The Bahá’í Faith
Key Facts:
The Bahá’í Faith is a world religion whose purpose is to unite all people in one universal Cause and one common Faith. Bahá’ís are the followers of Bahá’u’lláh, whom they believe is the Promised One of all Ages. Many traditions and Holy Books include the promise of a future when peace and harmony will be established on earth and humankind will live in prosperity. Bahá’ís believe that Bahá’u’lláh has brought teachings and guidance that will enable humankind to build this new world.
Origins:
The Faith’s Founder was Bahá’u’lláh (1817-1892), a Persian nobleman from Tehran who brought to humanity a stirring new message of peace and unity. The title Bahá’u’lláh means the Glory of God. Like the founders of other world religions, Bahá’u’lláh faced intense persecution. He spent 40 years in prison and exile, culminating in incarceration in the city of Acre on the Mediterranean coast. The Bahá’í Faith has two other central figures, the Báb and Abdu’l-Bahá.
Beliefs:
Bahá’u’lláh claimed to be a new and independent Messenger from God. His life, work, and influence parallel that of Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Christ, and Muhammad. Bahá’ís view Bahá’u’lláh as the most recent in this succession of divine Messengers. Unity is the central theme of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings. He taught that there is only one God, that the human race is one family, and that the world religions represent progressive stages in the revelation of God’s will and purpose to humanity. In this day humanity has come of age. The time for global peace and unity has arrived, as foretold in the scriptures of all religions. Bahá’u’lláh wrote, “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.”
Scriptures:
Bahá’u’lláh wrote to the kings and rulers of the day, to leaders of religion and to individuals. His writings together with those from the Báb and Abdu’l-Bahá form the scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith. Bahá’í scripture contains a wealth of teachings.
On the great spiritual themes that have always been central to religion: God the Creator, the Love of God, the soul, the life of the spirit, eternal life, the importance of prayer, service, the meaning of suffering etc. “The purpose of God in creating man hath been, and will ever be, to enable him to know his Creator and to attain His Presence. ” Bahá’u’lláh
The Bahá’í Faith Today:
With more than five million followers, residing in virtually every nation on earth, the Bahá’í Faith is the second most widespread of the world religions after Christianity.
The Faith’s scriptures and the activities of its membership address virtually every important trend in the world today, from new thinking about cultural diversity and environmental conservation to the decentralization of decision making; from a renewed commitment to family life and moral values to the call for social and economic justice in a world that is rapidly becoming a global neighbourhood.
Significance OF The Bahá’í Faith:
The Bahá’í Faith offers a unifying view of religions. This is particularly significant at a time when the very diversity of religion and the conflicts between religious communities is being used as an argument against the existence of God. In the words of Bahá’u’lláh, “This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future.” When a person embraces the Bahá’í Faith they do not abandon their previous faith, but rather widen its basis. With no schisms or factions, the Bahá’í Faith comprises what is arguably the world’s most diverse and widespread organization. It has no clergy, and is coordinated by a unique administrative system with freely elected governing councils in nearly 10,000 localities. The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing body of the Bahá’í Faith. Its nine members are elected every five years. This system of administration is set out in the Bahá’í scriptures.
