Bahai Provisions: A Rehash Of Bayan

5.     Fasting & Bahai Era

5.2    Bahai Accounts on Fasting & Bahai Era
Baha adopted the Point’s system in its entirety. He spoke of “the days which are in excess of the month”, named them as “the manifestations of al-ha (=5), placed them prior to the month of fasting” and ruled that these are not included in the year and the month.” Thus Baha like the Primal Point, made no provision for intercalary days to bring his adopted system into correspondence with the solar year.

According to Nabil in his Narrative, certain followers of Baha at Acre were inclined “to regard the year in which Bahaullah departed from Baghdad to Istanbul”, i.e. 1863, note that there is no mention of Baha’s declaration in the Ridvan garden at Baghdad “as marking Badi (Bahai) calendar.” Nabil consulted Baha, through his amanuensis Mirza Aqa Jan of Kashan, who commanded that “the year [one thousand and two hundred] sixty [A.H.] [1844 A.D.], the year of the declaration of the Primal Point must be regarded as the beginning of the Bahai calendar, that the solar calendar be followed, that vernal equinox, the day of Naw-Ruz as new year’s day of the Bahai calendar.”
Now, the Naw-Ruz of the year 1260 A.H. (1844) fell on Rabi Awwal, (March 21, 1844) and the Point’s Declaration took place on Jamad Awwal 5, 1260 A.H. (May 23, 1844).

Nabil regarded “the year A.H. 1260 (1844) as the first year of the Bahai calendar.” As the day of Naw-Ruz of the year 1260 A.H. preceded by more than two month the date of the Primal Point’s declaration, Nabil, “throughout his history regarded the Naw-Ruz of the year 1261 A.H, “Rabi Awwal 12 (March21, 1844)” as the first Naw-Ruz of the Bahai calendar.”

Nabil composed in verse a prose an exposition of the main features of the Bahai Calendar” and submitted it to Baha. “The versified copy, now being unavailable,” Nabil transcribed the version in prose. According to this version the manifestation of Al-Ha are not included in the year and the months” are interpreted as intercalary days, February 26th to March 1st inclusive.” And are included between the eighteenth and nineteenth month in order to adjust the Bahai calendar to the Solar year. Each cycle of 19 years is called Wáhid and nineteen cycle constitute a period called Kul-i-Shay (All things). The numerical value of Wáhid is 19 and that of Kul-i-Shay is 361.

The day of Naw-Ruz falls on the 21st of March only if the vernal equinox precedes the setting of the sun on that day. Should the vernal equinox take place after sunset, Naw-Ruz will have to be celebrated on the following day. (Summarized from Nabil’s Narrative as appearing in the Bahai World 1928-1930, pp.136-139).

Nabil’s Narrative “was begun in 1888 and was finished in about a year and a half. The complete work carries the history of the movement up to the death of Bahaullah in 1892. The first half of this Narrative, closing with the expulsion of Bahaullah from Persia (now Iran) is contained in the personal volumes.” Nabil’s Narrative, Shoghi Effendi’s translation, American Edition, Introduction P.xxxvii. The original text has never been printed and published. Presumably Nabil’s account quoted above appears in the second half of his history.

Thus according to Nabil, whose account is not supported by documentary evidence from Baha and conflicts with the expressive provision of the Aqdas that “the days which are in excess of the month are not included in the year and the months,” full account is taken of “the days in excess” and the Bahai era commences with the year of the Primal Point’s declaration (i.e. 1844 A.D. 1260 A.H.).

According to Dr. J.E. Esslemont, in Bahaullah and the New Era, quoted by the Bahai World, 1926-1928, vol. II, p.109, “the Bahai New Year, like the ancient Persian New year, is astronomically fixed, commencing at the March equinox (March 21st) [compare Nabil’s account], and the Bahai era commences with the year of the Primal Point’s declaration (i.e. 1844 A.H., 1260 A.H.)”

According to the Bahai World 1936-1938, pp.449-448, the Bahai Era commences with the year of the Point’s declaration (i.e. 1844 A.D. 1260 A.H.). Baha is quoted as saying, “the year of the declaration of the BÁB must be regarded as the beginning of the Badi بد یع calendar.” The Naw-Ruz (March 21st) after the declaration which was on May 23rd, is accounted the first Naw-Ruz of the Badi calendar.

On the other hand, according to Dr. Browne, T.A p.425, on the strength of the colophons in Bahai books quoted by him, T.A pp.415-418: “the Bahai Era commences not, as might prima face have expected on May 23 [1844 A.D. corresponding to Jamad Awwal 5,1260 A.H. the date of the Point’s declaration], but on the Naw-Ruz of that year [i.e. Rabi’ Awwal 1,1260 A.H. corresponding to March 21, 1844].” It is to be noted that the Primal Point had not yet declared his mission on that date.

All these accounts are wrong. The Bayani Era commences with the Naw-Ruz of the year (1st Farvardin, 1289 Iranian solar year).
This system is not liable to change except at the bidding of He-Whom-God-Shall-Make-Manifest (summary).

Baha adopted the Primal Point’s system in its entirety to quote him in the Aqdas “the days which are in excess of the month are not included in the months and the year.”

In the presence of this provision, and in the absence of documentary evidence from Baha to the contrary, Baha’s adopted system as asserted by Nabil appears to be Nabil’s innovation.