Whoso wisheth to pray, let him wash his hands, and while he washeth, let him say:
Strengthen my hand, O my God, that it may take hold of Thy Book with such steadfastness that the hosts of the world shall have no power over it. Guard it, then, from meddling with whatsoever doth not belong unto it. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.
And while washing his face, let him say:
I have turned my face unto Thee, O my Lord! Illumine it with the light of Thy countenance. Protect it, then, from turning to anyone but Thee.
Then let him stand up, and facing the Qiblih (Point of Adoration, i.e., Bahjí, ‘Akká), let him say:
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His are the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation. He, in truth, hath manifested Him Who is the Dayspring of Revelation, Who conversed on Sinai, through Whom the Supreme Horizon hath been made to shine, and the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing hath spoken, and through Whom the call hath been proclaimed unto all who are in heaven and on earth: “Lo, the All-Possessing is come. Earth and heaven, glory and dominion are God’s, the Lord of all men, and the Possessor of the Throne on high and of earth below!”
Let him, then, bend down, with hands resting on the knees, and say:
Exalted art Thou above my praise and the praise of anyone beside me, above my description and the description of all who are in heaven and all who are on earth!
Then, standing with open hands, palms upward toward the face, let him say:
Disappoint not, O my God, him that hath, with beseeching fingers, clung to the hem of Thy mercy and Thy grace, O Thou Who of those who show mercy art the Most Merciful!
Let him, then, be seated and say:
I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee. Thou hast, verily, revealed Thy Cause, fulfilled Thy Covenant, and opened wide the door of Thy grace to all that dwell in heaven and on earth. Blessing and peace, salutation and glory, rest upon Thy loved ones, whom the changes and chances of the world have not deterred from turning unto Thee, and who have given their all, in the hope of obtaining that which is with Thee. Thou art, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
(If anyone choose to recite instead of the long verse these words: “God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting,” it would be sufficient. And likewise, it would suffice were he, while seated, to choose to recite these words: “I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee.”)
Bahá’u’lláh
وَمَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُصَلِّي لَهُ أَنْ يَغْسِلَ يَدَيْهِ وَفِي الْغُسْلِ يَقُولَ
إِلَهِي قَوِّ يَدِي لِتَأْخُذَ كِتَابَكَ بِاسْتِقَامَةٍ لَا تَمْنَعُهَا جُنُودُ العَالَمِ ثُمَّ احْفَظْهَا عَنِ التَّصَرُّف فِي مَا لَمْ يَدْخُلْ فِي مِلْكِهَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْمُقْتَدِرُ الْقَدِيرُ
وَفِي حِينِ غُسْلِ الْوَجْهِ يَقُولَ
أَيْ رَبِّ وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِي إِلَيْكَ نَوِّرْهُ بِأَنْوَارِ وَجْهِكَ ثُمَّ احْفَظْهُ عَنِ التَّوَجُّةِ إِلَى غَيْرِكَ
وَبَعْدُ لَهُ أَنْ يَقُومَ مُتَوَجِّهَاً إِلَى الْقِبْلَةِ وَيَقُولَ
شَهِدَ اللهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَهُ الْأَمْرُ وَالْخَلْقُ قَدْ أَظْهَرَ مَشْرِقَ الظُّهُورِ وَمُكَلِّمَ الطُّورِ الَّذِي بِهِ أَنَارَ الْأُفُقُ الْأَعْلَى وَنَطَقَتْ سِدْرَةُ الْمُنْتَهَى وَارْتَفَعَ النِّدَاءُ بَيْنَ الْأَرْضِ وَالسَّمَاءِ قَدْ أَتَى الْمَالِكُ اَلْمُلْكُ وَالْمَلَكَوتُ وَالْعِزَّةُ وَالْجَبَرُوتُ للهِ مَوْلَى الْوَرَى وَمَالِكِ الْعَرْشِ وَالثَّرَى
ثُمَّ يَرْكَعَ وَيَقُولَ
سُبْحَانَكَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي وَذِكْرِ دُونِي وَوَصْفِي وَوَصْفِ مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرَضِينَ
ثُمَّ يَقُومَ لِلْقُنُوتِ وَيَقُولَ
يَا إِلَهِي لَا تُخَيِّبْ مَنْ تَشَبَّثَ بِأَنَامِلِ الرَّجَاءِ بِأَذْيَالِ رَحْمَتِكَ وَفَضْلِك يَا أَرْحَمَ الرَّاحِمِينَ
ثُمَّ يَقْعُدَ وَيَقُولَ
أَشْهَدُ بِوَحْدَانِيَّتِكَ وَفَرْدَانِيَّتِكَ وَبِأَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ قَدْ أَظْهَرْتَ أَمْرَكَ وَوَفَيْتَ بِعَهْدِكَ وَفَتَحْتَ بَابَ فَضْلِكَ عَلَى مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرَضِينَ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَام وَالتَّكْبِيرُ وَالْبَهَاءُ عَلَى أَوْلِيَائِكَ الَّذِينَ مَا مَنَعَتْهُمْ شُئُونَاتُ الْخَلْقِ عَنِ الْإِقْبَالِ إِلَيْكَ وَأَنْفَقُواْ مَا عِنْدَهُمْ رَجَاءَ مَا عِنْدِكَ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الْكَرِيمُ
اگر نفسی مقامِ آیۀ کبیره شَهِدَ اللهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْقَيُّومُ قرائت نماید کافی است و همچنین در قعود أَشْهَدُ بِوَحْدَانِيَّتِكَ وَفَرْدَانِيَّتِكَ وَبِأَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ کافی است
حضرة بهاءالله
Bahá’u’lláh invested a few prayers with special power. These include three obligatory prayers revealed by Him. Bahá’ís recite one of these each day: either a short prayer of a few brief lines, which is said between noon and sunset; a medium obligatory prayer of several verses, which is recited in the morning, at noon, and in the evening; or a long prayer, which is recited once in twenty-four hours.
According to a letter written on Shoghi Effendi’s behalf and addressed to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baháʼís of India, “the medium prayer should be said three times a day; in the morning, at noon and in the evening” (Lights of Guidance, no. 1529). The performance of this prayer is also preceded by brief ablutions, which are themselves accompanied by verses that are to be recited simultaneously. Additionally, various genuflections have been prescribed by Baháʼuʼlláh throughout the prayer, and two substitute verses revealed by Him appear at the end.
Original Sources
Further References