In a letter dated 10 July 2014 the Universal House of Justice addressed the Bahá'ís of the World as follows: |
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Dearly loved Friends, |
The setting of the sun on 20 March 2015 will signalize the end of the year 171, the close
of the ninth Váḥid of the first Kull-i-Shay' of the Bahá'í Era. We call upon the Bahá'ís of the
East and West to adopt, on that auspicious occasion, the provisions that will unite them in the
common implementation of the Badí' calendar. |
In keeping with the principle governing the gradual unfoldment and progressive application
of the Teachings, the provisions of the Badí' calendar have been set forth over time. The Báb introduced the calendar and its broad pattern of periods and cycles, months and days. Bahá'u'lláh provided essential clarifications and additions. Aspects were elucidated by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and
arrangements for its adoption in the West were put in place at the direction of Shoghi Effendi,
as described in the volumes of The Bahá'í World. Still, ambiguities surrounding some Islamic and Gregorian dates, as well as difficulties in the correlation of historical observances and
astronomical events with explicit statements in the Text, left certain issues unresolved. When
responding to questions concerning the calendar, both 'Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi left these
matters to the Universal House of Justice. Of its many features, three require clarification for the
calendar's uniform application: the means for the determination of Naw-Rúz, the accommodation
of the lunar character of the Twin Holy Birthdays within the solar year, and the fixing of the dates
of the Holy Days within the Badí' calendar. |
"The Festival of Naw-Rúz falleth on the day that the sun entereth the sign of Aries," Bahá'u'lláh explains in His Most Holy Book, "even should this occur no more than one minute before sunset." However, details have, until now, been left undefined. We have decided that
Ṭihrán, the birthplace of the Abhá Beauty, will be the spot on the earth that will serve as the
standard for determining, by means of astronomical computations from reliable sources, the
moment of the vernal equinox in the northern hemisphere and thereby the day of Naw-Rúz
for the Bahá'í world. |
The Festivals of the Twin Birthdays, the Birth of the Báb and the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh,
have, in the East, been traditionally observed according to their correspondence to the first and
second days of Muḥarram in the Islamic calendar. "These two days are accounted as one in the
sight of God", Bahá'u'lláh affirms. Yet, a letter written on behalf of the Guardian states, "In
the future, no doubt all of the Holy Days will follow the Solar calendar, and provisions be
made as to how the Twin Festivals will be celebrated universally." How to satisfy the intrinsic
lunar character of these blessed Days within the context of a solar calendar has hitherto been
unanswered. We have decided that they will now be observed on the first and the second day
following the occurrence of the eighth new moon after Naw-Rúz, as determined in advance by astronomical tables using Ṭihrán as the point of reference. This will result in the observance of
the Twin Birthdays moving, year to year, within the months of Mas̲h̲iyyat, 'Ilm, and Qudrat of
the Badí' calendar, or from mid-October to mid-November according to the Gregorian calendar.
Next year, the Birth of the Báb will occur on 10 Qudrat and the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh on
11 Qudrat. With joy and eager anticipation, we look to the upcoming bicentennial anniversaries
of the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh and the Birth of the Báb, in 174 and 176 B.E., respectively, which
the entire Bahá'í world will celebrate according to a common calendar. |
The dates of the remaining Holy Days will be fixed within the solar calendar in accordance
with explicit statements of Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi; we have decided to
set aside certain discrepancies in the historical record. The dates are: Naw-Rúz, 1 Bahá; the
Festival of Riḍván, 13 Jalál to 5 Jamál; the Declaration of the Báb, 8 'Aẓamat; the Ascension
of Bahá'u'lláh, 13 'Aẓamat; the Martyrdom of the Báb, 17 Raḥmat; the Day of the Covenant,
4 Qawl; and the Ascension of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, 6 Qawl. |
Unless specifically abrogated by these new provisions, previous guidance and clarifications
pertaining to the calendar and the observance of the Nineteen Day Feast and Holy Days remain
binding, such as the beginning of the day at sunset, the suspension of work, and the hours at
which certain Holy Days are commemorated. In future, a change in circumstances may well
require additional measures. |
It will be evident from the decisions delineated that Bahá'ís of both East and West will find
some elements of the calendar to be different from those to which they have been accustomed.
The alignment of the dates of the Badí' calendar with other calendars will shift depending on the
occurrence of Naw-Rúz. The number of days of Ayyám-i-Há will vary according to the timing of
the vernal equinox in successive years; the year commencing on Naw-Rúz 172 B.E. will include
four such days. A table prepared at the Bahá'í World Centre that sets out the dates for Naw-Rúz
and the Twin Holy Birthdays covering half a century will be provided to all National Spiritual
Assemblies in due course. |
The adoption of a new calendar in each dispensation is a symbol of the power of Divine
Revelation to reshape human perception of material, social, and spiritual reality. Through it,
sacred moments are distinguished, humanity's place in time and space reimagined, and the
rhythm of life recast. Next Naw-Rúz will mark yet another historic step in the manifestation
of the unity of the people of Bahá and the unfoldment of Bahá'u'lláh's World Order. |
[signed] The Universal House of Justice |
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See also: |
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