Bahá'í

You might not have heard about the Bahá'í faith, as it remains one of the youngest of the world's major religions. However, there are about six million Bahá'ís in the world, with about 6,000 living in the UK. Now's your chance to have a quick look at some of the Bahá'í core beliefs.

Bahá'í - What's It All About?

The Bahá'í faith began in Persia (which we now know as Iran) in the mid-nineteenth century, when a person known as the Bab (the Gate) proclaimed that he was a Messenger from God and also the herald of 'the Promised One', a messenger greater than himself.

He and his followers were severely persecuted by the Persian authorities and the Bab was finally executed in 1850.

In 1863 a person know as Baha'u'llah (the Glory of God - pronounced buh-howluh) claimed to be the one whose coming the Bab had foretold. He announced her had come to help bring about a new age of global civilisation which would be characterised by unity and peace.

Because of his personal influence and powerful teachings Baha'u'llah was banished from Persia, and later exiled to the prison fortress of Akka in Palestine. He died at a place called Bahji near Akka in 1892.

Baha'u'llah's shrine in Bahji is today the holiest shrine of the Baha'i world and is both the spiritual and physical focus of the Baha'i global community.

Belief

The Baha'i faith is an independent world religion which proclaims the oneness of God, religion and humankind. Baha'is believe that God reveals His purpose progressively through prophets such as the founders of all the major world religions which exist today.

Key Bahá'í beliefs are, belief in:

• One God
• The unity of mankind
• Independent investigation of truth
• The common foundation of all other religious faiths and traditions
• The essential harmony of science and religion
• Equality of opportunity for men and women
• Elimination of prejudice of all kinds
• Universary compulsory education
• Abolition of extremes of wealth and poverty
• That Baha'u'llah (their main prophet) taught that God intervenes throughout human history at different times to reveal more of himself through his messengers (called Divine Messengers, or Manifestations of God)
• Bahá'ís recognise Zoroaster, the Buddha, Jesus Christ and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as Manifestations of God, each providing appropriate guidance for their particular time and society
• God is transcendant and can't be known directly
• All human beings have a soul that lives for ever

They also believe that all human beings are members of a single race, which should come together to be one global community.

Worship

Bahá'ís see themselves as a people who are there to bring harmony and unity in the world. This forms the heart of worship and beliefs.

The main purpose of life for Bahá'ís is to know and love God. Prayer, fasting and meditation are the main ways of achieving this and for making spiritual progress. Bahá'ís believe that prayers are something more than making requests to God. It is more like having a conversation with God. There's also meditation, which a way of talking to one's inner spirit.

Places of Worship: World wide, the Baha'i faith has a temple on every continent where Baha'is and people of every faith can come and worship God. Depending on the size of their community, Baha'is may worship at their local centre or meet to worship in individual homes.

Holy Days / Festivals

Festivals and holy days are based on the birthdays of important figures of the Baha'i faith or significant events in the history of the faith.

Different communities can organise days of prayers and readings depending on the day in question.

There are 11 holy days, of which nine are major holy days. The holy days require that Bahá'ís stop work on the three special days of Ridvan and all major holy days. Children and young people also shouldn't attend school, if possible.

• The Ridvan Festival - Baha‘u‘llah‘s ordained this festival - Most Great Festival and it marks the declaration in the Garden of Ridvan in 1863.
• Naw-Rúz (New Year) - Naw-Rúz is celebrated on the 21st March, the first day of the spring equinox.
• Nineteen Day Feast - Every nineteen days, the evening before the first day of each Bahá'í month, all the Bahá'ís of a particular community meet at one of their houses, or the local Bahá'í centre for a feast. It involves the reading of prayers and a discussion about issues that affect the community. It has a very social core.
• The Declaration of the Bab - This is celebrated 22nd - 23rd May from two hours after sunset on the 22nd. The Bab came before Baha'u'llah, and was sent to prepare the world for Baha'u'llah.
• Ascension of Baha‘u‘llah - This major holy day is celebrated on 29th May. It starts at 3am in the morning.
• Martyrdom of the Bab - This major holy day is celebrated on 9th July at noon.
• Birth of the Bab - This major holy day is celebrated on the 20th October.
• Birth of Baha‘u‘llah - This major holy day is celebrated on 12th November.
• The Day of the Covenant - This minor holy day is celebrated on 26th November but you still can work on this day.
• The Passing of Abdul Baha - This minor holy day is celebrated on 28th November and again you can work on this day.

More...

Bahá'í Customs - Find out more about some of the customs attached to Bahá'í.

BBC Religion & Ethics: Bahá'í Website - Find out more about Bahá'í history, worship, and look at some of the special features on Bahá'í.

Bahá'í Community Of The UK Website - Get more general information about Bahá'í, more links, and view a selection from the Bahá'í holy writings.

Bahá'í-Faith.org Website - Find out even more about the Bahá'í faith, including links to other Bahá'í homepages. You can also choose from various different languages.

Last modified: 18/12/2008 14:29:46