Riḍván ( ar, رضوان ;
Persian transliteration
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus ''trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → , Cyrillic → , Greek → the digraph , Armenian → or L ...
: Rezván, ) is a twelve-day festival in the
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...
, commemorating
Baháʼu'lláh
Baháʼu'lláh (born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Qajar Iran, Persia, and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Bábism, Bábí ...
's declaration that he was a
Manifestation of God.
In the
Baháʼí calendar
The Badíʻ calendar used in the Baháʼí Faith is a solar calendar consisting of nineteen months and four or five intercalary days, with new year at the moment of Northern spring equinox. Each month is named after a virtue(e.g. Perfection, Mercy ...
, it begins at sunset on the 13th of Jalál, which translates to the 20th or 21st of April, depending on the date of the
March equinox
The March equinox or northward equinox is the equinox on the Earth when the subsolar point appears to leave the Southern Hemisphere and cross the celestial equator, heading northward as seen from Earth. The March equinox is known as the ve ...
(exactly one month on the Gregorian calendar after the equinox). On the first, ninth and twelfth days of Ridván, work and school should be suspended.
"Ridván" means
paradise
In religion, paradise is a place of exceptional happiness and delight. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical or eschatological or both, often compared to the miseries of human civilization: in para ...
, and is named for the
Garden of Ridván outside
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
, where Baháʼu'lláh stayed for twelve days after the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University ...
exiled him from the city and before commencing his journey to
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
.
It is the holiest Baháʼí festival, and is also referred to as the "Most Great Festival" and the "King of Festivals".
History
Context
In 1844 Siyyid
ʻAlí-Muhammad of Shiraz proclaimed that he was the "
Báb
The Báb (b. ʿAlí Muḥammad; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850), was the messianic founder of Bábism, and one of the central figures of the Baháʼí Faith. He was a merchant from Shiraz in Qajar Iran who, in 1844 at the age of 25, claimed ...
" ( ar, "Gate"), after a
Shiʻa
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...
religious concept. His followers were therefore known as
Bábís. The Báb's writings introduced the concept of "
He whom God shall make manifest", a Messianic figure whose coming, according to Baháʼís, was announced in the scriptures of all of the world's great religions.
Baháʼu'lláh
Baháʼu'lláh (born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Qajar Iran, Persia, and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Bábism, Bábí ...
claimed that his mission as the Promised One of the
Báb
The Báb (b. ʿAlí Muḥammad; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850), was the messianic founder of Bábism, and one of the central figures of the Baháʼí Faith. He was a merchant from Shiraz in Qajar Iran who, in 1844 at the age of 25, claimed ...
, was revealed to Him in 1852 while imprisoned in the
Síyáh-Chál
The Síyáh-Chál ( fa, سیاه چال literally "black pit") was a subterrenean dungeon southeast of the palace of the Sháh in Tehran. It carries a significant role in the history of the Baháʼí Faith, because its founder, Baháʼu'lláh wa ...
in
Tehran
Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
,
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
.
After his release from the Síyáh-Chál, Baháʼu'lláh was banished from Persia, and he settled in
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
, which became the centre of Bábí activity. Although he did not openly declare this prophetic mandate, he increasingly became the leader of the Bábí community.
Baháʼu'lláh's rising prominence in the city, and the revival of the Persian Bábí community, gained the attention of his enemies in
Islamic
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ma ...
clergy and the
Persian government. They were eventually successful in having the
Ottoman government summon Baháʼu'lláh from Baghdad to
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
(present-day
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
).
Najibiyyih garden
Before Baháʼu'lláh left for Constantinople, many visitors came to visit him. To allow his family to prepare for the trip, and to be able to receive all these visitors, he decided to move to the
Najibiyyih garden across the
Tigris river
The Tigris () is the easternmost of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of the Armenian Highlands through the Syrian and Arabian Deserts, and empties into the P ...
from Baghdad. He entered the garden on 22 April 1863 (31 days after
Naw Rúz, which usually occurs on 21 March) accompanied by his sons
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian: , 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás ( fa, عباس), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh and served as head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 until 1921. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was later canonized as the ...
,
Mírzá Mihdí
Mírzá Mihdí ( fa, 1848 – June 23, 1870) was the youngest child of Baháʼí Faith founder Baháʼu'lláh and his wife Ásíyih Khánum. He was given the title ''G͟husn-i-Athar'' ("Purest Branch" or "Purer Branch").The elative is a st ...
and
Mírzá Muhammad ʻAlí, his secretary Mirza Aqa Jan and some others, and stayed there for eleven days.
After his arrival in the garden, Baháʼu'lláh announced his mission and station for the first time to a small group of family and friends. The exact nature and details of Baháʼu'lláh's declaration are unknown.
Bahíyyih Khánum is reported to have said that Baháʼu'lláh stated his claim to his son
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian: , 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás ( fa, عباس), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh and served as head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 until 1921. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was later canonized as the ...
and four others. While some Bábís had come to the realization that Baháʼu'lláh was claiming to be the Promised One through the many remarks and allusions that he had made during his final few months in Baghdad, it appears that most other Bábís were unaware of Baháʼu'lláh's claim until a few years later while he was in
Edirne
Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis ( Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders ...
.
For the next eleven days Baháʼu'lláh received visitors including the governor of Baghdad. Baháʼu'lláh's family was not able to join Him until 30 April, the ninth day, since the river had risen and made travel to the garden difficult though lasting only nine days was a comparatively mild flooding of the river. On the twelfth day of their stay in the garden, Baháʼu'lláh and his family left the garden and started on their journey to Constantinople.
Festival
In the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas
The Kitáb-i-Aqdas (Arabic: The Most Holy Book) is the central religious text of the Baháʼí Faith, written by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the religion, in 1873. Though it is the main source of Baháʼí laws and practices, much of the con ...
, written during 1873, Baháʼu'lláh ordains Ridván as one of two "Most Great Festivals", along with the Declaration of the
Báb
The Báb (b. ʿAlí Muḥammad; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850), was the messianic founder of Bábism, and one of the central figures of the Baháʼí Faith. He was a merchant from Shiraz in Qajar Iran who, in 1844 at the age of 25, claimed ...
. He then specified the first, ninth, and twelfth days to be holy days; these days mark the days of Baháʼu'lláh's arrival, the arrival of his family and their departure from the Ridván garden, respectively.
The Festival of Ridván is observed according to the
Baháʼí calendar
The Badíʻ calendar used in the Baháʼí Faith is a solar calendar consisting of nineteen months and four or five intercalary days, with new year at the moment of Northern spring equinox. Each month is named after a virtue(e.g. Perfection, Mercy ...
, and begins on the thirty-second day of the Baháʼí year, which falls on 20 or 21 April. The festival properly starts at two hours before sunset on that day, which symbolises the time that Baháʼu'lláh entered the garden. On the first, ninth, and twelfth days, which are
Baháʼí Holy Days
The Baháʼí Faith has eleven holy days, which are important anniversaries in the history of the religion. On nine of these holy days, work is suspended. There is no fixed format for any of the holy days, and Baháʼí communities organize their ...
, work is prohibited. Currently, the three holy days are usually observed with a community gathering where prayers are shared, followed by a celebration.
Significance
The time that Baháʼu'lláh spent at the Garden of Ridván in April 1863, and the associated festival and celebration, has a very large significance for Baháʼís. Baháʼu'lláh calls it one of two "Most Great Festivals" and describes the first day as "the Day of supreme felicity" and he then describes the Garden of Ridvan as "the Spot from which He shed upon the whole of creation the splendours of his Name, the All-Merciful".
The festival is significant because of Baháʼu'lláh's private declaration to a few followers that he was "Him Whom God shall make manifest" and a
Manifestation of God, and thus it forms the beginning point of the
Baháʼí Faith
The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...
, as distinct from the Babi religion. It is also significant because Baháʼu'lláh left his
house in Baghdad, which he designated the "Most Great House", to enter the Garden of Ridván. Baháʼu'lláh compares this move from the Most Great House to the Garden of Ridván to
Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the mon ...
's
travel from Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow v ...
to
Medina
Medina,, ', "the radiant city"; or , ', (), "the city" officially Al Madinah Al Munawwarah (, , Turkish: Medine-i Münevvere) and also commonly simplified as Madīnah or Madinah (, ), is the Holiest sites in Islam, second-holiest city in Islam, ...
.
Furthermore, during Baháʼu'lláh's first day in the garden, he made three further announcements: (1) abrogating
religious war
A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to ...
, which was permitted under certain conditions in
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
and the Bábí faith; (2) that there would not be
another Manifestation of God for another 1,000 years; and (3) that all the
names of God were fully manifest in all things.
These statements appear in a text written some years after 1863, which has been included in the compilation ''
Days of Remembrance
''Days of Remembrance'' is a book containing authorized English translations of writings of Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Baháʼí Faith related to nine Baháʼí Holy Days, namely Naw-Rúz, Ridván, Declaration of the Báb, Ascension of Bah ...
'' (section 9). Nader Saiedi states that these three principles are "affirmed, expounded, and institutionalized" in Baháʼu'lláh's ''
Kitab-i-Aqdas'', which was completed in 1873.
Related texts
Throughout his life, Baháʼu'lláh wrote several
tablets and prayers on the occasion of Ridván, among which are the following.
* ''Húr-i-ʻUjáb'' (''Tablet of the
Wondrous Maiden'')
* ''Lawh-i-ʻÁshiq va Maʻshúq'' (''Tablet of the Lover and the Beloved'')
* ''Súriy-i-Qalam'' (''Súrih of the Pen'')
These and several others are published in the volume titled ''
Days of Remembrance
''Days of Remembrance'' is a book containing authorized English translations of writings of Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Baháʼí Faith related to nine Baháʼí Holy Days, namely Naw-Rúz, Ridván, Declaration of the Báb, Ascension of Bah ...
''
Baháʼí elections
The Ridván period is also the time when
Baháʼí elections for the local and national
Spiritual Assemblies take place every year, as well as the election of the
Universal House of Justice
The Universal House of Justice ( fa, بیتالعدل اعظم) is the nine-member supreme ruling body of the Baháʼí Faith. It was envisioned by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, as an institution that could legislate ...
, every five years.
Ridván messages
Annually, during Ridván, the Universal House of Justice sends a 'Ridván message' to the worldwide Baháʼí community,
which generally looks back on the previous year, and provides further guidance for the coming year.
[All Ridván messages can be found a]
Bahai.org
an
Bahaiprayers.net/Ridvan
(multi-lingual).
See also
*
Garden of Ridván, Akka
Notes and citations
Notes
Citations
References
*
*
*
Further reading
*
Baháʼí World Centre
The Baháʼí World Centre is the name given to the spiritual and administrative centre of the Baháʼí Faith, representing sites in or near the cities of Acre and Haifa, Israel.
Much of the international governance and coordination of th ...
(2017). ''
Days of Remembrance – Selections from the Writings of Baháʼu'lláh for Baháʼí Holy Days.''
Related documents on Baháʼí Library Online
External links
A compendium on Ridván
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridvan
Bahá'í holy days
April observances
May observances