To Bahai's, What do you call God?

[Iron Lion]

What name do you call God by? eg. Father, Jesus, Allah, Krishna.


Thanks

 

[I_are_sceptical]

What name do you call God by? eg. Father, Jesus, Allah, Krishna.


Thanks

In our Scriptures God does not have a name, as such. He is called by His attributes, the All-Powerful, the Loving, the Bountiful, the Most Merciful, and many others like that.

 

[Iron Lion]

is it cool if i ask another question?

Do you believe that if a group of people were worshiping for example Krishna, that God would still aceppt that worship?

 

[I_are_sceptical]

is it cool if i ask another question?

Yes, of course.

Do you believe that if a group of people were worshiping for example Krishna, that God would still aceppt that worship?

We believe that there is only one God, therefore all worship goes to the same place, even if the worshippers use different names for their Gods.

Plus, Krishna is on our list of "Manifestations of God". We believe Krishna is equal to our Founder, Baha'u'llah, in every way. To reject Krishna is to reject Baha'u'llah.

 

[Iron Lion]

thanks a heap for you help

 

[Arthra]

Good questions!

I agree with my friend sceptical.

I think Baha'is accept the same God as accepted by Moslems, Christians and Jews.

In our Prayer Books the revealed prayers are recited and read as follows:

"Glory be to Thee, O Lord my God!

"I am he, O my God, who testifieth to Thy unity

"Open Thou, O my Lord, mine eyes

"Thou seest me then, O my God

I'm speculating a bit here but there are also many Baha'is in India and in their spiritual life probably refer to God as Ram or Govind or Bhagavan but our revealed prayers are the same.

Baha'is also believe there was a Name of God that was unknown before according to some Islamic traditions and that Name we call the Greatest Name is

Ya Baha'ul'Abha

Oh Glory of theh All Glorius

and is related to the title of Baha'u'llah or

Glory of God

The name "Baha" means light or glory.

So a Baha'i is a follower of Baha or Light or Glory.

- Art

 

[Abdurrahim]

In our Scriptures God does not have a name, as such. He is called by His attributes, the All-Powerful, the Loving, the Bountiful, the Most Merciful, and many others like that.

What does Bahaullah mean then ?

 

[I_are_sceptical]

What does Bahaullah mean then ?

It translates as Glory/Splendor of God.

 

[Abdurrahim]

So you accept Allah is one of the names of G-d Allmighty.

 

[I_are_sceptical]

So you accept Allah is one of the names of G-d Allmighty.

Yes, and I accept Muhammad as God's Apostle and the Holy Qur'an as God's Word.

 

[Iron Lion]

Hi i have another question is thats ok,

Do Bahai's need to face a certain way when saying their prayers?

thanks

 

[kit]

As they see God present in all the major world religions they don't look to one specific point. That hold true for the physical as well.

 

[I_are_sceptical]

For prayer in general we don't need to face any particular direction. But for our daily "obligatory prayer" we face Baha'u'llah's tomb in Akka, Israel.

 

[Iron Lion]

how many Obligatory prayers do you have a day?

 

[I_are_sceptical]

how many Obligatory prayers do you have a day?

We say one per day.

There are three prayers. We can pick whichever we like best.

 

[Arthra]

Prayers can generally be said anytime and anywhere alone or in groups, but the Obligatory Prayers are always said in privacy and alone or individually.

There are three choices each day..

1) We can recite a brief Obligatory Prayer around noontime...

2) Another choice is we could recite another obligatory prayer three times a day...

3) A third cloice is a long obligatory prayer every twenty four hours.

The last two prayers have instructions about prostrations and raising hands similar to Muslims obligatory prayers,

but we only say them alone and not in congregation as is done among Muslims.

These prayers are recited after ablutions and we should be facing the Qiblah or Bahji.

- Art

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

For prayer in general we don't need to face any particular direction. But for our daily "obligatory prayer" we face Baha'u'llah's tomb in Akka, Israel.

Wow. Never knew it was in Israel!!!

 

[scratchingmyhead]

So, Now I want to ask a question. Since Baha'is accept Mohommed as a Prophet, as well as Christ, what would you say to Christians who can't stomach the idea of Mohammed being in any way Divine? I guess, the only way I know how to say this, is how can Christians make peace with Mohammed and how can Muslims make peace with Christians? I am sure you might say, just become a Baha'i, but are there any scriptures or other evidence that can support a Christian case for Mohammed, without the Christians necessarily converting to Islam as it is today?

 

[I_are_sceptical]

So, Now I want to ask a question. Since Baha'is accept Mohommed as a Prophet, as well as Christ, what would you say to Christians who can't stomach the idea of Mohammed being in any way Divine? I guess, the only way I know how to say this, is how can Christians make peace with Mohammed and how can Muslims make peace with Christians?

God is the sun, and His Manifestations are all mirrors, reflecting God's light. And it's all the SAME light.

I am sure you might say, just become a Baha'i, but are there any scriptures or other evidence that can support a Christian case for Mohammed, without the Christians necessarily converting to Islam as it is today?

No, there are no other Scriptures teaching this - that I know of.

 

[Arthra]

Wow. Never knew it was in Israel!!!

Hello Oh Little Lamb!

After Baha'u'llah was exiled from Persia (now Iran) 1854 He was sent to Bagdad and later the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire summoned Him to Istanbul (1863) and Edirne ( Constantinople and Adrianople)...after a few years Baha'u'llah was sent to the prison fortress in Akka which is across the bay from Haifa (Mount Carmel overlooks Haifa-Akka bay) Eventually Baha'u'llah visited Mount Carmel and lived in some places nearby and eventually a mansion of Bahji was leased for Him. Bahji is the qiblah of the Baha'i world and Baha'is turn to the Holy Land in prayer daily.

So the Holyu Land is a Holy Land for Baha'is as it is for Christians, Jews and Muslims. The Baha'is have been there since around 1870 while it was under the Ottoman Empire.. After WWI it was under the British protectorate and after 1948 it was the state of Israel.

But Baha'is also hold certain places in and around Bagdad and in Iran as Holy places where Baha'u'llah lived and where our Faith began in 1844.



- Art