“Recite the Greatest Name at every morn, and turn thou unto the Kingdom of Abhá, until thou mayest apprehend my mysteries.”
— `Abdu'l-Bahá (Tablets of Abdu'l-Baha v3, p. 674)
Photo credit: Farid Bidardel (instagram: @faridbidardel)
*All photos were generously donated to the Bicentenary Meditation Project. Click on the photo for more of Farid Bidardel’s work
Significance of Repeating
The Greatest Name: Alláh-u-Abhá
“`Abdu'l-Bahá teaches how the practice of invocation or repetition of “The Greatest Name” (Alláh-u-Abhá, God is Most Glorious) leads to union with God, illumination and spiritual rebirth. The use of invocation is well developed among the mystics of Islam, the Sufis. The repetition of sacred phrases is called dhikr (promounced zikr, meaning remembrance). This spiritual practice of invocation is praised by `Abdu'l-Bahá. He encourages spiritual seekers to “recite the Greatest Name at every morn, and (to) turn…unto the kingdom of Abhá, until though mayest apprehend the mysteries.
Through the invocation fo the Greatest Name, `Abdu'l-Bahá maintains that “the doors of the kingdom of God open, illumination is vouchsafed and divine union results…The use of the Greatest Name, and dependence upon it, causes the soul to strip itself of the husks of morality and to step forth freed, reborn, a new creature.”
`Abdu'l-Bahá encourages the use of the sacred phrase Alláh-u-Abhá as a focus for invocation: “The Greatest Name should be found upon the lips in the first awakening moment of early dawn. It should be fed upon by constant use in daily invocation, in trouble, under opposition, and should be the last word breathed when the head rests upon the pillow at night. It is the name of comfort, protection, happiness, illumination, love and unity. “
Pages 57-58 from the Book, Wisdom of the Masters: The Spiritual Teachings of `Abdu'l-Bahá, References 54-56 (The reference in the back of the book is below if you would like further details)
“The Greatest Name, Symbol of the Cause”, Baha’i News (Oct 1964), p. 2. Also see Steven Scholl, “The Remembrance of God: An invocation Technique in Sufiism and the Writings of the Bas and Baha’u’llah, “ Baha’i Studies Bulletin (1985).
“Alláh-u-Abhá” is an Arabic phrase meaning “God the All-Glorious.” It is a form of the Greatest Name of God (see note 137). In Islám there is a tradition that among the many names of God, one was the greatest; however, the identity of this Greatest Name was hidden. Bahá’u’lláh has confirmed that the Greatest Name is “Bahá.”
The various derivatives of the word “Bahá” are also regarded as the Greatest Name. Shoghi Effendi’s secretary writing on his behalf explains that
“The Greatest Name is the Name of Bahá’u’lláh. “Yá Bahá’u’l-Abhá” is an invocation meaning: “O Thou Glory of Glories!” “Alláh-u-Abhá” is a greeting which means: “God the All-Glorious.” Both refer to Bahá’u’lláh. By Greatest Name is meant that Bahá’u’lláh has appeared in God’s Greatest Name, in other words, that He is the supreme Manifestation of God. “
The greeting “Alláh-u-Abhá” was adopted during the period of Bahá’u’lláh’s exile in Adrianople.
The repetition of “Alláh-u-Abhá” ninety-five times is to be preceded by the performance of ablutions (see note 34).”
Alláh-u-Abhá also appears in the Prayer for the Dead as indicated in Note 11 from the The Kitáb-i-Aqdas,
“The passages that form part of the Prayer for the Dead comprise the repetition of the greeting “Alláh-u-Abhá” (God is the All-Glorious) six times, each followed by nineteen repetitions of one of six specifically revealed verses.”
If you would like to learn more about the Symbol of the Greatest Name itself, click here to be directed to a detailed explanation by Hand of the Cause Abu'l-Qasim Faizi.
What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra is a form of a meditative yogic sleep technique.
According to the 8 Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga, it is considered under the umbrella of Step 5, Pratyahara, the type of meditation that focuses on withdrawal of the physical senses.
It is said that 20 minutes of Yoga Nidra meditation is considered to make up for 2 —3 hours of sleep, bringing one into a very relaxed state, in between consciousness and unconsciousness, awake and asleep.
The Alláh-u-Abhá Yoga Nidra meditation repeats the sacred phrase of Alláh-u-Abhá on each part of the body, as a form of remembrance, protection and symbolic spiritual union with Baha’u’llah. It was inspired to remove all forms of a false sense of self, and for there to remain in the body, only the vibrational sound of The Greatest Name - therefore union with Baha’u’llah through the sacred phrase of Alláh-u-Abhá .
Alláh-u-Abhá Yoga Nidra Meditation Script
The Bicentenary Meditation Project is a community karma-yoga-celebratory project and resource bank, which provides free meditations and their corresponding meditation-scripts based off of the Sacred Writings and Teachings of The Bab & Baha’u’llah for world-wide dissemination and use.
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DOWNLOAD NORWEGIAN ALLAH’U’ABHA YOGA NIDRA MEDITATION SCRIPT
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