Two New Children’s Books about Prayer and the Nineteen Day Feast by Sahar Sabati

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There are many ways to help foster a Baha’i identity in children of Baha’i families but I think Sahar Sabati’s work will also do wonders. When I was younger I cherished the books about children whose patterns of family life were similar to my own but those books were few and far between. It is very exciting to see more and more titles becoming available by writers and mothers who are addressing this need. Sahar has decided to release a series a children’s books and the first two about prayer and Nineteen Day Feasts are already available! They are titled Nuala Says Her Prayers and Starr and Her Family Host a Feast, are illustrated by Tina Toosky and Nelli Newport respectively, and they are lovely! Here Sahar shares with us what she’s been working on and how this series came to be: Continue reading →

A Study Guide for the Universal House of Justice Message 25 Nov. 2020

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It’s always so exciting when the Universal House of Justice releases a message, and the recent letter released to the Baha’is of the World on the occasion of the Day of the Covenant, 25 November, 2020, was of no exception.

A few of the members of my Baha’i community on the Gold Coast, Australia, put together a Study Guide to help us reflect and deepen our understanding of the letter, and so with their permission, I’m sharing it here in case you find it useful too. Continue reading →

An Introduction to the Will and Testament of Abdu’l-Baha

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As the Baha’i world prepares to commemorate the centenary of Abdu’l-Baha’s ascension and anticipates the construction of His shrine and final resting place, the time is ripe to review His talks and writings (which you can find online here at the Baha’i Reference Library). One of His most important writings is the Will and Testament, in which He appoints a successor and provides instructions on the administration of the global Baha’i community. To aid in the study of this crucial document, this article discusses its significance, its historical context, and its main themes. Continue reading →

Recognising the Veils and Signs in Our Lives

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Baha’u’llah revealed a path to humanity, a path to God for all who wish to walk it. I have been trying to tread this path for over 15 years and have realised that there are things that aid me in this endeavour and also things that thwart my efforts: signs of God and metaphorical veils that keep me from God. Of course, there are many other tools needed on a spiritual journey (prayer, fasting, service to others, and so on) but in this article, I’d like to explore what the signs of God might be, and the veils that hold me back. Continue reading →

Howard MacNutt – Disciple of Abdu’l-Baha

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Howard MacNutt, 13 July, 1859 - 26 December, 1926. (Photo courtesy of the Baha'is of the United States.)

To read about the life of Howard MacNutt is to learn a love story. Howard was born 13 July, 1859 in Philadelphia and he passed away on 26 December, 1926 in Miami. He was posthumously named by Shoghi Effendi as one of 19 Western Disciples of Abdu’l-Baha, or Heralds of the Covenant. Shoghi Effendi wrote that Howard MacNutt “will for ever remain associated with the rise and establishment of His Faith in the American continent, and will continue to shed on its annals a lustre that time can never dim.”

Perhaps of all Howard MacNutt’s services rendered to the early Baha’i community of North America, the one for which I am most grateful is the bringing together of the talks given by Abdu’l-Baha on His travels in the United States and Canada in 1912. Abdu’l-Baha requested that the volume be titled The Promulgation of Universal Peace and that Howard write its introduction. What an honour! It’s a beautiful introduction that sets out to explain Abdu’l-Baha’s Station. For example, he writes: Continue reading →

Walking the Mystical Path with Practical Feet – A Book by Peter Gyulay

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Peter Gyulay’s Baha’i Blog articles offer much food for thought, and I find myself thinking about them long after I’ve closed my laptop. If you’re interested, you’ll find all his work here but one of his pieces that I think is really relevant to this post is called My Thoughts on the Mystical Dimensions of the Baha’i Faith. In it, he shares an introduction to what mysticism is and how it is aligned with Baha’i teachings and principles. In fact, Peter wrote a whole book on the topic and it’s called Walking the Mystical Path with Practical Feet: The Baha’i Approach to Spiritual Transformation.

Here’s what Peter shared with me about his book and what he learned in the process of putting it together:

Baha’i Blog: Can you tell us a little about yourself?

 I was born in Newcastle, Australia. I’ve been a Baha’i since 2003. I earn my living as an English language teacher but my passions are writing, music, being in nature and living an eco-friendly life on a plant-based diet and a bicycle.

Baha’i Blog: What inspired you to put this book together?

I have been interested in mysticism for a long time, even before I became a Baha’i, and for my whole Baha’i life, I have been trying to understand the mystical dimension of the Baha’i Faith. Although my understanding will continue to deepen, I felt the need to crystallise my thoughts and share them with others as I think the topic is an important one.

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A New Perspective on Transitions: What Birth Teaches Us About Dying

Baha'i Life, Opinion 4 Comments

When I was a child my parents taught me that Baha’is believe that there are innumerable worlds of God; that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience, and that spiritual existence extends beyond the womb, this world and the next, so our souls will continue to develop long after our bodies have returned to dust. Death, within this conception of reality, is seen as a messenger of joy because once released from the physical afflictions of the body, the soul just enters a new chapter in its’ journey towards its’ Beloved, God. Continue reading →

10 Baha’i Blog Studio Session Songs Based on the Prayer “O God Guide Me” by Abdu’l-Baha

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Having recently celebrated the fact that we’ve published over 300 Baha’i Blog Studio Sessions around the world so far, we thought it would be great to share a number of Studio Session songs we’ve published based on a short prayer by Abdu’l-Baha which starts with “O God, guide me…”. There are two translated versions of this prayer which we’ve included below, however, the newest version is shown first:

O God, guide me, protect me, make of me a shining lamp and a brilliant star. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful.

O God, guide me, protect me, illumine the lamp of my heart and make me a brilliant star. Thou art the Mighty and Powerful.

So here are 10 Baha’i Blog Studio Sessions based on the “O God Guide Me” prayer by Abdu’l-Baba that we’ve published so far, and please let us know if there are any you think we’ve missed in the comments section below. Continue reading →

Noble Beings: Jacqueline Claire’s Illustrated Book of Baha’i Quotations

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Playful, joyful, energetic, soulful: these are words that come to mind when describing Jacqueline Claire’s illustrations. (If you’d like see some examples of her artwork you can find it here, or you can learn about her podcast here on Baha’i Blog.)

Jacqueline has most recently created a book that illustrates passages and quotations from the Baha’i Writings and it’s called Noble Beings. Although aimed at a younger audience, I think readers of all ages will delight in her book and find it thoughtful and enriching. Noble Beings is only available for purchase between November 9th and December 8th (you can find copies here) and in the following interview, Jacqueline tells us all about her latest project:

Baha’i Blog: What inspired this project?

Love! On so many levels. Love for the Baha’i Writings. Love for teaching and sharing the Baha’i Faith in a way that connects with people’s hearts. Love for children. Love for the vision of a just, ethical and peaceful world.

I first had the idea in 2017 while shopping for an Ayyam-i-Ha gift for a spiritual and precocious six-year-old. I wanted to give something joyful and relatable that would help nurture a Baha’i identity. I really struggled to find anything that hit the perfect note as far as the aesthetics and spirit of buoyancy and joy I was looking for, so I vowed to eventually make it myself! (In the short run, I illustrated “Blessed is the Spot” for the Ayyam-i-Ha gift). Fast forward to 2020, after working on the book piecemeal over the years,  I finally realized that not only was quarantine the ideal time to hunker down and complete my book! But I think we all became aware this year that our lives can change in an instant, and anything really important to us we have to commit to and DO. We don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

Continue reading →