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MANHATTAN–The hypnotizing rhythm of the drums leaked from the lobby to the East Village sidewalk. A number of passersby were drawn to the doorway of the small meeting room on the ground floor of the building. The group inside, seated in a circle three rows deep, appeared to be one big party with a really good sound system. But soon, the party came outside. The sound of the drum beat burst onto the street as the doors swung open and onlookers were pulled inside and pushed toward the drummers. Encircled by the congregation of 60 members seated in folded chairs, the spectators became participants as they bounced to the explosion of African percussion. The Bahai Sunday prayer service suddenly grew by six members.

Soulful singing and drumming accompanied solemn prayers throughout the two-hour service. But now at the end of the service, a much louder drumming ushered in passionate singing and even more emotional prayer. The newest members of the party danced. Their smiles were greeted by other encouraging smiles. They tried to repeat back the verses, but the words were foreign and difficult to pronounce. The free flowing movement was more than just high-spirited percussion. This was a devotional service and there was a consistent prayer set to the rhythm. The words were repeated with every beat of the drum. The prayer is one of the few rituals of a faith that prides itself on principles, rather than conventions.

The uniform prayer for all Bahai devotees is “The Greatest Name”. In Arabic it is pronounced “Yá Bahá'u'l-'Abhá.” The literal translation is "O Glory of the Most Glorious!" One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the Bahai Faith is its ability to adapt to any culture. “Race is a construct, not reality,” said sermon leader Lloyd Lawrence. Another devotee, Bryan Weber, explained the universality of the Bahai Faith: “Wherever you go in the world, there is freedom for each culture to have their spiritual experience. So in Africa, drums are very popular. In India, Indian singing is very common,” he said. “There is no Bahai dress, there’s no Bahai music. There aren’t many rituals. But all Bahais educate their children in spiritual virtues and participate in devotional service.” The common feature to all Bahai temples’ décor, whether the temple is located in Illinois, Haifa or Ishqabad, is calligraphic rendering of "Yá Bahá'u'l-Abhá" in Arabic. A framed image with this scripture was hanging on the eastern wall of a room in the Center.

Every Sunday, the New York City Bahai Center at 53 East 11th Street near Union Square hosts 60 to 70 members of the community in prayer. This center’s service is greatly influenced by the African American community. Members of the community are encouraged to “get their prayer on.” During last Sunday’s ceremony, the service was accentuated by a group of gospel and soul singers accompanied by more than 10 sets of bongos and drums in the audience. The tone represented the history of the Bahai founders in this community and the leaders of this service who were primarily African American. The music may have had an African flavor, but the congregation was anything but homogeneous. Prayers were said in English, Amharic, Tigrinya, Farsi and Italian. The skin tones of the congregants ranged from Irish white to Samoan black and all shades in between. But the common chant was sung in Arabic. "Yá Bahá'u'l-Abhá” was sung along with gospel hymns and Iranian melodies. The prayer should be repeated 95 times in devotion and it is also used as a greeting.

The founder of the Bahai Faith Bahá'u'llhá once said, “The Earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” The ending to the service, a dance which welcomed strangers off the street, seemed to attain one of the main principles of the Bahai Faith: the oneness of humankind.

One of the curious onlookers was Penny Diez, an interfaith minister from Brooklyn. She had been taking a stroll when she was drawn to the rhythm behind the glass doors. Diez didn’t know that she was walking in on a two-hour religious ceremony. Nor did she know that this religion prides itself on being inclusive and egalitarian. She just liked the vibe.

“I am here because we were just walking down the street and heard the music,” she said.

This Glimpse of Faith was filed by News21 Fellow Tania Haas