Bahá'í ring

Ring of the Greatest Name to be worn on the small finger of the right hand

"The giving .... the ring {Ring having stone of this design:} of the Greatest Name is very beautiful. The ring should be worn on the small finger of the right hand. "

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Tablets of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Abbás, p. 178)

Significance of the symbol

"(As to the significance of the inscription upon the Bahá’í ring): The Inscription is composed of two “Bá” and of four “Há.” The explanation of “Há” has been written in the commentary upon “Bism’illáh, al-rahmán, al-rahím”; it is very detailed, and not suitable for this letter: you must refer to the commentary.

"The repetition of the “Bá” refers to the Invisibility and to the Presence.

"With regard to the four “Há” which are the four columns of the Temple of Unity, their perfect number is ten: one plus one equals two; two plus one equals three; three plus three equals six; six plus four equals ten, and ten with this signification is found in the Qur’án, where it is said: “And we have made it (or him) perfect in the figure ten.” Furthermore, “Ha” has the value of five, and there “Há” is the Divine Essence and Reality. That is clear and visible for the number five, which is the number of the Báb.

"It is because of this that upon the stone of the noble ring, the “Bá” has been combined with the “Há” and in the same way the Greatest Name appears in the inscription, for the number is nine. If you multiply nine, which is the number of Bahá, with that of the Báb, which is five, that makes nine times five or forty-five. And in the same way if you multiply five, which is the number of the Báb, with nine, which is the number of Bahá, that makes forty-five, and this number is equal to the number of Adam. Similarly, if you add together the units of nine, that also makes forty-five. If now you add together the units of the number of the Báb, that makes fifteen, which is equal to the number of Eve, and is in conformity with the Hadith: “I and ‘Alí, we are the Father and Mother of this people.”

"“Adam” signifies the overflowing Reality, distributive, active, which represents the appearance of the Names and Qualities of God, the Divine conditions (or stations); whereas Eve is the passive Reality, taking, dependent, receptive, existing through the Divine Names and Qualities. Briefly, such are the least of the mysteries of the composition of the Greatest Name upon the stone of the Divine ring.

"Observe also that the three planes represent the world of God, the World of Command, and the World of Creation, which are the sources of the signs. The world of God is the source of Glorious Bounty; the world of Command is the pure and luminous Mirror which depends upon the Sun of Truth; and the world of Creation is the source of the acquisition of Lights which is due to the Supreme Conjunction: To take from God; to give to the creatures.

"In brief: the true “Bá,” which is the universal Reality, once descended and distributed into the third degree from the Supreme Grade, to the inferior creatures, becomes the collector and creator of all the worlds.

"Upon the horizon of Eternal Glory two luminous stars have arisen in brilliance: one to the right and one to the left. This supreme mystery is the two diagrams placed to the right and to the left of the Greatest Name upon the stone of the noble ring: this is the mystery of the appearance of the Beauty of ‘Abhá and of the Supreme Highness (the Báb). And though these two diagrams at the right and the left have the form of stars, they also represent the body of man, with the head, the two arms and the two legs, since this diagram has five points."

(Bahá'í Scriptures, no. 914 (p. 479))

No magical power, but it is a reminder against selfish or hasty actions

"Someone wished to know if it were a good custom to wear a symbol, as, for instance, a cross. He said: "You wear the cross for remembrance, it concentrates your thoughts; it has no magical power. Bahá'ís often wear a stone with the greatest name engraved on it: there is no magical influence in the stone; it is a reminder, and companion. If you are about to do some selfish or hasty action, and your glance falls on the ring on your hand, you will remember and change your intention."

(Attributed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá, 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London, "Symbols", pp. 93-94)

From Lights of Guidance (to categorize)

(See also from Lights of Guidance: Nos. 901 and 903))

Ringstone Emblem is Form of the Greatest Name--Use of on Jewelry

"In reply to your letter of November 2nd about the use of the Greatest Name on brooches and other decorations, we quote below the text of a letter which we wrote on this subject in 1964 to another National Spiritual Assembly:

'The ring-stone emblem is one form of the Greatest Name. While the beloved Guardian has called attention to the sacredness of the Greatest Name, and has asked that it should always be placed in a dignified position, we do not find any instruction absolutely prohibiting the use of symbols of the Greatest Name on any particular item such as jewelry, books or pamphlets.

'We feel that the friends should exercise the greatest discrimination and good taste in its use'."

(From a letter of the Universal House of Justice to the National Spiritual Assembly of the British Isles, November 15, 1967, in Lights of Guidance, no. 907)

Bahá'ís Not Required to Wear Ringstone

"It was kind of you to think of making pins for the Bahá'ís; but he feels that this is too much like clubs and other organizations. Indeed the Bahá'ís do not even have to wear a Bahá'í ring-stone unless they care to do so. He thinks it is better not to add any other means of identification."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 22, 1956, in Lights of Guidance, no. 908)

Ringstone Inscription Explained

"The inscription upon the Bahá'í ringstone is the symbol of the Greatest Name, Baha, who is the Manifestation of the essence of God. It is also symbolic of the three planes representing the World of God, the World of Revelation and the World of Creation."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, February 28, 1938, in Lights of Guidance, no. 909)

The Significance of the Stars

"Upon the horizon of Eternal Glory two luminous stars have arisen in brilliance: one to the right and one to the left ... this is the mystery of the appearance of the Beauty of Abha and of the Supreme Highness (the Bab). And though these two diagrams at the right and the left have the form of stars, they also represent the body of man, with the head, the two arms and the two legs, since this diagram has five points."

('Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahá'í Scriptures, p. 479, 1923 ed., in Lights of Guidance, no. 910)

Greatest Name--An Invocation

"He also wishes me to inform you that the symbol of the Greatest Name represents an invocation which can be translated either as 'O Glory of Glories' or 'O Glory of the All-Glorious'. The word glory used in this connection is a translation of the Arabic term 'Baha', the name of Bahá'u'lláh."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, April 28, 1935: Bahá'í News, No. 93, p. 1, July 1935, in Lights of Guidance, no. 911)