Bahá'í calendar

Bahá'í Faith

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Bahá'u'lláh
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Key scripture Kitáb-i-Aqdas· Kitáb-i-Íqán

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History

The Bahá'í calendar started from the original Badí‘ calendar, created by the Báb.[2] Bahá'u'lláh confirmed and adopted this calendar and made Naw-Rúz or the vernal equinox the first day of the year, and also clarified the intercalary days.[2][3]

Although the vernal equinox can occur on March 20, 21 or 22, Shoghi Effendi declared that, for the time being, the Badí‘ calendar is 'locked' to the Gregorian calendar with the new year always starting at sunset on 20 March.[4] Without this, the calendar could vary by a day or two when compared to the Gregorian calendar. The implementation of the variable calendar with respect to the beginning of Naw-Rúz will require the Universal House of Justice selecting a single location for the fixing of the date of the equinox.[3] This 'locked' calendar is the one described in this article.

Years in the Bahá'í calendar are counted from Thursday, 21 March 1844, the beginning of the Bahá'í Era or Badí‘ Era (abbreviated BE or B.E.).[1] Year 1 BE thus began at sundown 20 March 1844. Using the Bahá'í names for the weekday and month, day one of the Bahá'í Era was Istijlál (Majesty), 1 Bahá (Splendour) 1 BE. As detailed below, the names of the Bahá'í months and days reflect attributes of God.[5]

For several early years after Tom Morey founded what would become Morey Watersports, the boogie boards his company produced were stamped with the B.E. year of production. This may have been the first "external" use of B.E. dates, and almost certainly the first on a commercial product.

Months

The Bahá'í calendar is composed of 19 months, each with 19 days.[6] The Nineteen Day Fast is held during the final month of ‘Alá’ (2 March - 20 March), and is preceded by the intercalary days, known as Ayyám-i-Há. There are four intercalary days in a regular year, and five in a leap year.[6] The introduction of intercalation marked an important break from Islam, as under the Islamic calendar the practice of intercalation had been specifically prohibited in the Qur'an.[2] The month of fasting is followed by Naw-Rúz, the new year. Because the calendar is currently synchronized with the Gregorian calendar, the Bahá'í leap years happen on common era leap years. In addition, the intercalary days include 28 February and 1 March, causing precise synchronization of the 19 months with the Gregorian calendar.

Arabic Name[6]Arabic Script English Translation[6]Gregorian Dates[6]Bahá بهاء Splendour 21 March- 8 AprilJalál جلال Glory 9 April- 27 AprilJamál جمال Beauty 28 April- 16 May‘Aẓamat عظمة Grandeur 17 May- 4 JuneNúr نور Light 5 June- 23 JuneRaḥmat رحمة Mercy 24 June- 12 JulyKalimát كلمات Words 13 July- 31 JulyKamál كمال Perfection 1 August- 19 AugustAsmá’ اسماء Names 20 August- 7 September‘Izzat عزة Might 8 September- 26 SeptemberMashíyyat مشية Will 27 September- 15 October‘Ilm علم Knowledge 16 October- 3 NovemberQudrat قدرة Power 4 November- 22 NovemberQawl قول Speech 23 November- 11 DecemberMasá’il مسائل Questions 12 December- 30 DecemberSharaf شرف Honour 31 December- 18 JanuarySulṭán سلطان Sovereignty 19 January- 6 FebruaryMulk ملك Dominion 7 February- 25 February Ayyám-i-Háايام الهاء The Days of Há 26 February- 1 March‘Alá’ علاء Loftiness 2 March- 20 March(Month of fasting)

Holy days

There are eleven holy days in the Bahá'í calendar on nine of which work is suspended.[7] The Festival of Ridván, a twelve day festival that commemorates Bahá'u'lláh's announcement of prophethood, is the most holy Bahá'í festival and is referred to as the "Most Great Festival."[8]

On the Islamic lunar calendar, the births of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh fall on consecutive days; the first and second day of Muharram, respectively.[9] The Universal House of Justice has decided to celebrate them on the solar calendar, but has the authority to change the observance to the lunar calendar days, which migrate through the solar calendar by 11 or 12 days each year.

Name[7]Gregorian Dates[7]Work Suspended[7]Naw-Rúz(Bahá'í New Year) March 21Yes First day of Riḍván(Arabic: رضوان) April 21Yes Ninth day of Riḍván April 29Yes Twelfth day of Riḍván May 2Yes Declaration of the Báb May 23Yes Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh May 29Yes Martyrdom of the Báb July 9Yes Birth of the Báb October 20Yes Birth of Bahá'u'lláh November 12Yes Day of the Covenant November 26No Ascension of `Abdu'l-Bahá November 28No

Weekdays

The Bahá'í week starts on Saturday, and ends on Friday.[10] Days begin at sunset on the previous solar day and end at sunset of the present solar day. Like Islám, Friday is also the day of rest in the Bahá'í Faith.[11]

Arabic Name[10]Arabic Script English Translation[10]Day of the Week[10]Jalál جلال Glory SaturdayJamál جمال Beauty SundayKamál كمال Perfection MondayFiḍál فضال Grace Tuesday‘Idál عدال Justice WednesdayIstijlál استجلال Majesty ThursdayIstiqlál استقلال Independence Friday

Váḥid and Kull-i-Shay’

Also existing in the Bahá'í calendar system is a 19-year cycle called Váḥid and a 361-year (19x19) supercycle called Kull-i-Shay’ (literally, "All Things").[10] Each of the 19 years in a Vahid has been given a name as shown in the table below.[10] The 9th Váḥid of the 1st Kull-i-Shay’ started on 21 March 1996, and the 10th Váḥid will begin in 2015.[12] The current Bahá'í year, year 165 BE (20 March 2008 - 20 March 2009), is year Aḥad of the 9th Váḥid of the 1st Kull-i-Shay’.[12] The 2nd Kull-i-Shay’ will begin in 2205.[12]

The concept of a 19-year cycle has existed in some form since the 4th century BC. The Metonic cycle represents an invented measure that approximately correlates solar and lunar markings of time and which appears in several calendar systems.

Years in a Váḥid

No. Arabic Name Arabic Script English Translation 1 Alif أﻟﻒ A 2 Bá’ باء B 3 Ab أب Father 4 Dál دﺍﻝ D 5 Báb باب Gate 6 Váv وﺍو V 7 Abad أبد Eternity 8 Jád جاد Generosity 9 Bahá' بهاء Splendour 10 Ḥubb حب Love 11 Bahháj بهاج Delightful 12 Javáb جواب Answer 13 Aḥad احد Single 14 Vahháb وﻫﺎب Bountiful 15 Vidád وداد Affection 16 Badí‘ بديء Beginning 17 Bahí بهي Luminous 18 Abhá ابهى Most Luminous 19 Váḥid واحد Unity

Notes

^ a b Curtis, Larry (2004-03-06). A Day in the Bahá'í Calendar. bcca.org. Retrieved on 2006-09-24.
^ a b c Taylor, John (2000-09-01). On Novelty in Ayyám-i-Há and the Badí Calendar. bahai-library.org. Retrieved on 2006-09-24.
^ a b Universal House of Justice (1992). Notes of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, pp. 178-179. ISBN 0853989990. .
^ Effendi, Shoghi (1973). Directives from the Guardian. India/Hawaii: Bahá'í publishing trust, pp. 30.
^ National Spiritual Assembly of the United States (2006-03-05). The Bahá'í Calendar. bahai.us. Retrieved on 2006-09-24.
^ a b c d e Esslemont, J. E. (1980). Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, 5th ed., Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust, pp.178-179. ISBN 0877431604.
^ a b c d National Spiritual Assembly of the United States (2006-03-05). The Badi Calendar. bahai.us. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
^ Walbridge, John (2003-10-02). Ridvan. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.
^ Taherzadeh, Adib (1987). The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Volume 4: Mazra'ih & Bahji 1877-92. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853982708.
^ a b c d e f Effendi, Shoghi (1950). Bahá'í Faith, The: 1844-1950. Wilmette, IL: Bahá'í Publishing Committee.
^ Effendi, Shoghi; The Universal House of Justice (1983). in Hornby, Helen (Ed.): Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference File. Bahá'í Publishing Trust, New Delhi, India, pp. 109. ISBN 8185091463.
^ a b c Bolhuis, Arjen (2006-03-23). The first Kull-i-Shay' of the Bahá'í Era. Retrieved on 2006-09-23.