Naw-Rúz
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Naw-Rúz,
March 21, is the first day of the Bahá'í year. |
Praised be Thou, O my God, that Thou hast ordained
Naw-Rúz as a festival unto those who have observed the fast for love of Thee
and abstained from all that is abhorrent unto thee. Grant, O my Lord,
that the fire of Thy love and the heat produced by the fast enjoined by Thee
may inflame them in Thy Cause, and make them to be occupied with Thy praise and
with remembrance of Thee.
Since thou
hast adorned them, O my Lord, with the ornament of the fast prescribed by Thee,
do Thou adorn them also with the ornament of Thine acceptance, through Thy
grace and bountiful favor. For the doings of men are all dependent upon
Thy good-pleasure, and are conditioned by Thy behest. Shouldst Thou
regard him who hath broken the fast as one who hath observed it, such a man
would be reckoned among them who from eternity had been keeping the fast.
And shouldst Thou decree that he who hath observed the fast hath broken it,
that person would be numbered with such as have caused the Robe of Thy
Revelation to be stained with dust, and been far removed from the crystal
waters of this living Fountain.
Thou art
He through Whom the ensign "Praiseworthy art Thou in Thy works" hath
been lifted up, and the standard "Obeyed art Thou in thy behest" hath
been unfurled. Make known this Thy station, O my God, unto Thy servants,
that they may be made aware that the excellence of all things is dependent upon
Thy bidding and Thy word, and the virtue of every act is conditioned by Thy
leave and the good pleasure of Thy will, and may recognize that the reins of
men's doings are within the grasp of Thine acceptance and Thy
commandment. Make this known unto them, that nothing whatsoever may shut
them out from Thy Beauty, in these days whereon the Christ exclaimeth:
"All dominion is Thine, O Thou the Begetter of the Spirit (Jesus)";
and Thy Friend (Muhammad) crieth out: "Glory be to Thee, O Thou the
Best-Beloved, for that thou hast uncovered thy Beauty, and written down for Thy
chosen ones what will cause them to attain unto the seat of the revelation of
Thy Most Great Name, through which all the peoples have lamented except such as
have detached themselves from all else except Thee, and set themselves towards
Him Who is the Revealer of Thyself and the Manifestation of Thine
attributes."
He Who is
Thy Branch and all Thy company, O my Lord, have broken this day their fast,
after having observed it within the precincts of Thy court, and in their
eagerness to please Thee. Do Thou ordain for Him, and for them, and for
all such as have entered Thy presence in those days all the good Thou didst
destine in Thy Book. Supply them, then, with that which will profit them,
in both this life and in the life beyond.
Thou, in
truth, art the All-Knowing, the All-Wise
Bahafufllah