Baha'i

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WHAT IS BAHA’I?

The Baha’i faith is a world religion based on the teachings of Baha’u’llah, which in Arabic, means the “Glory of God”. He taught that there is one God and one human family, and that the great religions of the world represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of human society.

Baha’is recognize Baha' u'llah as the final expression of God's guidance, opening the way for the establishment of peace and reconciliation. His writings, which promote peace and unity, are at the heart of the Baha’i faith. He was born into the Iranian nobility, but spent the majority of his life living in exile in the Ottoman Empire due to his involvement with the Babi movement and his own claims to the divine mission.

The religion has three central figures: (1) the Bab (1819–1850), considered a spiritual visionary who taught that God would send a prophet in the same way of Jesus or Muhammad, and who was executed by Iranian authorities in 1850; (2) Baha u'llah (1817–1892), who claimed to be that prophet in 1863 and faced exile and imprisonment for most of his life; and (3) Baha u’llah’s son, Abdu'l-Baha (1844–1921), who was released from confinement in 1908 and trips to Europe and the United States to teach this vision. After Abdu'l-Baha's death in 1921, leadership of the religion fell to his grandson Shoghi Effendi (1897–1957).

Shoghi Effendi was childless so after a brief period without leadership,, a nine-man elected body, the Universal House of Justice, was formed in 1963. Referred to repeatedly in the Baha’i writings, the Universal House of Justice remains the Baha’is’ ruling body up to the present-day. It is regarded by Baha’is as divinely-guided.

The following principles are frequently listed as a summary of the Baha’i teachings. They are derived from transcripts of speeches given by Abdu'l-Baha during his tour of Europe and North America.

Unity of God

Unity of religion

Unity of humanity

Equality between women and men

Elimination of all forms of prejudice

World peace and a new world order

Harmony of religion and science

Independent investigation of truth

Universal compulsory education

Universal auxiliary language

Obedience to government and non-involvement in partisan politics.[d]

Elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty

Prohibition of slavery

Baha’is believe that all the founders of the world’s great religions, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad, were manifestations of God and agents of a divine plan for the education of the human race. Despite their differences, the world’s great religions, according to the Baha’is, teach an identical truth. Bahaʾullah’s function was to overcome the disunity of religions and establish a universal faith. Baha’is believe in the oneness of humanity and devote themselves to the abolition of racial, class, and religious prejudices. The bulk of Baha’i teachings is concerned with social ethics. With regard to the pursuit of world peace, Bahaʼu'llah stated that it is necessary that all the people of the world unite under a universal Faith.

WHERE IS BAHA’I PRACTICED?

Baha’i is established in 221 countries and territories with an estimated seven million adherents worldwide. The community was mostly confined to the Iranian and Ottoman empires until after the death of its self-proclaimed prophet, Bahaʼu'llah in 1892, at which time he had followers in 13 countries in Asia and Africa. Under the leadership of his son, Abdu'l-Baha, the religion grew in Europe and America, and was consolidated in Iran, where it still suffers persecution.

After Baha’u’llah’s death, the Baha’i faith began to attract a much wider following outside of the Islamic world. Baha’i teachers who settled in North America found a receptive audience for the message of the faith and a number of active Baha’i groups were established. American Baha’is in turn spread the teachings to Europe.

After 1950, a massive expansion into many parts of sub-Saharan Africa and Asia took place and by the early 21st century it had more than 180 national spiritual assemblies (national governing bodies) and several thousand local spiritual assemblies around the world. There are Baha’i communities in almost every country in the world, with North Korea being the exception.

Baha’is are drawn from all religious backgrounds and ethnicities. According to some estimates, the largest Bahaʼí community in the world is in India, with 2.2 million Bahaʼis, followed by Iran, with 350,000, the US, with 150,000, and Brazil, with 60,000. Currently, no country has a Bahaʼí majority.

Bahaʼís annually elect local, regional, and national Spiritual Assemblies that govern the religion's affairs. Every five years the members of all National Spiritual Assemblies elect the Universal House of Justice, the nine-member supreme governing institution of the worldwide Baháʼí community that is located in Haifa, Israel, near the Shrine of the Bab.

HOW TO PRACTICE THE BAHA’I FAITH

The Baha’i faith has no priesthood and does not observe ritual forms of worship. In the temples there is no preaching and services consist of recitation of the scriptures of all religions.

Letters written by Bahaʼu'llah to various people, including various heads of state, have been collected and assembled into a canon of Baháʼí scripture. The Baha’i scriptures also include works by his son Abdu'l-Baha, and the Báb, who is regarded as Bahaʼu'llah's forerunner. A historical account of the Báb movement, known as the Dawn-Breakers, is considered one of three books that every Baháʼí should "master" and read over and over again.

Membership in the Baha’i community is open to all who profess faith in Baha’ullah and accept his teachings. There are no initiation ceremonies, no sacraments, and no clergy. Every Baha’i, however, is under the spiritual obligation to pray daily; to abstain totally from narcotics, alcohol, or any other substances that affect the mind; to practice monogamy; to obtain the consent of parents to marriage; and to attend the Nineteen Day Feast on the first day of each month of the Baha’i calendar. If capable, those between the ages of 15 and 70 are required to fast 19 days a year, going without food or drink from sunrise to sunset.

The Nineteen Day Feast, originally instituted by the Bab, brings together the Baha’is of a given locality for prayer, the reading of scriptures, the discussion of community activities, and the enjoyment of one another’s company. The feasts are designed to ensure universal participation in the affairs of the community and the cultivation of the spirit of brotherhood and fellowship.

How is the Baha’i community organised? - Those who are formally members of the Baha’i Faith register with the community organisation at a local or national level, and are encouraged to become actively involved with activities. They also become subject to the provisions of Baha’i law. On the first day of each Baha’i month, the Baha’is in a locality meet together for prayers, consultation on community activities, and a social get-together. They also meet to observe the Baha’i holy days commemorating various significant dates in their history as well as their new year celebration at the March equinox (Spring in the northern hemisphere).

Holy Sites - Baha’is have a number of holy sites, some of which they perform pilgrimages to, incliding the shrines of Baha’u’llah, the Bab and Abdu’l-Baha, and other places associated with their lives in the Haifa-Akka area of Israel. The Baha’is also have a small number of temples around the world which are used for devotional services and are open to non-Baha’is.

Personal Conduct - The following examples from Bahaʼu'llah's teachings on personal conduct that are required or encouraged:

Baháʼís over the age of 15 should individually recite an obligatory prayer each day
In addition to the daily obligatory prayer, Baháʼís should offer daily devotional prayer and to meditate and study sacred scripture.
Adult Baháʼís should observe a Nineteen-Day Fast each year during daylight hours in March
There are specific requirements for Baháʼí burial that include a specified prayer to be read at the interment. Embalming or cremating the body is strongly discouraged
Baháʼís should make a 19% voluntary payment on any wealth in excess of what is necessary to live comfortably, after the payment of any debt. The payments go to the Universal House of Justice.

Prohibitions - The following examples from Bahaʼu'llah's teachings on personal conduct that are prohibited

Backbiting and gossip are prohibited and denounced.
Drinking or selling alcohol is forbidden.
Sexual intercourse is only permitted between a husband and wife, and thus premarital, extramarital, or homosexual intercourse are forbidden.
Abstaining from partisan politics
Begging is forbidden.

Marriage - The purpose of marriage in the Baháʼí faith is to foster spiritual harmony, fellowship and unity between a man and a woman and to provide a stable and loving environment for the rearing of children. Bahaʼu'llah highly praised marriage, discouraged divorce, and required chastity outside of marriage; Baháʼu'lláh taught that a husband and wife should strive to improve the spiritual life of each other. Interracial marriage is also highly praised throughout Baháʼí scripture. Although parents should not choose partners for their children, once two individuals decide to marry, they must receive the consent of all living biological parents, whether they are Baháʼí or not. The Baháʼí marriage ceremony is simple; the only compulsory part of the wedding is the reading of the wedding vows prescribed by Bahaʼu'llah 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."

Work - Baháʼís are taught to practice spirituality while engaging in useful work. The importance of self-exertion and service to humanity in one's spiritual life is emphasised further in Bahaʼu'llah'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.

Places of Worship - Most Baháʼí meetings occur in individuals' homes, local Baháʼí centers, or rented facilities. Worldwide, as of 2018, ten Baháʼí Houses of Worship, including eight Mother Temples and two local Houses of Worship have been built and a further five are planned for construction.

Calendar - The Baháʼí calendar is based upon the calendar established by the Bab. The year consists of 19 months, each having 19 days, with four or five intercalary days, to make a full solar year. The Baháʼí New Year corresponds to the traditional Iranian New Year, called Naw Rúz, and occurs on the vernal equinox, near 21 March, at the end of the month of fasting. Baháʼí 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 Baháʼ (Splendour), ʻIlm (Knowledge), and Jamál (Beauty). The Baháʼí week is familiar in that it consists of seven days, with each day of the week also named after an attribute of God. Baháʼís observe 11 Holy Days throughout the year. These days commemorate important anniversaries in the history of the religion.

Symbols - The symbols of the religion are derived from the Arabic word Baha ("splendor" or "glory"), with a numerical value of 9, which is why the most common symbol is the nine-pointed star. The ringstone symbol and calligraphy of the Greatest Name are also often encountered. The former consists of two five-pointed stars interspersed with a stylized Baháʼ whose shape is meant to recall the three onenesses. The five-pointed star is the official symbol of the Baháʼí Faith, known as the Haykal ("temple"). It was initiated and established by the Bab and various works were written in calligraphy shaped into a five-pointed star.

Social Programs - Current initiatives of social action include activities in areas like health, sanitation, education, gender equality, arts and media, agriculture, and the environment. Educational projects include schools, which range from village tutorial schools to large secondary schools, and some universities.

WHY PRACTICE THE BAHA’I FAITH?

Practicing Bahá'í provides a variety of benefits including understanding in connection with the following:

Purpose - The Bahá'í faith helps you to see the purpose, the meaning and the ultimate direction of life.

Truth and Logic - The Bahá'í faith promotes independent investigation of truth in the realm of science and religion. It encourages the use of science to determine where mankind has erred in interpretation of spiritual guidance, and reserves faith for those areas that can't be proven or disproven. The Baha’i Faith is a very logical and reasonable religion, which asks to be scrutinized by its seekers, and does not allow preaching or explaining of its philosophies. It's a very personal journey of discovery.

One Source - The Bahá'í faith teaches that all major religions came from the same source and that no part of humankind was left without guidance or a path to salvation. It teaches that the differences that we see are primarily due to how the message was in accordance with man's capacity in the place and at the time of the revelation and with man's subsequent misinterpretation of that message.

Equality of Gender - The Bahá'í faith teaches that women are equal to men, in the next world, there is no gender, and to believe that men are in some way superior to women is a flawed misinterpretation that found its way into holy books.

Equality of Race - Bahá'ís believe that race and ethnic background do not make a person inferior or superior to others. The only thing that makes one person inferior or superior to another is how well he or she has lived up to his or her capacity. Since only God knows what our capacities are, none of us can judge ourselves to be better or worse than another.

No Judgement - The Bahá'í faith teaches that criticism, calumny and back-biting are worst things we can do to each other - outweighing murder in severity. While this is one of the hardest things to overcome, if we collectively do it, the world will become better.

Unconditional Love -A group of people who simply love each other, deeply, unconditionally.

Modern Principles and No Clergy - Your life is guided by a comparatively modern set of principles and guidelines, unhindered by tradition.

Part Time - You can be an active member, even involved in administration, without breaking away from your normal life or day-job.

Active Role - You have a say in the forward direction of your community by being able to vote, volunteer, question and participate.

Open to other Scripture - Ability to read and study the many religions and religious traditions without fear of condemnation.