Day of the Covenant November 26th

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Actually this is one of the more interesting Baha'i Holy Days as unlike the other Holy Days work and school are not suspended..

Here is a brief article on the Covenant which is an essential principle in Baha'i life:

The Covenant in the Bahá’í Faith is the spiritual contract binding God and humanity. The Bahá’í Faith recognizes two covenants: first, the greater covenant, between God, represented by the Manifestation of God, on the one hand, and humanity on the other, in which God promises to continue to send guidance to humankind, while humanity, on its part, promises to obey and follow these teachings when they come. Part of this greater covenant is the obligation which each Manifestation of God places upon his followers to accept the next Manifestation.

Second, the lesser covenant, which obliges individual Bahá’ís to accept the leadership of Bahá’u’lláh's appointed successors and the administrative institutions of the Faith. Firmness in the covenant is one of the chief Bahá’í religious virtues and includes not just acceptance of the legitimacy of the Bahá’í institution but much more general attitudes of loyalty and whole-hearted commitment to the Bahá’í Faith and Bahá’í community.

Source:

Covenant - Bahaikipedia, the Baha'i encyclopedia

WE'll have some more material to share as the Day of the Covenant nears..

- Art

 

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History of the Day of the Covenant:

The Day of the Covenant is a Baha'i Holy Day held on November 26th annually which was created by 'Abdu'l-Baha at the request of Baha'is in America in the early part of the 1900's who wished to celebrate His birthday. Because 'Abdu'l-Baha was born on another Baha'i Holy day (Declaration of the Bab), He chose another date, November 26th.

The Day of the Covenant is for celebration of the Covenant of God as represented by 'Abdu'l-Baha as the Appointed Successor, authorized Interpretor and Center of the Covenant of Baha'u'llah.

The Day of the Covenant, unlike most Baha'i Holy Days, is not a day which Baha'is are prohibited from work or school. Neither is it obligatory to celebrate.

In a Tablet written to the Baha'is of Nayris, Persia, 'Abdu'l-Baha wrote:
"...Work on the day of the Covenant...is not prohibited. Celebration of that day is left to the descretion of the friends. Its observation is not obligatory..." (Baha'i World, Vol. XIV, p 548)
- Robert Stauffer

 

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Practise the advices and covenants of God

Diffuse the glad-tidings of the Kingdom far and wide to the ears, promulgate the Word of God, and put into practice the advices and covenants of God; that is, arise ye with such qualities and attributes that ye may continually bestow life to the body of the world, and nurse the infants of the universe up to the station of maturity and perfection.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith p. 353

 

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As to the most great characteristic of the revelation of Bahá'u'lláh -- a specific teaching not given by any of the Prophets of the past -- it is the ordination and appointment of the Center of the Covenant.

By this appointment and provision He has safeguarded and protected the religion of God against differences and schisms, making it impossible for any one to create a new sect or faction of belief.

To insure unity and agreement He has entered into a Covenant with all the people of the world including the Interpreter and Explainer of His teachings so that no one may interpret or explain the religion of God according to his own view or opinion and thus create a sect founded upon his individual understanding of the divine words.

The Book of the Covenant or Testament of Bahá'u'lláh is the means of preventing such a possibility, for whosoever shall speak from the authority of himself alone shall be degraded. Be ye informed and cognizant of this.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith, p. 248)

 

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"One Who is the Center of My Covenant"

Inasmuch as great differences and divergences of denominational belief had arisen throughout the past, every man with a new idea attributing it to God, Bahá'u'lláh desired that there should not be any ground or reason for disagreement among the Bahá'ís.

Therefore, with His own pen He wrote the Book of His Covenant, addressing His relations and all people of the world, saying,

"Verily, I have appointed One Who is the Center of My Covenant. All must obey Him; all must turn to Him; He is the Expounder of My Book, and He is informed of My purpose. All must turn to Him. Whatsoever He says is correct, for, verily, He knoweth the texts of My Book. Other than He, no one doth know My Book."

The purpose of this statement is that there should never be discord and divergence among the Bahá'ís but that they should always be unified and agreed.

~ Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 322