Hello everyone!

I find it much easier if I just set a timer for, say, ten minutes, and just say my Allah'u'Abhas.  For me, it's distracting keeping count-even with prayer beads.  I find that I can be much more sincere if I can just chant them and give myself over to it completely, not have part of my mind keeping track of the amount said...I know I go over 95 of them, but as far as I'm concerned it's compound interest! lol...I get to say them with more sincerity and in greater quantity...I've only recently begun doing this and am going to try to work up to 15 minutes. 

Allah'u'Abhá Warble!

Welcome to Beliefnet! As World Citizen pointed out, the number 95 of course has a symbolic significance which cannot be underestimated. It is true though that on the surface such specific figures and repetitions may appear "ritualistic" or "awkward" to a Western mind.

As you know, the Arabic word 'Abhá' ('Most Glorious') is the superlative form of 'Bahá' ('Glory' or 'Light'). Shoghi Effendi regarded the English term 'glory' to better capture the meaning of 'Bahá' than 'light'. Perhaps 'glory' conveys a brighter and more powerful imagery than 'light', as well as other meanings which are less associated to physical light. Firstly, it seems obvious that the greatest aesthetic quality of the sun could be best summarized by the powerful term 'Glory' -- much more descriptively at least than the modest term 'light'. One could characterize the golden eagle as a 'glorious' bird, the Taj Mahal as a 'glorious' structure, the heyday of the Abbasid Caliphate as a 'glorious' era, and the voice of a great opera singer as a 'glorious' voice. The term 'light' would simply be inapplicable for similar usages.

As we all know, 'Bahá' or 'glory' is described by Bahá'u'lláh as the "Greatest Name" ("ism-i-azam") of God. In other words, all the other names and attributes of God, such as love, justice, grace, power, omnipotence, greatness, even splendour, are lesser attributes. 'Bahá' or 'glory' seems indeed to symbolize divinity in its fullness and completeness -- even as Jesus promised his return in the 'glory' of the Father, or nature may be considered to attain its 'full glory' during the summer-season.

Moving on to numbers. Both 'Bahá' and 'Abhá' have the numerical value of 9 in the Abjad (Arabic and Persian) alphabetical system. The number nine is explained by 'Abdu'l-Bahá as a symbol of completeness since it is the last single digit. In other words, not only the name 'Bahá' but also the numerical value of Bahá, namely 9, symbolize completeness and fullness. Please, don't give up with me just yet!

The other oft-quoted Bahá'í number, 19, carries a specific symbolic meaning as well as a general one. Its specific symbol is obviously the Báb (representing Himself the 19th of His first disciples, the Letters of Living). The generic symbolism of 19 is the same as that of the number 9; that is, of completeness and fullness, since the Báb in fact represents the completion of the Letters of the Living, amounting altogether to 19 first believers in the Báb. Yet Shoghi Effendi delves still deeper into symbolism. He also explains that the 'haykal' (the five-pointed star which first appeared in the Báb's tablets) is actually, strictly speaking, the true symbol of the Bahá'í Faith (and not the nine-pointed star). The numerical value of 'Báb is 5. More generically the haykal symbolizes the 'human being' (head with two upper and two lower limbs) as well as more specifically the greatest of men, the Manifestation of God. The specific symbolism of the 'haykal' is particularly poignant in Bahá'u'lláh's Tablet 'Suriy-i-Haykal' (its English translation is found in the book 'The Summons of the Lord of Hosts'). In the Suriy-i-Haykal Bahá'u'lláh refers to the rebuilding of the temple (a Jewish prophecy from the Bible regarding the Temple of Solomon) as actually being a living temple, not a physical structure -- namely His own body. In other words, 5 symbolizes at least 'human being', the 'Manifestation of God', and specifically Bahá'u'lláh Himself. Since 'haykal' is strictly speaking the real Bahá'í symbol, the number 5 also carries a special significance.

Now the fun part:

19 X 5 = 95

The circle is complete. The entire outward "rite" of reciting Allah'u'Abhá 95 times is, in fact, the greatest prayer of praise to God. It is the purest glorification of the 'fullness', or the 'glory', of God, without being distracted by any lesser attributes. There lies its beauty. But there also lies the challenge. How to attune our minds and hearts to imagine God's full 'glory' at every repetition of Allah'u'Abhá. We also know that we cannot imagine God, but we may attempt to imagine something of supernal glory that speaks of God. I have to admit I'm still far from being able to do it without distraction. How often I just think of the sun. It helps me a little bit. Yet, the following story has sometimes helped me as I, in my own naive way, turn to Qiblih and attempt to view Bahá'u'lláh in exactly the same 'light' as the protagonist of the story had learnt to:

Dr. Khazeh Fananapazir has shared his translation of this profound and funny story of Baha'u'llah. The story appears in Arabic in one of the recent issues of Payam-i Baha'i published in Europe. Enjoy!

***

In Khusef which is part of the Birjand, Janaab e Muhammad Quli Khan Nakhaee, who was an influential and rich local man, believed in the Blessed Beauty Bahá'u'lláh. As a result of his acceptance of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh most of his relatives also came to accept the Faith of God.

This Janaab e Muhammad Quli Khan Nakhaee goes on pilgrimage to visit His holiness Bahá'u'lláh. He accompanies the other pilgrims on the first and the second day. But when he comes back to the pilgrim house he thinks with himself and in his soul and mind thus: I accepted the hardships and burdens of a six month journey hither to Akka perhaps I might witness some extraordinary and divine happening, but Bahá'u'lláh speaks like other men and He gives instructions and teachings similar to other men. There is perhaps nothing extraordinary or miraculous here.

I was immersed in these thoughts when on the third day one of the servants there said to me that Bahá'u'lláh wants to see you alone and unaccompanied. I went to the presence of the Blessed Beauty immediately and I lifted aside the curtain of the room to be close in His presence. I bowed and instantly I saw the Blessed Beauty as an incredibly bright and dazzling Light and so intense was my experience of this Light that I fell and lost consciousness. All I recall is that He said: "fee Amani'llah" which means "go with God's safety". The servants were able to drag me to the corridor and subsequently to the pilgrim house. I could not eat or sleep for two days after. What happened is as if I beheld His overwhelming Presence everywhere I went and I constantly was telling the other pilgrims that He is here. My other fellow pilgrims got tired of me and asked 'Abdu'l-Baha to help me. After another two days again the servant came back and took me to Bahá'u'lláh's presence. When I attained His presence, He poured forth loving kindness and gracious utterance. He bade me be seated.

Then Bahá'u'lláh said: Janaab e Muhammad Quli Khan! The Manifestations of the Divine Essence are forced to appear in human attire and clothes. If Their true Being which is behind the veil of concealment were to appear then all humanity like your good self would lose consciousness and swoon to the unconscious realm. Then Bahá'u'lláh went on: "Do you know how parrots are taught to speak?" I bowed and said: "I do not know".

Bahá'u'lláh explained: "The parrot owners have a parrot within a cage. Then they bring a big mirror in front of the cage. And then a man hides behind the mirror and starts repeating phrases and talking. The parrot sees that there is another parrot identical to itself talking in the cage in front (reflected in the mirror) and imagining that it is the reflected parrot that is doing the talking it too starts mimicking and learns to speak. Now if the person who is actually behind the mirror should reveal himself from the start, then the parrot will never learn to speak. It is thus that the Manifestations of the Divine should come into the world in human attire and human clothes so that They will not frighten mankind with Their awesome Being..."

This man was an utterly transformed being on his return from attaining Bahá'u'lláh's presence and to the end of his days was engaged in teaching others and he attained spiritual insight and predicted the night of his own departure from this earthly realm.

***

Aug 9, 2011 -- 1:37PM, Warble wrote:

Hi,

upon further reflection I think I'll resume saying them 95 times, but will ALSO use them in my meditation practice as a mantra.

 

Thanks for your input.  There's no reason why I can't do both.

 

Warble

That sounds like a winner! 

Jan 19, 2013 -- 10:34PM, NightHawky wrote:

Is it fine to say an english translation?  If not why?

Don't see why not. These spiritual things are between you and God. No one may interfere. The translation is "God the All-Glorious":

'"Allah-u-Abha" is an Arabic phrase meaning "God the All-Glorious".'

 (Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 180)

Try it out and decide whichever language or way of expressing it you prefer! What matters is our sincerity, not the "... murmur of syllables and sounds ...".

"Reveal then Thyself, O Lord, by Thy merciful utterance and the mystery of Thy divine being, that the holy ecstasy of prayer may fill our souls - a prayer that shall rise above words and letters and transcend the murmur of syllables and sounds - that all things may be merged into nothingness before the revelation of Thy splendor."

 (Compilations, Baha'i Prayers, p. 69)