The Sunday Mail
Flora Teckie
BAHA’IS of Harare celebrated their New Year festival known as Naw-Ruz (literally ‘New Day’) last Sunday.
The New-Year coincides with the vernal (spring) equinox, the first day of spring. It is the time of freshness and renewal in nature. It is also symbolic of the periodic renewal of the religion of God – the coming of the spiritual spring.
As stated in the Bahá’í scriptures:
“At the time of the vernal equinox in the material world a wonderful vibrant energy and new life-quickening is observed everywhere in the vegetable kingdom; the animal and human kingdoms are resuscitated and move forward with a new impulse.
“The whole world is born anew, resurrected. Gentle zephyrs are set in motion, wafting and fragrant; flowers bloom; the trees are in blossom, the air temperate and delightful; how pleasant and beautiful become the mountains, fields and meadows.
“Likewise, the spiritual bounty and springtime of God quicken the world of humanity with a new animus and vivification. All the virtues which have been deposited and potential in human hearts are being revealed from that reality as flowers and blossoms from divine gardens. It is a day of joy, a time of happiness, a period of spiritual growth.”
The New Year celebration is typical of the kind of multi-cultural celebration that was observed in many of the 116,000 localities where Bahá’ís – who embrace human diversity – reside around the world.
The Bahá’í calendar is based on the solar year. The year is divided into nineteen months of nineteen days each month. Four intercalary days are added (and in the leap years a fifth day) to make up the year. The months are named after some of the attributes of God such as might, glory and grandeur. The Bahá’í calendar dates its years from 1844, which marks the beginning of the Bahá’í Era. This year is 173 B.E. (Bahá’í Era).
The Bahá’í Faith is the youngest of the world’s independent religions. It has its own sacred scriptures, laws, calendar, and holy days. Its name is derived from the name of its founder, Bahá’u’lláh, which means ‘Glory of God’. In thousands of locations around the world, the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh inspire individuals and communities as they work to improve their own lives and contribute to the advancement of civilisation.
The conviction that we belong to one human family is at the heart of the Bahá’í Faith. The principle of the oneness of humankind is “the pivot round which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve”.
The oneness of humanity does not imply uniformity. The Bahá’í Writings affirm the principle of ‘unity in diversity’.
Bahá’u’lláh teaches that humanity is one, that the diversity of ethnic backgrounds adds to the beauty and perfection of the whole, and that the day has come for the unification of humanity in one global society.
It is the Bahá’í view that nothing but the transforming power of the word of God, shared with us through His Manifestation for this day, can ultimately succeed in bringing about this unity.
With unity, a unity that welcomes and honours the full diversity of mankind, the problems which face humanity today, can be solved. In this regard Bahá’u’lláh writes: “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established” and “So powerful is the light of unity,” is His further testimony, “that it can illuminate the whole earth”.
Bahá’í beliefs also address such essential themes as the oneness of God and oneness of all major world religions, freedom from all types of prejudice, the inherent nobility of the human being, the progressive revelation of religious truth, the crucial need for development of spiritual qualities, the importance of integrating worship and service, the fundamental equality of the men and women, the harmony between religion and science, the centrality of justice to all human endeavours, the importance of universal education, and the dynamics of the relationships that are to bind together individuals, communities, and institutions as humanity advances towards its collective maturity.
The Bahá’í Faith, with followers in at least 233 countries and dependent territories, has become the second-most widespread faith in its geographic reach (according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica) and is among the fastest growing world religions.
The Bahá’í International Community (represented on the world stage by an Office with the same name that is, “The Bahá’í International Community”), enjoys a long standing consultative status with the United Nations and has been involved in a wide range of activities which include peace building, promoting human rights, equality of men and women, education, health and sustainable development.
The worldwide Baha’i community, composed of people from virtually every background, is working to give practical expression to Bahá’u’lláh’s vision of a peaceful and prosperous world; and welcomes everyone to join them in a united effort of building a divine civilisation.
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