Recommended Beginnings: Books and Apps

The Baha'is

This magazine-style publication is a concise and clear introduction to the different aspects of the Baha'i Faith. Religion in an ever-advancing civilization, one human family, the dawn of the new day and belief in action are some of the chapter names. For me, these readings clarified the basic structure of this extraordinarily deep faith. If you click on the image above, it will take you to the page where you can purchase a printed copy of your own for under $5, or a free download. This link will allow you to browse through the publication spread by spread.

Excerpted from The Baha'is, a publication of the Baha'i International Community

The Hidden Words, and Selected Writings of Baha'u'llah

"Whether you call yourself Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, "new age" or Agnostic, you are invited to read these meditations with an open heart and mind, and ask yourselfif you don't, indeed, hear the Voice of the One true God. this is not the Voice of division and damnation. It is the Voice of love and. unity. It is the same voice that spoke to humanity in the Psalms and the Sermon on the Mount. It is a renewal, not a replacement. of the Word of God that leads us back to reunion with Him." —an invitation at the beginning of the Hidden words

A collection of lyrical, gem-like verses of scripture that convey timeless spiritual wisdom "clothed in the garment of brevity," The Hidden Words is one of the most important and cherished scriptural works of the Baha'i Faith. Revealed by Baha'u'llah, the founder of the religion, the verses are a perfect guidebook to walking a spiritual path and drawing closer to God. They address themes such as turning to God, humility, detachment, and love, to name but a few. These verses are among Baha'u'llah's earliest and best known works, having been translated into more than seventy languages and read by millions worldwide. This edition will offer many readers their first introduction to the vast collection of Baha'i scripture.

—Amazon

The Baha'i Faith: A Guide for the Perplexed, by Robert Stockman

The Bahá'í Faith: A Guide for the Perplexed explores the utopian vision of the Bahá'í Faith including its principles for personal spiritual transformation and for the construction of spiritualized marriages, families, Bahá'í communities, and, ultimately, a spiritual world civilization.

Aimed at students seeking a thorough understanding of this increasingly studied religion, this book is the ideal companion to studying and understanding the Bahá'í Faith, its teachings and the history of its development.

—Amazon, Good Reads, and Barnes and Noble

For me, this book clarified all kinds of little nagging disconnects in my head: what is the difference between the universal house of justice and the national spiritual assembly? How, exactly, does the Baha'i Administrative Order work? What is the difference between the Greater and Lesser Covenants? The answers are all contained in this easy-to-read expository book on a most complex religion. I recommend it to every new Baha'i.

My personal favorite apps

Dawn

This app provides a daily prayer, a compass so you know when you are facing East to pray, a counter for the daily 95 Alláh-u-Abhás, a library of the daily verses, the Obligatory Prayers, and an alarm you can set to remind you to pray. The opening screen displays a new reading for each day, many that I haven't come across in my own studies.

Baha'i Prayers

This portable prayer book is a powerhouse that I keep by my computer for Zoom meetings when the leader asks if someone will read a prayer. My technique is to open the book at random and read the prayer I look at first. It is a remarkably accurate method of prayer choice.

Spotify

You can find a lot of Baha'i music and podcasts on Spotify. I recommend the Long Healing Prayer by Elika Mahony for a time when you need to pray for healing for yourself or someone else. My younggest grandson was born with lung congestion, and one early morning I held him and listened to his ragged breathing, I played this prayer. I could almost feel it working as I prayed. The next day his parents evacuated his nostrils and the clog was removed, and my baby grandson could breathe freely.