NiyooshaClaudia

Hello,

I was thinking about the holy numbers of the bahá'í-faith. I heard that 1, 9, 19 and 99 are holy numbers. Why are these holy numbers? Are there also other holy numbers, for example an haykal has five points; is five therefore also an holy number?

I hope that someone can answer this question.

BruceDLimber

Hi!

To my knowledge there's nothing special about 99.

We don't call one special; it's just that unity is our most central goal, and somebody may have included it for that reason. But again, it's not relly a number we call special.

Nine and 19 are different.

Nine is important for two reasons:

In the Persian and Arab cultures, the same symbols are used for both letters and numbers; therefore, every letter is also a number. This means every word is equivalent to some number (this is called the "abjad" system). Using one for the other is almost a cultural game. For example, the city Adrianople (in Turkey) and the word for "mystery" have the same numeric value, and so Adrianople is sometimes called "the city of mystery."

The word "baha" ("glory") is 2+1+5+1, or 9. So nine is used as its equivalent, what we call "the number of Baha." This is why one of the symbols of the Baha'i Faith is a nine-pointed star.

The other reason is that nine is the largest value (in the conventional decimal system) expressible as a single digit, so this is used as a symbol of unity.

As to 19, the word "vahid" has a numerical value of 19 and means "unity." It symbolizes the unity of God, and thus the number 19 itself symbolizes the unity of God; and it was used by the Báb as the basis for His Calendar.

Please feel free to keep the questions coming: they're most welcome, and we LOVE 'em! :-)

Best regards,

Bruce

NiyooshaClaudia

Is it also true that the Báb and Bahá´u´lláh did have nineteen disciples. Someone told me, but I have never read that anywhere.

I thought that 99 was a special number, because there are 99 names for God and Bahá´u´lláh added the 100st...

arthra

It's Nineteen Letters of the Living with the Bab as the Nineteenth..

See:

The Disconnected Letters of the Qur'an and the Significance of the Number Nineteen

The number nine has numerical signiifcance ...of course as it is the number of Baha..

Remember that the Abjad recokoning has been used for centuries and also conceals various meanings .. even the Book of Revelation has numerical significance..

Also if you haven't done so already check out this article on the Greatest Name:

Conqueror of Hearts: Chapter 9: "Explanation of the Symbol of the Greatest Name"

There's a lot more but space here is limited...

I do recall something about nineteen disciples of Baha'u'llah but right now can't locate it.

arthra

I knew I'd find it somewhere there's a collage of photos of "The Apostles of Baha'u'llah"- "Pillars of the Faith" on p. 80 of the Baha'i World 1928 - 1930.. There are nineteen of them.. inclusing Mirza Musa, "Badi"; my favorite Mirza Abu'l-Fadl and Kabir -i- Afnan cousin of the Bab and builder of the first Baha'i House of Worship in Ishqabad! and others..

There are also The Disciples of Abdul-Baha "Heralds of the Covenant" on p. 84 ..nineteen of them...J.E. Esslemont, Sarah Farmer..Thorton Chase..Lua Getsinger..Helen Goodall and others...:wink

NiyooshaClaudia

Cool And you also have sometimes nine year between the beginning of the reign of the Báb and the end of a new era etc.

arthra

Well there was nineteen years from the Declaration of the Bab in 1844 till the Declaration of Baha'u'llah in the Ridwan Garden in Bagdad in 1863. Nineteen is a Vahid or "Unity":

Completion of the first Vahid of the Baha'i calendar. Naw-Ruz 1863 marked the beginning of the nineteenth year of the calendar established by the Bab, the last year of the first Vahid - "unity" - of nineteen years. Baha'u'llah's first prophetic experience had been in 1852-53 during his imprisonment in Tehran - the "year nine" of the Babi calendar. One, nine, and nineteen all have important symbolic and prophetic significance in the writings of the Bab.

- John Walbridge

Encyclopedia Article: Ridvan Festival

In Arabic, the word Vahid holds the numerical value of nineteen and symbolizes "unity". In the Bahá'í calendar, which was formulated by the Bab, there are nineteen days in a month and nineteen months in a year. In the history of the Babi Faith, the Bab and His first eighteen followers constitute the first vahid of His religion.

While the symbolic use of numbers in the Sacred Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and the Bab is important, there is no occult meaning to them, nor do Bahá'ís susbscribe to divination by numbers or other such practices.

Nine-Pointed Star, The

Please note that last part "....there is no occult meaning to them nor do Baha'is subscribe to divination by numbers..."

esabriye

is there any special meaning of number 20

BruceDLimber

>20?

No.

Bruce

Yeshua

Don't forget the importance of the number NINE in modern fantasy literature ie JRR Tolkien.

Elrond, when he names those who are to go with Frodo, says "The Company of the Ring shall be Nine; and the Nine Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders that are evil." (ForR II 3).

"And nine...nine rings were gifted to the race of Men...who above all else, desire power." —Galadriel

Nine rings given to nine kings.

Is it more than a coincidence that there are nine members of the Fellowship and nine Nazgûl in both the books and the films? I would so no, not coincidence. Nine protagonists, nine major antagonists. Nine characters who set out to destroy the Ring; nine characters who are compelled to find it and bring it to Sauron. Nine people representing good and courageousness and hope (overlooking Boromir's temptation getting the better of him), nine sinister Wraiths representing evil and malice. Two groups of nine characters who are equally stoic and determined, but for opposing reasons.

Was this deliberate on Tolkien's behalf? And if it was, why is the number nine significant to the author?

At any rate, 9 is an interesting number. There are nine muses, nine circles of hell in the Divine Comedy, Odin hung himself on a tree for nine days, in Christianity there are nine angel choirs. Tolkien would have been aware of at least part of those, and of many many more examples, so he might have considered it a fitting number!

Nine Kings, Nine Nazgul, Nine Rings of Power, Nine Walkers (Members of "Fellowship of the Ring")...

Boy, that's a LOT of symbolism with Nine...

cire perdue

I know of No connection for Tolkein to the Faith, but someone else might. I tend to think that sometime artists of all mediums perceive significant spiritual truths and symbols and ideas. The short movie I posted, "The Butterfly Circus" is fraught with ideals with which Baha'is may feel akin to, so it is an example. There is so much in the ether to be perceived. Hmm? Trumpet blasts in the ether?

Fadl

CP,

You very right in this line of thinking, and Baha'u'llah has expressed the same idea in his revelation. Consider these potent words from Gleanings:


Also consider this verse from the World Order of Baha'u'llah about the great spiritual energy that influence of Jesus released into the world:


It is amazing stuff! How much greater is true religion than what most have imagined it to be.

InvestigateTruth

Although these numbers (9 and 19) as explained has some significance only because they have connections with the names of holy beings, but I don't believe those numbers are holy or brings luck. For example, if I live on the 9th floor, or born on september 9, etc, has no effect on my life. Only following the teachings of the Manifestation would have. Those numbers just help to remember and to feel we have a connection with the holy beings.

aidan

Anyone who has a religious faith should not be superstitious.Superstition is unGodly

cire perdue

My Baha'i ID # added to the middle number from the back and the front equal 19. The last 4 of my social security number = 19. It thrills me, but that is all it is good for!!!!

armin

Just to add something to the conversation, in math the sigma code of number 9 holds lots of intriguing aspects to it. In number theory sigma 9 becomes a central number unfolding many "mystical" symmetrical realities in the world of numbers.

arthra

There's also the Ennead...

en·ne·ad
   [en-ee-ad]
noun
1.
a group of nine persons or things.
2.
Egyptian Religion .
a.
( initial capital letter ) a group of nine related deities, including Osiris, Isis, and set, whose lineage and functions were arranged and explained by the theologians of Heliopolis.
b.
any group of deities arranged in a similar way, often more or less than nine in number.

Ennead | Define Ennead at Dictionary.com

So by the above definition an Assembly could be called an "Ennead".

''Alles wesen sind durch das Eine" - Plotin Enneadin

Fadl

MINE TOO! Wow!

And some people still won't believe in God.

aidan

9=3x3 and we know significance of 3 in Chrisrianity

InvestigateTruth

1260= 1+2+6=9

1260 the year the Bab declared.

ohhcuppycakee

I know 99 is a recurring number in Islam. So is the number 12! 12 apostles of Christ, 12 Imams

Prodaytrader

I concur to the arguments for 9/19. Anyone mention the 19 days between Bahai months aka 19 day feast cycle? 9 is a common element in the design elements of the temples I believe but only because of the afore mentioned reasons.

I also would like to bring your attention to the fact that there are more then 99 names to God. Baha'is believe that everything is a name of God since God encompasses all things. We know God is all knowing so we call him Omnipotent which is a name of God. If there is an official list of 99 you've come across then it would be a limitation of one language or another's inability to fully describe God.

Finally I believe that if God spoke a language it would be mathematics as Jody Foster pointed out in Contact. Math is universal to this planet and beyond which is why it's so cool. There very well could be hidden mathematical relevance to those numbers we havent discerned yet.

Yeshua

How fascinating!

Recent scientific theories might actually serve to back up your claims. There is a leading scientist (can't recall his name) who is attempting to prove that the entire Cosmos is structured with mathematics, the "language of the universe", and he is proposing a mathematical theory of "everything", which leads to the inevitable conclusion that there must be some kind of "mathematician" - a divine mind - behind all this "math". Indeed the english word "Cosmos" comes from the ancient Greek word which means "order".

Indeed the Bible seems to confirm that God has arranged the entire universe according to mathematics, which is thus his language I would agree:


"...You have arranged all things by measure and number and weight...the whole world before you is like a speck that tips the scales, and like a drop of morning dew that falls on the ground. But you are merciful to all...For you love all things that exist, and detest none of the things that you have made, for you would not have made anything if you had hated it...You spare all things, for they are yours, O Lord, you who love the living. For your immortal spirit is in all things..."

- Wisdom of Solomon, 11 (Holy Bible)


PS THIS BOOK IS NOT IN THE PROTESTANT OLD TESTAMENT

cire perdue

Holy Numbers, Batman, you are exceeding the speed limit by 19 miles per minute.

How did a link get placed automatically and NOT BY Me to Batman? It linked to Amazon.com? Was it Holy Numbers?

It was there when I first posted it? Spooky numbers, Batman, whar did it go?