Baháʼí Faith

This article refers to the generally-recognized global Bahá'í community. See disambiguation for others.

Seat of the Universal House of Justice, governing body of the Bahá'ís in Haifa Israel

The Bahá'í Faith is an emerging global religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh, a 19th century Persian exile. "Bahá'í" is either an adjective referring to this religion, or the term for a follower of Bahá'u'lláh.

Bahá'í theology speaks of three interlocking unities: the oneness of God (monotheism); the oneness of his prophets or messengers; and the oneness of humanity (equality, world unity, globalism). These three principles have a profound impact on the theological and social teachings of this religion.

Religion is seen as a progressively unfolding process of education, by God, through his messengers, to a constantly evolving human family. Bahá'u'lláh is seen as the most recent, pivotal, but not final of God's messengers. He announced that his major purpose is to lay the spiritual foundations for a new global civilization of peace and harmony, which Bahá'ís expect to gradually arise.

Relation to other religions

Bahá'ís believe in a process of progressive revelation recognising the major religions' founders including Adam, Noah, Zoroaster (Zarathustra), Krishna, Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad. Like Muslims, Bahá'ís interpret religious history in terms of a series of prophetic dispensations. Each prophet, or Manifestation of God, brings a somewhat broader and more advanced revelation for the time and place it appeared in. Unlike contemporary Muslims, Bahá'ís do not believe that this process of progressive revelation has an end.

Distinction

The Bahá'í Faith is not syncretic (a combination of religions), but is a distinct religious tradition, with its own scriptures, teachings, laws, and history. Even though Bahá'ís have their own distinct teachings, they believe in the divinity of several past messengers of God.

Bahá'ís describe their faith as an independent world religion, differing from the other great religious traditions only in its newness. Bahá'u'lláh is believed to fulfill the messianic promises, and other spiritual aspirations, of all these various predecessor faiths.

Persecution

Main article: Persecution of Bahá'ís

Bahá'ís continue to be persecuted in Islamist ruled countries, especially Iran, where over 200 believers were executed between 1978 and 1998. Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iranian Bahá'ís have regularly had their homes ransacked or been banned from attending university or holding government jobs, and several hundred have received prison sentences for their religious beliefs, most recently for participating in study circles. Bahá'í cemeteries have been desecrated and property seized and occasionally demolished, including the House of Mírzá Burzurg, Bahá'u'lláh's father. The House of the Báb in Shiraz has been destroyed twice, and is one of three sites to which Bahá'ís perform pilgrimage. [1] [2] [3] [4]

The Covenant

Main article: Covenant of Bahá'u'lláh

Bahá'ís have high regard for what is termed the "Greater Covenant", which they see as universal in nature, and from "time immemorial" has been carried through by the Manifestations of God of all ages. They also regard highly the "Lesser Covenant", which is viewed as unique to each revelation, and incorporates the distinguising characteristics of these. At this time they view Bahá'u'lláh's revelation as a binding "Lesser Covenant" for his followers.

With unity as an essential teaching of the Faith, Bahá'ís follow an administration that they believe is divinely ordained, and therefore see attempts to create schisms and divisions as insignificant, doomed efforts which are contrary to the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. Throughout the Faith's history schisms have occured over the succession of authority. The followers of the various Baha'i divisions are regarded as Covenant-breakers and shunned, essentially excommunicated.

Demographics

Main article: Bahá'í statistics

Bahá'í sources usually estimate the worldwide Bahá'í population to be above 5 million [5]. Encylopedias and similar sources estimate from 2 to 8 million Bahá'ís in the world in the early twenty-first century, with most estimates between 5 and 6 million. A more detailed discussion of this topic can be found at Bahá'í statistics.

From its origins in the Persian and Ottoman Empires, the Bahá'í Faith had acquired a number of Western converts by World War I. Fifty years later its population shifted again, this time to the Third World, as a deliberate result of Bahá'í pioneering efforts. Most sources agree that India, Africa, South America, and the South Pacific have overtaken the Middle East and Western countries in terms of Bahá'í representation.

Known in India as the "Lotus Temple", the Bahá'í House of Worship attracts an average of 3.5 million visitors a year (around 12,000 each day).

According to The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2004:

The majority of Bahá'ís live in Asia (3.6 million), Africa (1.8 million), and Latin America (900,000). The largest Bahá'í community in the world is in India, with 2.2 million Bahá'ís, next is Iran, with 350,000, and the USA, with 150,000. Aside from these countries, numbers vary greatly. Currently, no country has a Bahá'í majority. Guyana is the country with the largest percentage of Bahá'ís (7%).

The Britannica Book of the Year (1992–present) provides the following information:

• The Bahá'í Faith is the second most widespread of the world's independent religions in terms of the number of countries where adherents live
• It is established in 247 countries and territories throughout the world
• Its members hail from over 2,100 ethnic, racial, and tribal groups
• It boasts approximately seven million adherents[6] worldwide [2005].
• Bahá'í scriptures have been translated into over 800 languages.

Bahá'ís are generally quite proud of their multi-ethnic character, and believe that their Faith is uniquely destined to grow in numbers and influence.

Teachings

Main article: Bahá'í teachings

Summary

Shoghi Effendi wrote the following summary of what he considered to be the distinguishing principles of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings, which, he said, together with the laws and ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas constitute the bed-rock of the Bahá'í Faith:

"The independent search after truth, unfettered by superstition or tradition; the oneness of the entire human race, the pivotal principle and fundamental doctrine of the Faith; the basic unity of all religions; the condemnation of all forms of prejudice, whether religious, racial, class or national; the harmony which must exist between religion and science; the equality of men and women, the two wings on which the bird of human kind is able to soar; the introduction of compulsory education; the adoption of a universal auxiliary language; the abolition of the extremes of wealth and poverty; the institution of a world tribunal for the adjudication of disputes between nations; the exaltation of work, performed in the spirit of service, to the rank of worship; the glorification of justice as the ruling principle in human society, and of religion as a bulwark for the protection of all peoples and nations; and the establishment of a permanent and universal peace as the supreme goal of all mankind—these stand out as the essential elements [which Bahá'u'lláh proclaimed]."

(God Passes By, p. 281)

Social principles

The following 12 "principles" are frequently listed as a quick summary of the Bahá'í teachings. They are derived from transcripts of speeches given by `Abdu'l-Bahá during his tour of Europe and North America in 1912. The list is not authoritative and a variety of such lists circulate.

• The Oneness of God
• The Oneness of religion
• The Oneness of mankind
• Gender Equality
• Elimination of all forms of prejudice
• World peace
• Harmony of religion and science
• Independent investigation of truth
• The need for universal compulsory education
• The need for a universal auxiliary language
• Obedience to government and non-involvement in politics
• Elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty

The first three of this list are commonly referred to as the Three Onenesses, and form a fundamental part of Bahá'í beliefs.

Mystical teachings

The purpose of human life, say Bahá'ís, is to acquire virtues, develop spiritually, and carry forward an advancing civilization.

The personal development is conceived almost as an organic process of acquiring virtues and attributes, like the development of a fetus, and continues after death. Bahá'u'lláh taught of an afterlife in which the soul may progress infinitely through ever-more-exalted spiritual realms. Heaven and Hell are perceived as a reference to an individual's nearness to or farness from God, and not as exclusive or physical places.

Bahá'ís believe that while God's essence can never be fully fathomed, he can be understood through his "names and attributes." These are likened to gems and include such divine qualities as compassion or wisdom. Education (especially of a spiritual nature) reveals the divine gems which God has placed within our souls.

Study and worship

Bahá'í spirituality tends to consist of textual study, prayer, and recitation. Monasticism is forbidden, and Bahá'ís attempt to ground their spirituality in ordinary daily life. Performing useful work, for example, is not only required but considered a form of worship.

History

File:Babshrinenight.jpg

Shrine of the Báb in Haifa, Israel

Main article: Bahá'í history

Bahá'ís regard the period from the Báb's 1844 declaration in Shiraz, to the 1921 passing of `Abdu'l-Bahá, as the Heroic, or the Apostolic Age of the Faith. This was the age when its founders lived, its martyrs died, and its foundations were established in several countries around the world.

After `Abdu'l-Bahá's passing, the Faith entered the Formative Age, which would be characterized by its rising administrative institutions, worldwide expansion, and a transition into the future Golden Age, the consummation of the Bahá'í dispensation.

The Báb

Main article: Báb

See also: Bahá'í/Bábí split

In 1844 Siyyid `Alí-Muhammad of Shiraz, Iran proclaimed that he was "the Báb" ("the Gate" in Arabic), after a Shi'a religious concept. His followers were therefore known as Bábís.

Although the Bábí Faith has its own scriptures and religious teachings, Bahá'ís believe its duration was intended to be very short. The Báb's writings introduced the concept of "He whom God shall make manifest", the one promised in the scriptures of all of the world's great religions. The Bahá'ís believe that the Báb's purpose was fulfilled in Bahá'u'lláh, when he made his claim to be this messianic figure in 1863.

As the Báb's teachings spread, the Islamic government saw it as a threat to state religion. Several military confrontations took place between government and Bábí forces. The Báb himself was imprisoned and eventually executed by a firing squad in Tabriz on July 9, 1850. His mission lasted six years.

His tomb, the Shrine of the Báb, located on the slope of Mount Carmel in Haifa is an important place of pilgrimage for Bahá'ís. The remains of the Báb were brought secretly from Persia to the Holy Land and were eventually interred in the Shrine built for them in a spot specifically designated by Bahá'u'lláh.

Bahá'u'lláh

Main article: Bahá'u'lláh

Husayn `Alí of Nur was one of the early followers of the Báb, who later took the title of Bahá'u'lláh. He was in the centre of plan to kill the King (Nasereddin Shah), and take refugee to the consulate of Great Britain as the terror plan failed. He was then arrested and imprisoned for this involvement in 1852. He claimed that while incarcerated in the dungeon of the Síyáh-Chál in Tehran, he received the first intimations that he was the One anticipated by the Báb. (He shared this privately in 1863, and publicly in 1866.)

Shortly therefter he was expelled from Persia to Baghdad, in the Ottoman Empire; then to Constantinople; then to Adrianople. During this time tensions grew between Bahá'u'lláh and Subh-i-Azal, the appointed leader of the Bábís, culminating in Bahá'u'lláh's 1866 declaration. While in Adrianople, he wrote letters to several rulers of the world, including Sultan Abd-ul-Aziz, declaring his mission as a Messenger of God. As a result Bahá'u'lláh was moved one final time, to the penal colony of Akká (in present-day Israel).

Towards the end of his life, the strict and harsh confinement was gradually relaxed, and he was allowed to live in a home near Akká, while still officially a prisoner of that city. He died there in 1892. Bahá'ís regard his resting place, the Mansion of Bahji, as the Qiblih to which they turn in prayer each day.

During his lifetime, Bahá'u'lláh left a large volume of writings. The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and the Book of Certitude are recognized as primary Bahá'í theological works, and the Hidden Words and the Seven Valleys as primary mystical treatises.

`Abdu'l-Bahá

Main article: `Abdu'l-Bahá

Bahá'u'lláh was succeeded by his eldest son, `Abdu'l-Bahá. Designated as the "Centre of the Covenant" and "Head of the Faith," Bahá'u'lláh designated him in his will as the sole authoritative interpreter of Bahá'u'lláh's writings. [7]

`Abdu'l-Bahá had shared his father's long exile and imprisonment. This imprisonment continued until `Abdu'l-Bahá's own release as a result of the "Young Turk" revolution in 1908.

Following his release he led a life of travelling, speaking, and maintaining correspondence with communities of believers and individuals, expounding the principles of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá died in Haifa on November 28, 1921 and is now buried in one of the front rooms in the Shrine of the Báb.

Bahá'í administration

Main article: Bahá'í administration

Bahá'u'lláh's Kitáb-i-Aqdas and The Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá are foundation documents of the Bahá'í administrative order. Bahá'u'lláh established the elected Universal House of Justice; and `Abdu'l-Bahá established the appointed hereditary Guardianship and clarified the relationship between the two institutions. In his Will Abdu'l-Bahá appointed his eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, as the first Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith.

Shoghi Effendi throughout his lifetime translated the sacred writings of the Faith; developed global plans for the expansion of the Bahá'í community; developed the Bahá'í World Centre; carried on a voluminous correspondence with communities and individuals around the world; and built the administrative structure of the Faith, preparing the community for the election of the Universal House of Justice.

With the unexpected passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, the Faith was left without a clear candidate for Guardian, due to the absence of male descendants of Bahá'u'lláh. After the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963, it then ruled that given the unique situation and the provisions of the Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá, it was not possible to appoint another Guardian. A small group of believers followed Mason Remey, who proclaimed he was the second Guardian of the Faith, and do not follow the Universal House of Justice. This group has since subsequently split into several other Bahá'í divisions, whose combined population is in the low thousands, with each adhereing to their own administrations. The Universal House of Justice today remains the supreme governing body of the Bahá'í Faith, and its 9 members are elected every five years by the members of all National Spiritual Assemblies. Any male Bahá'í, 21 years or older, is eligible to be elected to the Universal House of Justice; all other elected positions are open to male and female Bahá'ís.

Current plans and focus

The Bahá'í writings allude to a future time when the majority of the world will be Bahá'ís. Entry by troops has become a common Bahá'í phrase, referring to a period of time when the Bahá'í Faith will emerge from relative obscurity and attract large numbers of followers. The name is not meant to imply militancy, and could equally be called "entry by large groups," or "sudden large scale growth".

To these ends, the Universal House of Justice periodically announces subsidiary goals in the form of multi-year plans. The current five-year plan (2001-2006), for example, focuses on developing institutions and creating the means to "sustain large-scale expansion and consolidation" (Riḍván 158). Since 2001, the Bahá'ís around the world have been specifically encouraged to focus on children's classes, devotional gatherings, and a systematic study of the Faith, known as study circles. The most popular study program is the Ruhi Institute, a study course originally designed for use in Colombia, but which has received wide recognition.

A new focus was added in early 2006 with the addition of "junior youth" classes to the core activities of Bahá'ís, focusing on education for those between 11 and 14.

Laws

Main article: Bahá'í laws

The laws of the Bahá'í Faith primarily come from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas ("The Most Holy Book"). Most are applied by individual Bahá'ís, as a matter of free choice. Some may be enforced to some degree by the administrative order, while others are dependent upon the existence of a predominantly Bahá'í society, which is expected to gradually come into being. Bahá’í laws are expected to be gradually applied on the levels of an individual and society. (Kitáb-i-Aqdas, p. 5)

Bahá'u'lláh did not see these laws as rigid legalistic framework, concerned with enforcement and punishment. He stated that laws are an indispensable part of human spiritual progress and part of the mystic path.

"Think not that We have revealed unto you a mere code of laws. Nay, rather, We have unsealed the choice Wine with the fingers of might and power."

(Bahá'u'lláh, Kitáb-i-Aqdas, v. 5, p. 21) [8]

Here are a few examples of laws and basic religious observances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas which have been codifed by Shoghi Effendi, the appointed interpreter of the Bahá'í writings:

• Recite an obligatory prayer each day. There are three such prayers among which one can be chosen each day.
• Pray and meditate daily.
• Backbiting and gossip is prohibited and denounced.
• There is a specified statement which must be recited as part of the marriage vow. Furthermore, the consent of all living parents must be obtained.
• Adult Bahá'ís in good health observe a nineteen-day sunrise-to-sunset fast each year from March 2 through March 20.
• Bahá'ís are forbidden to drink alcohol or to take drugs, unless prescribed by doctors.
• Sexual relationships are permitted only between a husband and wife, and thus homosexual acts are not permitted. See Homosexuality and Bahá'í Faith.
• Gambling is strictly forbidden, as well as the consumption of hallucinogens such as opium.

Places of worship

Main article: Bahá'í House of Worship

Most Bahá'í meetings occur in individuals' homes, local Bahá'í centers, or rented facilities. Worldwide, there are currently seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship, basically one per continent, with an eighth under design. Bahá'í writings refer to an institution called a Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (Dawning-place of the Mention of God), which is to form the center of a complex of institutions including a hospital, university, and so on. Only the first ever Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in 'Ishqábád, Turkmenistan, was built to such a degree.

Calendar

Main article: Bahá'í calendar

The Bahá'í calendar was established by the Báb. The year consists of 19 months of 19 days, and 4 or 5 intercalary days, to make a full solar year. The New Year (called Naw Rúz) occurs on the vernal equinox, March 21, at the end of the month of fasting. Bahá'í communities gather at the beginning of each month at a meeting called a Feast for worship, consultation and socializing.

Bahá'ís observe 11 Holy Days throughout the year, with work suspended on 9 of these. These days commemorate important anniversaries in the history of the Faith.

Symbols

A stylized nine pointed star, with the calligraphy of the Greatest Name in the center.

Main article: Bahá'í symbols

The official symbol of the Bahá'í Faith is the five-pointed star, but a nine-pointed star is more frequently used. The ringstone symbol and calligraphy of the Greatest Name are also often encountered. The former consists of two stars interspersed with a stylized Bahá’ (Arabic: بهاء lit. "splendor" but usually translated as "glory") whose shape is meant to recall the three onenesses. The Greatest Name is Yá Bahá'ul 'Abhá (Arabic: يا بهاء الأبهى usually translated as "O Glory of the Most Glorious!")

Involvement in society

Far from being an ascetic tradition, Bahá'u'lláh deprecated a mendicant and ascetic lifestyle, encouraging Bahá'ís to "Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and centre your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements" [9]. Moreover work, Bahá'ís are instructed, when done in the spirit of service to humanity is given a rank equal to that of prayer [10].

Bahá'ís actively promote issues of social justice and spirituality wherever they are found, holding the concept of the unity of humankind as the standard for their actions. Bahá'ís have also become increasingly involved in projects of social and economic development around the world [11].

Bahá'u'lláh wrote of the need for world government in this age of humanity's collective life. Because of this emphasis many Bahá'ís have chosen to support the United Nations since its inception. The Bahá'í International Community, an agency under the direction of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), UNIFEM (the UN women's development and equality agency), and UNEP, the UN environmental agency. The Bahá'í Faith has undertaken joint development programs with various United Nations agencies.

In the 2000 Millennium Forum of the United Nations a Bahá'í was invited as the only non-governmental speaker during the summit [12]. See this article for further information on the relationship between the Bahá'í International Community and the United Nations.

See also

• Bahá'í apologetics
• Baha'i individuals
• Bahá'í orthography
• Bahá'í timeline

References

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• Browne, E.G. (1891). 'A Traveller's Narrative. Cambridge.

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External links

Official websites of the Bahá'í International Community

• The Bahá'ís, the official presence of the Bahá'í International Community on the Web.
• Bahá'í World News Service, news and reports on the activities, projects and events of the worldwide Bahá'í community.
• Bahai Faith U.S., the official presence of the Bahá'í Faith in the United States.
• Bahá'í Reference Library, official versions of selected writings of the Bahá'í Faith in English, Persian, and Arabic.
• One Country, the newsletter of the Bahá'í International Community.
• Bahá'í International Community Statement Library, statements by the Bahá'í International Community in eleven languages, including submissions to the United Nations (1947-present).
• Bahaiyouth.com, A site dedicated to Bahá'í youth.

Other Bahá'í websites

• Bahá'í Association of the University of Georgia, one of the oldest Bahá'í sites on the internet. Links to information in multiple languages, simple to follow but comprehensive information, and largest archive of media coverage of the Bahá'í Faith. Site maintained by an individual Bahá'í.
• Bahá'í Library Online, an academically-oriented site with a large number of primary and secondary source materials on the Bahá'í Faith.
• H-Bahai, part of the H-net series, H-Bahai concentrates on the scholarly study of Shaykhism, the Bábí Faith, and the Bahá'í Faith.
• Bahá'í Study Center, varied Bahá'í resources, including online videos and talking books.
• BBC Religion and Ethics special: Bahá'í, BBC on the Bahá'í Faith.
• ReligionFacts.com: Bahá'í Faith, objective guide to the Bahá'í Faith
• Ocean, a privately-developed, free downloadable reference library and research engine, containing the full text of the Bahá'í writings and many other scriptures in English, and over 1000 volumes from among the world's religious literature. Smaller selections in six other major languages. (Typographical accuracy of texts varies.)
• Religious Studies and Bahá'í Studies Articles and papers authored as drafts towards a short encyclopedia of the Bahá'í Faith.
• The Bahá'í Religion Academic introduction to the Bábí and Bahá'í religions from an Islamic studies perspective.
• Islam and the Bahá'í Faith The relationship between the two religions (in English and Arabic).
• Baha'u'llah A web site on the life and teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. Includes a history and selected Writings.

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Usage note: The correct orthographies are "Bahá'í", "Bahá'ís", "Báb", "Bahá'u'lláh", and "`Abdu'l-Bahá": Bahá'ís use a particular and specific transcription of Arabic in their publications. Because of typographic limitations, the forms "Bahai", "Bahais", "Baha'i", "Bab", "Bahaullah" and "Baha'u'llah" are often used as a common spelling and are satisfactory for certain electronic uses.