill · 05-04-2006, 11:13 PM

I have often thought about the names for the months in the calendar (with little success in understanding).

Accepting that God does all things with a purpose (maybe some will disagree with that) some of the month names are curious.

The Hidden Words say that the best beloved thing in the sight of God is Justice, but there is no month called Justice, there is one called Mercy however - are they in fact the same thing, as birth and death are two views of the same transition?

The first Hidden Word says we should possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, but none of these attributes appear in the list.

Love is also conspicuous by its absence.

Words and Speech are very similar, Splendour and Glory also.

Also does anyone think that there is a meaning in the sequencing.

With thanks

Bill

BruceDLimber · 05-05-2006, 03:20 PM

Hi, Bill! :-)

All I can say is that it's the Baha'i understanding that these are attributes of God.

There may be a further explanation somewhere, but if so I'm not aware of it.

(And no, I've never heard of any significance to their order.)

Regards, and do keep the questions coming; we LOVE 'em! :-)

Bruce

Bill · 05-11-2006, 07:41 PM

Hi Bruce,

Thanks for your prompt reply. I am sorry that I have not replied earlier but I have been abroad for a few days and I tried to stay away from computers (succesfully).

I do realise that they are attributes, but as Baha'u'llah never did anything on a whim (or at least that's what I think), I feel there has to be some lessons in the choices.

If I hear of anything I'll post it here.

Bill

paul · 06-22-2006, 02:07 AM

could someone inform me a bit about the bahai calender?

i've thought how god created this universe ands how there must be a calnder representing that.

does the new year in the bahai calender represent the anniversary of the first day of creation or of the creation of the sun?

do you follow the same calender as maybe revealed by god to prophets of old, or is it just a calender created for the observence of the bahai religion?

BruceDLimber · 06-22-2006, 05:53 PM

Hi, Paul! :-)

I can tell you a bit.

March 21 is of course the spring equinox, and is a very old and very traditional New Year date! So much so that the western European calendar used to use this date for its New Year; this was only changed by Christianity. (Remember how September through December are the "seventh" thru "tenth" month names, for example?) It's still used in some traditions, including in Islamic countries.

So the Baha'i (actually, Babi) calendar is in this respect simply a return to traditional usage.

It has no connection to creation as such....

Various Divine Messengers have revealed calendars, so this is simply the latest example of this happening.

And personally, I find the Baha'i month names a refreshing improvement on the old ones!

Best, :-)

Bruce

paul · 06-22-2006, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BruceDLimber

Various Divine Messengers have revealed calendars,

could you give me a bit of info on this please

thanks

paul

BruceDLimber · 06-23-2006, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul

could you give me a bit of info on this please

Hi again!

There really isn't to much to say, save that there are calendars associated with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam for sure, and doubtless for Buddhism and Hinduism as well, though I'm not that famliar with them.

It might be better to have said that there are calendars associated with various great religions rather than attributing them directly to Divine Messengers since it's my understanding that this is only clear for Muhammad and the Bab....

Regards,

Bruce

paul · 06-23-2006, 12:01 PM

is the bahai calender then based on the same calender revealed to mohammed?

for if the true calender was revealed to mohammed to do with the creation of the world, as in the course of the sun, moon, stars, and the meaning revealed, and then maybe taught in the values of islam and holy days observed in respect of the message revealed to mohammed.
then although maybe in the bahai faith the calender is observed more to the teaching of the latest prophets as maybe in respect to holy days and maybe names.
but is it as the cycle of the universe the same calender as revealed to mohammed?

BruceDLimber · 06-23-2006, 02:31 PM

Greetings!

The Babi/Baha'i calendar is not "based" on any other calendar, but is in the Baha'i view a direct Revelation from God passed on to humanity by the Bab (and affirmed by Baha'u'llah).

Peace,

Bruce

paul · 07-02-2006, 12:38 PM

does it follow the course of the sun, moon and stars in any way?

BruceDLimber · 07-06-2006, 08:54 PM

Hi again, Paul!

The Baha'i calendar is a solar calendar.

Regards,

Bruce

paul · 07-06-2006, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BruceDLimber

Hi again, Paul!

The Baha'i calendar is a solar calendar.

Regards,

Bruce

is it solely a solar calendar, as does the course of the moon and stars play no role at all?

could you please explain how it's a solar calendar, does it calculate it's days on the course of the sun, and does it have leap years, if so what does it hold of the meaning of the leap year?

thanks for your help.
paul

lunamoth · 07-12-2006, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul

is it solely a solar calendar, as does the course of the moon and stars play no role at all?

could you please explain how it's a solar calendar, does it calculate it's days on the course of the sun, and does it have leap years, if so what does it hold of the meaning of the leap year?

thanks for your help.
paul

Hi Paul,

The Baha'i calendar does not follow the moon or stars at all. As far as I know it's only cosmic significance is that it is itself considered a revelation by God. I can't see above where it is explained that it is very different from all other calendars in that it consists of 19 months of 19 days each. Nineteen is a symbolic number in the Baha'i Faith and it is found in much of its revelation.

Nineteen days by nineteen months adds up to 361 so there is a four- (or in leap years five-)day interval between the 18th and 19th months. This interval is from Feb 26 to March 1st inclusive and is called Ayyam-i-Ha or Intercalary Days.

Each month is named after an attribute of God and I think each day of the month is also named after attributes of God, but usually just numbers are used to signifiy which day of the month it is. Baha'is have their main form of communal worship, the Feast, on the first day of each Baha'i month and also the 19th month, Ala (Loftiness) is a month of fasting.

Hope this helps.

lunamoth