Bahá'í Faith
This article refers to the generally-recognized global Bahá'í community. See disambiguation for others.The
Bahá'í Faith is a religion founded by
Bahá'u'lláh in 19th century
Persia. Bahá'ís number around six million in more than two hundred countries around the world.
[See Bahá'í statistics for a breakdown of different estimates.]According to Bahá'í teachings, religious history is seen as an evolving educational process for mankind, through God's messengers, which are termed
Manifestations of God.
Bahá'u'lláh is seen as the most recent, pivotal, but not final of these individuals. He claimed to be the long-expected educator and teacher of all peoples, prophesied in
Christianity,
Islam,
Hinduism,
Buddhism, and other religions, and that his mission was to establish a firm basis for unity throughout the world, and inaugurate an age of peace and justice, which Bahá'ís expect will inevitably arise.
Fundamental to
Bahá'í teachings are
three core assertions: the
oneness of God, the
oneness of religion, and the
oneness of humanity. These principles have a profound impact on the theological and social teachings of this religion.
"
Bahá'í" (
Ba-haa-ee or ) is either an adjective referring to this religion or the term for a follower of Bahá'u'lláh, and not a noun referring to the religion as a whole. The term comes from the Arabic word
Bahá' بهاء, meaning "glory" or "splendor".
Main articles: Three Onenesses, Progressive revelation, Manifestation of GodGod
Bahá'ís believe in a
single,
supernatural being,
God, who has created all the creatures and forces in the universe.
God is described as "a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty."
Though essentially inaccessible, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of his creation, with a mind, will and purpose. Bahá'ís believe that God expresses this will through a series of divine messengers referred to as
Manifestations of God or sometimes
divine educators.
In expressing God's intent, these manifestations are seen to establish religion in the world. Bahá'í teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, nor to create a complete and accurate image.
Bahá'u'lláh often refers to God by titles (e.g. the All-Powerful, or the All-Loving). Bahá'ís believe that this
anthropomorphic description of God amounts to Bahá'u'lláh, in his capacity as God's manifestation, abstracting him in language that human beings can comprehend, since direct knowledge of the essence of God is believed impossible.
Although human cultures and religions have different concepts of God and His nature, Bahá'ís believe that such varying views nevertheless refer to a single being. The differences between these religions are attributed to the varying cultural and developmental contexts in which the messages were propagated.
Bahá'ís regard the world's major (and many minor) religions as one single faith, revealed by God's manifestations
progressively and in stages. No one message, and therefore no one religion can be, according to Bahá'í belief, considered essentially superior to another, though a more recent message may be considered more relevant to humanity's current spiritual, social, and developmental context. Bahá'ís regard most other religions as divinely inspired, though see them as having been superseded by Bahá'u'lláh's more recent
revelation; Bahá'u'lláh in many places states that denying the validity of any of the previous legitimate religious founders is equivalent to denying all of them (including himself) and to denying God.
Religion
Bahá'í notions of progressive religious revelation result in their accepting the validity of most of the worlds' religions, whose founders and central figures are seen as manifestations of God. These include, but are not limited to
Jesus,
Muhammad,
Krishna,
Abraham,
Moses, and
Buddha. Bahá'ís also believe that other religious figures, such as
Adam,
Noah,
Hud, and
Zoroaster historically existed and were manifestations of God. Religious history is interpreted as a series of
dispensations, where each
manifestation brings a somewhat broader and more advanced
revelation, suited for the time and place in which it was expressed.
Specific religious social teachings (e.g. the appropriate direction of prayer, or dietary restrictions) may be revoked by a subsequent manifestation so that a more appropriate requirement for the time and place may be established. Conversely, certain general principles (e.g. neighbourliness, or charity) are seen to be universal and consistent. Bahá'ís do not believe that this process of progressive revelation will end. They do, however, believe that it is cyclical. Bahá'ís do not expect a new manifestation prior to 1000 years after Bahá'u'lláh's revelation.
Bahá'í beliefs are sometimes described as
syncretic combinations of earlier religions' beliefs. Bahá'ís, however, assert that their religion is a distinct tradition with its own scriptures, teachings, laws, and history.
Its cultural and religious debt to the
Shi'a Islamic matrix in which it was founded is seen as analogous to the Jewish socio-religious context in which Christianity was established. Bahá'ís describe their faith as an independent world religion, differing from the other great religious traditions only in its relative newness and in the apropriateness of Bahá'u'lláh's teachings to the modern context. Bahá'u'lláh is believed to fulfill the
messianic expectations of these precursor faiths.
Human beings
Bahá'ís believe that human beings have a "rational
soul", and that this provides the species with a unique capacity to recognize God's station and humanity's relationship with its creator. Every human is seen to have a duty to recognize God and his manifestations, and to conform to their teachings.
Through recognition and obedience, service to fellow humans and regular prayer and spiritual practice, Bahá'ís believe that the soul becomes closer to God, the spiritual ideal in Bahá'í belief. The material dimensions of space and time are seen to be but one of the "worlds of God", each one mysteriously closer to God. When humans die, they pass into the next world, where their virtue and relationship with God is analogous to their senses and limbs in the material world. Heaven and Hell are, then, spiritual states of nearness or distance from God. Free-will is exclusive to this world, however, making one's progress or regress in the next world dependent on one's actions in this world.
The Bahá'í writings assert the essential equality of human beings, each having a unique relationship with God apart from humanity's collective relationship to the divine. Humanity is seen as essentially one, though highly varied; its diversity of colour,
gender, language, culture and style are seen as aesthetic flavour worthy of appreciation and tolerance.
Several divisions such as
race,
nation,
caste, and
social class, are seen as purely artificial distinctions, on which bases no appropriate judgement may be made about a person.
The Bahá'í teachings state that the unification of mankind is the paramount issue in the religious and political conditions of the present world.
The Bahá'í writings affirm the biological, political, and spiritual unity of mankind while emphasizing the value of cultural, national and individual diversity.
Three underlying core assertions expressed above are often simply encapsulated as three essential unities: the
unity of God, the
unity of religion, and the
unity of mankind.
This formulation is often helpful in understanding Bahá'í approaches to a variety of religious topics, though it belies much of the complexity found in the hundreds of books and letters that form the Bahá'í sacred texts. Much of Bahá'í practice and social teachings are rooted in these priorities.
(See Bahá'í teachings)Bahá'í sources usually estimate the worldwide Bahá'í population to be above 5 million.
Encyclopedias and similar sources estimate from 2 to 8 million Bahá'ís in the world in the early twenty-first century, with most estimates between 5 and 6 million.
From its origins in the
Persian and
Ottoman Empires, the Bahá'í Faith acquired a number of
Western converts by
World War I. Fifty years later its population was distributed much more towards the
Third World as a result of
pioneering efforts. Most sources agree that India, Africa, South America, and the South Pacific have overtaken the Middle East and Western countries in terms of Bahá'í population distribution.
According to
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2004:
The Britannica Book of the Year (1992–present) provides the following information:
*The Bahá'í Faith is the second most widespread of the world's independent religions in terms of the number of countries where adherents live
*It is established in 247 countries and territories throughout the world
*Its members represent over 2,100 ethnic, racial, and tribal groups
*It boasts approximately seven million adherents worldwide [2005].
*Bahá'í scriptures have been translated into over 800 languages.
Summary
Shoghi Effendi, the appointed head of the Faith from 1921 to 1957, wrote the following summary of what he considered to be the distinguishing principles of
Bahá'u'lláh's teachings, which, he said, together with the laws and ordinances of the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas constitute the bed-rock of the Bahá'í Faith:}}
Social principles
The following 12 "principles" are frequently listed as a quick summary of the Bahá'í teachings. They are derived from transcripts of speeches given by
`Abdu'l-Bahá during his tour of Europe and North America in 1912.
The list is not authoritative and a variety of such lists circulate.
*The Oneness of
God:*The
Oneness of religion:*The
Oneness of mankind:*
Gender Equality:*Elimination of all forms of prejudice:*
World peace:*
Harmony of religion and science:*Independent investigation of truth:*The need for
universal compulsory education:*The need for a
universal auxiliary language:*Obedience to government and non-involvement in partisan politics:*Elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty
The first three of this list are commonly referred to as the
Three Onenesses, and form a fundamental part of Bahá'í beliefs.
Mystical teachings
Although it concentrates on social and ethical issues as well, some of the Bahá'í Faith's foundational texts might be described as mystical.
Shoghi Effendi has called the
Seven Valleys Bahá'u'lláh's "greatest mystical composition." It was first translated into
English in 1906, becoming one of the earliest available books of Bahá'u'lláh to the
West. In it, he follows the path of a wayfarer on a spiritual journey passing through different stages, calling them "Seven Valleys" or "Seven Cities".
The goal of the journey is to follow "the Right Path", "abandon the drop of life and come to the sea of the Life-Bestower", and "gaze on the Beloved".
The
purpose of life in the Bahá'í scriptures is to acquire
virtues, know
God, develop spiritually, and help carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. The personal development is conceived as an organic process, like the development of a fetus, assisted by God's
Messengers. Bahá'u'lláh taught of an afterlife in which the soul may progress infinitely through ever-more-exalted spiritual realms.
Heaven and
Hell are perceived as a reference to an individual's proximity to God, and not as exclusive or physical places.
Bahá'ís believe that while God's essence can never be fully fathomed, he can be understood through his "
names and attributes." These are likened to gems and include such divine qualities as compassion or wisdom. The purpose of God in revealing himself to mankind is to bring "the Mystic Gems out of the mine of man."
Study and worship
Bahá'í
spirituality tends to consist of textual study,
prayer, and recitation.
Monasticism is forbidden, and Bahá'ís attempt to ground their spirituality in ordinary daily life. Performing useful work, for example, is not only required but considered a form of
worship.
The Covenant
Bahá'ís have high regard for what is termed the "Greater Covenant", which they see as universal in nature, and from "time immemorial" has been carried through by the
Manifestations of God of all ages.
They also regard highly the "Lesser Covenant", which is viewed as an agreement between a Manifestation of God and his followers; the lesser covenant is viewed as unique to each revelation and includes the
distinguishing characteristics of each revelation and the continuation of authority in the religion.
At this time Bahá'ís view Bahá'u'lláh's revelation as a binding lesser covenant for his followers; in the Bahá'í writings being firm in the covenant is considered as one of the main religious virtues a person can work toward.
With unity as an essential teaching of the Faith, Bahá'ís follow an
administration that they believe is divinely ordained, and therefore see attempts to create schisms and divisions as insignificant, doomed efforts which are contrary to the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh. Throughout the Faith's history schisms have occurred over the succession of authority.
The followers of the various
Bahá'í divisions, who in total, number in the low thousands, are regarded as
Covenant-breakers and shunned,
essentially
excommunicated.
Bahá'ís regard the period from the
Báb's 1844 declaration in Shiraz, to the 1921 passing of
`Abdu'l-Bahá, as the Heroic Age of the Faith. During this period its early believers experienced great
persecution and its foundations were established in several countries around the world. The period after 1921 is described as the Formative Age.
Shoghi Effendi characterized this era as coinciding with the Bahá'í Faith's emergence from obscurity, by the establishment and "maturation" of its administrative institutions, and by the faith's world-wide expansion. He indicated that the Formative Age would eventually transition into a future Golden Age in which the Bahá'í Faith "is embraced by the majority of the peoples of a number of the Sovereign States of the world".
The Báb
Main articles: Báb, Bábism, Bahá'í/Bábí splitIn 1844 Siyyid `Alí-Muhammad of
Shiraz, Iran proclaimed that he was "
The Báb" ( "The Gate"), after a
Shi'a religious concept.
His followers were therefore known as
Bábís. As the Báb's teachings spread, the Islamic government saw it as a threat to state religion and Bábís were persecuted.
Several military confrontations took place between government and Bábí forces. The Báb himself was imprisoned and eventually executed in 1850.
Bahá'ís see the Báb as the forerunner of the Bahá'í Faith, because the Báb's writings introduced the concept of "
He whom God shall make manifest", a Messianic figure whose coming, according to Bahá'ís, was announced in the scriptures of all of the world's great religions, and whom Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, claimed to be in 1863.
is located in
Haifa, Israel, and is an important place of
pilgrimage for Bahá'ís. The remains of the Báb were brought secretly from Persia to the Holy Land and were eventually interred in the Shrine built for them in a spot specifically designated by Bahá'u'lláh.
Bahá'u'lláh
Mirza Husayn `Alí of Nur was one of the early followers of the Báb, who later took the title of Bahá'u'lláh. He was arrested and imprisoned for this involvement in 1852. He claimed that while incarcerated in the dungeon of the
Síyáh-Chál ("black pit") in
Tehran, he received the first intimations that he was the One anticipated by the Báb.
(He shared this privately in 1863, and publicly in 1866.)
Shortly thereafter he was expelled from
Persia to
Baghdad,
in the
Ottoman Empire; then to
Constantinople; then to
Adrianople. During this time tensions grew between Bahá'u'lláh and
Subh-i-Azal, the appointed leader of the Bábís, culminating in Bahá'u'lláh's 1866 declaration.
While in Adrianople, he wrote letters to several rulers of the world, including Sultan
Abd-ul-Aziz, declaring his mission as a Messenger of God. As a result Bahá'u'lláh was banished a final time, to the penal colony of
`Akká, in present-day
Israel.
Towards the end of his life, the strict and harsh confinement was gradually relaxed, and he was allowed to live in a home near Akká, while still officially a prisoner of that city.
He died there in 1892. Bahá'ís regard his resting place at
Bahji as the
Qiblih to which they turn in prayer each day. During his lifetime, Bahá'u'lláh left a large volume of writings; the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and the
Book of Certitude are recognized as primary Bahá'í theological works, and the
Hidden Words and the
Seven Valleys as primary mystical treatises.
`Abdu'l-Bahá
Bahá'u'lláh was succeeded by his eldest son, `Abdu'l-Bahá in 1892, at a time when only a handful of Bahá'ís existed in the
West. He was designated as the "Centre of the Covenant" and "Head of the Faith," Bahá'u'lláh designated him in his will as the sole authoritative interpreter of Bahá'u'lláh's writings.
`Abdu'l-Bahá had shared his father's long exile and imprisonment. This imprisonment continued until `Abdu'l-Bahá's own release as a result of the "
Young Turk" revolution in 1908. Following his release he led a life of travelling, speaking, and maintaining correspondence with communities of believers and individuals, expounding the principles of the Bahá'í Faith.
`Abdu'l-Bahá died in
Haifa on
November 28,
1921 and is now buried in one of the front rooms in the Shrine of the Báb.
Bahá'í administration
Bahá'u'lláh's
Kitáb-i-Aqdas and
The Will and Testament of `Abdu'l-Bahá are foundation documents of the
Bahá'í administrative order. Bahá'u'lláh established the elected
Universal House of Justice; and `Abdu'l-Bahá established the appointed hereditary Guardianship and clarified the relationship between the two institutions.
In his Will, `Abdu'l-Bahá appointed his eldest grandson,
Shoghi Effendi, as the first Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith.
Shoghi Effendi throughout his lifetime translated the sacred writings of the Faith; developed global plans for the expansion of the Bahá'í community; developed the
Bahá'í World Centre; carried on a voluminous correspondence with communities and individuals around the world; and built the administrative structure of the Faith, preparing the community for the election of the Universal House of Justice.
He died in 1957 under conditions that didn't allow for a successor to be appointed.
At local, regional, and national levels, Bahá'ís elect members to nine-person
Spiritual Assemblies, which run the affairs of the religion.
There are also
appointed individuals working at various levels, including locally and internationally which perform the function of propagating the faith and protecting the community.
The latter do not serve as
clergy, which the Bahá'í Faith does not have.
The Universal House of Justice today remains the supreme governing body of the Bahá'í Faith, and its 9 members are elected every five years by the members of all National Spiritual Assemblies.
Any male Bahá'í, 21 years or older, is eligible to be elected to the Universal House of Justice; all other positions are open to male and female Bahá'ís.
Work ethic
Bahá'u'lláh prohibited a
mendicant and
ascetic lifestyle,
encouraging Bahá'ís to "Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and centre your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements."
The importance of self-exertion and service to humanity in man's spiritual life is emphasised further in Bahá'u'lláh'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.
United Nations
Bahá'u'lláh wrote of the need for world government in this age of humanity's collective life. Because of this emphasis many Bahá'ís have chosen to support the
United Nations since its inception. The
Bahá'í International Community, an agency under the direction of the
Universal House of Justice in
Haifa has consultative status with the following organizations:
*
United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
*
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
*
World Health Organization (WHO)
*
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
*
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
The Bahá'í International Community has offices at the United Nations in
New York and
Geneva and representations to United Nations regional commissions and other offices in
Addis Ababa,
Bangkok,
Nairobi,
Rome,
Santiago, and
Vienna.
In recent years an Office of the Environment and an Office for the Advancement of Women were established as part of its United Nations Office. The Bahá'í Faith has also undertaken joint development programs with various other United Nations agencies. In the 2000
Millennium Forum of the
United Nations a Bahá'í was invited as the only non-governmental speaker during the summit.
See
this article for further information on the relationship between the Bahá'í International Community and the United Nations.
International plans
In 1939
Shoghi Effendi launched a seven year plan, followed by another in 1946.
In 1953
Shoghi Effendi launched the
Ten Year World Crusade, with extremely ambitious goals for the expansion of Bahá'í communities and institutions, the translation of
Bahá'í literature into several new languages, and the sending of
Bahá'í pioneers into previously unreached nations.
He announced in letters during the Ten Year Crusade that it would be followed by other plans under the direction of the Universal House of Justice, which was elected in 1963 at the culmination of the Crusade. The House of Justice then launched a nine year plan in 1964, and a series of subsequent multi-year plans of varying length and goals followed, guiding the direction of the international Bahá'í community.
Current international plan
Since the late 1990's, the House of Justice has been directing communities to prepare for large-scale expansion, organizing localities into "clusters", creating new institutions such as
Regional Councils and strengthening the various "training institutes".
The recently completed five-year plan (2001-2006) focused on developing institutions and creating the means to "sustain large-scale expansion and consolidation" (Riḍván 158). Since 2001, the Bahá'ís around the world have been specifically encouraged to focus on children's classes, devotional gatherings, and a systematic study of the Faith, known as
study circles.
A new focus was added in December 2005 with the addition of "
junior youth" classes to the core activities, focusing on education for those between 11 and 14.
The second five-year plan (2006-2011) was launched by the
Universal House of Justice in April of 2006; it calls upon the Bahá'ís of the world to establish advanced patterns of growth and community development in over 1,500 "clusters" around the world.
It also alludes to a possible tier-election process for
Local Spiritual Assemblies in localities with many Bahá'ís. The years from 2001 until 2021 represent four successive five-year plans, culminating in the centennial anniversary of the passing of
`Abdu'l-Bahá.
Study circles
Along with a focus on consolidation has come a system designed to systematically bring Bahá'í education to the grassroots level. The "study circles" are intended to be sustainable and self-perpetuating on a large scale. Participants complete a sequence of workbooks in small groups, facilitated by a tutor. Upon completion of the sequence, a participant can then go on to facilitate study circles for others.
The most popular study program is the
Ruhi Institute, a study course originally designed for use in
Colombia, but which has received wide use. The first book studies three themes: the
Bahá'í writings,
prayer, and
life and death. Subsequent themes include the education of children, the lives of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, service, and others.
Laws
The laws of the Bahá'í Faith primarily come from the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh's book of laws. While some of the laws from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas are applicable at the present time, Bahá'u'lláh has provided for the progressive application of other laws that are dependent upon the existence of a predominantly Bahá'í society, which is expected gradually to come into being.
The laws, when not in direct conflict with the civil laws of the country of residence are binding on every Bahá'í.
The observance of personal laws such as prayer or fasting, while a universal obligation, is the sole responsibility of the individual.
Other laws may be enforced to a degree by the administrative order, while still others are dependent upon the existence of a predominantly Bahá'í society.
These laws not taught as a rigid legalistic framework, concerned with enforcement and punishment. Instead, they are regarded as an indispensable part of human spiritual progress. One commonly referenced comment of Bahá'u'lláh states:
}}
These are a few examples of laws and basic religious observances of the
Kitáb-i-Aqdas which have been codified by
Shoghi Effendi, the appointed interpreter of the Bahá'í writings:
*Recite an
obligatory prayer each day after reaching the age of maturity, deemed to be 15. There are three such prayers among which one can be chosen each day.
*Pray and meditate daily.
*Backbiting and
gossip is prohibited and denounced.
*Adult Bahá'ís in good health observe a
nineteen-day sunrise-to-sunset fast each year from March 2 through March 20.
*Bahá'ís are forbidden to drink
alcohol or to
take drugs, unless prescribed by doctors.
*Sexual relationships are permitted only between a husband and wife, and thus
homosexual acts are not permitted. See
Homosexuality and Bahá'í Faith.
*
Gambling is strictly forbidden, as well as the consumption of
narcotics such as
opium.
Marriage
Bahá'í
marriage is the union of a man and a woman. Its purpose is mainly spiritual and is to foster harmony, fellowship and unity between the two partners.
The Bahá'í teachings on marriage call it a
fortress for well-being and salvation and place marriage and the family as the foundation of the structure of
human society. Bahá'u'lláh highly praised the institution of marriage, declaring it an eternal command of God, also discouraging divorce, and requiring
chastity outside of marriage; Bahá'u'lláh taught that a husband and wife should strive to improve the spiritual life of each other.
Bahá'ís intending to marry "should study each other's character and spend time getting to know each other before they decide to marry, and when they do marry it should be with the intention of establishing an eternal bond."
Although parents should not choose partners for their children, once two individuals decide to marry, they must receive the consent of all living parents, even if one partner is not a Bahá'í.
is highly praised in the
Bahá'í teachings. The Bahá'í marriage ceremony is simple; the only compulsory part of the wedding is the reading of the wedding vows prescribed by
Bahá'u'lláh 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."
Places of worship
Most Bahá'í meetings occur in individuals' homes, local Bahá'í centers, or rented facilities. Worldwide, there are currently seven Bahá'í Houses of Worship, basically one per continent, with an eighth under construction in Chile.
Bahá'í writings refer to an institution called a
Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (Dawning-place of the Mention of God), which is to form the center of a complex of institutions including a hospital, university, and so on.
Only the first ever Ma
shriqu'l-A
dhkár in
'Ishqábád,
Turkmenistan, was built to such a degree.
Symbols
 |
A stylized nine pointed star, with the calligraphy of the Greatest Name in the centre. |
The official symbol of the Bahá'í Faith is the five-pointed star, but a nine-pointed star is more frequently used.
The ringstone symbol and calligraphy of the Greatest Name are also often encountered. The former consists of two stars interspersed with a stylized Bahá' ( "splendor" or "glory") whose shape is meant to recall the three onenesses.
The Greatest Name is Yá Bahá'u'l-'Abhá ( "O Glory of the Most Glorious!")
Calendar
The Bahá'í calendar is based upon the calendar established by the Báb. The year consists of 19 months of 19 days, with 4 or 5 intercalary days, to make a full solar year.
The Bahá'í New Year corresponds to the traditional Persian New Year, called
Naw Rúz, and occurs on the vernal equinox,
March 21, at the end of the month of fasting. Bahá'í 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 Bahá' (Splendour), ‘Ilm (Knowledge), and Jamál (Beauty).
The Baha'i week is familiar in that it consists of seven days, with each day of the week also named after an attribute of God; some examples include Istiqlál (Independence), Kamál (Perfection) and ‘Idál (Justice). Bahá'ís observe 11
Holy Days throughout the year, with work suspended on 9 of these. These days commemorate important anniversaries in the history of the Faith.
Bahá'ís continue to be persecuted in
Islamist ruled countries, especially
Iran, where over 200 believers were executed between 1978 and 1998. Since the
Islamic Revolution of 1979, Iranian Bahá'ís have regularly had their homes ransacked or been banned from attending university
or holding government jobs, and several hundred have received prison sentences for their religious beliefs, most recently for participating in
study circles. Bahá'í cemeteries have been desecrated and property seized and occasionally demolished, including the House of Mírzá Burzurg, Bahá'u'lláh's father. The House of the Báb in Shiraz has been destroyed twice, and is one of three sites to which Bahá'ís perform
pilgrimage.
[ ]Even more recently the situation of Bahá'ís has worsened; the
United Nations Commission on Human Rights revealed an October 2005 confidential letter from Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Iran to identify Bahá'ís and to monitor their activities
and in November 2005 the state-run and influential
Kayhan newspaper, whose managing editor is appointed by Iran's supreme leader,
Ayatollah Khamenei,
[ ] ran nearly three dozen articles defaming the Bahá'í Faith.
Due to these actions, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights stated on
March 20,
2006 that she "also expresses concern that the information gained as a result of such monitoring will be used as a basis for the increased persecution of, and discrimination against, members of the Bahá'í faith, in violation of international standards. ... The Special Rapporteur is concerned that this latest development indicates that the situation with regard to religious minorities in Iran is, in fact, deteriorating."
Reasons
Bernard Lewis states that the Muslim piety and Islamic authorities have always had great difficulty in accomodating post-Islamic monotheistic religions such as the Baha'is, since on one hand the followers of such religions cannot be dismissed either as benighted heathens, like the polytheists of Asia and the animists of Africa, nor as outdated precursors, like the Jews and Christians. Moreover, their very existence presents a challenge to the Islamic doctrine of the perfection and finality of Muhammad's revelation.
[ Lewis (1984) p.21 ]*
Bahá'í apologetics - for critical viewpoints.
*
Bahá'í individuals*
Bahá'í literature*
Bahá'í orthography*
Bahá'í timeline*
Bahá'í House of Worship
*.
*.
*.
*.
*.
*.
*
*
The Bahá'ís, the official presence of the Bahá'í International Community on the Web.
*
BBC Religion and Ethics special: Bahá'í, BBC on the Bahá'í Faith.
*
Baha'i Library collection of Baha'i writings on the net with an excellent forum.
--
Usage note: The correct orthographies are "Bahá'í", "Bahá'ís", "Báb", "Bahá'u'lláh", and "`Abdu'l-Bahá": Bahá'ís use a particular and specific transcription of Arabic and Persian in their publications. Because of typographic limitations, the forms "Bahai", "Bahais", "Baha'i", "Bab", "Bahaullah" and "Baha'u'llah" are often used as a common spelling and are satisfactory for certain electronic uses.
