Holy Day Program - 9th Day of Ridvan
- Uplifting Words
- May 6
- 4 min read
Welcome to this sacred gathering as we celebrate the 9th Day of Ridván, a moment of profound joy and spiritual significance in the Bahá’í calendar. Today, we commemorate the day when Bahá’u’lláh, during His stay in the Garden of Ridván, welcomed His family to join Him—a powerful symbol of unity, love, and the strengthening of spiritual bonds. This occasion invites us to reflect deeply on the themes of divine revelation, the transformative power of God's message, and the enduring beauty of togetherness in the path of faith.
As we unite in devotion, prayer, and reflection, may our hearts be uplifted and our spirits renewed. Let this gathering be a reminder of the sacred trust we carry to promote love, justice, and unity in our lives and communities. On this blessed day, may we draw closer to the light of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings and find new strength in walking the path of service and spiritual growth. Welcome, dear friends, to a day of joy, remembrance, and sacred celebration.
1.This is the day when the Day-Star of Truth rose over the horizon of life, and its glory spread, and its brightness shone out with such power that it clove the dense and high-piled clouds and mounted the skies of the world in all its splendour. Hence do ye witness a new stirring throughout all created things.
— ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
2.This is the ninth day of Riḍván, O my God, and on this day one of Thy loved ones hath, as a token of his love for Thy Beauty and in the eagerness of his devotion to Thee, invited Him Who is the Manifestation of Thy Self and the Dayspring of Thy glory to leave His room in the prison for another. There he hath spread before Thy presence such of Thy gifts as he hath been able to provide, notwithstanding that the people had plundered all his possessions and the possessions of others among Thy loved ones. O Lord, since Thou hast gathered them round Thee and aided them to attain this surpassing grace, endue them with constancy in Thy Cause and bind their hearts together in such wise that no differences may arise in their midst. Grant, then, that they may guide all people unto this Luminary, the like of which the eye of creation hath never beheld and which standeth peerless in the realms of the seen and the unseen.
-Baha'u'llah
3.The Garden bloomed with colorful flowers and lush green trees. The air was scented with the perfume of roses, stretching toward the sun and shimmering with dew each morning. The Garden of Riḍván lay over the river Tigris, just ten minutes from the city gate of Baghdad where Bahá’u’lláh had lived in exile with His family these past ten years. As He boarded a small boat with His sons, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Mírzá Mihdí and His secretary, people on the banks of the river crowded to see Him. Bahá’u’lláh wore a taj, a beautiful tall felt hat, and disappeared in the boat destined for the Garden of Paradise.
The river was wide, deep and blue. The sun was hot as they traveled but the air was cool as it came over the water. As they arrived in the Garden they were welcomed with fresh air and peace. Bahá’u’lláh knew that in this Garden He would make a special announcement.
The river swelled upon Bahá’u’lláh’s safe arrival and for twelve days Bahá’u’lláh stayed in the Garden. Each day as the first rays of light lit the horizon, the gardeners would pick the many roses which lined the avenues and pile them in the center of the floor of Bahá’u’lláh’s pitched tent. The pile was so high that His companions gathered to drink tea were unable to see one another. Bahá’u’lláh would graciously bundle the roses and ask His companions to deliver them as gifts to His friends in the city.
On the ninth day, Bahá’u’lláh’s family arrived in the Garden to join Him. His beloved wife, Navváb and precious daughter, Bahíyyih Khánum must have been relieved to be reunited with Bahá’u’lláh. The river swelled once more and for some days there was much wind. Bahá’u’lláh’s tent swayed, so the friends took turns throughout the night and day to sit and keep the tent ropes steady so that Bahá’u’lláh would not be disturbed. This service they were happy to perform if only to be near to Him.
During the days, Bahá’u’lláh would walk majestically amongst the trees and flowers, commenting on the peace and tranquility of the spot, speaking eloquently of the Báb’s Cause and radiating forth the utmost joy. It was as though the friends sharing the Garden with Him were blessed with the heat and light of the Sun of Truth. He declared, “This is the Day whereon naught can be seen except the splendors of the Light that shineth from the face of Thy Lord, the Gracious, the Most Bountiful. Verily, We have caused every soul to expire by virtue of Our irresistible and all-subduing sovereignty. We have, then, called into being a new creation, as a token of Our grace unto men. I am, verily, the All-Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.”
At night, Bahá’u’lláh often paced the moonlit Gardens, admiring the nightingale’s sleepless song. As He explained, their ceaseless music demonstrated their dedication and admiration of the roses that surrounded them. He therefore asked, how His companions, ‘those afire with the rose-like beauty of the Beloved’, chose to sleep?
On a glorious day, Bahá’u’lláh finally shared with His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, that He was the One foretold and promised by the Báb. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá accepted without hesitation and dedicated Himself to the service of His Father’s cause, selflessly serving as a living example for Bahá’ís throughout His life. Bahá’u’lláh also shared this important announcement with several other friends in the Garden, appointing the festival of Riḍván as “The Most Great Festival” and declaring in the Most Holy Book that in that moment “all created things were immersed in the sea of purification”, the day whereon “the breezes of forgiveness were wafted over the entire creation.”
4.Arise, and proclaim unto the entire creation the tidings that He Who is the All-Merciful hath directed His steps towards the Riḍván and entered it. Guide, then, the people unto the garden of delight which God hath made the Throne of His Paradise. We have chosen thee to be our most mighty Trumpet, whose blast is to signalize the resurrection of all mankind.
— Bahá’u’lláh
