Direction of thoughts during prayer

One may turn in prayer to God, the Manifestation, the Master, the Guardian, if clear on stations, but best to ask through Manifestation

We may turn in prayer to God, the Manifestation, 'Abdu'l-Baha, or the Guardian if we don't confuse their stations

"…we must not be rigid about praying; there is not a set of rules governing it; the main thing is we must start out with the right concept of God, the Manifestation, the Master, the Guardian—we can turn, in thought, to any one of them when we pray. For instance, you can ask Bahá’u’lláh for something, or, thinking of Him, ask God for it. The same is true of the Master or the Guardian. You can turn in thought to either of them and then ask their intercession, or pray direct to God. As long as you don't confuse their stations, and make them all equal, it does not matter much how you orient your thoughts."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, July 24, 1946, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1486)

Prayer to God vs. Manifestation

One may turn directly to Bahá'u'lláh (though realizing He is not God), or preferably to God through Bahá'u'lláh

Turn to Manifestation

"While praying it would be better to turn one's thoughts to the Manifestation as He continues, in the other world, to be our means of contact with the Almighty. We can, however, pray directly to God Himself."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of India, April 27, 1937: Dawn of a New Day, p. 67, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1488)

Praying to Bahá'u'lláh

"You have asked whether our prayers go beyond Bahá'u'lláh: It all depends whether we pray to Him directly or through Him to God. We may do both, and also can pray directly to God, but our prayers would certainly be more effective and illuminating if they are addressed to Him through His Manifestation, Bahá'u'lláh.

"Under no circumstances, however, can we, while repeating the prayers, insert the name Bahá'u'lláh where the word 'God' is used. This would be tantamount to a blasphemy."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, October 14, 1937, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1489)

Praying to Bahá'u'lláh--As the Door

"We cannot know God directly, but only through His Prophets. We can pray to Him realizing that through His Prophets we know Him, or we can address our prayer in thought to Bahá'u'lláh, not as God, but as the Door to our knowing God."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer: High Endeavors: Messages to Alaska, p. 71, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1490 and no. 1699)

"We pray to God, or to Bahá'u'lláh, as we please."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, August 22, 1947, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1491)

Bahá'u'lláh is Not God--But Through Him We Can Know God

"As regards your question: Bahá'u'lláh is, of course, not God and not the Creator; but through Him we can know God, and because of this position of Divine Intermediary, in a sense, He (or the other Prophets) is all we can ever know of that Infinite Essence which is God. Therefore, we address ourselves in prayer and thought to Him, or through Him to that Infinite Essence behind and beyond Him."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, June 4, 1951, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1553)

May turn toward Bahá'u'lláh's Shrine in prayer, if recognizing His station as a Manifestation (and not God)

Turning Toward the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Prayer

"In prayer the believers can turn their consciousness toward the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, provided that in doing so they have a clear and correct understanding of His station as a Manifestation of God."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, November 15, 1935, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1492)

See also

• Portrait of Bahá'u'lláh (regarding seeing His likeness better than imagination)

Prayers through 'Abdu'l-Baha

One may visualize 'Abdu'l-Bahá if necessary to address Bahá'u'lláh, but best to think of Manifestation's qualities free of a mental form

"If you find you need to visualize someone when you pray, think of the Master. Through Him you can address Bahá'u'lláh. Gradually try to think of the qualities of the Manifestation, and in that way a mental form will fade out, for after all the body is not the thing, His Spirit is there and is the essential, everlasting element."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, January 31, 1949, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1493)

Supplications may be addressed to 'Abdu'l-Bahá if one realizes He is an intermediary between himself and the Manifestation

"With reference to ... the Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, he wishes me to explain that although 'Abdu'l-Bahá's station is not that of a Manifestation of God, nevertheless supplications may be addressed to Him. It is essential, however, that every believer should realize that while doing so he is directing his thoughts toward the Master as an intermediary between him and the Manifestation, and not as the Source of Divine Revelation and Spiritual Guidance. Provided this distinction is clearly established, there can be no harm or objection in addressing prayers to 'Abdu'l-Bahá."

(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Directives from the Guardian, p. 18)

Prayers with the Guardian in mind

We May Turn to the Guardian in Prayer, But Should Not Confuse His Station with that of a Prophet or even 'Abdu'l-Bahá

"We pray to God, or to Bahá'u'lláh, as we please. But if in our thoughts we desire to turn to the Guardian first and then address our prayer, there is no objection, as long as we always bear in mind he is only the Guardian, and do not confuse his station with that of the Prophet or even of the Master."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, August 22, 1947, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1491)

Not to pray to the Guardian as with `Abdu'l-Bahá

"Though overshadowed by the unfailing, the unerring protection of Bahá'u'lláh and of the Báb, and however much he may share with `Abdu'l-Bahá the right and obligation to interpret the Bahá'í teachings, he remains essentially human and cannot, if he wishes to remain faithful to his trust, arrogate to himself, under any pretense whatsoever, the rights, the privileges and prerogatives which Bahá'u'lláh has chosen to confer upon His Son. In the light of this truth to pray to the Guardian of the Faith, to address him as lord and master, to designate him as his holiness, to seek his benediction, to celebrate his birthday, or to commemorate any event associated with his life would be tantamount to a departure from those established truths that are enshrined within our beloved Faith."

(Shoghi Effendi, World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 151)

Prayer communing with the Holy Family

One may wish to commune with the spirits of the Holy Family due to their virtue and pre-eminent lineage

"For such as might undertake, in the days to come, the meritorious and highly enviable pilgrimage to these blessed shrines {of the Greatest Holy Leaf and her brother and mother}, as well as for the benefit of the less privileged who, aware of the greatness of their virtue and the pre-eminence of their lineage, desire to commune with their spirits, and to strive to acquire an added insight into the glory of their position, and to follow in their footsteps, let these testimonies written by Bahá'u'lláh and `Abdu'l-Bahá be their inspiration and guidance in their noble quest:..."

(Shoghi Effendi, Messages to America, p. 33; also in later publication, This Decisive Hour, sec. 64.8)

See also

• See 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Bahíyyih Khánum (compilation), p. 8

See also

• Intercession