By Pepper P Oldziey From Brilliant Star, Jan-Feb 1990, p. 18-19       The Calendars we Use Today Here in North America, and in many other parts of the world, Bahá’ís most often use the Gregorian and the Badi Calendars.  If a Bahá’í is from a Muslim or Jewish family, he may also know [...]

By Pepper P Oldziey
From Brilliant Star, Jan-Feb 1990, p. 18-19

 

 

 

The Calendars we Use Today

Here in North America, and in many other parts of the world, Bahá’ís most often use the Gregorian and the Badi Calendars.  If a Bahá’í is from a Muslim or Jewish family, he may also know that calendar.
Names for the Months
In the Gregorian Calendar, the months were named after Roman gods, Roman Emperors, or the number of the month.  When the months were numbered, the first month was Martius, or March.  This is like our Badi Calendar, which begins in March.  The months at the end of the year were named after their numbers.  Even though September is now the ninth month, it used to be seventh like its name.  The Badi Calendar has months named after the attributes of God.  The Báb named these months based on the nineteen names of God invoked in a prayer said during the month of fasting in Shi’ih Islam.  The names are Arabic.

Names for the Weekdays:

Many of the Gregorian days of the week are also named after gods, using German names:

Sunday:  for the sun
Monday:  for the moon
Tuesday, for Tiwes, the German god of war
Wednesday:  for Wo’den, a German god
Thursday:  for Thor, a German god
Friday:  for Fria, the German goddess of love
Saturday, for Saturn, a Roman god

The Bahá’í days of the week are:

Jalál:  Glory (Saturday)
Jamál:  Beauty (Sunday)
Kamál:  Perfection (Monday)
Fidál:  Grace (Tuesday)
‘Idál:  Justice (Wednesday)
Istijlál:  Majesty (Thursday)
Istiqlál:  Independence (Friday)

These, like the months, are named after Attributes of God.

The Days of Rest

In many Christian denominations Sunday is considered the day of rest and Monday the first day of the week.  Others call Saturday the day of rest and Sunday the first day of the week.  Most calendards you see being the week with Sunday or Monday.

The Bahá’í day of rest is Istiqlál, Friday, and the Bahá’í week starts on Saturday.  The Bahá’í day starts at sunset, like the Hebrew day and so, Friday, at sunset, our week begins.

The Origin of the Baha’i Calendar

The Báb, the Primal Point of a new creation, brought humanity into a new division of time in a calendar of nineteen months. All through our past heritage the months of the years and the days of the week have borne the names of pagan feasts and Roman holidays. The Báb swept these ancient landmarks away, and replaced them by the Qualities of: Splendour, Glory, Beauty, Grandeur, Light, Mercy, Words, Perfection, Names, Might, Will, Knowledge, Power, Speech, Questions, Honour, Sovereignty, Dominion, and Loftiness. Meditating upon these sublime attributes, man is enabled to gaze beyond the curve of time, wherein the swing and change of planetary movements exists, to the eternal qualities that stabilize the soul. (Shoghi Effendi, Principles of Baha’i Administration, p. 53)

The Days of the Month

The nineteen days of each Bahá’í month have the same names as the nineteen months do:

1. Bahá: Splendour

2. Jalál: Glory

3. Jamál: Beauty

4. ‘Azamát: Grandeur

5. Nur: Light

6. Rahmat: Mercy

7. Kalimát: Words

8. Kamál: Perfection

9. Asmá’: Names

10. Izzat: Might

11. Mashiyyat: Will

12. ‘Ilm: Knowledge

13. Qudrat: Power

14. Qawl: Speech

15. Masá’il: Questions

16. Sharaf: Honor

17. Sultán: Sovereignty

18. Mulk: Dominion

19. ‘Alá: Loftiness

The first day of the first month of the year, Naw-Ruz, would be the “day of Bahá”. If it fell on a Saturday, it would also be the “day of Jalál”.

 

Cycles of Years

The Gregorian years are grouped by tens. Ten years are a decade. One hundred years are a century. This follows the metric system of measurement.

The Bab divided the years into cycles beginning with the year B.E. 1. We have 19 days, 19 months, and cycles of 19 years. Each cycle is called a Váhid. Váhid means unity. Each cycle of 19 Váhids is 361 years and is called ‘Kull-i-Sháy’ which means “all things” and has a numerical value of 361.

Names of the Years

These are the names of the years in each Váhid:

1. Alif: A

2. Bá: B

3. AB: Father

4. Dál: D

5. Báb: Gate

6. Váv: V

7. Abad: Eternity

8. Jád: Generosity

9. Bahá: Splendour

10. Hubb: Love

11. Bahháj: Delightful

12. Javáb: Answer

13. Ahad: Single

14. Vahháb: Bountiful

15. Vidád: Affection

16. Badi’: Beginning

17. Bahi: Luminous

18. Abhá: Most Luminous

19. Váhid: Unity

 

Can you write the Bahá’í date for today?

Gregorian Date:

Day of the Week:

Day of the Month:

Month:

Year:

Year of Váhid:

Can you write the Bahá’í date for your birth day?

Gregorian Date:

Day of Week:

Day of Month:

Month:

Year:

Year of Váhid:

 

 

THE BAHÁ’Í CALENDAR by Gordon J. Kerr THE SCIENTIFIC DIMENSION A calendar is a time-keeping device employing such perceptible units as days, months, seasons, etc.  These units refer to the regular motions of the sun and moon in relation to the earth. Unfortunately, the solar and lunar cycles are not in agreement; while the solar [...]

THE BAHÁ’Í CALENDAR
by Gordon J. Kerr

THE SCIENTIFIC DIMENSION

A calendar is a time-keeping device employing such perceptible units as days, months, seasons, etc.  These units refer to the regular motions of the sun and moon in relation to the earth.

Unfortunately, the solar and lunar cycles are not in agreement; while the solar year consists of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 46 seconds, the lunar year has 354 days, approximate to a day.

The Báb says: “With the coming of the Bayán God ordained nineteen months for every year and nineteen days for every month.  The year starts when the sun enters the sign of the Ram and ends when the sun, after completing its journey throughout the signs of the Zodiac, enters the sign of the Fish.”   (Note: 19 x 19 = 361 + 4 or 5 Intercalary Days.)

The number 19 has an astronomical significance: every nineteen years the sun and moon, with respect to their cycles, are in the same relative position.

Furthermore, while the beginning of the year in the present calendar is purely arbitrary and astronomically difficult to define, the Bahá’í new year was astronomically defined by the Báb by the position of the earth in relation to the solar configuration.  Therefore it may be defined within a second.

By varying the number of intercalary days, the start of each year may be adjusted with the same precision.

THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSION

The calendar revealed by the Báb is not merely a time-keeping device, but has also a profound spiritual meaning; it expresses the balance in human life which is essential for spiritual growth.  “Nothing is more precious in the eyes of God than balance” says the Báb.

The year is taken as a whole and is divided into four units of three months, four months, six months and six months respectively.  The names of the months are meaningful too, for they correspond to the spiritual purpose of these units.

1st unit:     Bahá        Jalál        Jamál
Splendour    Glory        Beauty

2nd unit:     ‘Azamat    Núr        Rahmat        Kalimát
Grandeur    Light        Mercy        Words

3rd unit:     Kamál        Asmá’        ‘Izzat        Mashíyyat           ‘Ilm        Qudrat
Perfection    Names        Might        Will        Knowledge    Power

4th unit:     Qawl        Masá’il        Sharaf        Sultán        Mulk        ‘Alá’
Speech        Questions    Honour        Sovereignty    Dominion    Loftiness

The first months represent the keeping of faith.  After accepting the new Revelation, the fire of love is kindled in the heart of the believer and he experiences spiritual joy.  The names of these months are indicative of this state: Splendour, Glory and Beauty.  The love of man for God is defined in this unit.

The next four months represent man’s study of the Word of God and the increase of his consciousness.  This is the eternal love of God for man – the knowledge of God is brought to man through His Messenger each time that man is in need of guidance.  The names of these months apply to the Writings: Grandeur, Light, Mercy and Words.

The next six months represent man’s spiritual progress.  He becomes a better man, not in relation to others, but in relation to what he was before accepting the New Revelation.  He loses his shortcomings, gains strength and is able to resist temptations; thus, he becomes dead to the material world.  The meaning of “union with God” becomes visible in such a man, for he reflects the teachings of God in his own life.  This is the love of God to God, in other words, the love of God to His reflection in the actions of men.  The names of these months signify spiritual progress: Perfection, Names, Might, Will, Knowledge and Power.

In the last six months eternal life is conferred upon those whose efforts remain forever in the process of an ever-advancing civilization.  The Báb says that the fourth unit pertains to “dust”, that is, the material civilization.  This is the time when the results of the three preceding units become visible in the work and actions of men.  The fourth unit represents love of man for man, and the names of the calendar months are: Speech, Questions, Honour, Sovereignty, Dominion and Loftiness, which are the attributes of a successful life.

The year is taken as a unity, but any length of time, whether it be a day, or a month, etc., may be adjusted to this pattern.  The four unitys of the year are simply a reminder of how to gain balance in one’s life.  Then the four units will all be merged into one unit and the meaning of unity will become apparent.

Perhaps the meaning of the calendar would be easier to understand if we realize that the four units represent LOVE, KNOWLEDGE, UNITY and WORK which is Worship.

The following are the words of the Báb concerning the four parts of the unit which is the year.  He shows the essential necessity of spiritual progress which should precede the material progress of human civilization.

“In the first three months take place the creation of the fire of the love of God in the hearts of men.

“In the next four months take place the creation of the conscious mind; during these months the food of the knowledge of God is bestowed upon men.

“In the next six months God makes men die, not by material death, but by death to temptations of the material world.

“In the last six months God gives life to those who are dead to all love except the love of God and who are firm in His love.

“The first three months are those of the fire of God; creative fire and not the fire of chastisement.

“The next four months are those of eternal love, [heavenly food].

“The next six months are those of the unity of God with His creation.   God radiates eternal love through the reflection of His Spirit in the hearts of men ablaze with His love.

“The last six months pertain to dust, and all that comes forth from the preceding three units is hidden in this last unity; this is the unit where fruit is harvested.”

The first month, Bahá, and the last month, U’lláh [‘Alá’], form … Bahá’u’lláh.

REFERENCES:

Note: The quotations from the Bayán are translated from the French version which, although adequate, must needs be improved, and thus do not represent an authoritative translation.  [For further reference see “Selections from the Writings of E. G. Browne on the Bábí and Bahá’í Religions”, edited by Moojan Momen: George Ronald, Oxford. (1987)]