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Reflections: on Ayyám-i-Há and the Fast

‘Idál (Justice), 2 Ayyám-i-Há (The Days of Há) 175 B.E. - Wednesday, February 28, 2019

"We have ordained that these, amid all nights and days, shall be the manifestations of the letter Ha, and thus they have not been bounded by the limits of the year and its months. It behoveth the people of Baha, throughout these days, to provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and magnify His Name …"

Baha’u’llah1

Ayyám-i-Há, The Days of Há, are a joyous time of year. It is a time for giving cheer, joy, and starting projects to assist humanity. The Days of Há are not a part of any other month in the Baha'i or Badi calendar, which means all the months of the Baha'i calendar or nineteen-day long. The Days of Há fall between the months of Mulk (Dominion) and 'Ala' (Loftiness), and are a preparation for the month of the Fast

The month of the Fast, Baha'is--who are healthy and between the ages of 15 and 70 years old--abstain from food or drink between sunup and sundown. 'Ala' is a time of reflection, meditation, and renewal; it is a time of preparation for the New Year. The New Year of 176 B.E. begins on Naw-Ruz and falls on the vernal equinox. Since I am over 70, I am not required to fast. I will say the prayer revealed for the Fast and meditate.

Footnotes
1  The Most Holy Book, page 24, Paragraph 16.