On March 21st, the Tshwane Baha’i community will join the Bahá’ís all around the world to celebrate Naw-Ruz – the beginning of their new year.
Naw-Ruz, which means “new day”, coincides with Human Rights Day. The concept of human rights is closely related to the principle of the oneness of humanity – a basic teaching of the Bahá’í Faith. The principle of the oneness of humankind is the pivot around which all the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith revolve.
The oneness of humanity does not imply uniformity. The Bahá’í Writings affirm the principle of ‘unity in diversity’ – on which depends our well-being, peace and security. Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, asserts that: “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established”.
“So powerful is the light of unity is His further testimony that it can illuminate the whole earth.”
Implementing the principle of the oneness of humanity, achieving unity in diversity, and application of human rights for everyone, require fundamental changes in all aspects of our behaviour: individual, interpersonal, corporate, and international and by overcoming all kinds of prejudice – racial, national, religious, gender-based, of class or creed.
The Bahá’í Faith has a new calendar – based on the solar year. The year is divided into 19 months of 19 days each month. Four intercalary days are added (and in the leap years a fifth day) to make up the year. The months are named after some of the attributes of God such as might, glory and grandeur. The Bahá’í calendar dates its years from 1844, which marks the beginning of the Bahá’í Era. This year is 179 B.E. (Bahá’í Era).
The Bahá’í Faith is the second-most widespread religion in its geographic reach and is among the fastest-growing world religions. Bahá’u’lláh taught that there is only one God, that there is only one human race, and that all the world’s religions have been progressive stages in the revelation of God’s will and purpose for humanity.
Naw-Ruz coincides with the vernal (spring) equinox in the northern hemisphere, the first day of spring. It is the time of freshness and renewal in nature. It is also symbolic of the periodic renewal of the religion of God – the coming of the spiritual spring.
As the Bahá’í Writings state: “At the time of the vernal equinox in the material world, a wonderful vibrant energy and new life-quickening is observed everywhere in the vegetable kingdom; the animal and human kingdoms are resuscitated and move forward with a new impulse. Likewise, the spiritual bounty and springtime of God quicken the world of humanity with a new animus and vivification. All the virtues which have been deposited and potential in human hearts are being revealed from that Reality as flowers and blossoms from divine gardens. It is a day of joy, a time of happiness, a period of spiritual growth”.
For feedback please contact: tshwane@bahai.org.za; or call 083 794 0819
Websites: www.bahai.org, www.bahai.org.za
