Bahá’í Prayers and Sacred Texts
A Selection of Bahá’í Prayers
Blessed is the spot
Blessed is the spot, and the house, and the place, and the city, and the heart, and the mountain, and the refuge, and the cave, and the valley, and the land, and the sea, and the island, and the meadow where mention of God hath been made, and His praise glorified.
The Ridván (Paradise) Garden, near Acre, Israel. Frequently visited by Bahá’u’lláh.
He tapu te wāhi,
te whare, te taonenui,
te ngākau, te maunga,
te piringa, te ana,
te awaawa, te whenua,
te moana, te motu,
me te raorao i whakapuakina ake ai te Atua
i whakakororiatia ai tōna whakanuinga~ Bahá’u’lláh
Remover of difficulties
Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are His servants, and all abide by His bidding!
He Kaihiki i te uauatanga anō, tua atu i Te Atua? Whākīna: Whakanuia Te Atua! Ko Ia Te Atua! Katoa o tātou ko Āna pononga, katoa o tātou he mea ū ki Tāna e hiahia ai.
~ The Báb
Spiritual qualities
O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.
O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.
E te Atua! Whakahoutia, whakaharakoatia mai tōku wairua. Horoia tōku ngākau. Whakamāramatia mai ōku kaha. Tukua katoatia ana e ahau āku mea katoa ki Tōu ringa. Ko Koe tōku Kaiārahi, tōku Piringa. E kore anō ahau e rongo i te pāpōuri, i te pāmamae; ka hari, ka koa taku ngākau. E te Atua! E kore anō ahau e kīkī i te manawapā, e kore hoki e tuku kia pehia au ki ngā whakapānga weriweri o te ao.
E te Atua! Kei kō noa atu Tōu aroha mai ki ahau, i tōku ake aroha ki ahau anō. Ka tapaea atu ahau ki a Koe e Te Ariki.
~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Unity prayer
O my God! O my God! Unite the hearts of Thy servants, and reveal to them Thy great purpose. May they follow Thy commandments and abide in Thy law. Help them, O God, in their endeavor, and grant them strength to serve Thee.
O God! Leave them not to themselves, but guide their steps by the light of Thy knowledge, and cheer their hearts by Thy love. Verily, Thou art their Helper and their Lord.
E Tōku Atua! E Tōku Atua! Whakakotahitia mai ngā ngākau o āu pononga, whakaaturia mai ki a rātou ko Tō pūtake tapu. Mā rātou ōu ture e whai, me noho hoki rātou i raro i Tō kawenata. Āwhinatia mai rātou e Te Atua i ā rātou whakamātau, tukua mai hoki ki a rātou te kaha e tūmau ai rātou ki a Koe. E Te Atua! Kaua rā e waiho rātou ki a rātou anō, engari aratakina mai ō rātou tapuwae mā te māramatanga o te mātauranga, ā, kia harakoa ō rātou ngākau ki Tōu aroha. Tūturu ko Koe tō rātou Kaiāwhina, tō rātou Ariki hoki.
~ Bahá’u’lláh
Prayer for the departed
O my God! O Thou forgiver of sins! Bestower of gifts! Dispeller of afflictions!
Verily, I beseech Thee to forgive the sins of such as have abandoned the physical garment and have ascended to the spiritual world.
O my Lord! Purify them from trespasses, dispel their sorrows, and change their darkness into light. Cause them to enter the garden of happiness, cleanse them with the most pure water, and grant them to behold Thy splendors on the loftiest mount.
E tōku Atua! E Koe te Kaimuru i ngā hara, te Kaituku takoha mai, te Kaihiki i ngā uauatanga! Tūturu ko tāku inoi ki a Koe kia murua e Koe ngā hara katoa o te hunga kua whakarere i te kākahu kikokiko, kua piki atu ki te ao wairua.
E tōku Atua! Horoia rātou mai i ō rātou hara, hīkina atu ō rātou toimahatanga, ā, takahurihia ō rātou pouritanga ki te māramatanga. Meinga rātou kia kuhu atu ki te māra o te harikoa, horoia rātou ki te wai urutapu rawa, ā, tukua rātou kia kite i Ōu ahurei ki runga o te maunga teitei rawa atu.
~ ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Healing prayer
Thy Name is my healing, O my God, and remembrance of Thee is my remedy. Nearness to Thee is my hope, and love for Thee is my companion. Thy mercy to me is my healing and my succor in both this world and the world to come. Thou, verily, art the All-Bountiful, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.
Ko Tōu ingoa he oranga mōku, e tōku Atua, ā, ko te maumahara ki a Koe tōku rongoā. Ko te whakatata atu ki a Koe taku tumanako, ko taku aroha ki a Koe he hoa mōku. Ko Tōu tohu aroha noa ki ahau he oranga, he kaiāwhina mōku i tēnei ao, a, me te ao kei te heke mai. Tūturu ko Koe te Whai Rawa, te Matautau, te Whaiwhakaaronui.
~ Bahá’u’lláh
Assistance with tests
I adjure Thee by Thy might, O my God! Let no harm beset me in times of tests, and in moments of heedlessness guide my steps aright through Thine inspiration. Thou art God, potent art Thou to do what Thou desirest. No one can withstand Thy Will or thwart Thy Purpose.
E inoi atu ana ahau ki a Koe mā Tō kaha E tōku Atua! Kaua ahau e tukua kia whara i ngā wā o te whakawai, ā, i ngā wā o te arokore, arahina mai aku hīkoinga mā Tō hiringa. Ko Koe tonu te Atua, Nōu te kaha e taea ai ko Tāu e hiahia ai Koe. E kore e taea e wai rānei te haukoti i Ōu hiahia, te karo rānei i Tō Kaupapa.
~ The Báb
Prayer for children
Children who participated in the Baha'i Freedom Walk, Hawke's Bay
O Lord, my God! This is a child that hath sprung from the loins of one of Thy servants to whom Thou hast granted a distinguished station in the Tablets of Thine irrevocable decree in the Books of Thy behest.
I beseech Thee by Thy name, whereby everyone is enabled to attain the object of his desire, to grant that this child may become a more mature soul amongst Thy servants; cause him to shine forth through the power of Thy name, enable him to utter Thy praise, to set his face towards Thee and to draw nigh unto Thee. Verily it is Thou Who hast, from everlasting, been powerful to do as Thou willest and Who wilt, to eternity, remain potent to do as Thou pleasest. There is none other God but Thee, the Exalted, the August, the Subduer, the Mighty, the All-Compelling.
E te Ariki tōku Atua! Ko ia nei tētahi tamaiti kua hua mai i ngā hope o tētahi o Āu pononga Nāu i whakatū ki tētahi tūranga nui ki ngā Pukapuka o Ō Kupu Whakapūmau ki ngā Pukapuka Nāu i tohu.
E inoi atu nei au ki a Koe mā Tōu Ingoa, i te mea ka taea e wai rānei tāna e hiahia ai, kia tupu tēnei tamaiti kia pakeke ake tana wairua ki waenga o Āu pononga; mā te mana o Tōu ingoa ia e tiaho mai ai, kai āhei ai ia ki te whāki i Tō nui, kia ū ai tāna titiro ki a Koe, ā, kia tata atu ai ia ki a Koe. Tūturu, Nōu te kaha, mai rā anō, ki Tāu e hiahia ai Koe, Nōu anō te mana, mō ake tonu atu, ki tāu e whakaaro ai Koe. Kāhore he Atua tua atu i a Koe, te Whakahirahira, te Tūnga Rangatira, te Pou Tuku Mārire, te Kaha Rawa, te Autō-ite-katoa.
~ Bahá’u’lláh
From The Writings of Bahá’u’lláh
O SON OF SPIRIT!
My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting.E TE TAMA A TE WAIRUA!
Ko Tāku tohutohu tuatahi ko tēnei: Kia urutapu, kia aroha, kia hahana tō ngākau, kia riro i a koe te mana tawhito, kāore mō te turaki, kāore mō te ngaro.
***
O SON OF SPIRIT!
The best beloved of all things in My sight is Justice; turn not away therefrom if thou desirest Me, and neglect it not that I may confide in thee. By its aid thou shalt see with thine own eyes and not through the eyes of others, and shalt know of thine own knowledge and not through the knowledge of thy neighbour. Ponder this in thy heart; how it behooveth thee to be. Verily justice is My gift to thee and the sign of My loving-kindness. Set it then before thine eyes.
E TE TAMA A TE WAIRUA!
Ko te taonga whakahirahira rawa atu ki tāku titiro ko te Tika; kaua rawa e tahuri kē atu, ki te hiahia koe ki Ahau, ā, kaua rawa e hapaina kia pai ai Tāku kōrero ngātahi me koe. Mā tōna āwhina e kite ai koe me ōu whatu ake, kāore nei mā ngā whatu o tētahi kē atu, e mōhio ai koe me tōu matatau kāore nei mā te matatau o tō hoa. Whakaarotia tēnei ki tōu ngākau tonua; hei whakarite i āu mahi. Tūturu ko te tika Tāku koha ki a koe me te tohu o Tōku aroha noa. Whakamaua atu ki mua i ōu whatu.
***
O SON OF SPIRIT!
I created thee rich, why dost thou bring thyself down to poverty? Noble I made thee, wherewith dost thou abase thyself? Out of the essence of knowledge I gave thee being, why seekest thou enlightenment from anyone beside Me? Out of the clay of love I moulded thee, how dost thou busy thyself with another? Turn thy sight unto thyself, that thou mayest find Me standing within thee, mighty, powerful and self-subsisting.
E TE TAMA A TE WAIRUA!
I hangaia koe e Au he whai rawa, he aha tāu e whai nā kia rawakore koe? I hangaia koe a Au he rangatira, he aha tāu e whai nā kia taurekareka koe? Mai te mauri o te mātauranga i ora ai koe i a Au, he aha tāu e kimi nā i te māramatanga mai i tētahi kē atu i a Au? Mai i te uku o te aroha i hangaia ai koe e Au, he aha tāu e whakaaro nā ki tētahi kē? Āta tirohia ki a koe anō, kia kitea Au e tū ana ki roto i a koe, he māia, he kaha, he oranga tonutanga.***
O FRIEND!
In the garden of thy heart plant naught but the rose of love…
E TE HOA!
I te māra o tō ngākau, kaua e whakatō mea kē atu i te rōhi o te aroha…
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For many more prayers in various languages and sacred texts on other topics, please go to the Bahá’í Reference Library or to Bahá'í prayers online.