The Bahá'í Faith and Its Teachings

Author Unknown

If there is a single word that describes the teachings of the Bahá'í Faith, it is "unity." This emphasis on unity and oneness exists at all levels, from its teachings about God to its social principles. Indeed, even the practice and administration of the Bahá'í Faith reflect this emphasis on unity. Alone among the world's major independent religions, the Bahá'í Faith has preserved its essential unity.

Bahá'ís follow the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh, the prophet-founder of the Bahá'í Faith. Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892) is regarded by Bahá'ís as the most recent in the line of messengers of God, a line that stretches back beyond recorded time and includes Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ, Muhammad and the Báb.

Bahá'ís believe that there is only one God, and that the successive revelations of God's will through his messengers have been the chief civilizing forces in history.

The central theme of Bahá'u'lláh's message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for its unification into one global society. "The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens," wrote Bahá'u'lláh. Through an irresistible process, the traditional barriers of race, class, creed and nation are breaking down, which will, in time, give birth to a universal civilization.

The principle challenge facing the people of the earth, Bahá'ís believe, is to accept as fact the oneness of the entire human race and work towards the creation of a unified world civilization.

Principles which the Bahá'í Faith promotes as vital to the achievement of this goal of world unity include the following:

• the abandonment of all forms of prejudice;
• the realization of equal rights and privileges for women and men;
• the elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth;
• recognition of the common source and essential oneness of all the world's great religions;
• the value and necessity of universal education;
• the responsibility of each person to search independently for truth;
• the establishment of a federated system of world government, based on principles of collective security and international justice;
• the recognition that true religion is always in harmony with reason and with the pursuit of scientific knowledge;
• the need for every individual to adhere to high personal moral standards.

The Historical Background

The Bahá'í Faith had its beginnings in 1844. In that year, a young Iranian merchant, who became known as "the Báb," proclaimed the advent of a new religious revelation. Born on October 20, 1819, The Báb's given name was Siyyid 'Alí Muhammad. The "Báb" means "Gate" in Arabic. His followers were called Bábis. He declared that his purpose was to prepare humanity for the advent of a new messenger from God, one promised to all the people of the world.

The Báb and his followers were brutally persecuted by the clergy and government of Iran, who viewed the Báb's claim as heretical. He was beaten, imprisoned and, on July 9, 1850, executed in the city of Tabriz. Over the years, more than 20,000 Bábis perished in a series of massacres throughout Iran when they refused to recant their faith. Among the Báb's followers was a young man, named Mirza Husayn-'Alí, who was born in Teheran on November 12, 1817. Known today as Bahá'u'lláh, which means "The Glory of God," he was a member of one of the great-patrician families of Iran.

In becoming a follower of the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh turned his back on wealth and privilege, and, like other followers, became the victim of cruel persecution. In 1852, he was imprisoned and then banished, initially to Baghdad. There, in 1863, he announced that he was the promised one foretold by the Báb.

In making his claim, Bahá'u'lláh explained that all of the world's great religions have foretold a day when peace and justice would be established worldwide. The past messengers of God—such as Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad, and the Báb—consciously prepared humanity for this day, much as educators prepare children for ever more complex studies. For Bahá'ís, Bahá'u'lláh's appearance fulfills the promise of all the world's scriptures. The followers of Bahá'u'lláh became known as Bahá'ís.

As a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire, he was sent from Baghdad to Constantinople (Istanbul), then to Adrianople (Edirne), and finally to the prison city of Acre, in the Holy Land, where he arrived in 1868. The Bahá'í World Center is situated in the twin cities of Haifa and Acre, in present day Israel.

From his days in Baghdad until his passing near Acre in 1892, Bahá'u'lláh wrote hundreds of letters and books. These writings comprise the principal scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith. Within these texts are found the principles, teachings, prayers and laws that guide the Bahá'í community.

The Covenant

The most distinctive feature of the worldwide- Bahá'í community is its unity. Unlike virtually every other significant religious or social movement, the Bahá'í Faith has resisted division into factions or sects. This essential unity has been achieved in large part because detailed provisions for interpretation, succession and leadership have all been made in the Bahá'í writings.

Bahá'ís believe that Bahá'u'lláh established a new Covenant between God and humanity which befits the maturity of the human race. The most tangible evidence of this Covenant is the specific leadership succession outlined by Bahá'u'lláh, a development that is unique in religious history and which assures that the unity of the Bahá'í community will be preserved.

Before his passing, Bahá'u'lláh wrote his will and testament and appointed his eldest son, 'Abdu'l-Bahá (1844-1921), as the leader of the Bahá'í Faith. 'Abdu'l-Bahás writings are also viewed as an authoritative source of Bahá'í teachings.

'Abdu'l-Bahá, in turn, appointed his eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi (18961957), to be the "Guardian of the Faith" and his successor. He led the Bahá'í Faith from 1921 until 1957. With the passing of Shoghi Effendi, the line of hereditary leaders of the Bahá'í Faith ended. In 1963, following the written instructions of Bahá'u'lláh, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, an international convention was held at the Bahá'í World Center in Haifa to elect the first Universal House of Justice.

Elected every five years by the members of the National Spiritual Assemblies, the Universal House of Justice directs the spiritual and administrative affairs of the worldwide Bahá'í community. Endowed by Bahá'u'lláh with the authority to legislate matters not mentioned in the Bahá'í scriptures, the Universal House of Justice is the institution that keeps the Bahá'í community unified and flexible, able to respond to the needs and conditions of an ever-changing world.