In a Garden of Paradise, the Bahá’í Faith Takes Root

Map of Baha'u'llah's exile

What makes the Festival of Ridván, celebrated April 21 to May 2, the holiest of days for Bahá’ís? It commemorates the anniversary of Bahá’u’lláh’s declaration in 1863 that He was the Promised One of all earlier religions.

Up to this point, Bahá’u’lláh, who was born into a noble Persian family in 1817, had dedicated His life to improving the world and helping others. He became one of the foremost followers of the Báb (the Gate), for which He was imprisoned, tortured and banished from His native land.

After spending 10 years in exile in Baghdad, Bahá’u’lláh was ordered to Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) for another period of exile. Before leaving Baghdad, He spent 12 days in a garden on the banks of the Tigris River. The garden later was named Ridván, meaning “Paradise” or “good pleasure” in Arabic. As His followers gathered around Him, Baha’u’llah announced that He was the Promised One of all earlier religions — “Him Whom God shall make manifest.” His declaration marks the beginning of the Baha’i Faith.

“Surely there could be no greater bliss than to stand in this spot, at this Hour, with the Promised One of God!” author, Druzelle Cederquist, writes on her Luminous Realities blog.

Bahá’ís suspend work on the holiest days of Ridván – the first, ninth, and twelfth. These mark the day of Baha’u'llah’s arrival in the garden, the arrival of His family, and the group’s departure for Constantinople.

Throughout Ridván, Bahá’ís gather for devotions and attend social gatherings. It is also during this time that elections take place for Bahá’í governing bodies. Bahá’ís annually elect members of local and national administrative bodies, called Spiritual Assemblies. Bahá’u’lláh taught that with education, there was no longer a need for a special class of clergy. Instead, he provided a framework for administering the affairs of the Faith through a system of elected councils at the local, national and international levels. All Bahá’í elections occur through secret ballot and plurality vote, without candidacies, nominations or campaigning.

Some content reprinted with permission from the Bahá’ís of the United States.

Note that the dates Holy Days are observed may vary slightly each year.