The Baha’i Symbol of the Greatest Name

The Greatest Name serves as a powerful symbol for all Baha’is. In case you didn’t know already, Baha’is follow the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet Founder of the Baha’i Faith, who teaches the oneness of God and the unification of all people of the world. 

In the Baha’i Faith, the Greatest Name is a sacred term used to refer to 1) the Baha’i greeting “Allah-u-Abha” which means “God is the Most Glorious,” and 2) an invocation, or calling to God “Ya Baha’u’l-Abha”. The Baha’i symbol of the Greatest Name featured is an Arabic calligraphy style drawing of “Ya Baha’u’l-Abha.” In English, this translates to either “O Thou Glory of Glories” and “O Glory of the All-Glorious”, where “Baha” means Glory. It is a reference to Bahá’u’lláh and is a loving supplication to Him.

In the Baha’i Writings, it is said that "The Greatest Name should be found upon the lips in the first awakening moment of early dawn. It should be fed upon by constant use in daily invocation, in trouble, under opposition, and should be the last word breathed when the head rests upon the pillow at night. It is the name of comfort, protection, happiness, illumination, love and unity.” The Greatest Name is also referred to as the “battle cry” of Baha’is who take on the special privilege to share the world-embracing spiritual campaign to teach the Baha’i Faith. 

The Greatest Name symbol was designed by a prominent calligrapher (and Baha’i) of the 19th century, Mishkin-Qalam. The Greatest Name is often worn by Baha’is in the form of jewelry and displayed as beautiful artwork in Baha’i homes. At One Thousand Years Jewelry, we offer Baha’i jewelry that is locally sourced and hand-crafted 14Kt solid gold Greatest Name necklace and rings. We hope you enjoy our selection and if you have any questions and/or feedback, we’d love to hear from you! Info@otyjewelry.com 

References:

The Greatest Name and the 99 Names of God: Compilation compiled by Larry D. Curtis. 1998. https://bahai-library.com/compilation_greatest_name