The Fast
The Bahá'í fast — nineteen days of abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset — is a time of spiritual regeneration.
The Bahá'í fast takes place in the month of Ala (March 1-19), the final month of the Bahá'í calendar. During this period, adult Bahá'ís abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. The fast is not primarily physical discipline but spiritual regeneration — a time of increased prayer, reflection, and closeness to God.
Fasting and prayer are both acceptable when the heart is joyous.
The Bahá'í fast parallels Ramadan in its outer form while connecting it explicitly to spiritual rather than primarily legal obligations.
Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh
Written about in
- What the Bahá'í Faith says about habit and discipline
Nineteen days, sunrise to sunset, fixed to 1–19 March rather than to how strong you feel that year. The writings insist the purpose is spiritual regeneration rather than physical endurance, which is why exemptions exist and why getting through it is not treated as an achievement.