Marriage

Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: UK Jain Academy

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viewpoint empowers individuals and communities, no matter how small or poor, to seek God's inspiration in making a difference.
Prayers and worship
For Baha'is, the purpose of life is the development of the individual and society, through the acquisition of spiritual strengths and virtues, to know and to love God and progress spiritually. Prayer and meditation are the primary tools for spiritual development.
Bahá'ís must pray and study from the revealed words of the Bahá'í scriptures daily.
“I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting."
Baha'is sincerely believe in the omnipotence of God and hence do not have local temples or set places of worship for daily prayers. In north London, however, there is a place of special interest for prayer and reflection. This is the Guardian's resting place. The Guardian, is a title given to Bahá'u'lláh's great grandson who passed away in London in 1957.
Diet & Health
There are no dietary restrictions in the Bahá'í Faith; however Bahá'ís recognize the vital importance of diet and nutrition in promoting health and preventing illness. The consumption of alcohol, intoxicants and habit-forming drugs is prohibited unless prescribed by a qualified physician.
Each year from March 21 to 20, Bahá'ís over the age of fourteen abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset. The purpose of the fast is spiritual - a symbolic reminder of the ease with which we fulfil physical desires and, perhaps, neglect spiritual ones
Children
The Baha'i community places great emphasis on the moral and spiritual education of children and youth, with a focus on providing ongoing opportunities for developing a sense of world citizenship and a lifelong commitment to serve humanity.
Marriage and Divorce
A Baha'i marriage should join the participants in both body and spirit, in a 'spiritual relationship and everlasting union'. Baha'is disapprove strongly of divorce.
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