As to your question about prayer and whether it is necessary
to recite the prayers of only the Central Figures of our Faith, we have been
asked to quote here the following two excerpts on this subject, from letters
written by Shoghi Effendi's secretary on his behalf:
[Not to introduce into the Cause "the customs of our
previous beliefs”]
"...as the Cause embraces members of all races and
religions we should be careful not to introduce into it the customs of our
previous beliefs. Bahá'u'lláh has given us the obligatory prayers, also prayers
before sleeping, for travellers, etc. We should not introduce a new set of
prayers He has not specified, when He has given us already so many, for so many
occasions.”
[Meditations given to us by Baha’u’llah]
“He thinks it would be wiser for the Bahá'ís to use the
meditations given by Bahá'u'lláh, and not any set form of meditation
recommended by someone else; but the believers must be left free in these
details and allowed to have personal latitude in finding their own level of
communion with God.”
[Use of “prayers or selections from the Sacred Writings of
other religions”]
As to the reading of prayers or selections from the Sacred
Writings of other religions such readings are permissible, and indeed from time
to time are included in the devotional programmes of Bahá'í Houses of Worship,
demonstrating thereby the universality of our Faith.
- The Universal House of Justice (From a letter written on
behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual believer, June 7,
1974; compilation: ‘Lights of Guidance’)
