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The Bahá'í Faith
A Brief Introduction
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Purpose of Religion
The purpose of religion as revealed from the
heaven of God's holy Will is to establish unity
and concord amongst the peoples of the world
make it not the cause of dissension and strife.
The religion of God and His divine law are the
most potent instruments and the surest of all
means for the dawning of the light of unity
amongst men. (Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of
Bahá'u'lláh, p. 129)
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What is the Bahá'í Faith?
The Bahá'í Faith is the most recent of the
world's independent religions Its founder,
Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), is regarded by Bahá'ís
as the most recent in the line of Messengers of
God that stretches back beyond recorded time and
that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna,
Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad
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Progressive Revelation
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Sect, cult or new religion?
It is not a cult, a reform movement or sect
within any other faith, nor merely a
philosophical system. Neither does it represent
an attempt to create a new religion
syncretistically by bringing together different
teachings chosen from other religions. In the
words of Arnold Toynbee The Baháí Faith is an
independent religion on a par with Islam,
Christianity, and the other recognized world
religions. The Baháí Faith is not a sect of some
other religion it is a separate religion, and it
has the same status as the other recognized
religions.
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Facts about the Bahá'í Faith

• Founded in 1844
• The Baháí Faith is today among the
  fastest-growing of the worlds religions
• More than five million followers from more than
  2,100 ethnic, racial, and tribal groups
• In virtually every nation on earth
• Second-most widespread faith
• Surpassing every religion but Christianity in
  its geographic reach

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Who was Bahá'u'lláh?

• His given name was Husayn-Ali
• Bahá'u'lláh means "The Glory of God" in Arabic
• Ancestry from great dynasties of Iran's
  imperial past
• Bahá'u'lláh led a princely life as a young man,
  receiving an education that focused largely
  on horsemanship, swordsmanship, calligraphy
  and classic poetry

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Who was Bahá'u'lláh?

• He came from royalty but turned His back on the
  position at court which these advantages
  offered
• He became known for His generosity and
  kindliness
• This privileged position did not long survive
  Bahá'u'lláh's announcement of support for the
  message of the Báb
• Waves of violence were unleashed upon the Bábis
  and Bahá'u'lláh suffered not only the loss of
  all His worldly endowments but was subjected
  to imprisonment, torture, and a series of
  banishments

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The route of Bahá'u'lláhs exiles
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Description of Bahá'u'lláh
"The face of him on whom I gazed I can never
forget, though I cannot describe it. Those
piercing eyes seemed to read one's very soul
power and authority sat on that ample brow.... No
need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I bowed
myself before one who is the object of a devotion
and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh
for in vain!" -E.G. Browne (Cambridge
University Orientalist)
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Interest in Bahá'u'lláh
for here he the student of religion may
contemplate such personalities as by lapse of
time pass into heroes and demi-gods still
unobscured by myth and fable he may examine by
the light of concurrent and independent testimony
one of those strange outbursts of enthusiasm,
faith, fervent devotion, and indomitable
heroism--or fanaticism, if you will--which we are
accustomed to associate with the earlier history
of the human race he may witness, in a word, the
birth of a faith which may not impossibly win a
place amidst the great religions of the world
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Central Figures of the Bahá'í Faith
The Báb Bahá'u'lláh Twin Manifestations 'Abd
u'l-Bahá Exemplar Shoghi Effendi
Authorized Interpreter
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Central Theme of the Bahá'í Faith
Humanity is one single race and that the day has
come for its unification in one global
society Deal ye one with another with the utmost
love and harmony, with friendliness and
fellowship. He Who is the Day Star of Truth
beareth Me witness! So powerful is the light of
unity that it can illuminate the whole
earth. (Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings
of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 288) The well-being of
mankind, its peace and security, are
unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly
established. (Compilations, The Compilation of
Compilations vol II, p. 153)
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Basic Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh
Bahá'u'lláh taught that there is one God whose
successive revelations of His will to humanity
have been the chief civilizing force in history
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Three Onenesses
Oneness of God Oneness of Religion Oneness of
Man
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All praise to the unity of God, and all honor 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. How could
it, otherwise, have been possible for sheer
nothingness to have acquired by itself the
worthiness and capacity to emerge from its state
of non-existence into the realm of being?
(Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of
Bahá'u'lláh, p. 64)
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Oneness of Religion
The fundamental principle enunciated by
Bahá'u'lláh is that religious truth is not
absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is
a continuous and progressive process, that all
the great religions of the world are divine in
origin, that their basic principles are in
complete harmony, that their aims and purposes
are one and the same, that their teachings are
but facets of one truth, that their functions are
complementary, that they differ only in the
nonessential aspects of their doctrines, and that
their missions represent successive stages in the
spiritual evolution of human society
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Oneness of Man
The Bahá'í Faith emphasizes the unity of humanity
transcending all divisions of race, nation,
gender, caste, and social class, while
celebrating its diversity. Bahá'u'lláh wrote
"The world is but one country, and mankind its
citizens." A beautiful analogy of this is
Bahá'u'lláh's statement that "Ye are all leaves
of one tree and the fruits of one branch."
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Oneness of Man
Throughout the animal kingdom we do not find the
creatures separated because of color. They
recognize unity of species and oneness of kind.
If we do not find color distinction drawn in a
kingdom of lower intelligence and reason, how can
it be justified among human beings, especially
when we know that all have come from the same
source and belong to the same household.('Abdu'l-
Bahá, Foundations of World Unity, p. 34)
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Main Principles of the Bahá'í Faith

• Oneness of God
• Oneness of Religion
• Oneness of man
• Equality of men and women
• Elimination of all forms of prejudice
• Elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty
• Independent investigation of the truth
• Universal education
• Religious tolerance
• Harmony of science and religion
• A world commonwealth of nations
• Universal auxiliary language

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Equality of Men and Women
The world of humanity is possessed of two wings
the male and the female. So long as these two
wings are not equivalent in strength, the bird
will not fly. Until womankind reaches the same
degree as man, until she enjoys the same arena of
activity, extraordinary attainment for humanity
will not be realized humanity cannot wing its
way to heights of real attainment. When the two
wings . . . become equivalent in strength,
enjoying the same prerogatives, the flight of man
will be exceedingly lofty and extraordinary('Abd
u'l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p.
374)
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Universal Education
Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable
value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal
its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit
therefrom.(Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the
Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 259)
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Universal Education
Training in morals and good conduct is far more
important than book learning. A child that is
cleanly, agreeable, of good character,
well-behaved -- even though he be ignorant -- is
preferable to a child that is rude, unwashed,
ill-natured, and yet becoming deeply versed in
all the sciences and arts. The reason for this is
that the child who conducts himself well, even
though he be ignorant, is of benefit to others,
while an ill-natured, ill-behaved child is
corrupted and harmful to others, even though he
be learned. If, however, the child be trained to
be both learned and good, the result is light
upon light. ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the
Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, p. 135)
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A Way of Life
The purpose of life is to develop these
capacities both for one's own life and for the
service of humanity The way of life which
Bahá'ís seek to cultivate, therefore, is one that
encourages personal development Daily prayer
and meditation free the soul from conditioned
patterns and open it to new possibilities Bahá'u'
lláh asks that Bahá'ís view service to humanity
as among their highest priorities
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How do Bahá'ís pray?
Bahá'u'lláh explained that prayer is among the
most important ways to cultivate spiritual growth
and development Short obligatory prayer I bear
witness, O my God, that Thou has created me to
know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this
moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to
my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other
God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the
Self-Subsisting. (Bahá'u'lláh, Prayers and
Meditations by Bahá'u'lláh, p. 313)
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Prayer for Spiritual Growth
O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my
heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs
in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I
will no longer be sorrowful and grieved I will
be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no
longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble
harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant
things of life. O God! Thou art more friend to me
than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O
Lord. 'Abdu'l-Bahá
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Bahá'í Houses of Worship
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Wilmette, Illinois, United States
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New Delhi, India
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Panama City, Panama
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Sydney, Australia
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Frankfurt, Germany
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Kampala, Uganda
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Ashkhabad, Russian Turkistan
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Santiago, Chile
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Other Spiritual Obligations

• Meditate each day on the Writings of
  Bahá'u'lláh
• Fasting (2 March to 20 March each year)
• Bahá'u'lláh asked that His followers spend
  some time each day reading the Word of God
  and reflecting on its meaning
• Bahá'ís understand that the Writings of
  Bahá'u'lláh are the Word of God for this age,
  and that such reading and meditation has a
  transforming effect on the soul

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Historical context of the Bahá'í Faith

• To assert that a religion is independent of
  other faiths is not to argue that it began in
  a religious vacuum.
• Buddhism emerged from a traditional Hindu
  background
• Christianity began within the context of
  Judaism
• The religious matrix of the Bahá'í Faith was
  Islam. Much as Christianity was born out of
  the messianic expectations of Judaism, the
  religion that was to become the Bahá'í Faith
  arose from eschatological tensions within Islam.
  In the same way, however, the Bahá'í Faith is
  entirely independent of its parent religion.

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The Bahá'í Faith The Fulfillment of Previous
Religious Dispensations
For Jews Bahá'u'lláh is the appearance of the
promised "Lord of Hosts" come down "with ten
thousands of saints." Many features of
Bahá'u'lláh's involuntary exile to the Land of
Israel, along with other historical events during
Bahá'u'lláh's life and since are seen as
fulfilling numerous prophecies in the Bible.
For Buddhists Bahá'u'lláh fulfils the
prophecies for the coming of "a Buddha named
Maitreye, the Buddha of universal fellowship" who
will, according to Buddhist traditions, bring
peace and enlightenment for all humanity.
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The Bahá'í Faith The Fulfillment of Previous
Religious Dispensations
For Hindus Bahá'u'lláh comes as the new
incarnation of Krishna, the "Tenth Avatar" and
the "Most Great Spirit." He is "the birthless,
the deathless," the One who, "when goodness grows
weak," returns "in every age" to "establish
righteousness" as promised in the Bhagavad-Gita.
For Christians Bahá'u'lláh fulfils the
paradoxical promises of Christ's return "in the
Glory of the Father" and as a "thief in the
night." That the Faith was founded in 1844
relates to numerous Christian prophecies.
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The Bahá'í Faith The Fulfillment of Previous
Religious Dispensations
For Muslims Bahá'u'lláh fulfils the promise of
the Qur'an for the "Day of God" and the "Great
Announcement," when "God" will come down
"overshadowed with clouds." They see in the
dramatic events of the Bábi and Bahá'í movements
the fulfillment of many traditional statements of
Muhammad, which have long been a puzzle.
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Bahá'u'lláh's Writings

• Bahá'u'lláh revealed divinely inspired passages
  equivalent to over 100 volumes.
• Mystical Nature
• Social and Ethical Teachings
• Laws and Ordinances
• A fearless proclamation of His message to the
  Kings and Rulers of the world
• Napoleon III Queen Victoria
• Pope Pius IX
• the Shah of Persia
• the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria

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Bahá'í Involvement in the United Nations

• Bahá'í representatives were present in 1945 in
  San Francisco at the founding of the United
  Nations.
• In 1947, the Bahá'í communities of the United
  States and Canada were recognized by the UN
  Department of Public Information (DPI) and
  the Bahá'í International Community (BIC)
  recognized by the UN DPI as an international NGO
  the following year.
• 1970 the BIC was granted consultative status
  with the UN Economic and Social Council
  (ECOSOC)
• 1976 the BIC was granted consultative status
  with the United Nations Children's Fund
  (UNICEF)

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System of Administration
There is no clergy Governing councils at the
local, national and international level All of
these are elected democratically without
electioneering and through confidential ballot
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Bahá'í election process

• it is incumbent to consider without the least
  trace of passion and prejudice, and irrespective
  of any material consideration, the names of only
  those who can best combine the necessary
  qualities of
• unquestioned loyalty
• selfless devotion
• a well-trained mind
• recognized ability
• mature experience

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Source to search religious scripture
Ocean - World Religions Free Research
Library http//bahai-education.org/ocean/
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For more information
Scholarly info info.bahai.org General info
www.bahai.org bahai_at_uoguelph.ca Radio Show The
Baháí Hour Sundays 8-9 am CFRU 93.3FM
ltwww.cfru.cagt