Bahá'í Faith

The Baha'i religion was founded by Baha'u'llah, a 19th-century Iranian leader of Babi exiles in the Ottoman Empire. Members recognize Baha'u'llah as the most recent of a series of divine prophets, whose revelation supercedes the provisions of Islam as well as other, earlier religions.

From its roots in the Middle East, the Baha'i religion attracted followers from Western countries in the early 20th century, especially in the wake of a 1912-1913 speaking tour by Baha'u'llah's grandson 'Abdul-Baha. During the 1960's, heeding the call of 'Abdul-Baha'is grandson Shoghi Effendi, Baha'i missionaries spread their religion to various Third World countries. Thus the religion has achieved a noteworthy ethnic diversity as well as geographic spread. Recent estimates of their population have ranged from a little more than a million, to upwards of seven million, with Baha'i sources tending toward the higher number.

Schisms have occurred periodically during the religion's history, resulting in the formation of several splinter groups following different lineages of authority. By far the largest grouping of Baha'is recognizes the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel (est. 1963) as its supreme body. Other groups boast perhaps several hundred followers altogether. Members of rival groups shun one another, with each viewing the other as having "broken the covenant."

A central Baha'i teaching is that of the unity of humanity. That is, Baha'is believe that their revelation heralds the gradual rise of a new global civilization, characterized by peace between all nations. Ultimately, most of the world's people are expected to become Baha'is. This emphasis on the unity of humanity parallels the oneness which Baha'is observe in the major world religions, for which they posit a common divine source; as well as the unity of God.

Nomenclature

The word "Baha'i" (/baˈhaːʔiː/)comes from the Arabic word Bahá’ (بهاء), meaning "glory" or "splendor"--a term which forms part of Baha'u'llah's assumed title.

Properly the term "Baha'i" is either an adjective referring to the religion, or a noun for a follower of Baha'u'llah, but not a noun for the religion itself. Today Baha'is often refer to their religion as the "Baha'i Faith"--i.e. preferring "faith" to "religion," and treating it as part of the religion's name. Names like "Baha'ism", "Bahaism", etc. are sometimes encountered in older material, or in material by dissidents, but are avoided by mainstream Baha'is for complex historical reasons. "Baha'i religion" is a common academic usage.

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. The spellings of "Behaism" and "Beha 'Ollah" are associated with now-defunct splinter groups.

Sect or Religion?

Baha'is consider theirs to be an "independent world religion" whose relationship to Islam is similar to that of Christianity to Judaism, or of Buddhism to Hinduism. That is to say, while Baha'is recognize Islam as their parent religion, and the source of much of their theology and practice, they categorically reject a Muslim identity for themselves. Much Baha'i literature insists on the religion's equal status with "other" major world religions (size nothwithstanding). Terms such as "sect" are rejected on theological grounds as they tend to reduce the Baha'i religion to a subset of Islam.

This perspective became normative under the leadership of Shoghi Effendi. Previously, Baha'is from Muslim backgrounds would have been assumed to be Muslims, albeit of a special sect; whereas early Western converts often assumed the Baha'is to be an ecumenical group open to members of any religion.

A number of Muslim authorities reject the notion that Baha'is constitute an independent religion. Islamic law recognizes as a Muslim, anyone who accepts Muhammad as a prophet of God (which Baha'is do). Baha'is accept Muhammad as the Seal of the Prophets, but interpret this phrase in such a way as to allow additional prophets (such as Baha'u'llah) after Muhammad. Thus, from a Muslim perspective they resemble the Ahmadiyyah movement, with the crucial difference that Baha'is claim that Islamic law has been superceded.

In answer to criticism that their religion is too small to deserve comparison with Christianity or Islam, Baha'i literature argues that theirs is the "second-most widespread" religion in the world (after Christianity). Their argument assumes the existence of local and national "spiritual assemblies" to be the criterion by which the claim of "significant presence" in a country may be established. (Larger religions usually prefer to focus on the number of countries in which they are the majority.)

The Baha'i religion is sometimes treated as a New Religious Movement, by those who accept 19th-century movements as "new." As such it would be grouped with Mormonism or Theosophy, or (limiting ourselves to groups claiming to be independent religions) to Tenrikyo or Caodaism--and indeed, constitute one of the largest and most established of such groups.

Beliefs

The purpose of life in the Bahá'í scriptures is to acquire virtues, know God, develop spiritually, and help carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. The personal development is conceived as an organic process, like the development of a fetus, assisted by God's Messengers. 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 proximity to 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. The purpose of God in revealing himself to mankind is to bring "the Mystic Gems out of the mine of man."

Baha'i literature often cites lists of core "principles" formulated by 'Abdul-Baha during his tour of Europe and America. The first three of this list are commonly referred to as the "three onenesses":

Practices

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.

The Covenant

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 an agreement between a Manifestation of God and his followers; the lesser covenant is viewed as unique to each revelation and includes the distinguishing characteristics of each revelation and the continuation of authority in the religion.At this time Bahá'ís view Bahá'u'lláh's revelation as a binding lesser covenant for his followers; in the Bahá'í writings being firm in the covenant is considered as one of the main religious virtues a person can work toward.

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 occurred over the succession of authority. The followers of the various Bahá'í divisions, who in total, number in the low thousands, are regarded as Covenant-breakers and shunned, essentially excommunicated.

History

Shrine of the Báb in Haifa, Israel.

Bahá'ís regard the period from the Báb's 1844 declaration in Shiraz, to the 1921 passing of `Abdu'l-Bahá, as the Heroic Age of the Faith. During this period its early believers experienced great persecution and its foundations were established in several countries around the world. The period after 1921 is described as the Formative Age. Shoghi Effendi characterized this era as coinciding with the Bahá'í Faith's emergence from obscurity, by the establishment and "maturation" of its administrative institutions, and by the faith's world-wide expansion. He indicated that the Formative Age would eventually transition into a future Golden Age in which the Bahá'í Faith "is embraced by the majority of the peoples of a number of the Sovereign States of the world".

The Báb

Main articles: Báb, Bábism, Bahá'í/Bábí split

In 1844 Siyyid `Alí-Muhammad of Shiraz, Iran proclaimed that he was "The Báb" (Template:ArB "The Gate"), after a Shi'a religious concept. His followers were therefore known as Bábís. As the Báb's teachings spread, the Islamic government saw it as a threat to state religion and Bábís were persecuted. Several military confrontations took place between government and Bábí forces. The Báb himself was imprisoned and eventually executed in 1850.

Bahá'ís see the Báb as the forerunner of the Bahá'í Faith, because the Báb's writings introduced the concept of "He whom God shall make manifest", a Messianic figure whose coming, according to Bahá'ís, was announced in the scriptures of all of the world's great religions, and whom Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, claimed to be in 1863. The Báb's tomb is located in Haifa, Israel, and 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

Mirza Husayn `Alí of Nur was one of the early followers of the Báb, who later took the title of Bahá'u'lláh. He was arrested and imprisoned for this involvement in 1852. He claimed that while incarcerated in the dungeon of the Síyáh-Chál ("black pit") 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 thereafter 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 banished a 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 at 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

Bahá'u'lláh was succeeded by his eldest son, `Abdu'l-Bahá in 1892, at a time when only a handful of Bahá'ís existed in the West. He was 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.

`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

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. He died in 1957 under conditions that didn't allow for a successor to be appointed.

At local, regional, and national levels, Bahá'ís elect members to nine-person Spiritual Assemblies, which run the affairs of the religion. There are also appointed individuals working at various levels, including locally and internationally which perform the function of propagating the faith and protecting the community. The latter do not serve as clergy, which the Bahá'í Faith does not have.

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 positions are open to male and female Bahá'ís.

Involvement in society

Work ethic

Bahá'u'lláh prohibited 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." The importance of self-exertion and service to humanity in man's spiritual life is emphasised further in Bahá'u'lláh's writings, where he states that work done in the spirit of service to humanity enjoys a rank equal to that of prayer and worship in the sight of God.

United Nations

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 following organizations:

• United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
• United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

The Bahá'í International Community has offices at the United Nations in New York and Geneva and representations to United Nations regional commissions and other offices in Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Nairobi, Rome, Santiago, and Vienna. In recent years an Office of the Environment and an Office for the Advancement of Women were established as part of its United Nations Office. The Bahá'í Faith has also undertaken joint development programs with various other 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. See this article for further information on the relationship between the Bahá'í International Community and the United Nations.

International plans

In 1939 Shoghi Effendi launched a seven year plan, followed by another in 1946. In 1953 Shoghi Effendi launched the Ten Year World Crusade, with extremely ambitious goals for the expansion of Bahá'í communities and institutions, the translation of Bahá'í literature into several new languages, and the sending of Bahá'í pioneers into previously unreached nations. He announced in letters during the Ten Year Crusade that it would be followed by other plans under the direction of the Universal House of Justice, which was elected in 1963 at the culmination of the Crusade. The House of Justice then launched a nine year plan in 1964, and a series of subsequent multi-year plans of varying length and goals followed, guiding the direction of the international Bahá'í community.

Current international plan

Since the late 1990's, the House of Justice has been directing communities to prepare for large-scale expansion, organizing localities into "clusters", creating new institutions such as Regional Councils and strengthening the various "training institutes". The recently completed five-year plan (2001-2006) focused 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. A new focus was added in December 2005 with the addition of "junior youth" classes to the core activities, focusing on education for those between 11 and 14.

The second five-year plan (2006-2011) was launched by the Universal House of Justice in April of 2006; it calls upon the Bahá'ís of the world to establish advanced patterns of growth and community development in over 1,500 "clusters" around the world. It also alludes to a possible tier-election process for Local Spiritual Assemblies in localities with many Bahá'ís. The years from 2001 until 2021 represent four successive five-year plans, culminating in the centennial anniversary of the passing of `Abdu'l-Bahá.

Study circles

Along with a focus on consolidation has come a system designed to systematically bring Bahá'í education to the grassroots level. The "study circles" are intended to be sustainable and self-perpetuating on a large scale. Participants complete a sequence of workbooks in small groups, facilitated by a tutor. Upon completion of the sequence, a participant can then go on to facilitate study circles for others.

The most popular study program is the Ruhi Institute, a study course originally designed for use in Colombia, but which has received wide use. The first book studies three themes: the Bahá'í writings, prayer, and life and death. Subsequent themes include the education of children, the lives of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, service, and others.

Social practices

Laws

The laws of the Bahá'í Faith primarily come from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh's book of laws. While some of the laws from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas are applicable at the present time, Bahá'u'lláh has provided for the progressive application of other laws that are dependent upon the existence of a predominantly Bahá'í society, which is expected gradually to come into being. The laws, when not in direct conflict with the civil laws of the country of residence are binding on every Bahá'í. The observance of personal laws such as prayer or fasting, while a universal obligation, is the sole responsibility of the individual. Other laws may be enforced to a degree by the administrative order, while still others are dependent upon the existence of a predominantly Bahá'í society. These laws are not taught as a rigid legalistic framework concerned with enforcement and punishment. Instead, they are regarded as an indispensable part of human spiritual progress. One commonly referenced comment of Bahá'u'lláh states:

“

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.

”

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

• Recite an obligatory prayer each day after reaching the age of maturity, deemed to be 15. There are three such prayers among which one can be chosen each day.
• Pray and meditate daily.
• Backbiting and gossip is prohibited and denounced.
• 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 narcotics such as opium.

Places of worship

The night view of a model of the new Bahá'í House of Worship under construction in Chile.

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 construction in Chile. 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.

Marriage

Bahá'í marriage is the union of a man and a woman. Its purpose is mainly spiritual and is to foster harmony, fellowship and unity between the two partners. The Bahá'í teachings on marriage call it a fortress for well-being and salvation and place marriage and the family as the foundation of the structure of human society. Bahá'u'lláh highly praised the institution of marriage, declaring it an eternal command of God, also discouraging divorce, and requiring chastity outside of marriage; Bahá'u'lláh taught that a husband and wife should strive to improve the spiritual life of each other.

Bahá'ís intending to marry "should study each other's character and spend time getting to know each other before they decide to marry, and when they do marry it should be with the intention of establishing an eternal bond." Although parents should not choose partners for their children, once two individuals decide to marry, they must receive the consent of all living parents, even if one partner is not a Bahá'í. Interracial marriage is highly praised in the Bahá'í teachings. The Bahá'í marriage ceremony is simple; the only compulsory part of the wedding is the reading of the wedding vows prescribed by Bahá'u'lláh which both the groom and the bride read, in the presence of two witnesses. The vows are:

"We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God."

Symbols

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

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’ (Template:ArB "splendor" or "glory") whose shape is meant to recall the three onenesses. The Greatest Name is Yá Bahá'u'l-'Abhá (Template:ArB "O Glory of the Most Glorious!")

Calendar

The Bahá'í calendar is based upon the calendar established by the Báb. The year consists of 19 months of 19 days, with 4 or 5 intercalary days, to make a full solar year. The Bahá'í New Year corresponds to the traditional Persian New Year, called Naw Rúz, and 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.

Each of the 19 months is given a name which is an attribute of God; some examples include Bahá’ (Splendour), ‘Ilm (Knowledge), and Jamál (Beauty).The Baha'i week is familiar in that it consists of seven days, with each day of the week also named after an attribute of God; some examples include Istiqlál (Independence), Kamál (Perfection) and ‘Idál (Justice). 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.

Persecution

Bahá'ís claim to be persecuted in Muslim countries--especially Iran, where several hundred Baha'is were executed after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The most recent death

Since then Baha'is have complained of the

complained of being forbidden to attend university (students are required to take an exam in one of four recognized religions; Baha'is fear that the government will use selection of the exam on Islam as proof of Muslim status);

, 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.

Even more recently the situation of Bahá'ís has worsened; the United Nations Commission on Human Rights revealed an October 2005 confidential letter from Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Iran to identify Bahá'ís and to monitor their activities and in November 2005 the state-run and influential Kayhan newspaper, whose managing editor is appointed by Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, ran nearly three dozen articles defaming the Bahá'í Faith.

Due to these actions, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights stated on March 20, 2006 that she "also expresses concern that the information gained as a result of such monitoring will be used as a basis for the increased persecution of, and discrimination against, members of the Bahá'í faith, in violation of international standards. ... The Special Rapporteur is concerned that this latest development indicates that the situation with regard to religious minorities in Iran is, in fact, deteriorating."

References

• `Abdu'l-Bahá (1891). Browne, E.G., Tr.: A Traveller's Narrative: Written to illustrate the episode of the Bab. Cambridge University Press. 
• `Abdu'l-Bahá [1901-08] (1992). The Will And Testament of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Mona Vale, N.S.W, Australia: Bahá'í Publications Australia. ISBN 0909991472. 
• Britannica (Eds.) (1992). Britannica Book of the Year. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Chicago,. 
• Hatcher, W.S.; & Martin, J.D. (1998). The Bahá'í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877432643. 
• Heggie, James (1986). Bahá'í References to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853982422. .
• Lewis, Bernard (1984). The Jews of Islam. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691008078. .
• 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. 
• Schaefer, Udo (2000). Making the Crooked Straight: A Contribution to Bahá'í Apologetics. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0-85398-443-3. 
• Townshend, George (1966). Christ and Bahá’u’lláh. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 0853980055. 
• Universal House of Justice (2001). Century of Light. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877432945. 

External links

• The Bahá'ís, the official presence of the Bahá'í International Community on the Web.
• BBC Religion and Ethics special: Bahá'í, BBC on the Bahá'í Faith.
• Baha'i Library collection of Baha'i writings on the net with an excellent forum.