Bahá’u’lláh, a title that means “the Glory of God” in Arabic, was born on 12 November 1817 in Tehran, Iran and is the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith. He was born into one of Persia’s most noble and privileged families and was the eldest son of Mírzá Abbás of Núr, a vizír (minister) in the court of the Shah. It was this historic and momentous occasion that was celebrated by the Bahá’ís of Cambridge and their friends at St Paul’s Centre in Cambridge recently.

The uplifting afternoon started with a warm welcome to the approximately 80 guests in attendance and briefly explained the programme. The devotional portion included classical piano pieces from two very talented musicians in our community, readings describing Bahá’u’lláh as a personage, some of His prayers and writings and finally a Persian chant of a poem written by Bahá’u’lláh.

We then moved into the entertainment portion which truly displayed the talents and capacities of the friends in the community. A passage from Bahá’u’lláh’s hidden words:

O SON OF MAN! If thou lovest Me, turn away from thyself; and if thou seekest My pleasure, regard not thine own; that thou mayest die in Me and I may eternally live in thee.

was beautifully sung and set to guitar music.

This was followed by a powerfully sung rendition of Bridge over troubled water accompanied on piano following by a moving duet on the theme of always striving for excellence. The children in the audience were then delighted with a story illustrating Bahá’u’lláh’s loving kindness, while the junior youth and children contributed a charming skit which embodied and demonstrated the spirit of unity and diversity culminating in the song ‘We are drops’. With the official programme completed, the guests were invited to partake of the various delicious desserts brought by many of the friends. It was also at this point that attendees of all ages enthusiastically took part in some very lively and upbeat ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee) dancing, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all those who took part.

The event as a whole brought a diversity of people from different backgrounds, ages and cultures together in an uplifting atmosphere which catered to the mind, spirit and body of all those who attended. Thank you to all those who came and made this event so special.