Part of the series Bahá'í Faith

Central figures

Bahá'u'lláh The Báb · Abdu'l-Bahá Seat of the Universal House of Justice, governing body of the Baháís in Haifa Israel The Baháí Faith is an emerging global religion founded by Baháulláh, a 19th century Persian exile. ... Image File history File links Generic Bahai star File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Shrine of Baháulláh Baháulláh (Arabic: بهاء الله Glory of God) (b. ... Shrine of the Báb at night from above in Haifa, Israel. ... `Abdul-Bahá Sir `Abdu’l-Bahá `Abbás Effendi (May 23, 1844 - November 28, 1921) commonly known as `Abdu’l-Bahá (Arabic/Persian:عبد البهاء), was the son of Baháulláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Baháí Faith. ...

Selected scripture

Kitáb-i-Aqdas · Kitáb-i-Íqán The Hidden Words The Kitáb-i-Aqdas is the central book of the Baháí Faith, written by Baháulláh, the founder of the religion. ... The Kitáb-i-Íqán (Lit. ... {{Ba[[ == [[Media: --67. ...

Bahá'í Institutions

Administrative Order The Guardian Universal House of Justice Continental Counsellors Spiritual Assembly The Baháí administration refers to the administrative system of the Baháí Faith. ... Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957) Shoghi Effendi Rabbani (March 1, 1897 - November 5, 1957) was the Guardian of the Baháí Faith from 1921 until his death. ... Seat of The Universal House of Justice For the building, see the Seat of the Universal House of Justice The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing institution of the Baháí Faith. ... The Continental Counsellors, more commonly known as simply Counsellors, are part of the administrative order of the Baháí Faith, and are part of a greater administrative branch called the Institution of the Counsellors, established by the Universal House of Justice in 1973. ... Spiritual Assembly is a term given by `Abdul-Bahá to refer to elected leadership councils that govern the Baháí Faith. ...

Holy cities

Haifa · Akká Shiraz · Baghdad Pilgrimage To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Old City of Acre in the 19th or early 20th century, looking south-west from atop the Land Wall Promenade, the open space now a parking lot. ... Shirāz is Irans city of poets, as some of Persian poetrys giants are buried here. ... Location of Baghdad within Iraq Baghdad (Arabic: ) (Bexda in Kurdish) is the capital of Iraq and of Baghdad Governorate. ... A Baháí pilgrimage currently consists of visiting the holy places in Haifa, Akká, and Bahjí at the Baháí World Centre in Northwest Israel. ...

History

Bahá'í history · Timeline Bábís · Shaykh Ahmad The history of the Baháí Faith represents over 150 years of growth, and this article will attempt to provide more of the details than is possible in a more general overview of the Baháí Faith The religion claims to be part of a long religious tradition begun by Adam, and... This page is dedicated to providing a basic timeline of the Bábí movement and Baháí Faith. ... The room where The Báb declared His mission on May 23, 1844 in His house in Shiraz. ... Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsai (1753 - 1826), better known as Shaykh Ahmad, was the founder of a 19th century Shia religious movement in the Persian and Ottoman empires, whose followers were known as Shaykhis. ...

Key individuals

Shoghi Effendi Martha Root · Táhirih Badí' · Apostles Hands of the Cause Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957) Shoghi Effendi Rabbani (March 1, 1897 - November 5, 1957) was the Guardian of the Baháí Faith from 1921 until his death. ... One of the prominent traveling teachers of the Baháí Faith in the late 19th and early 20th century. ... Táhirih (literally The Pure One) and Qurrat al-Ayn (قرة العين, literally Comfort of the Eyes or Solace of the Eyes) are the religious titles of Fatima Baraghani (1814-1820, died 1852 - birth date uncertain, as birth records were destroyed at her execution), an influential poet and theologian of the B... Mirzá Áqá Buzurg-i-Nishapuri (born 1853-1870) often known better as Badí (literally wonderful), or by his title, the Pride of Martyrs was the son of Abdul-Majid-i-Nishapuri, a highly praised follower of the Báb and Baháulláh. ... The Apostles of Baháulláh were nineteen of the most eminent of the early followers of Baháulláh, the founder of the Baháí Faith. ... The Hands of the Cause in the Bahai Faith are a select group of appointed believers whose main function is to help propagate and protect the Bahai Faith on the international level. ...

Principal Teachings

Unity of humanity Unity of religion Gender equality Universal education Science and religion Auxilliary language The Bahai Faith emphasizes the unity of humanity transcending all divisions of race, nation, gender, caste, and social class. ... The Baháí Faith states that religion has the same foundation and that there is unity of religion. ... One of main teachings of the Baháí Faith is gender equality; that men and women are equal. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Baháí Faith. ... A fundamental principle of the Baháí Faith is the harmony of religion and science. ... Language Policy in the Baháí Faith focuses on a particular teaching; that the world should adopt an international auxiliary language, and everyone should have to learn only two languages, ideally one. ...

See Also

Symbols · Laws Teachings · Literature Calendar Index of Bahá'í Articles Baháí laws are laws and ordinances used in the Baháí Faith, according to the instructions of the Baháulláh, and written in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. ... The Baháí teachings represent a considerable number of theological, social, and spiritual ideas that were established in the Baháí Faith by its central figures. ... Baháí literature, like much religious text, covers a variety of topics and forms, including scripture and inspiration, interpretation, history and biography, introduction and study materials, and apologia. ... The Baháí calendar, common to the Baháí Faith, is a solar calendar with regular years 365 days long and leap years 366 days long as explained within the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. ...

The Three Onenesses are three core assertions central to the theology of the Bahá'í Faith. They are: Seat of the Universal House of Justice, governing body of the Baháís in Haifa Israel The Baháí Faith is an emerging global religion founded by Baháulláh, a 19th century Persian exile. ...

• The Oneness of God
• The Oneness of Religion
• The Oneness of Humanity

They are also referred to as the Unity of God, Unity of religion, and Unity of mankind.

Unity

The principle of unity is very highly emphasized in the Bahá'í writings. One of the most common quotes of Bahá'u'lláh is "So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth." (Gleanings, p. 288)

These three principles of unity reflect a unity between themselves. A single, all powerful God, revealing His message through a series of divine Educators, regarding them as one progressively revealed religion, to one single humanity, who all possess a rational soul and only differ according to colour and culture.

This idea is fundamental not only to explaining Bahá'í beliefs, but explaining the attitude Bahá'ís have towards other religions. Bahá'ís regard other religions as divinely inspired; Bahá'u'lláh in many places states that denying any of the Manifestations of God is equivalent to denying all of them, and God Himself. In other references `Abdu'l-Bahá said that a Bahá’í will choose death over denial of any of the great Prophets, whether Moses, Muhammad or Christ. (`Abdu'l-Bahá in London, p. 56) The Baháí Faith refers to what are commonly called Prophets as Manifestations of God, or simply Manifestations (mazhar). ... `Abdul-Bahá Sir `Abdu’l-Bahá `Abbás Effendi (May 23, 1844 - November 28, 1921) commonly known as `Abdu’l-Bahá (Arabic/Persian:عبد البهاء), was the son of Baháulláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Baháí Faith. ...

This creates a dynamic where Bahá'ís are comfortable studying the Bible and Qur'an, and attending a variety of religious services. The Bible (Hebrew: תנ״ך tanakh, Greek: η Βίβλος hÄ“ biblos) (sometimes The Holy Bible, The Book, Good Book, Word of God, The Word Scripture, Scripture), from Greek (τα) βίβλια, (ta) biblia, (the) books, is the classical name for the Hebrew Bible of Judaism or the combination of the Old Testament and New Testament of Christianity. ... The Quran (Arabic , literally the recitation; also called or The Noble Quran; also transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ...

The acceptance of every race and culture in the world has brought Bahá'í demographics an incredible diversity, becoming the second most widespread Faith in the world, and translating its literature into over 800 languages. Seat of the Universal House of Justice, governing body of the Baháís in Haifa Israel The Baháí Faith is an emerging global religion founded by Baháulláh, a 19th century Persian exile. ...

The oneness of God

Bahá'ís believe that there is one supernatural being, God, who has created all the creatures and forces in the universe; God is omnipotent, omniscient, and perfect; and that although people have different concepts of God and His nature, and call Him by different names, everyone is speaking of the same one Being. Bahá'u'lláh writes on this subject: Michelangelos depiction of God in the painting Creation of the Sun and Moon in the Sistine Chapel This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and derived henotheistic forms. ...

"All-praise to the unity of God, and all-honour to Him, the sovereign Lord, the incomparable and all-glorious Ruler of the universe, Who, out of utter nothingness, hath created the reality of all things, Who, from naught, hath brought into being the most refined and subtle elements of His creation, and Who, rescuing His creatures from the abasement of remoteness and the perils of ultimate extinction, hath received them into His kingdom of incorruptible glory. Nothing short of His all-encompassing grace, His all-pervading mercy, could have possibly achieved it."

Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, pp. 64-65. [1]

The Bahá'í teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully understand Him or to create an image of Him. Even the attributes that Bahá'ís attribute to Him such as the All-Powerful, and the All-Loving are derived from limited human experiences of power, love, or justice. Bahá'u'lláh teaches that knowledge of God is limited to those attributes and qualities which are perceptible to us, and thus direct knowledge of God is not possible. Furthermore Bahá'u'lláh states that the knowledge of the attributes of God is revealed to humanity through the messengers he sends to humanity. The Baháí Faith refers to what are commonly called Prophets as Manifestations of God, or simply Manifestations (mazhar). ...

"So perfect and comprehensive is His creation that no mind or heart, however keen or pure, can ever grasp the nature of the most insignificant of His creatures; much less fathom the mystery of Him Who is the Day Star of Truth, Who is the invisible and unknowable Essence..."

Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, Pages 60-64. [2]

"As our knowledge of things, even of created and limited things, is knowledge of their qualities and not of their essence, how is it possible to comprehend in its essence the Divine Reality, which is unlimited? ... Knowing God, therefore, means the comprehension and the knowledge of His attributes, and not of His Reality. This knowledge of the attributes is also proportioned to the capacity and power of man; it is not absolute."

`Abdu'l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions, pp. 220-21. [3]

At the same time the Bahá'í teachings talk about a personal God who is a personal being with a personality, including the capacity to reason and feel love; the Bahá'í teachings note that the idea of a personal God does not mean that God has a human or physical form. Shoghi Effendi writes: The phrase personal God is religious term used far more often by laypeople than by theologians due to its numerous connotations. ...

"What is meant by personal God is a God Who is conscious of His creation, Who has a Mind, a Will, a Purpose, and not, as many scientists and materialists believe, an unconscious and determined force operating in the universe. Such conception of the Divine Being, as the Supreme and ever present Reality in the world, is not anthropomorphic, for it transcends all human limitations and forms, and does by no means attempt to define the essence of Divinity which is obviously beyond any human comprehension. To say that God is a personal Reality does not mean that He has a physical form, or does in any way resemble a human being. To entertain such belief would be sheer blasphemy."

(From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, April 21, 1939)

The Bahá'í teachings state that one can get closer to God through prayer, meditation, study of the holy writings, and service. `Abdu'l-Bahá writes

"Therefore, we learn that nearness to God is possible through devotion to Him, through entrance into the Kingdom and service to humanity; it is attained by unity with mankind and through loving-kindness to all; it is dependent upon investigation of truth, acquisition of praiseworthy virtues, service in the cause of universal peace and personal sanctification."

(`Abdu'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 148)

The oneness of humanity

Main article: Bahá'í Faith and the unity of humanity

The Bahá'í writings teach that there is but one humanity and all people are equal in the sight of God. The Bahá'í Faith emphasizes the unity of humanity transcending all divisions of race, nation, gender, caste, and social class, while celebrating its diversity. `Abdu'l-Bahá states that the unification of mankind has now become "the paramount issue and question in the religious and political conditions of the world." The Bahá'í writings affirm the biological, political, and spiritual unity of mankind. Bahá'u'lláh wrote: The Bahai Faith emphasizes the unity of humanity transcending all divisions of race, nation, gender, caste, and social class. ... The term race distinguishes a population of humans from other populations. ... One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ... The shield and spear of the Roman god Mars are often used to represent the male sex. ... Caste systems are traditional, hereditary systems of social stratification. ... Social class refers to the hierarchical distinctions between individuals or groups in societies or cultures. ... `Abdul-Bahá Sir `Abdu’l-Bahá `Abbás Effendi (May 23, 1844 - November 28, 1921) commonly known as `Abdu’l-Bahá (Arabic/Persian:عبد البهاء), was the son of Baháulláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Baháí Faith. ... Shrine of Baháulláh Baháulláh (Arabic: بهاء الله Glory of God) (b. ...

"Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship."

Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 288. [4]

Regarding biological unity the Bahá'í writings state that differences between various races, nations, and ethnic groups are either superficial (e.g. skin color) or the result of differences in background or "education". A basic Bahá'í teaching is "the elimination of all forms of prejudice," which refers to not only the elimination of racial prejudice but also that of other forms of prejudice such as gender discrimination. The term race distinguishes a population of humans from other populations. ... For with(out) prejudice in law, see Prejudice (law). ... One of main teachings of the Baháí Faith is gender equality; that men and women are equal. ...

The Bahá'í writings also proclaim a glorious future Golden Age in which the whole earth is united under a world federal government. Bahá'ís state that while ethnic and cultural diversity will continue to exist, humanity's first allegiance will be with the human race rather than any subsidiary group such as race, nation, or ethnic group. There will be an end not only to war, but even to inter-group rivalry. A golden age is a temporal term originated from early Greek and Roman poets. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards and conform with our NPOV policy, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The term race distinguishes a population of humans from other populations. ... One of the most influential doctrines in history is that all humans are divided into groups called nations. ...

While the Bahá'í writings talk about the unity of the world and its peoples, unity is not equated to uniformity, but instead the Bahá'í writings affrim the value of cultural, national and individual diversity through the principle of "Unity in diversity," which states that while recognizing the unity of mankind, cultural diversity should be celebrated. Unity in diversity is commonly described in the Bahá'í writings through the analogy of flowers of one garden, where the different colours of the flowers add to the beauty of the garden.

"It [the Faith] does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnic origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world... Its watchword is unity in diversity..."

Shoghi Effendi, The World Order of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 41. [5]

The oneness of religion

Main article: Bahá'í Faith and the unity of religion

The Bahá'í teachings state that there is but one religion which is progressively revealed by God, through prophets/messengers, to mankind as humanity matures and its capacity to understand also grows. The outward differences in the relgions, the The Bahá'í writings state, are due to the exigencies of the time and place the religion was revealed. Bahá'u'lláh claimed to be the most recent, but not the last, in a series of divine Educators which include Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad, and others. The Baháí Faith states that religion has the same foundation and that there is unity of religion. ... The Baháí Faith refers to what are commonly called Prophets as Manifestations of God, or simply Manifestations (mazhar). ... Jesus (Greek: , IÄ“sous) (8-2 BC/BCE – 29-36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus the Nazarene, is the central figure of Christianity, in which context he is known as Jesus Christ, where Christ is a Greek title meaning Anointed, corresponding to the Hebrew... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ...

The Bahá'í writings state that the essential nature of the messengers is twofold: they are at once human and divine. They are divine in that they all come from the same God and expound His teachings, and thus they can be seen in the same light, but at the same times they are separate individuals known by a different name, who fulfills a definite mission, and is entrusted with a particular revelation. Regarding the relationships of these Educators, which Bahá'ís refer to as Manifestations of God Bahá'u'lláh writes: The Baháí Faith refers to what are commonly called Prophets as Manifestations of God, or simply Manifestations (mazhar). ...

"God hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself. Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso disbelieveth in them, hath disbelieved in God . . . They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory." [6]

See also

• Manifestation of God
• Progressive Revelation

The Baháí Faith refers to what are commonly called Prophets as Manifestations of God, or simply Manifestations (mazhar). ... Progressive Revelation is a core teaching of the Baháí Faith that flows from the Three Onenesses, namely: the Oneness of God, the Oneness of Religion, and the Oneness of Humanity // Overview The basic concept relates closely to Baháí views of the nature of prophets, termed Manifestations of the Cause of...

References

• `Abdu'l-Bahá (1972). Foundations of World Unity, Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877430187.

• `Abdu'l-Bahá [1912] (1982). The Promulgation of Universal Peace, Hardcover, Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877431728.

• `Abdu'l-Bahá [1904-06] (1981). Some Answered Questions, Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877431906.

• Bahá'u'lláh (1976). Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877431876.

• Bahá'u'lláh [1862] (2003). Kitáb-i-Íqán: The Book of Certitude, Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 1931847088.

• Effendi, Shoghi (1938). The Advent of Divine Justice, Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877431957.

• Effendi, Shoghi (1981). The Dispensation of Bahá'u'lláh, Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0900125462.

• Effendi, Shoghi (1938). The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877432317.

• Hatcher W.S.; & Martin, J.D. (1998). The Bahá'í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion, Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877432643.

• (1983) Hornby, Helen (Ed.) Lights of Guidance: A Bahá'í Reference File, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, New Delhi, India. ISBN 8185091463.

• Universal House of Justice (1986). The Promise of World Peace, London, UK: Oneworld. ISBN 1851680020.