The Baha'i Fast

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Following Ayyam-i-Ha is the Baha'i Fast. The Fast is prescribed by Baha'u'llah and lasts nineteen days during the month of 'Ala" or "loftiness" . Baha'is abstain from food and liquids between sunrise and sunset for nineteen days.

We have commanded you to pray and fast from
the beginning of maturity; this is ordained by God,
your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. He hath
exempted from this those who are weak from illness or
age, as a bounty from His Presence, .... In regions where
the days and nights grow long, let times of prayer be
gauged by clocks and other instruments that mark the
passage of the hours. He, verily, is the Expounder, the
Wise.

(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 22)


Fasting begins for youth of fifteen years of age and ends for those of seventy years of age.

There are exemptions from fasting allowed for those who are ill

God hath exempted women who are in their
courses from obligatory prayer and fasting. Let them,
instead, after performance of their ablutions, give
praise unto God, repeating ninety-five times between
the noon of one day and the next "Glorified be God, the 24
Lord of Splendour and Beauty".

(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 23)

Some additional exemptions:

women who are pregnant
and those who are nursing. This exemption is also extended
to people who are engaged in heavy labour, who, at the
same time, are advised "to show respect to the law of God and for
the exalted station of the Fast" by eating "with frugality and in
private"

(Baha'u'llah, The Kitab-i-Aqdas, p. 179)

 

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There several prayers that were revealed for use by Baha'is during the Fast... For me the wisdom of the Fast has been found in discipline and control of appetite..as well as learning to appreciate the suffering of those who have gone before and sacrificed so much. The following is a brief introduction to the practise:

Verily I say, there is a great station before
God for fasting and prayer, but the favour
therein exists when in health; when in feebleness,
this action is not allowed. This is the
Commandment of the True One (Whose Glory
is Exalted) both in the past and in the future.
Blessed are the hearers and doers, both men
and women. Praise be unto God, The Revealer
of the Scriptures!

(Compilations, Baha'i Prayers 9, p. 15)

 

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Some tips for fasting...

How to have a healthy Fast...from an article by Susan Gammage

March 10, 2009



1. Don’t gorge in the evenings: Large meals should be avoided because they can cause the digestive system to block after a long day of fasting. Therefore, break your fast with dates and water or juice as they contain simple sugars that can be absorbed easily by the body. Then try to have a balanced meal – soups are a good choice as they don’t stress the stomach and hydrate the body.

2. Stay off the Salt: Salty foods should be avoided as they will retain water in the body and cause discomfort.

3. Hydrate Yourself: A lack of fluids makes the body prone to dehydration and more likely to retain fats and toxins. So, drink ample quantities of water and fresh juices.

4. Eat Yoghurt: Yogurt is recommended at both meals, as it contains friendly bacteria which benefit the digestive tract. Yoghurt also helps digestion and cleanses the intestines from harmful bacteria. Also, it is a good source of calcium and protein.

5. Avoid Sugar and Grease: Fried foods and sweets should be consumed in moderation as they are full of saturated fats which raise cholesterol and adversely affect your health.

6. Get Moving:Exercise is very important during the Fast as it helps you maintain your body weight by burning the extra-calories and eliminating stress. It also has an essential role in preventing constipation.

7. Don’t Skip Breakfast: Many people tend to skip breakfast; however skipping meals will slow down your metabolism and lead to fatigue and distress. For Suhoor, try to choose foods that contain protein, complex carbohydrates and high-fibre foods such as wheat, oats, beans, whole grain bread, vegetables and seasonable fruits.Fibers and proteins take a long time to be digested so you won’t feel hungry.

8. Avoid Tea and Coffee: Tea, Coffee and carbonated beverages remove calcium from your body. It is therefore recommended that you avoid them especially at breakfast, as they increase salt and water excretion which your body needs during fasting.

9. Don’t neglect Protein: Consumption of protein is important in order to prevent muscle wasting; vegetarians should consider this when choosing non-animal protein sources.

10. Finish with Fruit: Intake of fruits after a meal is highly beneficial and provides the body with nutrients. Fasting could be effective in treating of moderate (non-insulin) diabetes, obesity and hypertension as the process lowers the blood sugar levels, cholesterol and the systolic blood pressure.

Nathalie Haddad, leading Dietician and Managing Director of Right Bite cautions: “It is highly important to eat moderately and focus on well-balanced and low-fat meals during the Fast. A light, healthy breakfast, one that is high in complex carbohydrates and fiber, will help prevent tiredness, poor concentration, dizziness and headaches. At dinner, it is important to consume food from all five groups with minimum fat content and to control portion sizes in order to avoid weight gain.”

 

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I was visiting a home this morning and I asked a man there how his first Baha'i Fast was going... I expected since he first became a Baha'i last summer that this would be his first Fast and that there might be difficulties... He said actually he had fasted last year before he was a Baha'i! He was enamored of the Faith even before that...

 

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I found one of the prayers Baha'is recite during the Fast on "YouTube" the other day... It is beautifully recited in Arabic with English translations... Enjoy: