Ritual

Ritual is the term used for any action or sequence of actions which is regularly performed in a specific set of circumstances, or to mark a particular occasion. In the Bahá’í Faith, ritual is intentionally kept to a minimum; notable ritual elements of Bahá’í practice include the obligatory prayers used during private individual worship, the Bahá’í wedding vow, and the Prayer for the Dead and practices related to burial.

Ritual in religion

Buddhist devotees worship at a pagoda in Vietnam.

Rituals are a common feature of religious communities. For example, Catholic and Orthodox forms of Christianity each have their rituals for particular services of worship. Each element of the gathering has to be performed in a specific order, in a specific way, by a specific person, and in a specific language. Any deviation from this and the believers feel somewhat uncomfortable and feel that the worship may not be valid and acceptable to the deity. Each form of Christianity places more, or less, emphasis on ritual, and this kaleidoscope of forms are replicated in other religions. Within Judaism, for example, Orthodox, Haredi and Hassidic Jews each have their own competing sets of rituals, while Liberal, Reformed and Progressive Jews each try to dispense with whichever particular elements of worship they regard as superfluous.

Preventing ritualization in the Bahá’í Faith

Prayers form an important part of the Nineteen Day Feast, but no ritual form is prescribed for them.

The Guardian of the Faith made it clear that adherence to repetitive forms of worship should be avoided within the Bahá'í Faith, and the Universal House of Justice has continued this aim. For example, the House of Justice has asked that Bahá’í publishers cease from the publication of books, intended for daily readings, which suggest specific dates, such as Nearness to God. Presumably, it would be so easy for new believers to assume that the readings selected are true to be read on the day specified. Also, over time, certain segments of the Writings would come to appear to be more important than others through annual repetition.

The structure of the Nineteen Day Feast is laid down, in that it consists of a devotional part, followed by an administrative and then a social part. But there is clear guidance from Shoghi Effendi that the devotional part should not become formulaic. This suggests that the same prayers should not be used each time, that there should not be a set number of prayers or readings, or that specific forms of music are not to be automatically considered preferable. The administrative structure of the Faith makes it relatively easy for believers who suspect that the community may be straying from the idea of freedom of form, to then rectify the deviation. Every believer has the right to raise the issue at the Nineteen Day Feast, to bring it directly to the attention of the Local Spiritual Assembly or the National Spiritual Assembly, or even to approach the Universal House of Justice itself. As the point of reference for all these bodies is the guidance is given by the Central Figures and their Successors, and not tradition (as it is in most older religions), the administrative structure of the Faith should be self-correcting.

This lack of obvious ritual has been noted by other observers. The Guinness Book of Records has in the past displayed an entry in which the Bahá'í Faith appears as the largest religion with no ritualized worship.

Rites of passage

A Bahá’í couple at their wedding in the Falkland Islands.

Ritual is at a minimum in the Bahá'í rites of passage. Although certain suggested actions have been recorded related to occasions such as the birth and naming of a child, these are not prescribed as rituals. Likewise, there are no rites prescribed for the confirmation or coming of age of a child who has reached the age of spiritual maturity (i.e. fifteen). The only ceremonies for which specific actions have been prescribed are weddings, funerals and burials.

Weddings

Main article: Marriage

The wedding ceremony includes the one sentence, "We will all, verily, abide by the will of God", which is repeated by the bride and the groom. The administrative requirements of Bahá'í wedding ceremonies, such as the requirements of parental consent, the appointment of witnesses, etc., have no prescribed forms and do not constitute rituals.

Funerals and burials

Pallbearers carry the coffin of Hand of the Cause Ṭaráẓu’lláh Samandarí at his funeral in the Holy Land.

Main article: Death

Bahá'u'lláh revealed a prayer for the soul of the departed to be read at funerals. It is the only "congregational" prayer in the Bahá'í Faith. It is to be read aloud by one person, while those present stand in silence. There are then six verses, which are each repeated nineteen times. Each of these is preceded by the greeting, "Alláh'u'Abhá!"

The Kitáb-i-Aqdas stipulates certain requirements for burial. Among these is the requirement that the body should be wrapped in cloth, and that embalming is not to be undertaken. A ring should be placed upon the body, bearing a specific quotation. The body must then be placed into a coffin of durable material, such as hardwood, stone or crystal. Burial should be undertaken in a spot that is less than an hour's travel from the place of death. However, none of these elements is accompanied by ritual. For example, no special prayers have to accompany the placing of the ring, and no special prayers are mandatory as the coffin is interred.

Ritual in Bahá’í worship

Certain actions must be performed in connection with obligatory prayers: for instance, washing the hands and face with clean water (ablutions).

Although it may be said that the Bahá'í Faith is generally free from ritual, individual worship does contain ritual elements, i.e., specific verses to be recited and actions to be performed. The obligatory prayers revealed by Bahá’u’lláh are specific verses that must be recited regularly. These three prayers, known as the "long", "medium", and "short" obligatory prayers, were revealed along with certain actions to be performed, such as standing, bowing, kneeling, or raising hands; although believers are free to choose one of these prayers to recite, they must be recited in accordance with the instructions revealed with them. In all cases, ablutions—washing the hands and face with clean water—must be performed before the recital of these prayers. The three obligatory prayers must also be said facing the Qiblih, which is located at the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh in Bahjí.

Believers are also exhorted to repeat a form of the Greatest Name, Alláh-u-Abhá, ninety-five times within every twenty hours. In itself, this practice could be called a ritual; like the obligatory prayers, it is also to be preceded by ablutions. The believer should "seat himself" and "turn... unto God" before commencing.