Re: The Greatest Name

[Firouz]

Dear Tim,   A friend asked a similar question from the UHJ, and the following is the reply he received. At the end of this, I quote a passage from Abdu'l-Baha regarding the Greatest Name.   regards, Firouz -----------------------------------------------------------   Dear Baha'i Friend,     In your email of 8 January 2000, you have raised the question of whether it is necessary to use the phrase "Allah-u-Abha" when observing the law of repeating the Greatest Name 95 times, or alternatively if the equivalent translation in the language of an individual's choice could be used.  The Universal House of Justice has considered your query, and we have been asked to convey the following.     In the Long Obligatory Prayer when the worshipper is required to use the Most Great Name, and in the Prayer for the Dead when the Most Great Name is repeated six times, the words to be used are "Allah-u-Abha" and not their translation in the language or languages of our choice.  Similarly, for the repetition of the Greatest Name 95 times a day, "Allah-u-Abha" should be used.     To assist you to deepen your knowledge of the significance of the Greatest Name, we are enclosing with the confirmatory copy of this email the following documents: -  some pertinent extracts of letters written on behalf of the Guardian -  a compilation of references to a derivative of the Greatest Name, "Ya    Baha'u'l-Abha" -  an article written by Hand of the Cause of God Abu'l-Qasim Faizi, entitled    "Explanation    of the Emblem of the Greatest Name", published in the October    1968 issue of the United States Baha'i News. It is hoped that with time a deeper understanding of the Arabic phrase "Allah-u-Abha" will be instilled within your heart.                                     With loving Baha'i greetings,                                     Department of the Secretariat Enclosures 3 (with confirmatory copy) ---------------------------------     The Greatest Name [Allah'u'Abha, which means 'God is Most Glorious'] should be found upon the lips in the first awaking moment of early dawn. It should be fed upon by constant use in daily invocation, in trouble, under opposition, and should be the last word breathed when the head rests upon the pillow at night. It is the name of comfort, protection, happiness, illumination, love and unity. "I hope that thou mayest become informed of the concealed mystery and recondite symbol of the stone of the Most Great Name ... The use of the Greatest Name and dependence upon it, cause the soul to strip itself of the husks of mortality and to step forth freed, reborn, and new creature..."          `Abdu'l-Bahá, United States Supplement to Bahá'í News No. 80 p. 2, October 1964     The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto ("e-mail") is sent by the Johnson County Community College ("JCCC") and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify JCCC by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you.     __________________________________________________   You are subscribed to Baha'i Studies as: mailto:archive@mail-archive.com Unsubscribe: send a blank email to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: send subscribe bahai-st in the message body to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe: http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/all_forums/subscribe?name=bahai-st Baha'i Studies is available through the following: Mail - mailto:bahai-st@list.jccc.edu Web - http://list.jccc.edu:8080/read/?forum=bahai-st News - news://list.jccc.edu/bahai-st Public - http://www.escribe.com/religion/bahaist Old Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.net New Public - http://www.mail-archive.com/bahai-st@list.jccc.edu