A Hello! and some questions about the Baha'i Fast

Bananna · 02-22-2010, 03:39 PM

Hello, my name is Anna and I am new to the Baha'i Faith. I was raised Jewish by a Jewish father a Catholic-to-Jewish convert mother.

Just a brief description of how I came to be here: The first time I ever heard of Baha'i was when I was pretty young, around ten years old. There was a church where I used to live that would host this multi-faith gathering every year around Thanksgiving and the religions in the area would get a chance to go up talk and say a prayer. A woman from a Baha'i group got up and said a prayer. I remember listening and not understanding, so I asked my mother for an explanation. She didn't really understand what Baha'i was either, so I soon forgot about it.

After my Bat-mitzvah, I stopped going to religious school and my parents started to distance themselves from our temple, because a lot of our friends left the area and my mom got tired of all the work falling on her shoulders. So I became pretty estranged from my own religion and despite attempts to pick it back up it just didn't touch me, didn't satisfy me. It felt like everyone was just going to services for the sake of tradition or just for the social aspect.

For a couple years now I have been (without even realizing it until now) that I have been searching for something to satisfy my hunger for a relationship with some kind of spirituality. Just recently I searched on the internet about Baha'i our of curiosity. The more and more I learned about it, the more I read the writings of Baha'u'llah, the more I loved it. I love that its focus is faith in God and loving God. I love that its your own responsibility to do good in this world and to educate yourself in the teachings. I love that's its goal is unity and peace. I love that it does not dismiss other beliefs and religions. I love how its about loving, enjoying, appreciating that we are here in this life, in this world!

What really convinced me that I should seriously consider this Faith is when I fell upon this video on youtube of an interview Oprah did with Rainn Wilson . He sort of adlibs a quote of Baha'u'llah about how making art it no different than prayer. I am a writer and a dancer and I can honestly say that out of all my spiritual experiences in life that I never feel closer to God than when I am writing or dancing!

I found a Baha'i center really close to where I am now (I'm actually in CA right now, finishing up my last semester of college) and I plan on going this Sunday. I hope I go through with it, because I am a shy person, so it's possible I could chicken out.

There are so many books Baha'ullah has written! I don't know where to start? I know that The Kitab-i-Iqan is very important -should I start with that? What are your recommendations? So far I have been reading what is available at my school library (not much). I have been reading bits of Baha'i World Faith in the morning and in the evening for my "prayer" time.

Anyway, I noticed while looking at a calendar that the Baha'i Fast is coming up really soon. I really want to do it! I feel like if I can fast for that long that I will really prove to myself that I am serious about this Faith and my Faith to God. I want to be closer to God. But I have some health concerns. Firstly, I have two days of the week where I have dance classes and the dances are very strenuous and my teachers are always telling us to make sure we eat plenty.

My first question is. From what times exactly do you fast? It's from dawn to dusk. So do you have to get up before dawn to eat breakfast or do you just eat breakfast when you normally wake up in the morning? Would it be permissible for me to eat lunch on the days of my dance classes and also to drink water?

Do you have any advice on what to eat in the morning and in the evening between fasting?

Thank you so much,
I'm very happy to be here and very excited!

P.S. If I decide to become Baha'i is there a conversion process one has to go through or do you become a Baha'i just by studying and practice?

jwiegley · 02-22-2010, 06:57 PM

Hi Anna,

I would pick several of Baha'u'llah's books if you can, and if one doesn't strike you at the time you start, try another one. There are many different styles He wrote in, and there is really something for everyone. As you progress deeper, I think it will all start opening up for you, but in the beginning it's good to "follow your bliss" -- which is what it sounds like you have been doing. You might like the Hidden Words, or the Tabernacle of Unity, or the Kitab-i-Iqan, which you mentioned.

As for times, you can go to sunrisesunset.com and find the times for your location. We stop eating and drinking at dawn, and start at sunset. You are probably going to find a strenuous dance class hard to manage, especially from the standpoint of no drinking. I would recommend lots of water, and also complex carbohydrates and protein foods. Whole wheat toast and eggs are wonderful. Avoid sugars and fruit juices and such, as these will burn up fast.

Becoming a Bahá’í in the United States is a matter of declaring your belief to any of our Local Spiritual Assemblies, as this places you on our list of people who can vote for our leadership, and also who can contribute funds.

The Fast is a very spiritual season within the year. Outwardly it is a time of deprivation and a bit of hardship, but inwardly it is like spring-cleaning for the soul. The idea is to free our hearts a little bit extra from this material life, so that we may wed ourselves, mind and soul, to the Purpose of our existence.

John

Andyman · 02-23-2010, 11:31 AM

Welcome to the Faith!! I'm sorta new too. I really liked your story!! Its awesome. Don't be shy (i know its hard) there are so many people wanting to answer your questions. When I first started investigating the Bahai Faith I found the book Baha'u'llah and the New Era to be a great book to start out with. Its a bit older of a book but covers alot. I would also try Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah. Also The Hidden Words. If you ask someone at the Bahai Center I am sure they will give (or at least borrow) Gleanings and Hidden Words. The other one you can usually find at a local library or online. Another good place to look is at the reference library. (Baha'i Reference Library) they are posted there for everyone to look at.
The Most Holy Book is a great book to read and I read that one first but I would honestly wait because some of it is hard to grasp at first.

As far as the fast goes you can eat before dawn and after dusk. We usually avoid eating and drinking during the fast but if you look online (google Bahai Fast) if you are a heavy labourer you are exempt. I would ask the local Bahai Center about the specifics sense i am sorta new and this will be my first fast.

Good Luck!! and welcome to the faith. You will find that Baha'u'llahs words to be very inspireing.

lukasali · 02-24-2010, 11:46 PM

Allah'u'abha, and thank you for your post! It is uplifting to hear of someone's love for the Faith (I definitely relate), and of the pure-heartedness of you search and response to Baha'u'llah.

My understanding about becoming a Baha'i is that you are a Baha'i the moment you recognize Baha'u'llah as the Manifestation of God. Enrolling in the community is a separate (but very important) step which is currently done by signing an enrollment card and submitting it to your Local Spiritual Assembly.

Something very important that I would like to bring up as a suggestion is study circles (also called Ruhi circles/classes). These are collective (meaning you learn with/from other people, which is awesome), systematic courses of studying the Writings and history of the Faith, and learning to put them into action by serving humanity. I have been a Baha'i all my life (I'm 28), and the development of study circles over the past 15ish years (since I became aware of them, anyway) has had a transformative effect on my life and understanding of the Baha'i Faith. It has also given me unique tools and opportunities for service, for which I am so grateful! All this to say, I recommend them as strongly as possible. Getting in touch with local Baha'is should help you find study circles near you.

Thank you so much for sharing - we are all thrilled to be of any help possible!

Love and prayers coming your way
Lukas

BruceDLimber · 03-05-2010, 01:20 PM

Hi, Anna; since some time has already gone by since your first message, I'll be slightly presumptive and say "Welcome aboard!" :-)

You asked for book suggestions.

I'd initially recommend The Book of Certitude (aka Kitab-i-Iqan) by Baha'u'llah and Some Answered Questions by 'Abdu'l-Baha.

And for relaxation, try The Hidden Words.

(As was mentioned, Baha'u'llah and the New Era is an excellent introduction, but the books I named above are Baha'i scripture.)

Oh--and the Fast runs from sunrise to sunset.

Best regards, and enjoy! :-)

Bruce

arthra · 03-08-2010, 05:12 AM

My first question is. From what times exactly do you fast? It's from dawn to dusk. So do you have to get up before dawn to eat breakfast or do you just eat breakfast when you normally wake up in the morning? Would it be permissible for me to eat lunch on the days of my dance classes and also to drink water?

If the dance classes are elective.. and not required for say your means of livelihood I would suggest maybe altering the time to taking the classes after dusk.. If you absolutely have to take them say before breaking the fast.. go a little easy and not strain so much.. As mentioned above those who do hard manual labor during the day are not required to fast.. but that's for those who must work in order to live.

Do you have any advice on what to eat in the morning and in the evening between fasting?

Braking the fast eat small amounts of food/liquid..don't gorge.. have some soup and bread and tea.. Hydrate with juices in the morning!

hippsta · 03-12-2010, 08:58 AM

I think a lot of Baha'is can relate to your story Anna.
I for one, grew up Catholic, was an altar boy in my local parish; and adored God.
However, I grew jaded with the church at a fairly young age due to the various contradictions present in the institution. Alcohol and child abuse, chiefly among them.
I began consciously actively seeking.
Looked into non-denom. Christianity, Baptist, Buddhism, Wicca, etc.. yet none felt quite right.
I met my wife as a junior in high school in early 1998, and we began dating in May of that year. When I first found out that she was a Baha'i, I was curious that I had never heard of it before. I made her explain in more detail: Baha'what? the Bob?
I made her mother explain in more detail.
From the very first moment I laid my eyes upon the writing of Baha'u'llah, I knew... KNEW.. it was the Word of God.
It flowed so beautifully and articulately, with none of the clunky semantics of something translated between 6 ancient languages.
I declared to the chairperson of my Local Spiritual Assembly during a meeting of that body in early 1999, aged 17: I've been a Baha'i for 11 years now.

2nd choice: Buddhism
(I would've ended up a Buddhist if I never found the faith.)

02-22-2010, 03:39 PM	#1
Bananna Junior Member Joined: Feb 2010 From: WA, USA Posts: 1	A Hello! and some questions about the Baha'i Fast Hello, my name is Anna and I am new to the Baha'i Faith. I was raised Jewish by a Jewish father a Catholic-to-Jewish convert mother. Just a brief description of how I came to be here: The first time I ever heard of Baha'i was when I was pretty young, around ten years old. There was a church where I used to live that would host this multi-faith gathering every year around Thanksgiving and the religions in the area would get a chance to go up talk and say a prayer. A woman from a Baha'i group got up and said a prayer. I remember listening and not understanding, so I asked my mother for an explanation. She didn't really understand what Baha'i was either, so I soon forgot about it. After my Bat-mitzvah, I stopped going to religious school and my parents started to distance themselves from our temple, because a lot of our friends left the area and my mom got tired of all the work falling on her shoulders. So I became pretty estranged from my own religion and despite attempts to pick it back up it just didn't touch me, didn't satisfy me. It felt like everyone was just going to services for the sake of tradition or just for the social aspect. For a couple years now I have been (without even realizing it until now) that I have been searching for something to satisfy my hunger for a relationship with some kind of spirituality. Just recently I searched on the internet about Baha'i our of curiosity. The more and more I learned about it, the more I read the writings of Baha'u'llah, the more I loved it. I love that its focus is faith in God and loving God. I love that its your own responsibility to do good in this world and to educate yourself in the teachings. I love that's its goal is unity and peace. I love that it does not dismiss other beliefs and religions. I love how its about loving, enjoying, appreciating that we are here in this life, in this world! What really convinced me that I should seriously consider this Faith is when I fell upon this video on youtube of an interview Oprah did with Rainn Wilson . He sort of adlibs a quote of Baha'u'llah about how making art it no different than prayer. I am a writer and a dancer and I can honestly say that out of all my spiritual experiences in life that I never feel closer to God than when I am writing or dancing! I found a Baha'i center really close to where I am now (I'm actually in CA right now, finishing up my last semester of college) and I plan on going this Sunday. I hope I go through with it, because I am a shy person, so it's possible I could chicken out. There are so many books Baha'ullah has written! I don't know where to start? I know that The Kitab-i-Iqan is very important -should I start with that? What are your recommendations? So far I have been reading what is available at my school library (not much). I have been reading bits of Baha'i World Faith in the morning and in the evening for my "prayer" time. Anyway, I noticed while looking at a calendar that the Baha'i Fast is coming up really soon. I really want to do it! I feel like if I can fast for that long that I will really prove to myself that I am serious about this Faith and my Faith to God. I want to be closer to God. But I have some health concerns. Firstly, I have two days of the week where I have dance classes and the dances are very strenuous and my teachers are always telling us to make sure we eat plenty. My first question is. From what times exactly do you fast? It's from dawn to dusk. So do you have to get up before dawn to eat breakfast or do you just eat breakfast when you normally wake up in the morning? Would it be permissible for me to eat lunch on the days of my dance classes and also to drink water? Do you have any advice on what to eat in the morning and in the evening between fasting? Thank you so much, I'm very happy to be here and very excited! P.S. If I decide to become Baha'i is there a conversion process one has to go through or do you become a Baha'i just by studying and practice?

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02-22-2010, 06:57 PM	#2
jwiegley Member Joined: Sep 2009 From: New Jersey, USA Posts: 31	Hi Anna, I would pick several of Baha'u'llah's books if you can, and if one doesn't strike you at the time you start, try another one. There are many different styles He wrote in, and there is really something for everyone. As you progress deeper, I think it will all start opening up for you, but in the beginning it's good to "follow your bliss" -- which is what it sounds like you have been doing. You might like the Hidden Words, or the Tabernacle of Unity, or the Kitab-i-Iqan, which you mentioned. As for times, you can go to sunrisesunset.com and find the times for your location. We stop eating and drinking at dawn, and start at sunset. You are probably going to find a strenuous dance class hard to manage, especially from the standpoint of no drinking. I would recommend lots of water, and also complex carbohydrates and protein foods. Whole wheat toast and eggs are wonderful. Avoid sugars and fruit juices and such, as these will burn up fast. Becoming a Bahá’í in the United States is a matter of declaring your belief to any of our Local Spiritual Assemblies, as this places you on our list of people who can vote for our leadership, and also who can contribute funds. The Fast is a very spiritual season within the year. Outwardly it is a time of deprivation and a bit of hardship, but inwardly it is like spring-cleaning for the soul. The idea is to free our hearts a little bit extra from this material life, so that we may wed ourselves, mind and soul, to the Purpose of our existence. John

02-23-2010, 11:31 AM	#3
Andyman World Citzen Joined: Dec 2009 From: Rapid City,SD Posts: 8	Welcome to the Faith!! I'm sorta new too. I really liked your story!! Its awesome. Don't be shy (i know its hard) there are so many people wanting to answer your questions. When I first started investigating the Bahai Faith I found the book Baha'u'llah and the New Era to be a great book to start out with. Its a bit older of a book but covers alot. I would also try Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah. Also The Hidden Words. If you ask someone at the Bahai Center I am sure they will give (or at least borrow) Gleanings and Hidden Words. The other one you can usually find at a local library or online. Another good place to look is at the reference library. (Baha'i Reference Library) they are posted there for everyone to look at. The Most Holy Book is a great book to read and I read that one first but I would honestly wait because some of it is hard to grasp at first. As far as the fast goes you can eat before dawn and after dusk. We usually avoid eating and drinking during the fast but if you look online (google Bahai Fast) if you are a heavy labourer you are exempt. I would ask the local Bahai Center about the specifics sense i am sorta new and this will be my first fast. Good Luck!! and welcome to the faith. You will find that Baha'u'llahs words to be very inspireing.

02-24-2010, 11:46 PM	#4
lukasali Member Joined: Jan 2010 From: USA Posts: 30	Allah'u'abha, and thank you for your post! It is uplifting to hear of someone's love for the Faith (I definitely relate), and of the pure-heartedness of you search and response to Baha'u'llah. My understanding about becoming a Baha'i is that you are a Baha'i the moment you recognize Baha'u'llah as the Manifestation of God. Enrolling in the community is a separate (but very important) step which is currently done by signing an enrollment card and submitting it to your Local Spiritual Assembly. Something very important that I would like to bring up as a suggestion is study circles (also called Ruhi circles/classes). These are collective (meaning you learn with/from other people, which is awesome), systematic courses of studying the Writings and history of the Faith, and learning to put them into action by serving humanity. I have been a Baha'i all my life (I'm 28), and the development of study circles over the past 15ish years (since I became aware of them, anyway) has had a transformative effect on my life and understanding of the Baha'i Faith. It has also given me unique tools and opportunities for service, for which I am so grateful! All this to say, I recommend them as strongly as possible. Getting in touch with local Baha'is should help you find study circles near you. Thank you so much for sharing - we are all thrilled to be of any help possible! Love and prayers coming your way Lukas

03-05-2010, 01:20 PM	#5
BruceDLimber Senior Member Joined: Mar 2010 From: Rockville, MD, USA Posts: 823	Hi, Anna; since some time has already gone by since your first message, I'll be slightly presumptive and say "Welcome aboard!" :-) You asked for book suggestions. I'd initially recommend The Book of Certitude (aka Kitab-i-Iqan) by Baha'u'llah and Some Answered Questions by 'Abdu'l-Baha. And for relaxation, try The Hidden Words. (As was mentioned, Baha'u'llah and the New Era is an excellent introduction, but the books I named above are Baha'i scripture.) Oh--and the Fast runs from sunrise to sunset. Best regards, and enjoy! :-) Bruce

03-08-2010, 05:12 AM	#6
arthra Senior Member Joined: Jun 2006 From: California Posts: 3,064	My first question is. From what times exactly do you fast? It's from dawn to dusk. So do you have to get up before dawn to eat breakfast or do you just eat breakfast when you normally wake up in the morning? Would it be permissible for me to eat lunch on the days of my dance classes and also to drink water? If the dance classes are elective.. and not required for say your means of livelihood I would suggest maybe altering the time to taking the classes after dusk.. If you absolutely have to take them say before breaking the fast.. go a little easy and not strain so much.. As mentioned above those who do hard manual labor during the day are not required to fast.. but that's for those who must work in order to live. Do you have any advice on what to eat in the morning and in the evening between fasting? Braking the fast eat small amounts of food/liquid..don't gorge.. have some soup and bread and tea.. Hydrate with juices in the morning!

03-12-2010, 08:58 AM	#7
hippsta мæṣʈ® Joined: Mar 2010 From: Las Vegas, NV USA Posts: 13	I think a lot of Baha'is can relate to your story Anna. I for one, grew up Catholic, was an altar boy in my local parish; and adored God. However, I grew jaded with the church at a fairly young age due to the various contradictions present in the institution. Alcohol and child abuse, chiefly among them. I began consciously actively seeking. Looked into non-denom. Christianity, Baptist, Buddhism, Wicca, etc.. yet none felt quite right. I met my wife as a junior in high school in early 1998, and we began dating in May of that year. When I first found out that she was a Baha'i, I was curious that I had never heard of it before. I made her explain in more detail: Baha'what? the Bob? I made her mother explain in more detail. From the very first moment I laid my eyes upon the writing of Baha'u'llah, I knew... KNEW.. it was the Word of God. It flowed so beautifully and articulately, with none of the clunky semantics of something translated between 6 ancient languages. I declared to the chairperson of my Local Spiritual Assembly during a meeting of that body in early 1999, aged 17: I've been a Baha'i for 11 years now. 2nd choice: Buddhism (I would've ended up a Buddhist if I never found the faith.)