The burial place of Baha'u'llah and the adjacent house where He lived His final years are located in Acre, Israel. The shrine (the square darker building at the front of the complex) and gardens are open to the public.

Some two kilometers southeast of the historic city of Acre, the Ridvan Garden - created for Baha'u'llah - has been restored to its original island setting. The centerpiece is a fountain from which water is conveyed into a canal that runs past the garden.

The Festival of Ridvan (Riz-wahn), celebrated from April 21 to May 2, commemorates the anniversary of Baha’u’llah’s declaration in 1863 that He was the Promised One of all earlier religions.

The Ridvan period is bittersweet, as Baha’u’llah was soon to be exiled to Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey). Baha’u’llah spent 12 days in a garden in Baghdad visiting with His followers. He named the garden Ridvan, which means “Paradise” or “good pleasure” in Arabic.

When He entered the garden, Baha’u'llah proclaimed the Festival of Ridvan and made three announcements: First, He forbade His followers to fight to advance or defend the Faith (religious war had been permitted under past religions); second, He declared there would not be another prophet for another 1,000 years; and third, He proclaimed that all the names of God were inherent in all things at that moment.

Baha’u'llah’s arrival in Ridvan and his announcement of the Festival of Ridvan mark the moment when the essence of the Baha’i Faith was expressed.

Baha’is suspend work on the holiest days of Ridvan—the first, ninth and 12^th . These mark the day of Baha’u’llah’s arrival in the garden, the arrival of His family and the group’s departure for Constantinople.

The Most Great Festival is, indeed, the King of Festivals. Call ye to mind, O people, the bounty which God hath conferred upon you. Ye were sunk in slumber, and lo! He aroused you by the reviving breezes of His Revelation, and made known unto you His manifest and undeviating Path. — Baha’u'llah

Throughout Ridvan, Baha’is gather for devotions and attend social gatherings. In Texas, Perry Productions has been staging a Ridvan pageant for the last 10 years.

At Ridvan, Baha’is annually elect members of local and national administrative bodies, called Spiritual Assemblies. Baha’u’llah taught that in an age of universal education, there was no longer a need for a special class of clergy. Instead, he provided a framework for administering the affairs of the Faith through a system of elected councils at the local, national and international levels. All Baha’i elections occur through secret ballot and plurality vote, without candidacies, nominations or campaigning.

“In those days, there was born a Child in an ancient and noble family of Nur (a province in Persia, now Iran), whose father was Mirza Abbas, better known as Mirza Buzurg, a favoured minister of the Crown.  That Child was Baha’u'llah.  At the hour of dawn, on the second day of Muharram, in the year A.H. 1233 (12 November A.D. 1817), the world, unaware of its significance, witnessed the birth of Him who was destined to confer upon it such incalculable blessings,” recorded by Nabil in his book The Dawn-Breakers.

Children gather to hear stories of Baha'u'llah during the celebration at the Portland Baha'i Center.

The Child’s name was Mirza Husayn Ali and He was born into a family of wealth and nobility; however He gave up a life of comfort to proclaim a new revelation from God.  When His mission and station as a Messenger of God was announced, it incurred the wrath of the Persian government and clergy, and Baha’u'llah spent much of the rest of His life in prison or exile. Yet Baha’u'llah (a title meaning “The Glory of God”) brought the message of unity to all of humanity, and today millions are responding to the call of God as they listen to His Message.

On the eve of November 12, 2010 (193 years since His birth) Portlanders and guests thronged the Portland Baha’i Center to celebrate the high Holy Day… the Anniversary of the Birth of Baha’u'llah.  The joy of the occasion stands in stark contrast to the apathy and depression found in much of today’s society.

The celebration began with lively fellowship and refreshments downstairs in the Center. One  man who attended exclaimed, “…the sight of people engaged in joyful conversation…changed everything for me.” People valued the extended time for meeting and greeting individuals.  There was a great happiness that moved throughout the crowd.  It created a wonderful expectancy for the significant program that followed.

One woman reveals her greatest happiness as “simply seeing the fruit of careful, joyful, and loving consultative planning.  It takes effort and attention to many details to make such a lovely, lively and yet respectful event successful…It seems that the love and enthusiasm of the planners ignited the joy of [those] who attended.”  Noting a particular part of the program, the woman was moved when the many children present drew close to hear the storytelling of an Iranian father.

A young woman cherishes a memory of the generations present in the Main Hall.  “From infant to great-grandparents, it was lovely and familial to see the diversity in age celebrating together for the entire evening.  The highlight for me was when Brendon Bassett played guitar and sang songs from my childhood.  Several of us all grew up together singing those songs…and it was a pleasure to share them with the newer and older generations present.”  His music included “Greatest Name,” “Colors,” and “Glorious Day”.

Children quickly learn from their teachers that music, according to the Baha’i Writings, is “a ladder for the soul,” and it is not surprising that increasing numbers of young students are stepping forward to share their talents. Coral Ng played the guitar and sang “I Have Found Baha’u'llah in the Early Days of My Life.” Sameen Meshkin played the santoor  revealing “beauty and excellence” through years of study.

A father of young children describes his happiness as “absolutely spellbinding” to see the slide show during the program.  He noted that he had often seen photos of the holy places, but seeing all the images in the slides gave him a different appreciation for the time and place of Baha’u'llah’s life.  “I spent a lot of time with my new little boy, and I will remember that with great happiness,” he added.

A member of the planning committee was especially moved when, toward the end of the program, she found herself at the microphone.  Her heart filled with love as she looked about the Main Hall at people she knew and many she did not. She marveled at all who had answered God’s call.  She marveled at the Child Who came to unite all the peoples of the world.

Shrine of Baha'u'llah in Bahji, Israel.

On November 12, Baha’is in every country celebrate the birth of Bahá’u'lláh, the prophet-founder of the Bahá’í Faith. Baha’u’llah is recognized by close to six million followers around the world as the Manifestation of God, or Divine Teacher for this age. He taught that all of the Manifestations of God — which include Moses, Abraham, Christ, Muhammad, Krishna and Buddha — have been sent by a loving Creator at intervals throughout history to help us know and worship Him and bring human civilization to ever-higher levels of achievement.

Baha’u’llah’s central message for humanity in this day is one of unity and justice. In two oft-quoted passages He wrote:

“The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”

“The best beloved of all things in My sight is justice.”

Born into a noble family in 19th century Persia, Baha’u’llah’s destiny would seem to have been one of wealth and ease. Yet from an early age He showed little interest in following in His father’s footsteps at the Shah’s court, preferring to spend His time and resources in ministering to the poor. Later, His recognition of the religion of His forerunner, the Bab, caused Him to be cast into prison and subsequently exiled.

Throughout His long years of exile, Baha’u’llah revealed divinely inspired passages equivalent to more than 100 volumes. This revelation comprises mystical writings, social and ethical teachings, laws and ordinances, and a fearless proclamation of His message to the kings and rulers of the world, including Napoleon III, Queen Victoria, Pope Pius IX, the Shah of Persia, Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany and the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.

Baha’u’llah passed on in 1892, still nominally a prisoner in Palestine. The day of His birth and Ascension (May 29) are two of nine holy days on which Baha’is suspend work and school.*

Come join us for joyous celebrations of Baha’u’llah’s birth:

A note about the Bahá’í calendar: the Baha’i day starts at sunset, so often when there is an evening celebration, it occurs on the evening before the Holy Day.

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*Reprinted in part, with permission from the Baha’is of the United States
(see U.S. Baha’i News)

Some two kilometers southeast of the historic city of Acre, the Ridvan Garden - created for Baha'u'llah - has been restored to its original island setting. The centerpiece is a fountain from which water is conveyed into a canal that runs past the garden.

29 October 2010

ACRE, Israel — After more than three years of restoration and conservation work, a Baha’i sacred site is offering a glimpse into the industrial and spiritual heritage of this part of the Holy Land.

From the Roman era into the early 20th century, mills on this site – some two kilometers southeast of the old city of Acre – produced the flour to feed the area’s population.

“This was a very significant agricultural hinterland for the city,” points out Albert Lincoln, Secretary General of the Baha’i International Community. “The mills were part of what was probably one of the region’s largest industrial complexes. They were first documented in 1799 by the French delegation surveying the area in connection with Napoleon’s intended conquest.”

But for Baha’is, this place has spiritual significance, adds Mr. Lincoln. “It’s one of the most beautiful holy places associated with the presence of Baha’u'llah here during the late 19th century.”

In 1875 – eight years after Baha’u'llah’s incarceration within the walls of the prison city of Acre – His son ‘Abdul-Baha rented an island formed by two water canals, diverted from the Na’mayn river to power the flour mills. On this island, ‘Abdu’l-Baha created an exquisite garden for His father Who, by then, had suffered more than two decades of imprisonment and exile. Baha’u'llah called the garden “Ridvan” – meaning “paradise”.

A swamp drainage scheme to curb malaria and increase arable farmland in the 1930s and 1940s deprived the garden of its unique island setting. But now, with the restoration of the water canals, the Ridvan Garden is an island once again. This week, some 280 Baha’is – from as far afield as Mongolia, Rwanda and El Salvador – became the first pilgrims since 2007 to visit this holy place.

A “verdant isle”

After ‘Abdu’l-Baha’s acquisition of the island, pilgrims from Iran and neighboring countries brought shrubs, trees and flowering plants to populate the flower beds. During their long overland journeys, some of the travelers watered the plants at the expense of their own thirst.

As restrictions on His movements were gradually relaxed, Baha’u'llah made His first visits to the garden. He went there often, sometimes staying overnight in a modest house on the island.

The spot also became known outside of the Baha’i community. Laurence Oliphant, a British writer who visited in 1883, remarked, “Coming upon it suddenly it is like a scene in fairy land…The stream is fringed with weeping willows, and the spot, with its wealth of water, its thick shade, and air fragrant with jasmine and orange blossoms, forms an ideal retreat from the heats of summer.”

Using historic photographs and descriptions, an international team of architects and engineers has restored the Ridvan garden to its original character, assisted by the Israel Antiquity Authority which provided a conservation survey of the entire site and carried out part of the work.

“Our mission was to re-create the island as it had been at the time of Baha’u'llah,” says Khosrow Rezai, a representative of the design team who oversaw the project. “So our task was to investigate and find as much historical evidence as we could about how it looked, so we could bring the island back to life.”

The two water canals have been reinstated on either side of the garden at their original locations, leading to the flour mills – some of which have also been restored. “We found an aquifer 40 meters underground and are using it to feed the canals,” says Mr. Rezai. “But the configuration of the canals gives the impression that the water is once again coming from the mountains and is flowing out towards the ocean.”

With the re-creation of the garden’s original setting, pilgrims can now experience the feeling of a spiritual retreat. “We have tried to convey, to the extent possible, the tranquillity of the garden prepared by ‘Abdu’l-Baha as a place where Baha’u'llah could find rest,” says Mr. Rezai. “Being able to see the water gives you an amazing feeling. You cross it, you smell it, you hear it. Hopefully it transmits the sense of happiness and joy that Baha’u'llah felt.”

Albert Lincoln agrees that the restoration has brought about a radical change in the atmosphere of the place. “It’s part of the territory that comes with being a religion born in historical time – as opposed to archaeological time – that we have the possibility of doing authentic restoration and of recreating quite closely the feeling that prevailed when Baha’u'llah was actually here. He referred to it as ‘Our Verdant Isle’ and wrote some beautiful things in which he describes Himself actually sitting in the garden at the time when it had water around it.

“In one passage, Baha’u'llah says that He was here in the garden enjoying ‘its streams flowing, and its trees luxuriant, and the sunlight playing in their midst.’ The whole narrative that goes with it is an outdoors narrative – it’s sun, wind, water – all these factors,” enthuses Mr. Lincoln.

A unique holy place

Just visible on the southern horizon from the site, Mount Carmel rises up, the location of the Shrine of the Bab and its monumental garden terraces. They – along with the Shrine of Baha’u'llah and its environs north of the Ridvan garden – were named UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2008.

But the Ridvan Garden is unique among Baha’i holy places, says Mr. Lincoln. “In the others, the gardens surround buildings and structures. But here, the holy place is in itself a garden, and on a more intimate scale than the others.”

“With its conservation – and the restoration of the flour mills – the whole site says something about the historical roots of the Baha’i Faith in this land and how they are intertwined with the history of the country,” he says.

View more photos of the restoration.

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Reprinted with permission from the Bahá’í World News Service.

~ Bahá’u’lláh

~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

~ Bahá’u'lláh

Taefi, Miller, and Small draw musical and lyrical inspiration from the writings of the Baha’i Faith, a world religion founded in Iran over a century ago. Bahá’u'lláh, the prophet-founder of the Baha’i Faith, claimed to have a new message from God to assist mankind to a new level of civilization at the global scale. This claim incurred the wrath of some of the leading clergy and governmental leaders in Iran. Exiled to Baghdad, Bahá’u'lláh paced the banks of the Tigris River, and revealed verses on the relationship between humankind and the Creator, calling on the capacity within all of us to rise to our true, higher nature. Combining styles of music from the East and West, these accomplished musicians now have set some of these passages to music, and share Bahá’u'lláh’s message of love, unity, justice, and peace for the world.