QUOTATIONS AND STUDY QUESTIONS REGARDING
THE 19-DAY FAST
Prepared by the Deepening Committee of the Bahá’ís of Toronto
February 2002

Next to obligatory prayer, fasting constitutes one of the most important laws of the Revelation of
Bahá’u’lláh. We are fortunate to have a multitude of guidance on this subject in our Sacred
Writings. We will study some of these Writings together in order to gain a better understanding
of the law of fasting and to try and put it into practice in our lives. You can study and meditate
on these quotations throughout the period of the Fast.
Suggested study guidelines:
Please read every quote at least twice. Discuss any difficult words or concepts and then answer
the questions in each section on your own before discussing them in groups of 8-10 people. Keep
the discussions around the Writings you are studying.
SECTION 1
“We, verily, have set forth all things in Our Book, as a token of grace unto those who have
believed in God, the Almighty, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. And We have ordained
obligatory prayer and fasting so that all may by these means draw night unto God, the Most
Powerful, the Well-Beloved…. We…have commanded them to observe that which will
draw them nearer unto Him Who is the Almighty, the All-Loving. Say: Observe ye the
commandments of God for love of His beauty…”2
Complete the following sentences:
We, verily, have set forth all things in Our _______, as a token of _________ unto those who
have ___________________, the Almighty, the Protector, the Self-Subsisting. And We have
ordained ____________and _________so that all may by these
means___________________________, the Most Powerful, the Well-Beloved…. We…have
commanded them to ______ that which will ____________________________________Who is
the Almighty, the All-Loving.
Say: _________ ye the commandments of God for____________________________________.
Questions:
1. Why and for whom has Bahá’u’lláh set forth all things in His Book?
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1 Unless otherwise noted, all quotes are from the compilation entitled The Importance of Obligatory Prayer
and Fasting, Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, 2000. The number
following the author of the quotation, corresponds to the number of the quote in the compilation.
2 Bahá’u’lláh, I
2
2. Why has Bahá’u’lláh ordained obligatory prayer and fasting?
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3. Why should we observe the commandments of God?
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“All praise be unto God, Who hath revealed the law of obligatory prayer as a reminder to
His servants, and enjoined on them the Fast that those possessed of means may become
apprised of the woes and sufferings of the destitute.”3
What is another purpose of the law of fasting?
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What do we learn when we fast?
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SECTION 2
One of the powers that can help us keep the Fast is our love for God. Bahá’u’lláh says:
“Observe, for My Beauty’s sake, the fast, O people…”4
And again in a Tablet revealed for the Fast He says:
“How great is the blessedness of him who, for love of Thy beauty and for the sake of Thy
pleasure, hath curbed the desires of a corrupt inclination and observed the precepts laid
down by Thy most exalted Pen! He, in truth, is to be numbered with them that have
attained unto all good, and followed the way of guidance.”5
Why do we obey the laws of Bahá’u’lláh such as that of fasting?
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How does our love for God help us to keep His laws?
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3 Bahá’u’lláh, II
4 Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 337
5 Prayers and Meditations, pp. 298-299
3
SECTION 3
When we love God and try to obey His laws, we should have complete trust that He will come to
our aid. Bahá’u’lláh says:
“We beseech God to assist His people that they may observe the most great and exalted
Fast… We pray God to confirm His loved ones that they may succeed in accomplishing
that which they have been commanded in this Day.”6
“All praise be to the one true God Who hath assisted His loved ones to observe the Fast and
hath aided them to fulfill that which hath been decreed in the Book.”7
We can ask God to help and assist us to keep the fast, especially at those times when we find it
difficult to do so. Bahá’u’lláh has revealed several Tablets specifically for the Fast. In them He
says:
“These are, O my Lord, the days in which Thou hast bidden Thy servants to observe the
fast. Blessed is he that observeth the fast wholly for Thy sake and with absolute detachment
from all things except Thee. Assist me and assist them, O my Lord, to obey Thee and to
keep Thy precepts. Thou, verily, hast power to do what Thou choosest.”8
“…I beseech Thee to grant that I may be assisted to observe the fast wholly for Thy sake, O
Thou Who art full of majesty and glory! Empower me, then, O my God, to be reckoned
among them that have clung to Thy laws and precepts for the sake of Thee alone, their eyes
fixed on Thy face.”9
When you find it difficult to fast, what are some of the things you can do to help you?
______________________________________________________________________________
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SECTION 4
When we try to keep the laws of God out of our love for Him, He rewards us a thousand fold and
showers all His blessings upon us.
“Fasting and obligatory prayer are as two wings to man’s life. Blessed be the one who
soareth with their aid in the heaven of the love of God, the Lord of all worlds.”10
“There are various stages and stations for the Fast and innumerable effects and benefits are
concealed therein. Well is it with those who have attained them.”11
6 Bahá’u’lláh, XII
7 Bahá’u’lláh, XVIII
8 Prayers and Meditations, p. 10
9 Prayers and Meditations, pp. 298-299
10 Bahá’u’lláh, III
11 Bahá’u’lláh, XIX
4
“We, verily, have commanded all to observe the Fast in these days as a bounty on Our
part… Say: By God! His Law is a fortress unto you, could ye but understand. Verily, He
hath no purpose therein save to benefit the souls of His servants…”12
“These are the days whereon Thou hast bidden all men to observe the fast, that through it
they may purify their souls and rid themselves of all attachment to any one but Thee, and
that out of their hearts may ascend that which will be worthy of the court of Thy majesty
and may well beseem the seat of the revelation of Thy oneness. Grant, O my Lord, that this
fast may become a river of life-giving waters and may yield the virtue wherewith Thou hast
endowed it. Cleanse Thou by its means the hearts of Thy servants...”13
“These are the days of the Fast. Blessed is the one who through the heat generated by the
Fast increaseth his love, and who, with joy and radiance, ariseth to perform worthy deeds.
Verily, He guideth whomsoever He willeth to the straight path.”14
“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.”15
“Even though outwardly the Fast is difficult and toilsome, yet inwardly it is bounty and
tranquility.”16
“Verily, I say, fasting is the supreme remedy and the most great healing for the disease of
self and passion.”17
“Moreover, obligatory prayer and fasting produce awareness and awakening in man, and
are conducive to his protection and preservation from tests.”18
“Fasting is the cause of the elevation of one’s spiritual station.”19
“This Fast leadeth to the cleansing of the soul from all selfish desires, the acquisition of
spiritual attributes, attraction to the breezes of the All-Merciful, and enkindlement with the
fire of divine love.”20
Why are fasting and obligatory prayer been compared to wings to man’s life?
______________________________________________________________________________
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12 Bahá’u’lláh, XIV
13 Prayers and Meditations, pp. 79-80
14 Bahá’u’lláh, XV
15 Prayers and Meditations, p. 67
16 Bahá’u’lláh, XVI
17 Bahá’u’lláh, XVII
18 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, VII
19 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, XXVII
20 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, XXVI
5
Why does Bahá’u’lláh compare His law to a fortress?
________________________________________________________________________
List some of the benefits of the fast.
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What should our attitude be when fasting?
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What effect can fasting have on us?
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SECTION 5
The early hours of the morning when we start fasting and those in the evening when we break our
fast, can be especially spiritually invigorating times and are filled with bounties. In one of His
Tablets for the Fast Bahá’u’lláh states:
“For Thine ardent lovers Thou hast, according to Thy decree, reserved, at each daybreak,
the cup of Thy remembrance, O Thou Who art the Ruler of rulers! These are they who
have been so inebriated with the wine of Thy manifold wisdom that they forsake their
couches in their longing to celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy virtues, and flee from sleep in
their eagerness to approach Thy presence and partake of Thy bounty.
Lauded be Thy name, O my God! This is the hour when Thou hast unlocked the doors of
Thy bounty before the faces of Thy creatures, and opened wide the portals of Thy tender
mercy unto all the dwellers of Thine earth….
This is the hour, O my Lord, which Thou hast caused to excel every other hour, and hast
related it to the choicest among Thy creatures.”21
“I have fasted for love of Thee and in pursuance of Thine injunction, and have broken my
fast with Thy praise on my tongue and in conformity with Thy pleasure.”22
21 Prayers and Meditations, pp. 143-146
22 Prayers and Meditations, p. 79-80
6
Decide whether the following statements are true or false:
We get up at dawn to celebrate God’s praise and extol His
virtues (and to eat a light meal). T [] F []
We get up at dawn in order to eat breakfast. T [] F []
We don’t get up in the morning so we have more energy during the day. T [] F []
The early morning hours are very special as they are filled with bounties. T [] F []
The purpose of the fast is physical recuperation. T [] F []
We break the fast in the evenings with prayers, mediation and dinner. T [] F []
SECTION 6
Now that we are aware of the multitude of spiritual gifts the fast bestows upon us, we realize that
the fast is more than just abstaining from food and drink. It is symbolic of a spiritual fast.
‘Abdu’l-Bahá says:
“Well is it with you, as you have followed the Law of God and arisen to observe the Fast
during these blessed days, for this physical fast is a symbol of the spiritual fast.”23
“Fasting is a symbol. Fasting signifies abstinence from lust. Physical fasting is a symbol of
that abstinence, and is a reminder; that is, just as a person abstains from physical appetites,
he is to abstain from self-appetites and self-desires. But mere abstention from food has no
effect on the spirit. It is a mere symbol, a reminder. Otherwise it is of no importance. ”24
“The fasting period, which lasts nineteen days…is essentially a period of meditation and
prayer, of spiritual recuperation, during which the believer must strive to make the
necessary readjustments in his inner life, and to refresh and reinvigorate the spiritual forces
latent in his soul. Its significance and purpose are, therefore, fundamentally spiritual in
character. Fasting is symbolic, and a reminder of abstinence from selfish and carnal
desires.”25
How is the physical fast a symbol of the spiritual fast?
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Does mere abstention from food have an effect on the soul?
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23 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, XXVI
24 Words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Fortnightly Review, June 1911
25 Directives from the Guardian, pp. 27-28
7
Write a few lines on how you are going to make the next 19 days a period of spiritual
recuperation?
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______________________________________________________________________________
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SECTION 7
What else do we need to know about the fast?
“Fasting hath been decreed for you in the month of ‘Alá. Fast ye for the sake of your Lord,
the Mighty, the Most High. Restrain yourselves from sunrise to sunset.”26
“Abstain from food and drink, from sunrise to sundown, and beware lest desire deprive you
of this grace that is appointed in the Book.”27
“We have commanded you to pray and fast from the beginning of maturity; this is ordained
by God, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. He hath exempted from this those
who are weak from illness or age, as a bounty from His Presence, and He is the Forgiving,
the Generous.”28
“The law of the Fast is ordained for those who are sound and healthy; as to those who are ill
or debilitated, this law hath never been nor is now applicable.”29
In the Synopsis and Codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Shoghi Effendi summarizes who is
granted exemption from fasting:
“a. Travellers…
b. Those who are ill.
c. Those who are over 70.
d. Women who are with child.
e. Women who are nursing.
f. Women in their courses…
g. Those who are engaged in heavy labour…”30
During which Bahá’í month do we fast?
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26 Bahá’u’lláh, XIII
27 The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, # 17
28 The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, # 10
29 Bahá’u’lláh, XXI
30 “Synopsis and Codification of the laws and ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas,” IV.B.5, The Kitáb-i-Aqdas,
pp. 148-149. For more details on these exemptions please refer to “Notes” 14, 20, 30, and 31, as well as
“Questions and Answers”, 74, 76 and 93. For additional guidance on the law of the Fast see also Lights of
Guidance, XVII, # 775-784.
8
During which hours do we abstain from food and drink?
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What are we doing by not keeping the fast?
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At what age does the fast become obligatory? _________________________________________
At what age are we exempted from fasting? __________________________________________
Who else is exempted from fasting? ________________________________________________
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With the aid and assistance of God we will be able to keep the fast. It is ultimately God Who
decides whether our fast is acceptable to Him. In the prayer for Naw-Rúz Bahá’u’lláh writes:
“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.”31
Complete the following sentences:
“Since Thou hast _________ them, O my Lord, with ___________________________prescribed
by Thee, do Thou __________ them also with the_______________________________, through
Thy ____________ and _____________________. For the doings of men are
_________________ upon______________________________________, and are conditioned
by____________________. Shouldst Thou regard him who hath _____________________as one
who hath ______________ it, such a man would be reckoned among them who from
__________________________________ the fast. And shouldst Thou decree that he who hath
_______________ the fast hath _________________, that person would be numbered with such
as have caused the Robe of Thy Revelation to be____________________, and been far removed
from the crystal waters of this living Fountain.”
31 Prayers and Meditations, pp. 67-68