Nine-Point Star Symbol
A nine-pointed star is an important symbol of the Baha'i Faith and a minor symbol in Christianity.
Nine-Point Star in the Baha'i Faith
The most commonly used symbol for the Baha'i Faith is the nine-pointed star. No particular design is more desirable than others, as long as it has nine points. The number nine is significant for Bahá'ís for several reasons.
Nine years after the announcement of the Báb in Shiraz, Bahá'u'lláh received the intimation of His mission in the dungeon in Teheran. And nine, as the highest single-digit number, symbolizes completeness.
The Arabic alphabet can be used to represent numbers, attaching a numerical value to words. The numerical value of Bahá is 9. The word Bahá is the root word for Bahá'í, Bahá'u'lláh, and Yá Bahá'ul 'Abhá. Bahá'u'lláh often referred to Bahá'ís in his writings as "the people of Bahá", and in addition, the Báb sent a tablet to Bahá'u'lláh with 360 derivatives of the word Bahá, fulfilling the Islamic tradition that the Promised One would reveal the "hundredth name of God". The Qur'an has 99 Names of God.
Nine-Point Star in Christianity
In Christianity, a nine-pointed star symbolizes the "fruits of the Spirit" listed in the Epistle to the Galatians:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Gal. 5:22, NIV)
The star is sometimes shown with the Latin initials for each of the fruits (charitas, gaudium, pax, longanimitas, benignitas, bonitus, fides, mansuetudo and continentia) placed within the points.
References
- "Symbols in Christian Art" by Walter E. Gast.
- Bahai.com