Fasting in Baha’ism
By: Mr. Kiyani
In the Baha’i calendar which is a solar one it starts with the New year [Nowrouz]. Each year contain 365 days. This calendar contains 19 months. Each month includes 19 days; that is, 361 days and the remained 4 days are called Ha days which are located in the Baha’i calendar after the 18th month and before the last Baha’i month called Sharul Ala (the high-ranking month). Sharul Ala in the Baha’i calendar is the fasting month. Every year, it starts after ending Ha days and continues to the first day of Nowrouz. Each year, the Baha’i fasting feast and the first of Nowrouz are coincided. (A concise Encyclopaedia of the Baha’i faith by Peter Smith, one world, Oxford, ISBN: 1-184-85168-1).
In the Baha’i cult, the issue of fasting is posed and the Baha’is don’t eat and drink in the last month of the Baha’i year called Sharul Ala since dawn to dusk. In this cult, fasting has been introduced for campaigning against passion!
In the Baha’i cult, fasting possesses special characteristics. Bahaullah, the self-proclaimed prophet of the cult has appointed 19 days for fasting. The fasting days are located at the mildest season of the year.
It is said in the Aqdas:
“کفوا انفسکم عن الاکل و الشرب من الطلوع الی الافول ایمکم ان یمنعکم الهوی عن الذی قدر فی الکتاب” (اقدس/ ص ۷/ سطر ۳)
Those who are over 70 and those who have hard and harassing jobs, travelers, the sick, the pregnant women and the woman who has nursling mustn’t be fast (the Aqdas, p. 6, line 17).
Just eating and drinking cancel fasting in Baha’ism.
Lack of paying attention to spirituality and repentance and charities are the characteristics of fasting in Baha’ism.
Fasting is not necessary in feasts, the so-called martyrdom of the Excellency Bab. (the treasury of limitations and commandments, p. 46)
