What's the meaning of the Five-Pointed Star or Haykal »

Five-Pointed Star or Haykal

This page is about the meaning, origin and characteristic of the symbol, emblem, seal, sign, logo or flag: Five-Pointed Star or Haykal.

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The five-pointed star, or haykal (Arabic: temple‎) is the symbol of the Bahá'í Faith as mentioned by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith: "Strictly speaking the 5-pointed star is the symbol of our Faith, as used by the Báb and explained by Him." The five-pointed star has been used as the outline of special letters or tablets by both the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh.

Haykal is a loan word from the Hebrew word hēyḵāl which means temple and specifically Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. In Arabic, the word also means the body or form of something, particularly the human body. In the Bahá'í tradition, the haykal was established by the Báb — the person who told of Bahá'u'lláh's coming — who represented the haykal as a five-pointed star representing the human body as a head, two hands, and two feet. The Báb wrote many letters, tablets, prayers and more in the shape of a five-pointed star, including some that included many derivatives of the word Bahá’ (see below).

In Bahá'u'lláh's writings, specifically the Súriy-i-Haykal (Tablet of the Temple), while the meaning of temple remains present, the haykal is used mainly to mean the human body, but particularly the body of the Manifestation of God — a messenger from God — and the person of Bahá'u'lláh himself. In the Tablet, the haykal is also used to refer the word of God, which is revealed by the Manifestations of God.

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Graphical characteristics:
Asymmetric, Open shape, Monochrome, Contains both straight and curved lines, Has crossing lines.

Category: Religious Symbols.

Five-Pointed Star or Haykal is part of the Bahá'í symbols group.

More symbols in Bahá'í symbols:

The Bahá'í Faith (pron.: /bəˈhaɪ/) is a monotheistic religion emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. Three core principles establish a basis for Bahá'í teachings and doctrine: the unity of… read more »

More symbols in Religious Symbols:

Religious symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork, events, or natural phenomena, by a religion. Religions view religious texts, rituals, and works of art as symbols of co… read more »

Have a discussion about Five-Pointed Star or Haykal with the community:

1 Comment
  • Alyshja
    Is this the pentalpha referred to as an Akiva? He has one superimposed upon another with numbers at each outward pinnacle.?
    LikeReply1 year ago

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