8 Prayer
8.1 Introduction
Prayer is the first spiritual practice this book presents. Bahá’u’lláh dedicated a large part of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas to prayer. This chapter will describe what the Book discusses regarding prayer, and some emergent virtues from piety which are cultivated by the spiritual_attachice of prayer. There is obligatory prayer, which is a required daily practice. There is also non obligatory prayer, which is personal prayer whenever you feel the need or desire to communicate with God. Prayer is like calibrating a compass before you walk into the day, because it helps the soul remember which direction is truly north.
Reflection: When you think of prayer as daily calibration, what would change in how you approach obligation, sincerity, and freedom?
We begin by clarifying who is required to pray, because the boundaries of duty reveal the mercy within the command.
8.2 Who is Required to Pray
The age of maturity is the age when a believer is first required to pray, as well as other religious duties such as fasting.1 The age of maturity will be discussed more in depth in Chapter 15, but the age is defined as 11 for spiritual practices.2
Prayer is also not required if any person is ill or if they are in old age. Old age is not defined, but at this time is up to the believer. Any person who is not required to pray may do so if they feel compelled to. There is no requirement for a medical professional to determine if an illness qualifies for prayer exemption, nor to determine if a person has reached old age. Once again, no definitive universal number was described. I feel this is also more of a stage of life which is determined by certain prerequisites.
A woman who is menstruating does not have to perform obligatory prayer nor fast3. She is to perform the ablutions and repeat the phrase “Glory be to God, the Lord of Splendor and Beauty” 95 times in a 24 hour period starting at noon. This repetition does not need to be done all at once, and there is no particular method described. How she performs this spiritual task is entirely up to her. This exclusion is not due to her being impure, but more of a mercy. As the medium and long prayers include the physical acts of prostration, the pain associated with prostrating might be distracting. I don’t believe God wants us to be unduly troubled during prayer. The act of remembrance, covered more deeply in Chapter 9, is also equally important as prayer. I hope a person would not feel a woman is spiritually weaker for praying less than is required of a man and find remembrance to be as vital to the soul as prayer is.
Reflection: Where do you see mercy operating inside religious duty, especially where life stages and bodily realities make devotion more demanding?
With duty clarified, we can now look at how prayer begins, not with complexity, but with simple preparation.
8.3 Preparation for Obligatory Prayer
Ablutions are required in preparation for obligatory prayer.4 An ablution is the washing of your hands and face with water. If ablutions cannot be performed, the short prayer should be offered to God prior to the obligatory prayer “In the Name of God, the Purest, the Purest” five times. The purpose of ablution is a ritualistic way to symbolize purifying yourself prior to prayer. While ablutions is an outer form of purifying, one must not neglect the aspects of purifying inwardly. There are no hard rules, but I feel part of the purpose of the obligatory prayer is to purify. The Ṣalát i Kabír (Great Obligatory Prayer) is a great example.
There are no other preparations described. However, the prayer is meant to be an individual act with the requirement of congregational prayer being lifted.5 There should be no pressure to pray with others.
For personal prayer, ablutions do not need to be performed although you could if you want to.
Reflection: What would it look like to treat ablutions as a symbol of inner cleansing rather than as a test of outward perfection?
Once preparation is simple, the next question becomes practical: how long must prayer be, and how long may it be?
8.4 Length of Prayer
The length of the obligatory prayer was to consist of nine rak’ahs. A rak’ah is a sequence of movements performed during the prayer, such as prostrating and standing up. However, after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas was revealed, Bahá’u’lláh provided three different obligatory prayers. One can be chosen each day. The small prayer is quite short and can be remembered and conducted quite easily. The midmost prayer follows the structure most like the original obligatory prayer and can take a few minutes to perform. The great prayer is designed more for a deep meditation which can take at least fifteen minutes. All of the times can vary depending on if you sing, take time to reflect on the words, or even repeat some of the invocations.
For individualized non obligatory prayer, the length does not matter. I feel the obligatory prayer, while designed to stand alone without other prayers, can be a great way to lead into personal prayer. Personal prayer is where you say what is within your heart to God. The obligatory prayer can help set the stage in establishing sincerity, detachment, and other spiritual qualities. Still, pray whenever you feel like it.
Reflection: If prayer is a daily foundation, how do you keep flexibility from becoming neglect, and discipline from becoming burden?
After length, the next practical question is timing, because daily rhythm shapes what devotion becomes over time.
8.5 Time of Day
The obligatory prayer was originally to be performed three times per day. Once in the morning between sunrise until noon. The second time would be between noon and sunset. The final time is from sunset until two hours after sunset. These instructions follow with the midmost prayer, which is designed most closely to the original prayer prescribed in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.
The small prayer is to be performed at noon, which is from noon until sunset. The great prayer is to be performed anytime in the 24 hour period.
For believers who are in high latitudes where the time of day can vary greatly depending on the season, the use of watches and clocks to determine prayer times are acceptable.6 For example, in Calgary, Canada, sunset is close to 10pm during the summer solstice and closer to 8pm during the spring equinox. In Quito, Ecuador, sunset was at 6:21pm. In Quito, sunset is usually around the same time due to its location at the equator. A person in Calgary could choose to do the evening prayer closer to 8pm year round as that could be similar to the spring equinox, or maybe they choose a random location near the equator such as in Quito. Any of these alternatives are acceptable as it can reasonably be sunset somewhere in that longitude.
Depending on perspective, one may feel a longer prayer will have more merit than the other, but really Bahá’u’lláh did not say either is preferred. The intention is to follow your own heart and express your spirit depending on your own circumstances each day. It is important that it is performed daily, as prayer is the foundation of a loving relationship with God.
As God has also prescribed work as an act of worship, I would recommend not getting too concerned about how to balance a busy lifestyle with the devotional act of prayer. This will develop naturally as your relationship grows. You will start to develop a sense of when you need to pray, or which prayer is the best for that day. I have found the great prayer difficult to recite word for word. When I get a little lost, I paraphrase or just start expressing what feels right within myself. Sometimes I also use pre recorded music to guide me.
No matter what, the important aspect is that prayer is done at least once per day.
Reflection: When time becomes irregular, how do you preserve the spirit of daily prayer without turning it into a scheduling anxiety?
Once timing is understood, we can now consider orientation, because direction becomes a physical reminder of what the heart is turning toward.
8.6 Direction of Prayer
The direction of obligatory prayer is called the Qiblih, or the point of adoration. As the point is currently the point where the Sun of Truth and Explanation had set, this would be the mansion of Bahjí in present day Acre, Israel.
Even though we are to turn to where Bahá’u’lláh was last manifested in the flesh, it does not mean we are praying to Bahá’u’lláh or worshiping Him. We are still praying to God. The purpose for praying towards Bahá’u’lláh is due to His role as the Manifestation of God. Bahá’u’lláh is directly branched from the Sidrat al Muntahá and reflects the names and attributes of God. If we turn our souls towards Bahá’u’lláh, it helps our souls to also reflect these names and attributes as mirrors. Say, in one example, we turn to the Qiblih and by doing so, we turn to God’s name All Bountiful. Simultaneously, we are also turning away from the symbols of wealth which might exist elsewhere near us, such as a luxurious building, gold jewelry, or a TV promoting consumerism. We eliminate potential idols each time we turn to God through the practice of facing the Qiblih. It truly is the point of adoration.
Although we are mirrors and prayer helps us reflect the names and attributes of God, we must not be thinking of any particular name or attribute of God during prayer. The Báb says this in the Persian Bayán “The worshiper, during prayer, should see none but their Beloved and focus solely on God, One without Partner. If they bring to mind any name or attribute in their worship, they become veiled, and their worship is not accepted.”7
Today, there are various apps which can be used to determine the most correct direction for prayer. However, if you are travelling and don’t have a tool to use, it is acceptable to face the direction you feel is the most right. As with everything in religion, intention is the most important aspect. For prayers which are not obligatory, a believer can face in any direction. God is in all directions.
As a simple sidenote, Acre is one of the world’s longest continuously lived settlements, going back to the Bronze Age. It also served as the final stronghold for Christian Crusaders before they were defeated by the Mamluks. Today Acre is a diverse small city with a well balanced mix of people of various religions.
Reflection: When you physically turn toward the Qiblih, what inner turning do you most need in that same moment?
With direction established, we can now see why prayer is protected from hierarchy, so that worship remains addressed to God alone.
8.7 Congregational Prayer
The Báb had prohibited congregational prayer except for the prayer for the deceased.8 The Báb explains none may worship God in a station beneath God. He continues by saying any designated prayer leader, such as an Imam, represents a letter of affirmation but present themselves as a letter of negation when a new revelation exists. The prayer leader’s affirmation is only an outward appearance instead of a spiritual condition. They are no longer allowed to lead. This keeps our prayer focused on God.
Bahá’u’lláh continues the prohibition in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas.9 He provides some changes to the Prayer of the Dead.
Reflection: What changes in your own prayer when there is no religious hierarchy between you and God? With congregational prayer limited, the one exception becomes a window into how a community can honor a soul with unity and humility.
8.8 The Prayer for the Dead
The prayer for the dead provides for two options. The first option is to recite the full prayer revealed. There is a version for the male deceased and another for the female deceased. The second option exists if the believer has not remembered the full prayer. This second option is to say Alláhu Akbar (God is Great) six times. The prayer is performed during Qunút, which is based on the Muslim tradition of praying in a standing position, with the palms facing outward towards the sky. The Qunút is also a part of the obligatory prayers and signifies a position and condition of praise towards God. No other requirements exist in the prayer for the dead.
The Prayer for the Dead is the only prayer allowed to be performed in a congregation. This is a beautiful way for a community to honor the life of a loved one. With the repetition of the six verses 19 times, this can create a powerfully emotional experience as the departed journeys towards God.
The person should be buried with spirit and fragrance.
Reflection: How does praying together for the deceased reveal unity without creating spiritual rank among the living?
From burial prayer, we turn to accessibility, because Bahá’u’lláh removes many barriers that once turned purity into exclusion.
8.9 No Restrictions on Hair and Clothing
A person can wear their hair as they wish.10 Bahá’u’lláh refers to bones and the like as not being able to invalidate the prayer. The clothing materials worn during prayer also do not invalidate prayer. These are items which religious scholars and leaders had often described as making a person impure, or their prayer to have less effect. It is a primary reason why you might see a Muslim woman put on a clean and white outer garment before she prays. Bahá’u’lláh states these rules were not in the Qur’án and in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, He is explicitly stating a believer can wear their hair and clothing as they wish. The clothes worn for prayer must be clean, in keeping with the idea of being purified through ablutions.
I believe the main purpose of this is to demonstrate what truly matters in prayer is the spirit and sincerity of the person. Bahá’u’lláh and God are for the reformation of hearts, and the liberation of the soul. Prayer is spiritual communion with God. With prayer also meant to be done in private, it also helps demonstrate the fact that God does not see us as these sexual creatures, or with sexual eyes. He sees our spirit. He feels our soul. The rules by scholars who say otherwise are attributing desire on God, giving God human and animal attributes falsely.
A female believer can also interpret these lack of restrictions as she please. Could a woman, in private, pray without any clothing? Could a woman wear athletic shorts and a sports bra? Could she wear a burqa? This is entirely left up to her and her only.
Bahá’u’lláh does regularly use garments as a symbol of our character. An example is in a letter to ’Alí Akbar, where Bahá’u’lláh hopes all the friends of God may be adorned with the garment of sanctity.11 The garment is what others are supposed to see from us. In this example, people who are or who are not Bahá’í will be able to easily see a Bahá’í as holy and inviolable in their belief and conduct. Perhaps saintly. This outer garment is more important than the actual garment, and this outer garment is portrayed through good deeds and morals. It is not portrayed through words or wishful thinking.
Reflection: When outward restrictions fall away, what inner sincerity remains, and how do you keep it from becoming performance?
With clothing freed, the next reminder is simple and physical, because even prostration asks only for cleanliness and reverence.
8.10 Clean Flooring
For prostration, Bahá’u’lláh allows for any clean surface. This does mean the surface must be clean. A person may use a clean prayer rug, but a prayer rug is not required. You could be on an old wooden flooring and it is acceptable if it is clean. You could be on the finest marble and it is acceptable if it is clean. Once again, the idea is for prayer to be accessible and focused on the spirit, not the material.
Reflection: What does it teach you about God when prayer is made accessible on any clean surface, regardless of status or setting?
From ordinary surfaces, we move to extraordinary moments, because fear and awe can become doorways for remembrance rather than panic.
8.11 In Times of Exceptional Natural Phenomena
The Báb had outlined a specific prayer for the signs, or natural phenomena. Bahá’u’lláh has abrogated this and says we only need to say, ““Greatness belongs to God, the Lord of what is seen and what is unseen, the Lord of all the worlds.”
The verse is a great reminder in times of fear and distress. Sometimes in the greatness of human potential, nature offers humbling and dangerous experiences. Being able to remember that whatever we are experiencing, no matter how great or awe inspiring it seems, it is not as great as God. God is the Lord of what we observed and the Lord of what we have not yet observed. Hopefully these words can provide solace in those times of exceptional natural phenomena, the signs of God.
Reflection: In moments when nature overwhelms you, what helps you turn awe into worship instead of anxiety?
From extraordinary moments, we move to ordinary disruption, because travel tests whether devotion is flexible without becoming optional.
8.12 During Travel
During travel, obligatory prayer may be replaced while taking rest. The first option is to do a single prostration on a clean surface and recite “Glory be to God, the Lord of Grandeur and Majesty, of Bounty and Grace.” If one is unable to find a clean surface or is unable to prostrate for any reason, the second option is to say “Glory be to God.”
After the prostration, sit in the position of unity. I interpret this as a cross legged position common to many religions, but you may have another way to sit which demonstrates reverence. While seated, say “Glory be to God, the Lord of Dominion and Sovereignty” 18 times. This totals to 19 repetitions of Glory.
It should be noted that after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas was released, the obligatory prayer had changed to include the short prayer. This can, at a minimum, take just a minute although the length can vary depending on how you recite the prayer.
Reflection: When life becomes mobile or disrupted, what makes prayer feel like a living relationship rather than a fragile routine?
With the practice established, we now return to the Unknown Sister and observe how prayer draws piety into new forms.
8.13 Illuminations of The Unknown Sister - Emergent Virtues from Piety
8.13.1 Detachment
Prayer loosens her grip on what the inheritance represents: security, fairness, even family identity. In turning toward God, she feels the subtle release of needing outcomes to protect her sense of order. The unknown sister is no longer a threat to what she thought she owned, but a reality she does not control. Detachment does not make the situation disappear; it simply removes the illusion that it belongs to her to possess or manage for her own sake.
8.13.2 Humility
In prayer, she feels how little she truly knows. The facts of the will do not grant her insight into motives, histories, or consequences. Humility quiets the instinct to believe her perspective is sufficient. She recognizes that being named executor does not elevate her above error or blind spots. Prayer places her back into dependence, reminding her that clarity is not earned by authority, but received slowly, if at all.
8.13.3 Lowliness
Prayer draws her into an awareness of smallness. Smallness is not insignificance, but limitation. She is one person standing at the edge of lives she cannot see and outcomes she cannot predict. Lowliness frees her from the pressure to be equal to the moment. She does not need to carry the weight of resolution yet. In accepting her lowliness, she allows space for guidance beyond her own strength or cleverness. In her daughter, she witnesses how there was a time she was on the floor playing as her parents were responsible over the challenges of parenthood and life.
8.13.4 Reverence
Through prayer, the situation takes on gravity. This is no longer merely a legal matter or family complication; it is a moment touching human lives shaped by forces larger than intention. Reverence restrains casual thinking. It slows her inner pace. She senses that how this truth is handled matters, not because she is being watched, but because she stands before something sacred: the fragile intersection of truth, life, and consequence.
8.13.5 Thankfulness
Prayer awakens gratitude in unexpected places. She becomes aware of what remains steady: her child’s warmth, her brother’s trust, the fact that truth surfaced while there was still time to respond thoughtfully. Thankfulness does not erase the difficulty, but it keeps bitterness from taking root. Even here, she can acknowledge that she has been given time, awareness, and the chance to approach what lies ahead with care. Her life exists through the spirit of God, sparked by the love her mother and father shared, even if that love was not perfect.
8.13.6 Innate Virtue Piety
In this moment, piety is her turning toward God rather than toward control. Detachment expresses piety by loosening her attachment to money, inheritance, and the version of family she assumed. Humility expresses piety by admitting her knowledge is partial and her authority does not make her right. Lowliness expresses piety by accepting her limits and refusing the impulse to play savior or judge. Reverence expresses piety by treating the situation as weighty and sacred, not merely legal. Thankfulness expresses piety by recognizing mercy within trial, and receiving time and guidance as gifts.
Reflection: Which of these emergent virtues would most change the next action you take when a truth disrupts your assumptions?
To keep this chapter grounded, we now look to Bahá’u’lláh Himself, not as an abstract model, but as an exemplar of praying as a servant.
8.14 The Example of Baha’u’llah
The writings of Bahá’u’lláh are full of examples of Him praying to God as a servant. In this condition, Bahá’u’lláh is showing us the framework of how prayer can be. We do not necessarily have to say exactly what Bahá’u’lláh would say, as most of these prayers were for the time, space, and context of the particular moment the prayer was revealed. We can see what Bahá’u’lláh prayed for, to whom, and maybe see if God answered these prayers and if so, in what way. We must always remember that while Bahá’u’lláh was a Manifestation of God, Bahá’u’lláh was still human. I interpret this human condition as He was not omniscient nor omnipresent, but had capacities to serve a specific mission God had ordained for Him. When Bahá’u’lláh was praying to God, this was not necessarily revelation as God would not pray to God. It is important to be mindful of Bahá’u’lláh’s human condition and not to confuse Him as God.
With that said, the answering of prayers is entirely up to God. The purpose of prayer is not for wishes to be granted, but for the will of us to merge with that of the will of God. Often Bahá’u’lláh would pray that a person would attain certain spiritual qualities or be assisted in doing so. I believe God would always provide this assistance. Yet, it is still up to the individual person to choose to embody those qualities. This means if Bahá’u’lláh prayed for a person, or prayed for the qualities and assistance of a person, it does not automatically mean this person attained that quality or station.
This is why emergent virtues such as detachment, humility, lowliness, reverence, and thankfulness are all vital to the practice of prayer. No matter what the outcome, whether we recognize it or not, and whether another person reflects our wish or not, we must always be thankful for the assistance, mercy, and bounty God does provide us. We should do our best to pray like Bahá’u’lláh did, according to the time, space, and context of our individual and unique lives. This practice will help the innate piety which exists within us to further emerge and express itself more fully within our lives.
This is one of the pathways to liberate our souls, just as Bahá’u’lláh’s soul was liberated. As we proceed through these spiritual practice chapters, I invite you to look for how Bahá’u’lláh was an exemplar of His teachings. They are truly inspiring.
8.15 Summary
Prayer is the foundation of daily devotion because it teaches the soul how to turn, how to humble itself, and how to receive guidance without demanding control. When prayer is practiced with sincerity, it invites piety to express itself through detachment, humility, lowliness, reverence, and thankfulness, so that even unsettling truths can be carried with steadiness. In Chapter 9 we will turn to recitation, and see how the words we repeat shape the words we speak, and how pure truthfulness can begin to emerge through this practice.