Reading the Sacred Writings
Daily reading of the sacred writings is prescribed as essential spiritual nourishment, feeding the soul as food feeds the body.
Bahá'u'lláh made the daily reading of the sacred writings obligatory for Bahá'ís. Just as the body requires food, the soul requires spiritual nourishment. Reading the writings morning and evening — with attention and reflection — gradually transforms consciousness, strengthens spiritual qualities, and deepens understanding.
Center your energies in the propagation of the Faith of God. Whoso is worthy of so high a calling, let him arise and promote it.
The prescription of daily scripture reading connects the Bahá'í Faith to Islamic, Jewish, and Christian traditions of sacred reading while giving it a universal scope.
Gleanings
Written about in
- What the Bahá'í Faith says about doubt
Bahá'u'lláh made daily reading of the writings obligatory, morning and evening. The requirement does not pause while you are unsure; the bet is that sustained attention changes understanding over years rather than settling it in one argument.
- What the Bahá'í Faith says about habit and discipline
Bahá'u'lláh made reading the writings obligatory morning and evening, on the explicit analogy that the soul needs feeding as the body does. Note the shape of it: twice daily and brief, rather than one long session a week.