Baha\u2019is believe in\u00a0peace, justice, love, altruism and unity. The Baha\u2019i teachings promote the agreement of science and religion, the equality of the sexes<\/span><\/a> and the elimination of all prejudice and racism.<\/span><\/p>\n Just about anywhere you go on the planet, you\u2019ll find Baha\u2019is\u2014the Baha\u2019i Faith is the world\u2019s second-most widespread religion after Christianity, spanning the globe and working to unite it. Baha\u2019is have no clergy or churches, gathering together in democratically-led communities and welcoming everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n The millions of\u00a0Baha\u2019is\u00a0in the world<\/a>\u00a0come from every ethnicity, nationality, tribe,\u00a0age,\u00a0racial group, religious background\u00a0and\u00a0economic\u00a0and social\u00a0class.\u00a0Gentle, peaceful, warm and welcoming, diverse Baha\u2019i communities exist just about everywhere.\u00a0Baha\u2019is accept the validity of each of the founders and prophets of the major world religions, and believe in progressive revelation, the unique Baha\u2019i principle that views every great Faith as a link in a single\u00a0spiritual\u00a0system\u00a0progressively revealed\u00a0by God to humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n We spend our lives trying to unlock the mystery of the universe, but there was a Turkish prisoner, Baha\u2019u\u2019llah, in Akka, Palestine who had the key. – Leo Tolstoy<\/strong><\/p>\n The Baha\u2019i Faith is consolation for humanity. \u2013 Mahatma Gandhi<\/strong><\/p>\n The essence of Baha\u2019u\u2019llah\u2019s Teaching is all-embracing love, for love includeth every excellence of humankind. It causeth every soul to go forward. It bestoweth on each one, for a heritage, immortal life. Erelong shalt thou bear witness that His celestial Teachings, the very glory of reality itself, shall light up the skies of the world. – Abdu\u2019l-Baha<\/a>, Selections from the Writings of Abdu\u2019l-Baha, p. 66<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Tehran, the city where Baha\u2019u\u2019llah was born<\/p><\/div>\n Baha\u2019is follow the teachings of Baha\u2019u\u2019llah<\/a>, who proclaimed the Baha\u2019i Faith during the middle of the 19th<\/sup> Century, and who taught world peace, the oneness of all humanity and the essential unity of all religions. Born Mirza Husayn Ali in Tehran, Persia in 1817, Baha\u2019u\u2019llah was known early in his adult life as \u201cthe father of the poor\u201d for his selfless work assisting the destitute and homeless. In 1863, Baha\u2019u\u2019llah began openly teaching the Baha\u2019i Faith, with its revolutionary messages of human unity, the oneness of all Faiths, the equality of men and women, the agreement of science and religion and the establishment of a global system of governance.<\/p>\n Baha\u2019is believe that Baha\u2019u\u2019llah, whose title means \u201cThe Glory of God<\/a>,\u201d is the latest prophet to found a major world religion and usher in a new age of human development:<\/p>\n \u2026in the kingdoms of earth and heaven there must needs be manifested a Being, an Essence Who shall act as a Manifestation and Vehicle for the transmission of the grace of the Divinity Itself, the Sovereign Lord of all. Through the Teachings of this Day Star of Truth every man will advance and develop until he attaineth the station at which he can manifest all the potential forces with which his inmost true self hath been endowed. It is for this very purpose that in every age and dispensation the Prophets of God and His chosen Ones have appeared amongst men, and have evinced such power as is born of God and such might as only the Eternal can reveal. – Baha\u2019u\u2019llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha\u2019u\u2019llah, pp. 67-68<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n After the proclamation of his Faith, Baha\u2019u\u2019llah suffered forty years of exile, torture and imprisonment\u2014all for announcing that a new revelation had been born. This great divine educator and messenger, despite the persecutions he bore, then wrote a series of epistles to the political and religious rulers of the world from his prison cell. Those letters, called the Tablets to the Kings<\/em>, openly announced Baha\u2019u\u2019llah\u2019s station and mission, and warned the world\u2019s most prominent leaders that humanity faced disastrous consequences unless they laid down their weapons and convened to unite the world and end warfare.<\/p>\n Baha\u2019u\u2019llah called the entire world to collective action and to unity, and that call, Baha\u2019is believe, has inaugurated a new age of spirituality, harmony and human maturation.<\/p>\n In a troubled time and place\u2014Shiraz, Persia in 1844\u2014a young merchant and mystic named Siyyid Ali Muhammad made a startling announcement<\/a>: that he brought the world a new message from God.<\/p>\n Called The Bab<\/a> (pronounced bob<\/em>), which means \u201cThe Gate,\u201d this new prophet created a furor in Persian society with his revolutionary teachings\u2014spiritual and moral transformation, women\u2019s emancipation and the raising up of the poor. The Bab also proclaimed that he had come to herald the birth of a new, universal revelation, one greater than his own, and to prepare the way for \u201cHe whom God shall make manifest\u201d\u2014the Promised One of all ages. The Babi Faith spread quickly, electrifying the masses and provoking severe reactions from the government and the clergy. Tens of thousands of Babis, including the Bab himself, were tortured, massacred and publicly executed for their beliefs.<\/p>\n The inauguration of the Bab\u2019s message and mission set Baha\u2019i history in motion.<\/p>\n Baha\u2019u\u2019llah\u2019s exiles from Persia to the Ottoman Empire<\/p><\/div>\n After the Bab\u2019s execution in 1850<\/a>, Baha\u2019u\u2019llah gradually assumed the leadership of the Babis. In prison in 1852, Baha\u2019u\u2019llah received the revelation that inspired the Baha\u2019i Faith, and fulfilled the prophecies and promises of the Bab.<\/p>\n The Baha\u2019i Faith now counts millions of followers across every region, continent and nation of the world.\u00a0Baha\u2019u\u2019llah\u2019s teachings emphasize justice, equality and religious unity, so even today many Baha\u2019is in Iran and other Middle Eastern countries still face persecution for their beliefs.<\/p>\n Baha\u2019u\u2019llah suffered a life of torture and deprivation in order to bring the world a new set of spiritual teachings. Persecuted relentlessly, he still persevered in delivering that message, which has now begun to deeply affect and alter humanity\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The millions of\u00a0Baha\u2019is\u00a0in the world\u00a0come from every ethnicity, nationality, tribe,\u00a0age,\u00a0racial group, religious background\u00a0and\u00a0economic\u00a0and social\u00a0class.\u00a0Gentle, peaceful, warm and welcoming, Baha\u2019i communities exist just about everywhere.\u00a0Baha\u2019is accept the validity of each of the founders and prophets of the major world religions, and believe in progressive revelation, the unique Baha\u2019i principle that views every great Faith as a link in a single\u00a0spiritual\u00a0system\u00a0progressively revealed\u00a0by God to humanity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Essentially a mystical Faith, the Baha\u2019i teachings\u00a0focus on\u00a0the soul\u2019s relationship with\u00a0the eternal, unknowable essence of God<\/span><\/a>, and recommend\u00a0daily\u00a0prayer and meditation to everyone.\u00a0Baha\u2019is believe that the human spirit lives eternally, and\u00a0so\u00a0endeavor to illumine their souls with spiritual attributes\u2014kindness, generosity, integrity, truthfulness, humility and selfless service to others.<\/span><\/p>\n Also a practical Faith, the\u00a0primary\u00a0Baha\u2019i principles advocate international unity,\u00a0the complete cessation of all warfare, universal compulsory education\u00a0for every child, a spiritual solution to the extremes of wealth and poverty, an end to religious fundamentalism and division,\u00a0and\u00a0a unified global response to oppression, materialism, and the planet\u2019s mounting environmental crisis.<\/span><\/p>\n Baha\u2019is believe in the independent investigation of reality, and encourage everyone to question dogma, tradition and superstition by embarking on\u00a0a personal search to discover the truth.\u00a0The Baha\u2019i Faith has no clergy. Instead,\u00a0a distinctive system of\u00a0democratically-elected councils at the local, national and international levels administer and guide Baha\u2019i communities.\u00a0This unprecedented administrative order, fundamentally different from any other system of religious or political authority, has now become the first functioning system of democratic global governance, vesting power and initiative in the entire body of the believers worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\n The Baha\u2019i writings say that religion must be the source of unity and fellowship<\/a> in the world\u2014but if it produces enmity, hatred and bigotry, the absence of religion would be preferable.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Unlike many religions of the past, Baha\u2019is have the original writings of the Baha\u2019i founder Baha\u2019u\u2019llah, of his son and successor\u00a0Abdu\u2019l-Baha<\/span><\/a>, and of the Guardian of the Baha\u2019i Faith,\u00a0Shoghi\u00a0Effendi<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0Baha\u2019is rely on and revere those inspiring, powerful\u00a0works\u2014and of course they\u2019re available to all.\u00a0The Baha\u2019i teachings have been translated into hundreds of languages, including tribal and indigenous ones, to make them available to all the people of the world. In those Baha\u2019i writings,\u00a0Baha\u2019u\u2019llah\u2019s new Faith calls on every human being to investigate its claim as the return of the prophets of the past religions,\u00a0and the fulfillment of their promises of\u00a0the dawn of a new day:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n O son of spirit! My first counsel is this: Possess a pure, kindly and radiant heart, that thine may be a sovereignty ancient, imperishable and everlasting. \u2013 Baha\u2019u\u2019llah<\/a>, The Hidden Words, p. 3<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race. The Great Being saith: Blessed and happy is he that ariseth to promote the best interests of the peoples and kindreds of the earth. In another passage He hath proclaimed: It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens. – Baha\u2019u\u2019llah<\/a>, Tablets of Baha\u2019u\u2019llah, p. 167<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Baha\u2019is believe in one God, eternal in the past and the future, who\u00a0loves and\u00a0progressively educates humanity through\u00a0successive\u00a0revealed religions. The Baha\u2019i writings say that the Creator is an \u201cunknowable essence,\u201d far beyond the capacity of creation to comprehend.\u00a0To aid and enlighten\u00a0us, God has provided humanity with divinely-inspired prophets and messengers throughout history, who founded the world\u2019s great Faiths and brought ethical, moral and spiritual teachings to everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Baha\u2019is accept, respect\u00a0and revere the religions of Abraham<\/span><\/a>, Moses<\/span><\/a>, Krishna<\/span><\/a>, Zoroaster<\/span><\/a>, Buddha<\/span><\/a>, Jesus Christ<\/span><\/a>, Muhammad<\/span><\/a>, and\u00a0also\u00a0the sacred traditions\u00a0of the prophets and teachers of indigenous\u00a0peoples whose names\u00a0written\u00a0history\u00a0may\u00a0never\u00a0have\u00a0recorded. The Baha\u2019i\u00a0Faith encompasses, embraces\u00a0and advances the past teachings of all those great Faiths,\u00a0and Baha\u2019is view Baha\u2019u\u2019llah as the most recent\u00a0of these divine teachers.<\/span><\/p>\n Baha\u2019u\u2019llah called each of these\u00a0divine\u00a0messengers and teachers \u201cManifestations of God<\/a>\u201d\u2014perfect mirrors of the Supreme Being\u2019s love and concern for humanity, each of them destined to inspire entire\u00a0civilizations based on their spiritual teachings and advance the collective maturation of humanity during their dispensations:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Consider to what extent the love of God makes itself manifest. Among the signs of His love which appear in the world are the dawning-point of His Manifestations. What an infinite degree of love is reflected by the divine Manifestations toward mankind! For the sake of guiding the people they have willingly forfeited their lives to resuscitate human hearts. –\u00a0Abdu\u2019l-Baha<\/a>, Foundations of World Unity, p. 89<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n In the\u00a0latest\u00a0of the\u00a0revelations\u00a0in that great universal chain of being, Baha\u2019u\u2019llah taught the central Baha\u2019i tenet of the oneness of humanity\u2014saying \u201cThe earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.\u201d\u00a0Accordingly,\u00a0Baha\u2019is consider themselves\u00a0world citizens, working for the establishment of a universal human civilization based on love,\u00a0spiritual virtues and the desire\u00a0of all people\u00a0for peace and prosperity:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n O contending peoples and\u00a0kindreds\u00a0of the earth! Set your faces towards unity, and let the radiance of its light shine upon you. Gather ye together, and for the sake of God resolve to root out whatever is the source of contention amongst you. Then will the effulgence of the world\u2019s great Luminary envelop the whole earth, and its inhabitants become the citizens of one city, and the occupants of one and the same throne. – Baha\u2019u\u2019llah<\/a>, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha\u2019u\u2019llah, p. 217<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Baha\u2019is believe that human nature is fundamentally spiritual, and that our souls make us noble beings. Although we all temporarily exist in our physical bodies here on Earth, Baha\u2019u\u2019llah<\/span><\/a> taught, our true identities reside in our eternal souls. The primary purpose of each human soul, the Baha\u2019i teachings say, is to know and to love God.\u00a0Baha\u2019is do not believe in doctrines of original sin or ultimate evil\u2014instead, the Baha\u2019i teachings say, each person can make the choice to characterize his or her life with divine attributes:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Man has two powers; and his development, two aspects. One power is connected with the material world, and by it he is capable of material advancement. The other power is spiritual, and through its development his inner, potential nature is awakened. These powers are like two wings. Both must be developed, for flight is impossible with one wing\u2026\u00a0We must strive unceasingly and without rest to accomplish the development of the spiritual nature in man, and endeavor with tireless energy to advance humanity toward the nobility of\u00a0its true and intended station. –\u00a0Abdu\u2019l-Baha<\/a>,\u00a0The\u00a0Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 59<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Our inborn\u00a0spiritual nature can create a\u00a0mystical\u00a0relationship with the Creator, giving\u00a0meaning and purpose to our lives. The Baha\u2019i teachings\u00a0say that process\u00a0happens through meditation and prayer, the inner growth driven by our spiritual search for truth,\u00a0the love we give to others,\u00a0and ultimately as a result of\u00a0our selfless\u00a0actions to\u00a0serve humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n Like all great Faiths, the Baha\u2019i teachings\u00a0have a dual aim\u2014to speak to the inner spirit of each human being, and to propel the process of positive\u00a0social development forward:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n God\u2019s purpose in sending His Prophets unto men is twofold. The first is to liberate the children of men from the darkness of ignorance, and guide them to the light of true understanding. The second is to ensure the peace and tranquility of mankind, and provide all the means by which they can be established. – Baha\u2019u\u2019llah<\/a>, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha\u2019u\u2019llah, p. 79<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n The Baha\u2019i Faith provides the means for peace and tranquility through a progressive set of social teachings:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n These fundamental\u00a0Baha\u2019i\u00a0principles call for a complete restructuring of humanity\u2019s priorities\u2014from material to spiritual, from exclusive to inclusive and from divisiveness to unity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n You can find Baha\u2019is just about any place you look\u2014but\u00a0you will probably need\u00a0to look.<\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s because Baha\u2019is don\u2019t press their Faith\u00a0on anyone else. Baha\u2019u\u2019llah wrote that Baha\u2019is could not\u00a0proselytize\u00a0or compel the beliefs of others.\u00a0Baha\u2019is uphold the\u00a0important\u00a0principle of the independent investigation of truth:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Discover for yourselves the reality of things, and strive to assimilate the methods by which noble-mindedness and glory are attained among the nations and people of the world.\u00a0No man should follow blindly his ancestors and forefathers. Nay, each must see with his own eyes, hear with his own ears and investigate independently in order that he may find the truth. –\u00a0Abdu\u2019l-Baha<\/a>, Divine Philosophy, p. 24<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n Baha\u2019is eagerly welcome\u00a0anyone on a path of spiritual search\u2014or anyone who would like to learn more about the Baha\u2019i Faith. Many\u00a0Baha\u2019i communities around the world have informal meetings where seekers can examine and explore\u00a0the teachings of this new Faith. Called \u201cfiresides\u201d or study classes, those Baha\u2019i meetings\u00a0encourage questions and open-minded discussion about life. Everyone is welcome.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n On each continent in the world, a Baha\u2019i House of Worship welcomes everyone. With nine sides symbolizing the many paths to the one true God, Baha\u2019i Houses of Worship\u00a0are open to all, no matter what beliefs they hold.\u00a0Similar to a church, mosque or temple\u2014but with no rituals, rites or sermons\u2014Baha\u2019i Houses of Worship function as the center of a community\u2019s spiritual\u00a0life, and its humanitarian, educational and altruistic service and outreach. More than a hundred Baha\u2019i\u00a0Houses of Worship are\u00a0in the planning stages, and seven now exist, with an eighth one, in Chile, set to open October 2016:<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Baha\u2019i House of Worship in India<\/p><\/div>\n The Baha\u2019i teachings ultimately envision these interfaith Houses of Worship in every community, serving as the dawning places of the mention of God and the central focal points of a number of charitable, public benefit institutions. The Baha\u2019i teachings call the House of Worship: <\/span><\/p>\n \u2026one of the most vital institutions in the world, and it hath many subsidiary branches. Although it is a House of Worship, it is also connected with a hospital, a drug dispensary, a traveller\u2019s hospice, a school for orphans, and a university for advanced studies. – Abdu\u2019l-Baha<\/a>, Selections from the Writings of Abdu\u2019l-Baha, pp. 99-100<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Many of these temples (like the Baha\u2019i Lotus Temple in India, pictured) have become\u00a0magnets for those from every Faith and no Faith, as a place to reflect, meditate and pray, and as beautiful monuments to the Baha\u2019i ideals of the oneness of God, religion and humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Names of the 19 Baha\u2019i Months<\/p><\/div>\n Most new world religions bring a new calendar<\/a>\u2014and the Baha\u2019i Faith does, too. Year one in the Baha\u2019i calendar began in 1844, when the Baha\u2019i Faith began with the announcement of the Bab\u2019s revelation.<\/p>\n The Baha\u2019i calendar, originally initiated by the Bab, bases its unique structure on the number 19. Called the Badi Calendar, meaning wondrous<\/em>, it equalizes the length of every month and also accounts for variances in the Earth\u2019s orbit around the sun\u2014unlike any other calendar in use today. Composed of nineteen months of nineteen days each, each Baha\u2019i calendar year begins in spring on the Vernal Equinox, on the day of the ancient Persian New Year known as Naw-Ruz<\/a>.<\/p>\n With 19 months of 19 days each, the Baha\u2019i calendar adds four (or in leap years, five) Intercalary Days<\/a> to make up a full solar year of 365\u00bc days. Baha\u2019is set aside those Intercalary Days for celebrations, hospitality, gift-giving and charitable works. The Intercalary Days immediately precede the final 19-day Baha\u2019i month, when Baha\u2019is fast<\/a> during daylight hours. Intended as a reflective period of prayer and meditation, the Baha\u2019i Fast symbolizes detachment from the material world, and utilizes the final 19 days of the year for revitalizing the inner spiritual life of each adult Baha\u2019i.<\/p>\n Baha\u2019i Gardens in Haifa, Israel<\/p><\/div>\n The International Baha\u2019i Centre, located in\u00a0Haifa, Israel, now also attracts\u00a0people from all over the world, not only as holy places of pilgrimage for Baha\u2019is but as tourist destinations known\u00a0for their serenity and delightful majesty. The Baha\u2019i shrines and buildings on Mt. Carmel in Haifa, for example, have become known as the Baha\u2019i Gardens<\/span><\/a>, because of their\u00a0extensive terraces, flowering gardens and the golden dome of the Shrine of the Bab<\/span><\/a>, a landmark in northern Israel and a beacon of peace and hope worldwide.<\/span><\/p>\nWho is Baha\u2019u\u2019llah?<\/h2>\n
![\"Tehran](\"https:\/\/media.bahaiteachings.org\/2013\/11\/Tehran-1930.jpg\")
How Did\u00a0Baha\u2019i History Begin?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Baha\u2019u\u2019llah\u2019s](\"https:\/\/media.bahaiteachings.org\/2012\/09\/Bahaullah-Exiles1.gif\")
Who are the Baha\u2019is?<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
The Main Baha\u2019i Teachings<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
Quotes from the Baha\u2019i Writings<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Gleanings](\"https:\/\/media.bahaiteachings.org\/2012\/09\/Gleanings-from-the-Writings-of-Bahaullah1.jpg\" "\\"Gleanings")
The Revelation which, from time immemorial, hath been acclaimed as the Purpose and Promise of all the Prophets of God, and the most cherished Desire of His Messengers, hath now, by virtue of the pervasive Will of the Almighty and at His irresistible bidding, been revealed unto men. The advent of such a Revelation hath been heralded in all the sacred Scriptures\u2026 O ye lovers of the One true God! Strive, that ye may truly recognize and know Him, and observe befittingly His precepts. – Baha\u2019u\u2019llah<\/a>, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha\u2019u\u2019llah, p. 5<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n
The Essential Unity of All Religions<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Progressive](\"https:\/\/media.bahaiteachings.org\/2012\/09\/progressive_revelatoin-e-720x720.jpg\")
The Baha\u2019i\u00a0teachings center around unity, and Baha\u2019is believe in the essential unity of all religions<\/span><\/a>. Baha\u2019u\u2019llah<\/span><\/a> emphasized the importance of unity, oneness and harmony in all human interactions, and said that the collective maturation of the human race has now brought us to the stage in our development\u00a0where we can recognize our interdependence. The successive\u00a0prophets and messengers founded their\u00a0Faiths at different times in history, and each of those religions, Baha\u2019is believe, form part of one single meta-religion\u2014a unified, systematic, progressive revelation,\u00a0one school with many teachers.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\nBaha\u2019is Believe in the Oneness of Humanity<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
Human Nature–Fundamentally Noble and Spiritual<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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The Baha\u2019i Houses of Worship<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Baha\u2019i](\"https:\/\/media.bahaiteachings.org\/2012\/09\/Bahai-House-of-Worship-New-Delhi-India.jpg\" "\\"Baha\u2019i")
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Understanding the Baha\u2019i Calendar<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/media.bahaiteachings.org\/2014\/05\/The-Bahai-Calendar.jpg\")
The Baha\u2019i Gardens<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Shrine](\"https:\/\/media.bahaiteachings.org\/2012\/09\/The-Shrine-of-the-Bab-and-Terraces1.jpg\" "\\"Baha\u2019i")