Bahá'í Houses of Worship

A Bahá'í House of Worship, sometimes referred to by the name of mašriqu-l-'aḏkār (مشرق اﻻذكار), an Arabic phrase meaning "Dawning-place of the remembrances of God"), is the designation of a place of worship, or temple, of the Bahá'í Faith. The teachings of the religion envisage Houses of Worship being surrounded by a number of dependencies dedicated to social, humanitarian, educational, and scientific pursuits, although none has yet been built to such an extent.

Ten Bahá'í Houses of Worship have been built around the world (this includes one in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan that has since been destroyed), nine currently stand including eight continental temples and one local temple. In the Ridván Message for 2012, the Universal House of Justice announced new initiatives for future Houses of Worship, calling for the first national and locally based institutions. The first two "national Mashriqu'l-Adhkars" are to be raised up in two countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Papua New Guinea. With successful growth and cluster development it was also announced that the erection of the first local Houses of Worship would be raised up. Bahá'í communities own many properties where Houses of Worship remain to be constructed as the Bahá'í community grows and develops further. The Houses of Worship are open to the public, and are exclusively reserved for worship, where sermons are prohibited and only scriptural texts may be read. Most Bahá'í meetings occur in local Bahá'í centres, individuals' homes, or rented facilities, though local houses of worship are forthcoming.

The Bahá'í House of Worship was first mentioned in Bahá'u'lláh's book of laws, the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, as the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (Arabic: مشرق اﻻذكار‎‎ "Dawning-place of the Mention of God"), and the details of the institution were then elaborated by both Bahá'u'lláh and his successor, `Abdu'l-Bahá.

Bahá'í literature directs that a House of Worship should be built in each city and town, and emphasizes that its doors must be open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction. The Bahá'í laws emphasize that the spirit of the House of Worship must be a gathering place where people of all religions may worship God without denominational restrictions. The Bahá'í laws also stipulate that only the holy scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside in any language; while readings and prayers may be set to music by choirs, no musical instruments may be played inside. Furthermore, no sermons may be delivered, and no ritualistic ceremonies practiced.

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