I just wanted to confirm my understanding that Baha'i are only required to choose one set of obligatory prayers: Either the long one said once at any point in each day, the middle one repeated three times each day, or the short one said sometime between noon and two hours before sunset each day.
Question on Obligatory Prayers
- Thread starter djg
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- obligatory prayers question
- Mar 2013
- 594
- Edwardsville, Illinois, USA
Yes, you have it correct.
On a personal note, for many years I would do either the short or long prayers and sometimes forget. For the last year I have set my alarm clock to get up 1/2 hour earlier and say the long prayer and 95 repetitions of the Greatest Name (Allah-u-Abha) plus reading some of the Holy Writings before breakfast every morning. I highly recommend that sort of daily practice for anyone who can manage it.
I just checked and you are correct, it is up until sunset. Apparently "evening" is sunset until two hours after sunset.
I had a bit of a fright there haha and had to check the Short Obligatory times again, as I sometimes can't say it until close to sunset.
A bit of a tangential question, does praying every morning and evening entail praying between sunset and two hours after sunset for the evening prayers? I've always just been saying them as night prayers before I go to sleep, which could be close to midnight or after.
- Jul 2017
- 65
- Germany
I don't know of any command saying that one should pray every morning and every evening. There is a command to read the Writings at these times, though.
- Sep 2010
- 4,604
- Normanton, Far North West Queensland
Yes this is in the notesof the Kitab-i-Aqdas
165. Recite ye the verses of God every morn and eventide. # 149
Bahá'u'lláh states that the essential "requisite" for reciting "the verses of God" is the "eagerness and love" of the believers to "read the Word of God" (Q and A 68).
With regard to the definition of "verses of God", Bahá'u'lláh states that it refers to "all that hath been sent down from the Heaven of Divine Utterance". Shoghi Effendi, in a letter written to one of the believers in the East, has clarified that the term "verses of God" does not include the writings of Abdu'l-Bahá; he has likewise indicated that this term does not apply to his own writings
Baha'u'llah : The Kitab-i-Aqdas - Notes
This is an important aspect to consider
"..Shoghi Effendi, in a letter written to one of the believers in the East, has clarified that the term "verses of God" does not include the writings of Abdu'l-Bahá; he has likewise indicated that this term does not apply to his own writings..."
Regards Tony
Thanks. Wow for some reason I just took 'eventide' as before we sleep. I didn't realize the specification of evening as between sunset and 2 hours after sunset applied to this law.