Rites of passage
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A rite of passage is a ritual or practice which applies as an individual progresses through various stages of life, e.g. birth, coming of age, marriage and death. The Bahá'í Faith has very few rituals, so rites of passage are not as marked as in older traditions.
Birth[edit]
Unlike certain older religious traditions, there is no formal procedure to follow upon the birth of a daughter or son. However, 'Abdu'l-Bahá has suggested that Bahá'ís could hold a naming ceremony, to which they can invite friends and family. There is no requirement to choose a "Bahá'í" name.
Coming of Age[edit]
Bahá'u'lláh fixed fifteen as the age of maturity. From this age, the obligation to fast, and the obligation to say prayers, rest upon the young person himself/herself. Marriage is not permissible below this age. However, certain aspects of Bahá'í life, such as the right to vote in elections for the Local Spiritual Assembly, and the right to be a member of such an Assembly, rest at present on the attainment of the age of twenty-one. Of these two ages, fifteen more properly fits the description of "coming of age" in a spiritual sense. There is no formal Bahá'í ceremony as such for the attainment of this age.
It is of interest to note that the creators of the Ruhi curriculum series of books thought that the books could be studied effectively by people from the age of fifteen, coinciding with Bahá'u'lláh's delineation.
Marriage[edit]
- See also Laws#Marriage
Bahá'í marriage is conditioned on the personal choice of the bride and groom, but also upon consent of all living parents. In itself, this one condition should remove bigamy as a problem. The wedding is overseen by a Spiritual Assembly, either Local or National, and two reliable people are appointed as witnesses. The bride and groom each repeat the sentence, "We will all, verily, abide by the will of God." Rings can be exchanged, if this is customary in the local culture, and the couple may choose to have particular prayers, readings and music, as appropriate.
Death[edit]
In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh made a number of stipulations relating to the treatment of the body, the funeral and the burial. The body should be wrapped in cloth, and embalming is not to be undertaken. The body must then be placed into a coffin of a durable material, such as hard wood, stone or crystal. Burial should be undertaken in a spot which is less than an hour's travel from the place of death.
At the funeral, there is a specific prayer for the dead. This is the only congregational prayer in the Bahá'í religion.
