Baháʼí Faith

Seat of the Universal House of Justice , governing body of the Bahá'ís, in Haifa , Israel The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia , emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories. In the Bahá'í Faith, religious history is seen to have unfolded through a series of divine messengers, each of whom established a religion that was suited to the needs of the time and the capacity of the people. These messengers have included Abraham , Buddha , Jesus , Muhammad and others, and most recently the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh . In Bahá'í belief, each consecutive messenger prophesied of messengers to follow, and Bahá'u'lláh's life and teachings fulfilled the end-time promises of previous scriptures. Humanity is understood to be in a process of collective evolution, and the need of the present time is for the gradual establishment of peace, justice and unity on a global scale. The word "Bahá'í" ( ) is used either as an adjective to refer to the Bahá'í Faith or as a term for a follower of Bahá'u'lláh. The word is not a noun meaning the religion as a whole. It is derived from the Arabic Bahá’ , meaning "glory" or "splendour". The term "Bahaism" (or "Baha'ism") has been used in the past, but the correct name of the religion is Bahá'í Faith. Houghton 2004 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFHoughton2004 ( help ) See Bahá'í statistics for a breakdown of different estimates. The exact realization of the English pronunciation varies. The Oxford English Dictionary has ba- HAH -ee , Merriam-Webster has bah- HAH -ee , and the Random House Dictionary has bə- HAH -ee . "Bahai", "Bahais", "Baha'i", "the Bab", "Bahaullah" and "Baha'u'llah" are often used when diacriticals are unavailable. Hatcher & Martin 1998 , pp. xiii Centre for Faith and the Media.

Seat of the Universal House of Justice , governing body of the Bahá'ís, in Haifa , Israel The Bahá'í Faith ( Bahá'iyyat , Bahá'iyya / b ə ˈ h aɪ / ) is a monotheistic religion which emphasizes the spiritual unity of all humankind . Three core principles establish a basis for Bahá'í teachings and doctrine: the unity of God , that there is only one God who is the source of all creation ; the unity of religion , that all major religions have the same spiritual source and come from the same God; and the unity of humanity , that all humans have been created equal, and the unity in diversity , that diversity of race and culture are seen as worthy of appreciation and acceptance. According to the Bahá'í Faith's teachings, the human purpose is to learn to know and to love God through such methods as prayer , reflection and being of service to humanity. The Bahá'í Faith was founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia . Bahá'u'lláh was exiled for his teachings from Persia to the Ottoman Empire and died while officially still a prisoner. After Bahá'u'lláh's death, under the leadership of his son, `Abdu'l-Bahá , the religion spread from its Persian and Ottoman roots, and gained a footing in Europe and America, and was consolidated in Iran, where it suffers intense persecution . After the death of `Abdu'l-Bahá, the leadership of the Bahá'í community entered a new phase, evolving from a single individual to an administrative order with both elected bodies and appointed individuals. There are probably more than 5 million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories. In the Bahá'í Faith, religious history is seen to have unfolded through a series of divine messengers, each of whom established a religion that was suited to the needs of the time and to the capacity of the people. These messengers have included Abrahamic figures— Moses , Jesus , Muhammad , as well as Dharmic ones— Krishna , Buddha , and others. In Bahá'í belief, each consecutive messenger prophesied of messengers to follow, and Bahá'u'lláh's life and teachings fulfilled the end-time promises of previous scriptures. Humanity is understood to be in a process of collective evolution, and the need of the present time is for the gradual establishment of peace, justice and unity on a global scale. There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a template (see the help page ).

Monotheistic religion founded by Baháʼu'lláh Seat of the Universal House of Justice , governing body of the Baháʼís, in Haifa , Israel This article contains Persian text . Without proper rendering support , you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols . The Baháʼí Faith ( / b ə ˈ h ɑː iː , b ə ˈ h aɪ / ; Bahāʼi ) is a religion teaching the essential worth of all religions, and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in 1863, it initially grew in Persia and parts of the Middle East , where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception. It is estimated to have between 5 and 8 million adherents, known as Baháʼís, spread throughout most of the world's countries and territories. The religion has three central figures: the Báb (1819–1850) is considered a herald who taught that God would soon send a prophet in the same way of Jesus or Muhammad and was executed by Iranian authorities in 1850; Baháʼu'lláh (1817-1892), who claimed to be that prophet in 1863 and faced exile and imprisonment for most of his life; and his son, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (1844-1921) who was released from confinement in 1908 and made teaching trips to Europe and America. Following ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's death in 1921, leadership of the religion fell to his grandson Shoghi Effendi (1897–1957). Baháʼís around the world annually elect local, regional, and national Spiritual Assemblies that govern the affairs of the religion, and every five years the members of all National Spiritual Assemblies elect the Universal House of Justice , the nine-member supreme governing institution of the worldwide Baháʼí community, which sits in Haifa , Israel, near the Shrine of the Báb . Baháʼí teachings are in some ways similar to other monotheistic faiths: God is considered single and all-powerful. However, Baháʼu'lláh taught that religion is orderly and progressively revealed by one God through Manifestations of God who are the founders of major world religions throughout history; Buddha , Jesus, and Muhammad being the most recent before the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh. Baháʼís regard the major religions as fundamentally unified in purpose, though varied in social practices and interpretations. There is a similar emphasis on the unity of all people , openly rejecting notions of racism and nationalism . At the heart of Baháʼí teachings is the goal of a unified world order that ensures the prosperity of all nations, races, creeds, and classes. Letters written by Baháʼu'lláh to various individuals, including some heads of state, have been collected and assembled into a canon of Baháʼí scripture , including works by his son ʻAbdu'l-Bahá , and the Báb , who is regarded as Baháʼu'lláh's forerunner. Prominent among Baháʼí literature are the Kitáb-i-Aqdas , Kitáb-i-Íqán , Some Answered Questions , and The Dawn-Breakers . Encyclopædia Britannica 2010 . sfn error: no target: CITEREFEncyclopædia_Britannica2010 ( help ) Hatcher & Martin 1998 Moojan Momen (2011). In Mark Juergensmeyer; Wade Clark Roof (eds.). Encyclopedia of Global Religion .

Abrahamic religion established in the 19th century This article is about the religion. Without proper rendering support , you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols . The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people . Established by Baháʼu'lláh , it initially developed in Iran and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception. The religion is estimated to have five to eight million adherents, known as Baháʼís, spread throughout most of the world's countries and territories. The Baháʼí Faith has three central figures: the Báb (1819–1850), executed for heresy, who taught that a prophet similar to Jesus and Muhammad would soon appear; Baháʼu'lláh (1817–1892), who claimed to be that prophet in 1863 and had to endure both exile and imprisonment; and his son, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (1844–1921), who made teaching trips to Europe and the United States after his release from confinement in 1908. After ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's death in 1921, the leadership of the religion fell to his grandson Shoghi Effendi (1897–1957). Baháʼís annually elect local, regional, and national Spiritual Assemblies that govern the religion's affairs, and every five years an election is held for the Universal House of Justice , the nine-member governing institution of the worldwide Baháʼí community that is located in Haifa , Israel, near the Shrine of the Báb . According to Baháʼí teachings , religion is revealed in an orderly and progressive way by a single God through Manifestations of God , who are the founders of major world religions throughout human history; Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad are noted as the most recent of these before the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh. Baháʼís regard the world's major religions as fundamentally unified in purpose, but diverging in terms of social practices and interpretations. The Baháʼí Faith stresses the unity of all people as its core teaching and explicitly rejects notions of racism, sexism, and nationalism. At the heart of Baháʼí teachings is the goal of a unified world order that ensures the prosperity of all nations, races, creeds, and classes. Letters and epistles by Baháʼu'lláh, along with writings and talks by his son ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, have been collected and assembled into a canon of Baháʼí scriptures . This collection includes works by the Báb, who is regarded as Baháʼu'lláh's forerunner. Prominent among the works of Baháʼí literature are the Kitáb-i-Aqdas , the Kitáb-i-Íqán , Some Answered Questions , and The Dawn-Breakers . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).

Religion established in the 19th century "Bahai" redirects here. Without proper rendering support , you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols . The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people . Established by Baháʼu'lláh , it initially developed in Iran and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception. The religion has 5-8 million adherents (known as Baháʼís ) spread throughout most of the world's countries and territories. The Baháʼí Faith has three central figures: the Báb (1819–1850), executed for heresy, who taught that a prophet similar to Jesus and Muhammad would soon appear; Baháʼu'lláh (1817–1892), who claimed to be said prophet in 1863 and who had to endure both exile and imprisonment; and his son, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (1844–1921), who made teaching trips to Europe and the United States after his release from confinement in 1908. After ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's death in 1921, the leadership of the religion fell to his grandson Shoghi Effendi (1897–1957). Baháʼís annually elect local, regional, and national Spiritual Assemblies that govern the religion's affairs, and every five years an election is held for the Universal House of Justice , the nine-member governing institution of the worldwide Baháʼí community that is located in Haifa , Israel, near the Shrine of the Báb . According to Baháʼí teachings , religion is revealed in an orderly and progressive way by a single God through Manifestations of God , who are the founders of major world religions throughout human history; the Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad are cited as the most recent of these Manifestations of God before the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh. Baháʼís regard the world's major religions as fundamentally unified in their purpose, but divergent in their social practices and interpretations. The Baháʼí Faith stresses the unity of all people as its core teaching; as a result, it explicitly rejects notions of racism, sexism, and nationalism. At the heart of Baháʼí teachings is the desire to establish a unified world order that ensures the prosperity of all nations, races, creeds, and classes. Letters and epistles by Baháʼu'lláh, along with writings and talks by his son ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, have been collected and assembled into a canon of Baháʼí scriptures . This collection also includes works by the Báb, who is regarded as Baháʼu'lláh's forerunner. Prominent among the works of Baháʼí literature are the Kitáb-i-Aqdas , the Kitáb-i-Íqán , Some Answered Questions , and The Dawn-Breakers . There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or templates on this page, but the references will not show without a template or template (see the help page ).