World Religions

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:

Baha’i

Fundamental questions

1. What is the human condition?• Baha’is believe that each child is born pure and holy. God created humans

with immortal souls and a dual nature: an animalistic and a selfish (evil) side, and a spiritual side (soul) with reason to develop their divine attributes and pursue God’s plan for humanity.

2. Where are we going?• To paradise (not a place but a state of perfection and in harmony with God’s

will)• To hell (a state of imperfection, far removed from God and in conflict with his

will), by denying God and his plan, and performing evil acts

3. How do we get there?• We achieve salvation by:

– acknowledging the oneness of God and the unity of the manifestations of God (prophets)

– developing our divine attributes (reason) and being involved in God’s plan for the whole of humanity

– aligning our lives with the teachings, laws and obligations as revealed by Baha’ullah.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn about the origins, growth and development of the Baha’i faith.

2. Study the ways in which Baha’i have been persecuted in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East.

3. Discover how a small sectarian group became a global religious community.

Key Names, Concepts, and Terms

• Bab-ud-Din• Bahaullah• Babis • Ridvan• Imam• Kitab-i-Aqadas• Kitab-i-Iqan• The Hidden Words 

 

Timeline

18441858186318921892

1863-19081908- Present

19631979- Present

Ali Muhammad declares himself to be the 12th ImamAli Muhammad executed, and his followers persecutedHusayn Ali founds Baha'i faithDeath of Husayn AliAbbas Effendi assumes leadershipRepression of Baha’is in Middle EastGlobal missionary efforts undertakenUniversal House of Justice establishedSevere repression of Baha’I in Iran

I) Introduction

A. The Basic Unity of Religious Truth1. Attempts to unite all of humanity in the belief

that there is only one God, the foundation of all religions

2. Maintains that religion must work in harmony with science and education to provide a peaceful world order.

3. Believe in equal opportunity among races and sexes

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II) Origin and Development of Baha’i

A. The Shi’ite sect of Islam taught that Ali was meant to be Muhammad’s successor in Islam

1. Ali was succeeded by a series of twelve imams, also known as the twelve gates

2. Those gates were where believers needed to enter in order to access the true faith

3. Shi’ite Belief in the Lost/Hidden Twelfth Imam

4. Lost/hidden Imam disappeared in ninth century C.E.

5. Lost/hidden Imam will reappear as the Messiah

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Twelve Imams

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II) Origin and Development of Baha’i

B. Ali Muhammad Declares Himself Hidden Imam/Messiah, 1844 C.E.

1. Shi’ite Muslim living in Persia

2. New name: Bab-ud-Din (gate of faith)

3. Advocates sweeping social and religious reforms

4. Gathers circle of disciples called Babis

5. Persian religious and political forces execute Bab in 1850, imprison and execute Babis

6. Before death Bab predicts a figure will come after him and found a universal religion

Ali Muhammad

Bab-ud-Din martyrdomThe Bab

II) Origin and Development of Baha’iC. Husayn Ali, Disciple of Bab, Believes Self to

be Promised One– Husayn Ali exiled to Baghdad– He decides he is the one foretold by Bab, Husayn

renamed Bahaullah (the glory of God)– Those who followed Bahaullah and his teachings

were called the Baha’i– Ridvan, Iraq, 1863 C.E.: Husayn reveals identity to

Babis on eve of exile from Baghdad to Constantinople

Husayn Ali

Bahaullah

II) Origin and Development of Baha’iD. Bahaullah and Baha’is are Exiled, Imprisoned

– In the following years, the Baha’is were forced from one capital to another

– Bahaullah and many of his followers were eventually imprisoned in the Turkish prison Acre

– Bahaullah imprisoned for remainder of life– Bahaullah produces writings, sends missionaries,

receives guests while imprisoned• Wrote series of letters to Pope and heads of state calling for

help in fostering world peace• Wrote Kitab-i-Aqdas (the most holy book), Kitab-i-Iqan (the

book of certitudes), and The Hidden Words

– Bahaullah dies in prison at age seventy-five, 1892 C.E.

Kitab-i-Aqdas

• History of the Bahá’í Faith

II) Origin and Development of Baha’i

E. Leadership of Baha’is Moves to Bahaullah’s Son, Abbas Effendi (Abdul Baha, Servant of Baha)1. Freed from prison, Abdul Baha travels in Africa,

Europe and American spreading Baha’i message, founds assemblies

2. 1920 C.E. British confer “order of the British Empire” on Abdul Baha for his work on behalf of world peace

3. Abhul Baha dies 1921 C.E.

Abdul Baha

Adul Baha journey to Canada

II) Origin and Development of Baha’i

F. Leadership of Baha’is Moves to Abdul Baha’s Grandson, Shoghi Effendi1. Continues missionary work, founding global

assemblies

2. After Shoghi Effendi’s death in 1957 C.E., leadership assumed by elected body of Baha’i from around world

Shoghi Effendi

• Unity and Divine Messengers

III) The Teachings of Baha’i

A. Develops Far Beyond Shi’ite Islam Origins1. Although originally formed from Islam, it quickly departed radically

from its teachings

2. Baha’is do not revere Qur’an as literal revelation of god’s words, but consider it allegorical, symbolic text

3. Baha’is do not believe in angels and demons, heaven or hell; consider them symbolic • The soul is collective humanity• When the soul is close to god, that is heaven• When the soul is not close to god, that is hell• The living and the dead commune together in the collective soul of humanity• Evil is not real, positive entity; evil is only the absence of the good

4. Christian, Jewish scriptures, and all sacred writings from other religions, count as Baha’i sacred scripture

Bahá’í Faith: Journey of the Soul

III) The Teachings of Baha’i B. The basic belief of the Baha’i is that all

religions come from one source1. Divine revelation is continuous and progressive

process

2. Holy prophets and sages represent the progressive development of humanity’s spiritual growth • Bahaullah is most recent messenger of god, fulfilling

prophecies of past manifestations of god, ushering in a new age for human religion

• Bahaullah’s greatest message was oneness of human race

Humanity Is One Family

III) The Teachings of Baha’i

C. Core Baha’i Doctrines Preached by Abdul Baha 1. The oneness of the entire human race

2. There must be an independent search for truth, unfettered by superstition or tradition

3. There is a basic unity of all religions

4. Condemns all forms of prejudice• whether religious, racial, class, or national

5. Harmony must exist between religion and science

6. Men and women are equal

7. Compulsory education must prevail

III) The Teachings of Baha’i

C. Core Baha’i Doctrines Preached by Abdul Baha 8. There should be a universal language

9. Extremes of wealth and poverty should be abolished

10. A world tribunal for adjudication of disputes among nations should be instituted

11. Work performed in the spirit of service should be exalted to the rank of worship

12. Justice should be glorified as the ruling principle in human society and religion for the protection of all peoples and nations

13. The establishment of a permanent and universal peace should be the supreme goal of humankind

The Bahá’í Faith: Life's Purpose

IV Baha’i Practices

A. Daily Prayer and Attitude of Prayerfulness1. The Baha’i are regulated by many practice requirements

2. They must pray daily

3. All of one’s work, thoughts, and deeds should be done in the spirit of prayer

4. There are three obligatory prayers that must be recited each day

B. Marriage1. Divorce permitted in extreme cases of incompatibility

2. Monogamy between mutually consenting adults

3. There can be no marriage without the consent of both sets of parents

IV Baha’i Practices

C. Alcohol and narcotics are strictly forbidden

D. Worship1. Worship services are held in the homes of members or

other buildings, but there are no special houses of worship for the Baha’i

2. Home worship the norm

3. Worship tends to be simple, without much form or ritual

4. Readings from Bahaullah common

5. There are Scriptural readings, prayers, and readings

6. Baha’i stresses community worship, so it rejects sermons or an offering

Bahá’í Faith: Public Worship

IV Baha’i PracticesE. Organization

– There are no leaders– Baha’is are expected to help support their religion, but

they do not accept offerings from non-Baha’is – Local Spiritual Assembly

• Currently 20,000 exist• Governed by elected nine-member boards

– National Spiritual Assembly• Currently 165 exist• Governed by elected nine-member boards

– Universal House of Justice• Nine-member international body• Elected and serve five-year terms

Universal House of Justice

1st Universal House of Justice Members

Governance and Organization of the Bahá’í Faith

IV Baha’i Practices

F. Baha’i Houses Worship– Magnificent houses located in seven countries– All have nine-sided design

• Nine is symbolic number representing unity of humanity• Nine is largest unit number

– World Center of Baha’i is located on Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel

Baha’i Houses Worship

World Center of Baha'i; Mount Carmel, Israel

Wilmette, IL 

Delhi, India

Baha’i Houses Worship

V) Baha’i Calendar and Holy Days

A. Calendar– The Baha’i have a solar calendar made up of

nineteen months– Each month contains nineteen days– Four days are added after the last month of the

year to come to 365 days– The day begins at sunset– New Year on March 21st, beginning of spring

V) Baha’i Calendar and Holy Days

B. Holy Days– Baha’i expected to fast one month per year (19

days) beginning near the first of March during the month of Ala (loftiness)• A full fast with total abstention from food is not required• Instead, Baha’is avoid food during daylight hours• Fasting is a symbol of abstinence from lust

– Feast of Ridvan (April 21 – May 2)• This feast commemorates Bahaullah’s declaration that he

was the promised one

– Birthday of Bahaullah: November 12th

Feast of Ridvan

• Festival of Ridvan

Feast in Oakland 1909

VI) Baha’i Today

A. Baha’is have always been subject to persecution1. In Iran, where Baha’i was born, practitioners are

considered heretics

2. Many Muslims reject Baha’is because of their belief in a divine revelation after Muhammad

3. Persecution after Iranian Revolution particularly harsh

4. Baha’i currently outlawed in Iran

Baha’i in Iran

Baha'i in Iran

VI) Baha’i Today

B. Worldwide Presence1. There are roughly 6.1 million Baha’is in the world

today

2. The religion is relatively small in numbers but appears to be growing

3. It is a missionary religion and has established communities worldwide, with members in 218 countries

4. The largest number of adherents are in Asia and Africa

Fundamental questions

1. What is the human condition?• Baha’is believe that each child is born pure and holy. God created humans

with immortal souls and a dual nature: an animalistic and a selfish (evil) side, and a spiritual side (soul) with reason to develop their divine attributes and pursue God’s plan for humanity.

2. Where are we going?• To paradise (not a place but a state of perfection and in harmony with God’s

will)• To hell (a state of imperfection, far removed from God and in conflict with his

will), by denying God and his plan, and performing evil acts

3. How do we get there?• We achieve salvation by:

– acknowledging the oneness of God and the unity of the manifestations of God (prophets)

– developing our divine attributes (reason) and being involved in God’s plan for the whole of humanity

– aligning our lives with the teachings, laws and obligations as revealed by Baha’ullah.