Truthseeker96

Hey guys, the fast is starting to approach and i know it is from march 2 to the 21. But on the 21 do u not eat till sunset or is the 21 the first day back to normal. Also do you say the fast prayer everyday of the fast or just the first.

Now for the personal prayer, i find that after i get done saying a personal prayer that i want to say Amen ( werid cuase i didnt grow up Christian or anything) or somthing to close it not just leave it hanging. Is there any words that the Baha'is use to close it or anything i can use? Thanks in advance for answering!

arthra

Thanks for the great questions!

The fast ends on sunset March 20th. Naw-Ruz starts after sunset.

The 21st of March is Naw-Ruz and you don't have to fast then.. In my community it's usually a community meal around the middle of the day and let me tell you after the Fast it is so wonderful and a blessed time!

The prayers for Fast are not obligatory.. I found though that in the time I usually eat lunch I read the fasting prayers instead and so I engorge myslef with spiritual food...!

As to saying "Amen" after your prayers.."Amen" as I understand it means "So be it"... If you want to say it that's your thing .. I don't think anyone would say you shouldn't but the Baha'i prayers all have an in the last sentence or so references to the attributes of God and that is usually how we end our prayers... an example:

Praise be to Thee, O Lord my God! I beseech Thee by this Revelation whereby darkness hath been turned into light, through which the Frequented Fane hath been built, and the Written Tabled revealed, and the Outspread Roll uncovered, to send down upon me and upon them who are in my company that which will enable us to soar into the heavens of Thy transcendent glory, and will wash us from the stain of such doubts as have hindered the suspicious from entering into the tabernacle of Thy unity.

I am the one, O my Lord, who hath held fast the cord of Thy loving-kindness, and clung to the hem of Thy mercy and favors. Do Thou ordain for me and for my loved ones the good of this world and of the world to come. Supply them, then, with the Hidden Gift Thou didst ordain for the choicest among Thy creatures.

These are, O my Lord, the days in which Thou hast bidden Thy servants to observe the fast. Blessed is he that observeth the fast wholly for Thy sake and with absolute detachment from all things except Thee. Assist me and assist them. O my Lord, to obey Thee and to keep Thy precepts. Thou, verily, hast power to do what Thou choosest.

There is no God but Thee, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. All praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds.

- Bahá'u'lláh

So after you've recited several Baha'i prayers or learned them by heart you'll note they all end with some similar reference to the attributes of God and that's how the prayers end.

Rani

From what I understand the Fast ends at sunset on March 20.

(Surely the dates for its observation are the same across the continents! lol)

From sunset on March 1st (which in Baha'i terms is the start of March 2) -to sunset March 20 is 19 days.

The Feast of Baha (Splendour) is often held the night of the conclusion of the Fast -the 20th (or the next day during the day), and then the celebration of Naw-Ruz is held on the 21st.

arthra

You're correct! My error.

Truthseeker96

Thanks for the answers Arthra, and for clearing up the date Rani, but for the personal prayer i do before i go to bed i am not reciting any prayers, the words just come from me lol so for the ending do i just say a quality of God to end it? ( example ,thank you Lord for so so and such and which. There is no God but Thee, the All- Knowing , the All- Wise. All praise be to God, the Lord of all worlds. )

arthra

"...personal prayer i do before i go to bed i am not reciting any prayers, the words just come from me lol so for the ending do i just say a quality of God to end it? "

Well my own view is you are just saying a personal prayer from yourself and you can do as you wish..there's nothing formalized about that .. You might consider reciting the Greatest Name.."Allah'u'Abha"

What I generally do before sleep is recite the prayer:


O my God, my Master, the Goal of my desire! This, Thy servant, seeketh to sleep in the shelter of Thy mercy, and to repose beneath the canopy of Thy grace, imploring Thy care and Thy protection.

I beg of Thee, O my Lord, by Thine eye that sleepeth not, to guard mine eyes from beholding aught beside Thee. Strengthen, then, their vision that they may discern Thy signs, and behold the Horizon of Thy Revelation. Thou art He before the revelations of Whose omnipotence the quintessence of power hath trembled.

No God is there but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Subduing, the Unconditioned.

—Bahá’u’lláh



What reciting a prayer does is that the words reverberate around in your soul and resurface at unexpected times revivifying the spirit. What can happen though is after reciting a prayer for awhile you need to occasionally check the text because we can get sloppy and forget words..or substitute words from another prayer..

Truthseeker96

That is an great prayer to recite before sleep, i think i will say that tonight. Thanks and Allah'u'abha sounds like it would make angood closing , thanks alot i really appreciate it.