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Meditation and all things meditative are really close to my heart so I wanted to learn more about the invocation “Allah-u-Abha” which Baha’is say 95 times a day. In this article, I’d like to share some of my thoughts based on what I’ve read in the Baha’i Writings on what “Allah-u-Abha” means, why this meditative practice is carried out every day, why it involves repetition, when it’s said, and why it’s repeated 95 times as opposed to any other number.
There’s an excellent explanation in the notes and codifications of the The Kitab-i-Aqdas where it explains that,
‘Allah-u-Abha’ is an Arabic phrase meaning ‘God the All-Glorious.’ It is a form of the Greatest Name of God. In Islam there is a tradition that among the many names of God, one was the greatest; however, the identity of this Greatest Name was hidden. Baha’u’llah has confirmed that the Greatest Name is ‘Baha.’
The various derivatives of the word ‘Baha’ are also regarded as the Greatest Name. Shoghi Effendi’s secretary writing on his behalf explains that
The Greatest Name is the Name of Baha’u’llah. ‘Ya Baha’u’l-Abha’ is an invocation meaning: ‘O Thou Glory of Glories!’ ‘Allah-u-Abha’ is a greeting which means: ‘God the All-Glorious.’ Both refer to Baha’u’llah. By Greatest Name is meant that Baha’u’llah has appeared in God’s Greatest Name, in other words, that He is the supreme Manifestation of God.
Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas
According to The Kitab-i-Aqdas, the phrase “Allah-u-Abha” is to be repeated 95 times every day. Baha’u’llah writes:
It hath been ordained that every believer in God, the Lord of Judgment, shall, each day, having washed his hands and then his face, seat himself and, turning unto God, repeat ‘Allah-u-Abha’ ninety-five times.
Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas
In the notes that I quoted above, it mentions how “Allah-u-Abha” can be a greeting but what I’d love to explore is how it is used as a repeated invocation.
In a letter dated 19 October 1925 Shoghi Effendi explains,
When we turn to God with our whole heart and invoke His Name, a spiritual connection is established through which we become a channel of divine influence.
Shoghi Effendi, letter dated 19 October 1925
The Universal House of Justice, in a letter to an individual, also states:
As a devoted believer in Baha’u’llah, you have the privilege of using the Greatest Name and the revealed prayers to draw on the power of the Holy Spirit, which is your shield and your protection through any difficulties and which will bring reassurance and serenity to your heart.
The Universal House of Justice
In addition to these answers, I’d like to share a few personal thoughts, even though they are only my own. I think that any daily action or merciful Divine Law is given to us to protect and ensure our increase as individual vessels or receptacles capable of receiving the grace of God, day by day, and partaking of our share of His Mercies. I really love these quotations by Abdu’l-Baha related to this theme:
Although the reality of Divinity is sanctified and boundless, the aims and needs of the creatures are restricted. God’s grace is like the rain that cometh down from heaven: the water is not bounded by the limitations of form, yet on whatever place it poureth down, it taketh on limitations—dimensions, appearance, shape—according to the characteristics of that place. In a square pool, the water, previously unconfined, becometh a square; in a six-sided pool it becometh a hexagon, in an eight-sided pool an octagon, and so forth. The rain itself hath no geometry, no limits, no form, but it taketh on one form or another, according to the restrictions of its vessel. In the same way, the Holy Essence of the Lord God is boundless, immeasurable, but His graces and splendors become finite in the creatures.
Abdu’l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace
The bounties of the Blessed Perfection are infinite. We must endeavor to increase our capacity daily, to strengthen and enlarge our capabilities for receiving them, to become as perfect mirrors. The more polished and clean the mirror, the more effulgent is its reflection of the lights of the Sun of Truth….Day by day become more closely attracted in order that the love of God may illumine all those with whom you come in contact.
Abdu’l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace
In Wisdom of the Master: The Spiritual Teachings of Abdu’l-Baha, Steven Scholl writes:
Abdu’l-Baha teaches how the practice of invocation or repetition of ‘The Greatest Name’ (Allah-u-Abha, God is Most Glorious) leads to union with God, illumination and spiritual rebirth. The use of invocation is well developed among the mystics of Islam, the Sufis. The repetition of sacred phrases is called dhikr (pronounced zikr, meaning remembrance). This spiritual practice of invocation is praised by Abdu’l-Baha. He encourages spiritual seekers to ‘recite the Greatest Name at every morn, and (to) turn…unto the kingdom of Abha, until though [sic] mayest apprehend the mysteries.’
Through the invocation of the Greatest Name, Abdu’l-Baha maintains that ‘the doors of the kingdom of God open, illumination is vouchsafed and divine union results…The use of the Greatest Name, and dependence upon it, causes the soul to strip itself of the husks of mortality and to step forth freed, reborn, a new creature.’
Wisdom of the Master: The Spiritual Teachings of Abdu’l-Baha, ed Steven Schol
Repeating “Allah-u-Abha” 95 times can increase our capacity to focus. Abdu’l-Baha tells us:
One cannot obtain the full force of the sunlight when it is cast on a flat mirror, but once the sun shineth upon a concave mirror, or on a lens that is convex, all its heat will be concentrated on a single point, and that one point will burn the hottest. Thus is it necessary to focus one’s thinking on a single point so that it will become an effective force.
Abdu’l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha
He also says:
The Greatest Name should be found upon the lips in the first awakening moment of early dawn. It should be fed upon by constant use in daily invocation, in trouble, under opposition, and should be the last word breathed when the head rests upon the pillow at night. It is the name of comfort, protection, happiness, illumination, love and unity.
Abdu’l-Baha, Lights of Guidance
Based on the Baha’i Writings mentioned above, I believe that “Allah-u-Abha” can be said at any time, whether repeated 95 times, or as a spontaneous single invocation, or as a greeting, for protection, in praise of God, or for comfort. I prefer to say “Allah-u-Abha” 95 times before anything that requires focus, such as saying general prayers, before entering meditation or saying the Long Obligatory Prayer in particular, as they all require clarity of mind, purity of heart and a certain degree of uninterrupted and attentive focus that saying “Allah-u-Abha” 95 times beforehand can help facilitate and lay the foundation for.
Nader Saiedi explains in his book Gate of the Heart, that the significance of the number 95 originates from the Persian Bayan, the Holy book of the Bab. The Bab, Himself states that 95 stands for the numerical value of “for God” (lillāh), which symbolizes the recognition of the Manifestation of God and obedience to His laws, which are inseparable from each other, as confirmed by Baha’u’llah in the opening paragraph of The Kitab-i-Aqdas:
The first duty prescribed by God for His servants is the recognition of Him Who is the Dayspring of His Revelation and the Fountain of His laws, Who representeth the Godhead in both the Kingdom of His Cause and the world of creation. Whoso achieveth this duty hath attained unto all good; and whoso is deprived thereof hath gone astray, though he be the author of every righteous deed. It behooveth everyone who reacheth this most sublime station, this summit of transcendent glory, to observe every ordinance of Him Who is the Desire of the world. These twin duties are inseparable.
Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas
Saying “Allah-u-Abha” 95 times only became a law applicable to Baha’is all over the world in 1999. Prior to that, I found an instance where the Universal House of Justice encouraged the repetition of “Allah-u-Abha” 95 times a day as a possible form of meditation.1 I shared some thoughts on meditation in this blog post but I believe that saying “Allah-u-Abha” 95 times is not only conductive to gathering focus in order to meditate, but that it can also be a form of meditation itself.
These are just a few things I have learned about repeating “Allah-u-Abha” 95 times each day. I have also been exploring my connection to this meditative practice as part of the Bicentenary Meditation project, a contribution to the world-wide celebrations of the bicentenary anniversary of the Birth of the Bab, and you’re welcome to explore them in more detail here.
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Thank you for this. As a westerner it was a good explanation of the importance .
Lena Johansson, Sweden (October 10, 2020 at 10:35 PM)
Glad to hear it 🙂 Being an “easterner” I had a lot of resistance repeating something so many times, not wanting to be perceived as fanatical. But once I looked deeper as to the purpose of it, I say it more now 🙂 All things that create resistance is really just a portal to more freedom!
Nahal Haghbin (October 10, 2020 at 3:46 AM)
So much appreciate this enlightening explanation; keeping focus during prayer and meditation is quite a struggle for me.
Diana Threlfo (October 10, 2020 at 11:55 PM)
Thank you for this. Very inspiring. The reason I was given to say 95 times Allah’u’Abha was because the numeral value of the Bab in Arabic is 5. The Bab had 19 disciples.
19×5=95 . Please clarify this. Thank you for this. Fondest regards Malia Knoors-Bastan
Malia Knoors-Bastan (October 10, 2020 at 8:54 AM)
Dear Malia
Bab’s first disciples were 18 in numbers (see below).
Baha’s numerical value is 9 and the Bab’s 5. These two names are the greatest names in this age the Baha’i cycle.
“The Letters of the Living (Arabic: حروف الحي) was a title provided by the Báb to the first eighteen disciples of the Bábí dispensation. In some understandings the Báb places himself at the head of this list (as the first letter). In this article, the former notation will be used except when specifically said otherwise….”
https://bahaipedia.org/Letters_of_the_Living
Hooshang Sadeghi-Afshar (October 10, 2020 at 12:59 AM)
Yes as is a struggle for many, I spend quite a significant time preparing myself for prayer in order to keep focus , which is really a faculty that everyone has, but it needs to be cultivated. Nothing in our education systems teach us this! Meditation is really helpful!
Nahal Haghbin (October 10, 2020 at 3:49 AM)
The comment from the article which is footnoted No. 7, Ends with the following quotation: “The use of the Greatest Name, and dependence upon it, causes the soul to strip itself of the husks of morality and to step forth freed, reborn, a new creature.” I don’t have the source to check, but shouldn’t the word “morality” actually be “mortality”?
Lovely article, by the way!
Don Stevenson (October 10, 2020 at 10:46 AM)
Thanks so much for catching the typo Don, and it’s now been fixed. Really appreciate your support! 🙂
Naysan Naraqi (October 10, 2020 at 11:21 AM)
Great thanks Neysan!
Nahal Haghbin (October 10, 2020 at 3:50 AM)
I wouldn’t be surprise if it was, there are likely many many many more explanations as to why, the one I provided in the article is only one of them. Although, I am very interested to learn more about the reference you made, do you happen to have a source of where it came from? Would love to know!
Nahal Haghbin (October 10, 2020 at 3:52 AM)
Wounderfull article
Afa Mazloum (October 10, 2020 at 1:22 PM)
Thank you for sharing
Was always doing it wrongly
Before anything and while still in bed and not washing my hands and face ♀️
Pauline Mwila (October 10, 2020 at 8:07 AM)
The language of the communion with God and connecting with the Sublime is not of this world. It is the language of the spirit, the language of the heart, cast into our own languages, be it English, Persian, or the like. The Master explains it well in the passage cited above. Certain portions of that Divine language, do not accept of this casting, given the limitation of the languages current among people. That Ocean is limitless and our vessels, our languages are certainly inadequate.Therefore movements, repetitions, postures and the like are needed to approximate that language of the spirit, to bring our words, syllables, and sentences closer to the Divine language.
Mahmoud (December 12, 2020 at 9:58 AM)
Absolutely, I couldn’t agree more. Just to add on to your point, I think the reason for this repetition is also for words to vibrate at a certain focalized concentrated energy or frequency to resemble that Divine Language.
Nahal Haghbin (January 1, 2021 at 12:59 PM)
This is very helpful
Steven Kafweku (February 2, 2021 at 7:16 AM)
I respect all the beliefs of many other people and religions but the only thing I can say is that the Bible is the only basement for the salvation of the man…The commandments of the Holy God is written there that people should follow for them to be save…thank you
Keevin Victoria (February 2, 2021 at 12:31 PM)
Thanks I am learning
Thanks tp the Author
Rooplall DuHNATH (November 11, 2021 at 10:21 PM)
Thank you!
Nahal Haghbin (November 11, 2021 at 12:41 PM)
Suggesting that the ablutions in the obligatory prayer should be memorized and said while washing one’s hands and face.
The Universal House of Justice quotes the exact terms, and the suggestion above is merely this one’s own feeling.
All are free to pray as they desire. One soul answered “I am eating God.” in the Presence of the Blessed Beauty and brought Him at least a smile.
Ala Balsam Collestan (August 8, 2022 at 7:41 PM)
It should be intoned.
Ala Balsam Collestan (August 8, 2022 at 7:46 PM)
Hi, thank you for sharing.
I could not find the passage from The Selections of the Writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Can you help me out please?
Bo van Luijtelaar (April 4, 2023 at 8:31 PM)
Hi Bo,
Thanks for your question. You can find the passage from Selections of the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha here: https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/selections-writings-abdul-baha/5#230908327 The second passage was incorrectly referenced: it is not from Selections of the Writings of Abdu’l-Baha, but instead from Lights of Guidance, #892. I am very sorry for the error and I have amended the reference. Thank you for asking.
Sonjel Vreeland (April 4, 2023 at 2:15 AM)
Great article, but tell me one thing, is this the correct spelling in English: Alláh-u-Abhá.
Melanie (September 9, 2023 at 11:17 AM)
Hi Melanie,
Thank you for noticing that inconsistency and recurring typo! We have fixed it now and are so grateful to you for noticing and for reaching out! Thank you!
Sonjel Vreeland (September 9, 2023 at 12:33 AM)
Thank you for these thoughts and quotes. I find in the saying of this 95 times it’s like a measure of my focus.. at times I drift off, other times very on point… every day is different. I’ve also read that this is the one time we ask nothing from God but only praise Him.
Eugene Smith (October 10, 2023 at 4:25 AM)