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This page is about the generally recognized global religious community. For other related uses, see Bahá'í (disambiguation).

Seat of the Universal House of Justice, governing body of the Bahá'ís, in Haifa, Israel
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The Bahá'í Faith is a religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind.[1][2] There are about six million Bahá'ís in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.[3]

According to Bahá'í teachings, religious history has unfolded through a series of God's messengers who brought teachings suited for the capacity of the people at their time, and whose fundamental purpose is the same. Bahá'u'lláh is regarded as the most recent, but not final, in a line of messengers that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, Muhammad and others. Bahá'u'lláh's claim to fulfill the eschatological promises of previous scriptures coincides with his mission to establish a firm basis for unity throughout the world, and inaugurate an age of peace and justice, which Bahá'ís expect will inevitably arise.[4]

Bahá'í (IPA: [baˈhaːʔiː]) can be an adjective referring to the Bahá'í Faith, or used as a term for a follower of Bahá'u'lláh. (Bahá'í is not a noun meaning the religion as a whole.) The word comes from the Arabic word Bahá’ (بهاء), meaning "glory" or "splendour".[5] "Bahaism" (or "Baha'ism") has been used in the past but is fading from use.

Beliefs

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The Bahá'í teachings are often summarized by referring to three core principles: the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of mankind.[6] Many Bahá'í beliefs and practices are rooted in these priorities; but taken alone these would be an over-simplification of Bahá'í teachings.

God

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Main article: Bahá'í concept of God

The Bahá'í writings describe a single, imperishable God, the creator of all things, including all the creatures and forces in the universe. The existence of God is thought to be eternal, without a beginning or end,[7] and is described as "a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty."[8] Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of his creation, with a will and purpose. In Bahá'í belief, God expresses this will in many ways, including through a series of divine messengers referred to as Manifestations of God or sometimes divine educators.[6] In expressing God's intent, these manifestations are seen to establish religion in the world and to enable a relationship with God.[9]

Bahá'í teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, or to create a complete and accurate image, by themselves; human understanding of God is through his revelation via his Manifestations of God.[9][10] In the Bahá'í religion God is often referred to by titles and attributes (e.g. the All-Powerful, or the All-Loving), and there is a substantial emphasis on monotheism, and an interpretation of such doctrines as the Trinity in a symbolic rather than literal sense.[11][12] The Bahá'í teachings state that the attributes which are applied to God are used to translate Godliness into human terms and also to help individuals concentrate on their own attributes in worshipping God to develop their potentialities on their spiritual path.[10][9] According to the Bahá'í teachings the human purpose is to learn to know and love God through such methods as prayer and reflection.[9]

Symbols of many religions on the pillar of the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois

Religion

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Main article: Bahá'í Faith and the unity of religion
See also: Progressive revelation

Bahá'í notions of progressive religious revelation result in their accepting the validity of most of the world's religions, whose founders and central figures are seen as Manifestations of God. Religious history is interpreted as a series of dispensations, where each manifestation brings a somewhat broader and more advanced revelation, suited for the time and place in which it was expressed.[7] Specific religious social teachings (e.g. the direction of prayer, or dietary restrictions) may be revoked by a subsequent manifestation so that a more appropriate requirement for the time and place may be established. Conversely, certain general principles (e.g. neighbourliness, or charity) are seen to be universal and consistent. In Bahá'í belief, this process of progressive revelation will not end; however, it is believed to be cyclical. Bahá'ís do not expect a new manifestation of God to appear within 1000 years of Bahá'u'lláh's revelation.[13][14]

Bahá'í beliefs are sometimes described as syncretic combinations of earlier religions' beliefs.[15] Bahá'ís, however, assert that their religion is a distinct tradition with its own scriptures, teachings, laws, and history.[7][16] Its religious background in Shi'a Islam is seen as analogous to the Jewish context in which Christianity was established.[17] Bahá'ís describe their faith as an independent world religion, differing from the other traditions only in its relative age and in the appropriateness of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings to the modern context.[18] Bahá'u'lláh is believed to have fulfilled the messianic expectations of these precursor faiths.

Human beings

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The Ringstone symbol represents humanity's connection to God
Main article: Bahá'í Faith and the unity of humanity

The Bahá'í writings state that human beings have a "rational soul", and that this provides the species with a unique capacity to recognize God's station and humanity's relationship with its creator. Every human is seen to have a duty to recognize God through his messengers, and to conform to their teachings.[19] Through recognition and obedience, service to humanity and regular prayer and spiritual practice, the Bahá'í writings state that the soul becomes closer to God, the spiritual ideal in Bahá'í belief. When a human dies, the soul passes into the next world, where its spiritual development in the physical world becomes a basis for judgment and advancement in the spiritual world. Heaven and Hell are taught to be spiritual states of nearness or distance from God that describe relationships in this world and the next, and not physical places of reward and punishment achieved after death.[20]

The Bahá'í writings emphasize the essential equality of human beings, and the abolition of prejudice. Humanity is seen as essentially one, though highly varied; its diversity of race and culture are seen as worthy of appreciation and tolerance. Doctrines of racism, nationalism, caste and social class are seen as artificial impediments to unity.[6] The Bahá'í teachings state that the unification of mankind is the paramount issue in the religious and political conditions of the present world.[7]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Doe 1981, p. 3
  2. ^ Doe 1981, p. 6
  3. ^ Doe 1983, pp. 1–2
  4. ^ Esslemont, J.E. (1980). Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era (5th ed. ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877431604. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  5. ^ Bahá'ís prefer the orthographies "Bahá'í", "Bahá'ís", "the Báb", "Bahá'u'lláh", and "`Abdu'l-Bahá", using a particular transcription of the Arabic and Persian in publications. "Bahai", "Bahais", "Baha'i", "the Bab", "Bahaullah" and "Baha'u'llah" are often used when diacriticals are unavailable.
  6. ^ a b c Hutter, Manfred (2005). "Bahā'īs". In Ed. Lindsay Jones (ed.). Encyclopedia of Religion. Vol. 2 (2nd ed. ed.). Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. pp. p737–740. ISBN 0028657330. {{cite encyclopedia}}: |edition= has extra text (help); |pages= has extra text (help)
  7. ^ a b c d "The Bahá'í Faith". Britannica Book of the Year. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica. 1988. ISBN 0852294867.
  8. ^ Effendi 1944, p. 139
  9. ^ a b c d Hatcher, John S. (2005). "Unveiling the Hurí of Love". Journal of Bahá'í Studies. 15 (1): p. 1-38. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  10. ^ a b Cole, Juan (1982). "The Concept of Manifestation in the Bahá'í Writings". Bahá'í Studies. monograph 9: pp. 1–38. {{cite journal}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  11. ^ Stockman, Robert. "Jesus Christ in the Baha'i Writings". Baha'i Studies Review. 2 (1). {{cite journal}}: More than one of |number= and |issue= specified (help)
  12. ^ `Abdu'l-Bahá (1990). Some Answered Questions (Softcover ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. p. 113. ISBN 0-87743-162-0 url=http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/SAQ/saq-27.html#pg113. {{cite book}}: Missing pipe in: |id= (help)
  13. ^ McMullen, Michael D. (2000). The Baha'i: The Religious Construction of a Global Identity. Atlanta, Georgia: Rutgers University Press. pp. pp. 7. ISBN 0813528364. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  14. ^ `Abdu'l-Bahá (1978). Selections From the Writings of `Abdu'l-Bahá (Hardcover ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. pp. pp. 67. ISBN 0853980810. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  15. ^ Stockman, Robert (1997). "The Baha'i Faith and Syncretism". A Resource Guide for the Scholarly Study of the Bahá'í Faith.
  16. ^ "Bahais". Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. {{cite encyclopedia}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  17. ^ Taherzadeh, A. (1984). The Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh, Volume 3: `Akka, The Early Years 1868–77. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. pp. pp. 262. ISBN 0853981442. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  18. ^ Lundberg, Zaid (1996-05). "The Concept of Progressive Revelation". Baha'i Apocalypticism: The Concept of Progressive Revelation. Department of History of Religion at the Faculty of Theology, Lund University. Retrieved 2007-05-01. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ McMullen, Michael D. (2000). The Baha'i: The Religious Construction of a Global Identity. Atlanta, Georgia: Rutgers University Press. pp. pp. 57–58. ISBN 0813528364. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  20. ^ Masumian, Farnaz (1995). Life After Death: A study of the afterlife in world religions. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. ISBN 1-85168-074-8.

References

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  • Doe, John (1981), The Dictionary
  • Doe, Jane (1983). The Other Dictionary. 
  • Doe, Jane (1983). "The Other Dictionary". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  • Britannica (Eds.) (1992). Britannica Book of the Year. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Chicago,.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  • Hatcher, W.S. (1998). The Bahá'í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877432643. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Heggie, James (1986). Bahá'í References to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853982422.
  • Momen, Moojan (1994). Buddhism and the Bahá'í Faith. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853983844.
  • Momen, Moojan (2000). Islam and the Bahá'í Faith, An Introduction to the Bahá'í Faith for Muslims. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-853984468.
  • Momen, Moojan (1990). Hinduism and the Bahá'í Faith. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853982996.
  • Townshend, George (1986). Christ and Bahá’u’lláh. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853980055.
  • Motlagh, Hudishar (1992). I Shall Come Again. Global Perspective. ISBN 0-937661-01-5.
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