Baha’i morning prayer is a daily practice of turning to God at dawn with gratitude, contemplation, and spiritual anticipation. Baha’u’llah urged believers to commune with God at the beginning of each day, while the Baha’i writings describe dawn not only as the quiet period around sunrise but also as a symbol of renewal, revelation, and the awakening of humanity.
For Baha’is, dawn prayer can be offered during the earliest light of day, between dawn and sunrise, or even up to two hours after sunrise. It may be said individually or shared with others, using prayers written by Baha’u’llah, Abdu’l-Baha, and other figures of the Baha’i Faith.
A Baha’i Prayer for the Morning
“I have awakened in Thy shelter, O my God, and it becometh him that seeketh that shelter to abide within the sanctuary of Thy protection and the Stronghold of Thy defence. Illumine my inner being, O my Lord, with the splendours of the Day-Spring of Thy Revelation, even as Thou didst illumine my outer being with the morning light of Thy favour.”- Bahá’u’lláh
This prayer turns the first moments of the day into an act of spiritual orientation. It asks for protection, inner illumination, and the ability to reflect the light of divine revelation inwardly, just as the morning light illuminates the visible world.
Why Baha’is Pray at Dawn
Praying in the early morning, at the quiet and meditative dawn, has a special power and significance for Baha’is. At the dawn of every day he should commune with God, and, with all his soul, persevere in the quest of his Beloved.
Ponder ye in your hearts the grace and the blessings of God and render thanks unto Him at eventide and at dawn.
As the sun climbs over the eastern horizon, Baha’is all over the world say dawn prayers, greeting the new day with joy, contemplation, and spiritual anticipation.
Beginning the Day with Gratitude
The first purpose of morning prayer is to acknowledge the Creator and give thanks for the blessings of life. Dawn offers a natural moment to pause before the demands of the day begin, recognize divine grace, and consciously direct the heart toward God.
Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening. - Mahatma Gandhi
Pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
A Quiet Time for Reflection
Dawn - that hour of renewal, the springtime of each day - has the power to refresh our souls. The stillness of the early morning can provide a calm setting for prayer, meditation, and thoughtful openness.
Calming, centering and consciousness-raising, it gives us a quiet, meditative period of reflection and thoughtful openness we simply wouldn’t have otherwise.
No matter which Faith you espouse-or even if you have no Faith-a time set aside for meditative reflection and prayer each day can have enormous physical, mental, psychological and spiritual benefits.
When Is Dawn for Baha’i Morning Prayer?
Dawn, usually limited to that brief moment when the first light of the new day appears in the sky, has a wider definition for Baha’is - in his Most Holy Book Baha’u’llah defined the time for dawn prayers as “the earliest dawn of day, between dawn and sunrise, or even up to two hours after sunrise.”
From a Baha’i perspective, then, dawn represents that time each early morning both before, during, and after the sunrise, when the day is new.
| Time | Meaning in the Baha’i practice |
|---|---|
| The earliest dawn of day | A suitable time for morning prayer |
| Between dawn and sunrise | The central period traditionally associated with dawn prayer |
| Up to two hours after sunrise | Also included in Baha’u’llah’s definition of the time for dawn prayers |
This understanding makes morning prayer accessible even when a person cannot pray at the exact instant of sunrise. The essential practice is to turn toward God during the new beginning of the day.
A Dawn Prayer from the Baha’i Writings
He is the Compassionate, the All-Bountiful! O God, my God! Thou seest me, Thou knowest me; Thou art my Haven and my Refuge. None have I sought nor any will I seek save Thee; no path have I trodden nor any will I tread but the path of Thy love.
In the darksome night of despair, my eye turneth expectant and full of hope to the morn of Thy boundless favor and at the hour of dawn my drooping soul is refreshed and strengthened in remembrance of Thy beauty and perfection.
He whom the grace of Thy mercy aideth, though he be but a drop, shall become the boundless ocean, and the merest atom which the outpouring of Thy loving-kindness assisteth, shall shine even as the radiant star.
Shelter under Thy protection, O Thou Spirit of purity, Thou Whom art the All-Bountiful Provider, this enthralled, enkindled servant of Thine. Aid him in this world of being to remain steadfast and firm in Thy love and grant that this broken-winged bird attain a refuge and shelter in Thy divine nest that abideth upon the celestial tree.
This prayer presents dawn as a transition from darkness to renewed hope. The soul turns toward divine mercy, asks for protection and steadfastness, and seeks the strength to remain firm in love.
The Spiritual Meaning of Morning Prayer
The symbolic meaning of the dawn recounted throughout the Baha’i writings alludes to the daybreak of a revolutionary period in human history - the coming of a new messenger from the Creator, signaling the advent of a new era, a new revelation, and a newly-awakened humanity.
In this sense, morning prayer is more than a personal request for help during the coming day. It connects the ordinary sunrise with the spiritual renewal brought by divine revelation and with humanity’s continuing process of awakening.
The Dawn of a New Era
God leaves not His children comfortless, but, when the darkness of winter overshadows them, then again He sends His Messengers, the Prophets, with a renewal of the blessed spring. The Sun of Truth appears again on the horizon of the world shining into the eyes of those who sleep, awaking them to behold the glory of a new dawn.
Then again will the tree of humanity blossom and bring forth the fruit of righteousness for the healing of the nations.
This strong symbol of the dawning of a fresh future, Abdu’l-Baha said, gives everyone cause for rejoicing:
Lift up your hearts above the present and look with eyes of faith into the future! Today the seed is sown, the grain falls upon the earth, but behold the day will come when it shall rise a glorious tree and the branches thereof shall be laden with fruit.
Rejoice and be glad that this day has dawned, try to realize its power, for it is indeed wonderful! God has crowned you with honour and in your hearts has He set a radiant star; verily the light thereof shall brighten the whole world!
The Sun of Truth
Alluding to that global and spiritual meta-dawn, Baha’u’llah wrote that “Darkness hath been chased away by the dawning light of the mercy of thy Lord, the Source of all light.”
In his mystical treatise The Seven Valleys, Baha’u’llah metaphorically compared each person’s inner being to a mirror, which has the capacity to embody and reflect the dawning Sun of Truth - and illumine our hearts and souls:
O My brother! A pure heart is as a mirror, cleanse it with the burnish of love and severance from all save God, that the true sun may shine therein and the eternal morning dawn.
The image of the mirror suggests that morning prayer is also a process of inner cleansing. The heart becomes more capable of reflecting truth when it is polished through love and turned away from everything that obscures its spiritual vision.
Dawn and Progressive Revelation
The symbolism of the sunrise also expresses the primary Baha’i principle of progressive revelation. Baha’i teachings describe divine truth as one, while recognizing that its manifestations appear through different Messengers and in different historical circumstances.
Sometimes the sun rises from the centre of the horizon, then in summer it rises farther north, in winter farther south - but it is always the self-same sun, however different are the points of its rising.
In like manner truth is one, although its manifestations may be very different.
Some men have eyes and see. These worship the sun, no matter from which point on the horizon it may dawn; and when the sun has left the winter sky to appear in the summer one, they know how to find it again.
Others there are who worship only the spot from which the sun arose, and when it arises in its glory from another place they remain in contemplation before the spot of its former rising. Alas! these men are deprived of the blessings of the sun.
Those who in truth adore the sun itself will recognize it from whatsoever dawning-place it may appear, and will straightway turn their faces towards its radiance.
We must adore the sun itself and not merely the place of its appearance. In the same way men of enlightened heart worship truth on whatever horizon it appears.
They are not bound by personality, but they follow the truth, and are able to recognize it no matter from whence it may come. It is this same truth which helps humanity to progress, which gives life to all created beings, for it is the Tree of Life!
Personal and Shared Morning Prayer
Morning prayer can be a private practice, but shared prayer also has an important place in Baha’i devotional life. On most mornings, my wife Teresa and I say prayers together.
We sit down next to each other on the couch with our Baha’i prayer books, gaze out the window at the beauty of the trees around our house, and quietly read a few of the beautiful supplications to the Creator written by Baha’u’llah and Abdu’l-Baha.
Shared prayer brings us closer together, and allows us to start the day by opening our hearts and souls to inspiration.
We both feel its effects on the days we pray together; and we feel a void when the press and pressure of work or travel or whatever prohibits us from praying together.
The Effect of a Regular Practice
The other day, after our morning prayers had concluded, we both realized how central this daily practice of prayer has become to our lives, and how much we look forward to and love these moments of each day.
More and more, we realize that skipping our morning prayers has a cost-it means that we approach the day with a little less spiritual preparation; with a diminished sense of inner strength; without that time of peace and grace and calmness everyone needs to marshall their forces and prepare for the world’s onslaught.
Research clearly indicates that prayer not only improves your mood, but makes you more forgiving, increases your ability to trust others, maximizes your self-control, and actually offsets the negative health effects of stress.
People who make a habitual daily commitment to pray and meditate increase their awareness, their mindfulness and their own happiness.
Beyond all that, prayer connects you with something greater than yourself, aligning your soul with the mysterious and mystical forces in the universe.
A Prayer for Unity and the Oneness of Humanity
Baha’i morning prayer may also focus on the unity of humanity, the harmony of religions, and the establishment of peace. The following prayer by Abdu’l-Baha asks God to unite people and make the whole earth one home:
O Thou kind Lord! Thou hast created all humanity from the same stock. Thou hast decreed that all shall belong to the same household. In Thy Holy Presence they are all Thy servants, and all mankind are sheltered beneath Thy Tabernacle; all have gathered together at Thy Table of Bounty; all are illumined through the light of Thy Providence.
O God! Thou art kind to all, Thou hast provided for all, dost shelter all, conferrest life upon all. Thou hast endowed each and all with talents and faculties, and all are submerged in the Ocean of Thy Mercy.
O Thou kind Lord! Unite all. Let the religions agree and make the nations one, so that they may see each other as one family and the whole earth as one home. May they all live together in perfect harmony.
O God! Raise aloft the banner of the oneness of mankind. O God! Establish the Most Great Peace. Cement Thou, O God, the hearts together.
O Thou kind Father, God! Gladden our hearts through the fragrance of Thy love. Brighten our eyes through the Light of Thy Guidance. Delight our ears with the melody of Thy Word, and shelter us all in the Stronghold of Thy Providence.
Thou art the Mighty and Powerful, Thou art the Forgiving and Thou art the One Who overlooketh the shortcomings of all mankind. - Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i Prayers, pp. 101-102.
How to Begin a Baha’i Morning Prayer Practice
A person beginning this practice can choose a quiet moment in the early morning, read a prayer from the Baha’i writings, and allow time for reflection. The practice may be simple, consistent, and adapted to the circumstances of the day.
- Set aside a quiet period during the earliest dawn, between dawn and sunrise, or up to two hours after sunrise.
- Read a prayer written by Baha’u’llah or Abdu’l-Baha.
- Begin the day with gratitude for God’s grace and blessings.
- Ask for protection, inner illumination, steadfastness, and guidance.
- Reflect on the spiritual meaning of renewal and the dawning of a new day.
- Pray individually or share prayers with family and friends.
Personally, I never skip dawn prayers now if I can help it - they’ve become an important part of my life, because they help me set the course of each day on a spiritual path.
At that still sacred moment of the morning when the sun rises, I love to turn to my Maker and offer my prayers. No day seems complete without that time of contemplation, gratitude, and love.
If this spiritual practice of dawn prayers is new to you, give it a try for a few mornings, and see if it changes your outlook - and your life - like it has mine.