What is the Bahá’í Faith?
The Bahá’í Faith is a positively focused, world embracing faith of some 6 million members worldwide. Bahá’ís come from all walks of life, religious and cultural backgrounds. Anyone can be a Bahá’í! However this is encouraged only after an individual has chosen to carefully study the Bahá’í Faith and grown to understand and love what it means to be a Bahá’í.
Bahá'ís follow the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh who we believe is the Promised One of all Ages. As you may know, the traditions of almost every people include the promise of a future when unity and harmony will be established on earth and humankind will live in peace and prosperity.
We believe that this promised hour has come and that Bahá’u’lláh is the One Whose Teachings will enable humanity to build this new world.
‘Bahá’u’lláh has drawn the circle of unity, He has made a design for the uniting of all the peoples, and for the gathering of them all under the shelter of the tent of universal unity.’
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
(the son of Bahá’u’lláh)
Bahá’u’lláh’s life was marked with great sufferings but even greater spiritual triumphs. Born into a wealthy and notable family in Tihran (Iran) in 1817 Bahá’u’lláh showed from an early age innate knowledge. As a young man He declined illustrious positions at court in favor of helping the poverty stricken and oppressed, earning Him the name ‘Father of the Poor’.
Bahá’u’lláh’s sufferings began when, as a young man, He arose to promote the Cause of God. A Cause that posed a very real threat to the corrupt governments and clergy of (the then) Persian and the Ottoman Empires. Bahá’u’lláh’s Teachings opposes corruption, re-writes the very structure of government, calls for the abandonment of the clergy, promotes the equality of men and women, the abolishment of all forms of prejudice, and the doing-away with extremes of poverty and wealth. His teachings attracted hundreds of thousands of followers. For a leadership based on religious and political corruption and the oppression of its peoples, Bahá’u’lláh’s illuminating religion was not a Cause they wanted people to join.
However the Light of Truth is not easily extinguished. Nothing could be done to stop Bahá’u’lláh’s growing influence. The two governments conspired against Bahá’u’lláh, sending Him to a deadly and notorious prison, exiling Him four times and incarcerating Him in the Prison City of Akká (Israel). But the further they banished Him the greater the numbers of people who were attracted to His Teachings and recognised His Heavenly Power and Majesty. His was the Cause of Love and it’s flame grew ever brighter.
In spite of His sufferings and constant persecution Bahá’u’lláh continued to reveal the word of God for more than 40 years and brought so much love and spiritual energy to the world that only 150 years after His passing the Bahá’í Faith has become one of the fastest growing faiths in the world and the second most widely spread.
Bahá’u’lláh passed away in 1892. His Shrine is situated in Bahj’i near Akká and is considered by Bahá’ís to be the Holiest Spot on earth. After a lifetime of persecution Bahá’u’lláh’s Shrine rests in a beautiful garden tended by Bahá’í volunteers from over the world and is a place of Bahá’í pilgrimage.
You can find out more about the amazing life of Bahá’u’lláh at www.bahaullah.org.
Thanks to science we now know that we’re in fact ‘one’ race sharing a common ancestry and one rather special home – earth.
‘In the eyes of the Creator all His children are equal; His goodness is poured forth on all. He does not favor this nation nor that nation, all alike are His creatures. This being so, why should we make divisions, separating one race from another? Why should we create barriers of superstition and tradition bringing discord and hatred among the people?’
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
We are all different but we are all part of one family and one global community. We are like differently colored flowers that make a garden more beautiful, or different notes that together make an uplifting piece of music!
Bahá’u’lláh also taught that the purpose of religion is to bring about love and peace; to make people aware of their ‘higher’ spiritual nature and give practical ways to develop that nature.
‘Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the earth, give birth to spirituality, and bring life and light to each heart. If religion becomes the cause of dislike, hatred and division, it were better to be without it, and to withdraw from such a religion would be a truly religious act. For it is clear that the purpose of a remedy is to cure; but if the remedy should only aggravate the complaint it had better be left alone. Any religion which is not the cause of love and unity is no religion. All the holy prophets were as doctors to the soul; they gave prescriptions for the healing of mankind; thus any remedy that causes disease does not come from the great and supreme Physician.’
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Bahá’u’lláh encourages each of us to actively search for the ‘truth’ and not simply follow what has gone before. How can we be sure what we believe is the ‘truth’? By consciously choosing to search for answers.
‘Light is good in whatsoever lamp it is burning! A rose is beautiful in whatsoever garden it may bloom! A star has the same radiance if it shines from the east or from the west. Be free from prejudice, so you will love the Sun of Truth from whatsoever point on the horizon it may rise! . . . you must be willing to clear away all that we have previously learned, all that would clog our steps on the way to truth . . . when we are freed from all these bonds, seeking with liberated minds, then shall we be able to arrive at our goal’
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Unity
Peace
Prejudices of all kinds should be abandoned. They are ‘destructive to mankind’ and man-made illusions based on ignorance or the desire for one people to think themselves better than another. Whether religious, cultural, sexist, ageist or any other we must seek to overcome our limiting beliefs of each other.
‘Until all these barriers erected by prejudice are swept away, it is not possible for humanity to be at peace. . . The only division that is real is this: There are heavenly men and earthly men; self-sacrificing servants of humanity in the love of the Most High, bringing harmony and unity, teaching peace and goodwill to men. On the other hand there are those selfish men, haters of their brethren, in whose hearts prejudice has replaced loving kindness, and whose influence breeds discord and strife.
. . . If these are God’s divisions, why should we invent others?’
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
Harmony
Knowledge
Other principles that Bahá’u’lláh taught include that all people have the right to a dignified existence free from poverty; that men and women are equal and humanity cannot progress until this is realised and women are given an equal role in the shaping of our future; that science and religion are not at odds with each other and that science and religion should work together to discover the truth of all things; that education should be made available to everyone; that humanity, whilst keeping it’s individual diverse cultures, should adopt a universal language so we can all communicate with each other; and that daily prayer, meditation and study of the Holy Writings become an essential part of life to ensure we feed our souls on a regular basis.
‘Yet so it shall be; these fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away, and the “Most Great Peace” shall come . . .’
- Bahá’u’lláh
Principles
What does Bahá’u’lláh teach us?
The core principle that Bahá’u’lláh taught is ‘unity’ which includes the oneness of religion and the oneness of humankind. We are all called upon to become lights of love, peace and goodwill in the world. To take responsibility for ourselves, take control of our lives and to live an authentic spiritual existence.
‘Then it is clear that the honor and exaltation of man must be something more than material riches. Material comforts are only a branch, but the root of the exaltation of man is the good attributes and virtues which are the adornments of reality. These are the divine appearances, the heavenly bounties, the sublime emotions, the love and knowledge of God; universal wisdom, intellectual perceptions, scientific discoveries, justice, equity, truthfulness, benevolence, natural courage and innate fortitude; the respect for rights and the keeping of agreements and covenants; rectitude in all circumstances; serving the truth under all conditions . . . kindness and esteem for all nations; obedience to the teachings of God; service in the Divine Kingdom; the guidance of the people, and the education of the nations and races. This is the prosperity of the human world! This is the exaltation of man in the world! This is eternal life and heavenly honor!’
- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
To find out more about the Bahá’í Faith, it’s principles, prayers, activities and more visit www.bahai.org