The Kitáb-i-Aqdas
Notes
in by the
Universal House of Justice. Among these are a number of matters affecting the
Bahá’í calendar. The
Guardian has stated that the implementation, worldwide, of the law concerning the timing of
Naw-Rúz will require the choice of a particular spot on earth which will serve as the standard for the fixing of the time of the spring equinox. He also indicated that the choice of this spot has been left to the decision of the Universal House of Justice.
127.Let the days in excess of the months be placed before the month of fasting.
¶16
The Badí‘ calendar is based on the solar year of 365 days, 5 hours, and 50 odd minutes. The year consists of 19 months of 19 days each (i.e. 361 days), with the addition of four extra days (five in a leap year).
The Báb did not specifically define the place for the
intercalary days in the new calendar. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas resolves this question by assigning the “excess” days a fixed position in the calendar immediately preceding the month of ‘Alá, the period of
fasting. For further details see the section on the Bahá’í calendar in
The Bahá’í World, volume XVIII.
28.We have ordained that these ... shall be the manifestations of the letter Há
¶16
Known as the
Ayyám-i-Há (the Days of
Há), the Intercalary Days have the distinction of being associated with “
the letter Há”. The abjad numerical value of this Arabic letter is five, which corresponds to the potential number of intercalary days.
The letter “Há” has been given several spiritual meanings in the Holy Writings, among which is as a symbol of the Essence of God.
29.these days of giving that precede the season of restraint
¶16
Bahá’u’lláh enjoined upon His followers to devote these days to feasting, rejoicing and charity. In a letter written on
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