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Posted on July 16, 2014.
Archived from dragfyre's long-running blog, doberman pizza.
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If you know any Bahaâis, chances are youâve seen them using one of three common symbols to indicate their faith. One is the nine-pointed star, which appears in all sorts of places from posters to tombstones. The number nine is significant to BahĂĄâĂs for a few reasons. As the highest single-digit number, itâs seen as a symbol of completeness. It also ties into the ancient art of Arabic numerology, which assigns number values to letters. In this system, the letters of the word BahĂĄâreferring to BahĂĄâuâllĂĄh, the founder of the BahĂĄâĂ Faithâadd up to the number nine.
Another important symbol is a calligraphic symbol designed by âAbduâl-BahĂĄ, which is based on a stylized representation of the word BahĂĄ. The symbolâdubbed the âringstone symbolâ because of its approved use on rings and other kinds of jewelryâconsists of the Arabic letter Ba (?) repeated three times and stacked vertically, with another Ba rotated to form a vertical line connecting three, horizontal lines; the lines at top and bottom sport the letter HĂĄ (??) at both ends. At either side of this symbol are two five-pointed stars.
This symbol is also known as the âteaching symbolâ, because its layout illustrates one of the most important teachings of the BahĂĄâĂ Faith, namely, the relationship of God to humanity. Throughout history, it is said, God has sent His Manifestationsâamong them Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Moses, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, the BĂĄb, BahĂĄâuâllĂĄhâto guide humanity and to make His purpose known to us. It is through these Manifestations that human beings have been, and are able to know God; without them, we would not know God, and would not progress, materially or spiritually. Thus, the three horizontal lines in the ringstone symbol represent three âworldsâ: the top line, the world of God; the bottom, the world of humanity; and the middle, the world of the Manifestations, which is also rotated ninety degrees to link all three worlds together. Finally, the two five-pointed stars on either side represent the Twin Manifestations of God for this Day, the BĂĄb and BahĂĄâuâllĂĄh.
Finally, thereâs the Greatest Name, a calligraphic symbol designed by noted Persian calligrapher MishkĂn-Qalam. It is a rendering of the phrase YĂĄ BahĂĄâuâl-AbhĂĄ (O Glory of the All-Glorious), an invocation derived from the word BahĂĄ, which is regarded as the âGreatest Name of Godâ that completes a major tradition of the Qurâan. Its design is meant to resemble a bird. Since it refers more directly to BahĂĄâuâllĂĄh (the âGlory of Godâ), it is regarded as a particularly sacred symbol for BahĂĄâĂs, and is generally only displayed in a dignified, respectful and limited manner, for example, being given a place of honour on the wall of a BahĂĄâĂ home.
This last symbol is a little more complex than the others, and can be a little difficult to explain and understand, unless you happen to read Arabic and understand a little about Arabic calligraphy. Thus, itâs no surprise to find people wondering how theyâre actually supposed to read the symbol. Some people may even end up ascribing all sorts of meanings to what seems to them to be an alien-looking image. Many years ago, when I was living in QuĂ©bec, I put together a diagram analyzing the symbol of the Greatest Name word-for-word, in response to an individual who was struggling to understand it. I lost the original diagram, but Iâve gone ahead and recreated it here below in animated GIF form for your convenience.
