By: Mr. Najafi
According to the Baha’i calendar, the name Baha is the name of the first month of the year and the first day of each month. So, “Youmul Baha Men Sharul Baha” is the name of the first day of the Baha’i new year; that is, Nowrouz, which has been appointed by Ali Muhammad Bab in the book Bayan and Bahaullah has confirmed it in the book Aqdas (the Aqdas, paragraph 127 &111).
According to the Baha’i calendar each years consists 19 month and each month includes 19 days (in addition to 4-5 Ha days).
Before Nowrouz which is coincided with fasting feast of the Baha’is a Baha’i channel announced a feast which is similar to Fetr feast of Muslims called “Siyam feast” in Baha’ism (narrated by one of the proselytizing networks of Baha’ism).
However, it is interesting to be noted that the leadership foundation of Baha’ism which is called the Universal House of justice (and considers itself as infallible) has rejected the existence of such feast in the Baha’i works and claimed: “For long years, some Iranian and Arabic Baha’i refugees have considered 21st of March as two feasts of Nowrouz and Siyam. In some cases “the fasting feast [Siyam] has been obviously more important than Nowrouz, and 21st of March has been mentioned as Siyam or fasting feast which is the memorable of Fetr feast of Islam. He declares that he hasn’t found fasting feast…” (the leadership foundation of Baha’ism, the universal house of justice, the message dated March, 31, 2007 A.D.).
Nevertheless, it is interesting to be noted that contrary to the claim by the leadership foundation of Baha’ism, the issue of fasting feast is so clear in Baha’ism that the first sources of Baha’ism has spoken about it as fasting feast continually. As the self-proclaimed prophet of Baha’ism says:
“قد کتبنا علیکم الصیام ایاماً معدودات وَ جعلنا النیروز عیداً لکم”
(Hussein Ali Nouri, the Aqdas, Bombay, Naseri publishing house, 1314 A.H., p. 16).
In the book the treasury of limitations and commandments, it has been spoken about the fasting feast of the Baha’is: “Chapter 6: Is the fasting feast the Nowrouz one?” (Abdul Hamid Ishraq Khawari, the treasury of limitations and commandments, the electronic copy, p. 52). Or Ishraq Khawari has appointed the greatest feast of the Baha’is as the source of its number. (Ibid, p. 360). Also, Fadhel Mazandarani has appointed fasting feast as the source of appointing the time for the Baha’is greatest feast. (Fadhel Mazandarani, Amro Khalq epistle, Germany: the assembly of publishing the faith works in Persian and Arabic languages, 142 Badi’a, Vol. 4, p. 8).
However, it is worthy to be mentioned that Ishraq Khawari has considered Nowrouz as the fasting feast of the Baha’is: “When nineteen days finished, then the next day will be Nowrouz which is the fasting feast; that is, that day will be both Nowrouz and the fasting day for the disciples.” (Abdul Hamid Ishraq Khawari, the Aqdas writings, edited by Wahid Ra’fati, Germany: the national assembly of publishing the faith works in Persian and Arabic languages, 1997 A.D., p. 56).
Conclusion: How is it possible for the known Baha’i authors who have been contemporary to the Baha’ism leaders whose books have been confirmed by the Baha’i leaders commit errors in naming fasting feast.
However, it is surprising that the so-called open-minded authors of Baha’ism write an article to prove the existence of the fasting feast one day and another day they are writing an article to omit and reject it for the fear of their budget to be cut!
