The Bahá’í Faith An Introduction

1. The Bahá’í Faith An Introduction

2. Mirza Husayn-'Ali 1817 - 1892 Bahá’u’lláh (Bahá, Allah) The Glory or Splendor of God A follower of Bahá’u’lláh is a Bahá’í

3. Syyid‘Ali-Muhammad1819 - 1850 The Báb (Báb is the Arabic word for gate or door) He was the Herald and Forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh. A follower of the Báb was known as a Báb’í.

4. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Servant of Bahá 1844 - 1921) Bahá’u’lláh appointed `Abdu’l-Bahá (His eldest son) to be His successor and the Center of His Covenant --the instrument for ensuring the unity of the Bahá’í community and preserving the integrity of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings.

5. The Millerites William Miller The German Templars Leonard Kelber The Shaykhi Movement Shaykh Ahmad and Siyyid Kázim

7. Map of Bahá’u’lláh’s imprisonments and exiles.

8. Nasiri’d-Dín Shah Ruled Persia from 1848-1896 Sultan Abdu’l-’Aziz Ruled Ottoman Empire from 1861-1876 The two rulers who were responsible for the exiles and imprisonments of Bahá’u’lláh.

9. During the forty years (1852 - 1892) that Baha’u’llah was exiled and imprisoned He was able to reveal over one hundred books and major tablets that define the laws and teachings of His religion…The Bahá’í Faith.

10. Oneness of God The Bahá'í belief in one God means that the universe and all creatures and forces within it have been created by a single supernatural Being. He has been called by many names: God, Allah, Yahweh, and Brahma, Jehovah etc. but all refer to the One Divine Being, Whose nature is unknowable and inaccessible to humankind. “How wondrous is the unity of the Living, the Ever-Abiding God--a unity which is exalted above all limitations, that transcendeth the comprehension of all created things.... How lofty hath been His incorruptible Essence, how completely independent of the knowledge of all created things, and how immensely exalted will it remain above the praise of all the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth!” Bahá’u’lláh Oneness of the Manifestations Throughout history, God has revealed Himself to humanity through a series of divine Messengers, whose teachings guide and educate us and provide the basis for the advancement of human society and the spiritual evolution of mankind. These Messengers have included Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad and Bahá’u’lláh. Their religions come from the same Source and are in essence successive chapters of one religion from God. “The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being [God] hath ever been, and will continue to be, closed in the face of men. No man's understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court. As a token of His mercy, however, and as a proof of His loving-kindness, He hath manifested unto men the Day Stars of His divine guidance, the Symbols of His divine unity, and hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self.” Bahá’u’lláh

11. Oneness of religion “These principles and laws, these firmly-established and mighty systems, have Proceeded from one Source and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated.” Bahá’u’lláh Oneness of humanity “The tabernacle of unity hath been raised; regard ye not one another as strangers.” “Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.” “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” Bahá’u’lláh The Manifestations of God appear from age to age as Divine Physicians with a specific prescription to heal the existing condition of mankind. “Regard the world as the human body which, though at its creation whole and perfect, hath been afflicted, through various causes, with grave disorders and maladies. Not for one day did it gain ease, nay its sickness waxed more severe, as it fell under the treatment of ignorant physicians, who gave full rein to their personal desires, and have erred grievously. And if, at one time, through the care of an able physician, a member of that body was healed, the rest remained afflicted as before.”Bahá’u’lláh “The All-Knowing Physician hath His finger on the pulse of mankind. He perceiveth the disease, and prescribeth, in His unerring wisdom, the remedy. Every age hath its own problem, and every soul its particular aspiration. The remedy the world needeth in its present-day afflictions can never be the same as that which a subsequent age may require. Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in…” Bahá’u’lláh

12. Principle teachings of the Bahá’í Faith The prescription that Bahá’u’lláh is offering the world. ____________________ • Religion must be the cause of unity • Independent investigation of truth • Full equality of opportunity between women and men • The abolition of all forms of prejudice • Universal peace upheld by an international tribunal • Universal education • A universal auxiliary language • Religion must be harmonious with science • Spiritual solutions for economic problems

13. The prescription that Bahá’u’lláh is offering the world… ____________________ Religion must be the cause of unity “The purpose of religion as revealed from the heaven of God's holy Will is to establish unity and concord amongst the peoples of the world; make it not the cause of dissension and strife.” Bahá’u’lláh “Religious fanaticism and hatred are a world-devouring fire, whose violence none can quench. The Hand of Divine power can, alone, deliver mankind from this desolating affliction.... “Bahá’u’lláh "Consort ye, O people, with all religions with joy and fragrance!"  Bahá’u’lláh Independent investigation of truth We must investigate truth for ourselves, without preconceptions. One of the main sources of conflict in the world today is the fact that many people blindly and uncritically follow various traditions, movements, and opinions. Bahá’u’lláh emphasizes the fundamental obligation of human beings to acquire knowledge with their "own eyes and not through the eyes of others." Bahá’u’lláh

14. Full equality of opportunity between women and men “The world of humanity is possessed of two wings: the male and the female. So long as these two wings are not equivalent in strength. the bird will not fly. Until womenkind reaches the same degree as man, until she enjoys the same arena of activity, extraordinary attainment for humanity will not be realized; humanity cannot Wing its way to heights of real attainment.”Abdu’l-Bahá The abolition of all forms of prejudice “O CHILDREN OF MEN! Know ye not why We created you all from the same dust? That no one should exalt himself over the other. Ponder at all times in your hearts how ye were created. Since we have created you all from one same substance it is incumbent on you to be even as one soul, to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land, that from your inmost being, by your deeds and actions, the signs of oneness and the essence of detachment may be made manifest.” Bahá’u’lláh Universal peace upheld by an international tribunal “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established. This unity can never be achieved so long as the counsels which the Pen of the Most High hath revealed are suffered to pass unheeded.” Bahá’u’lláh

15. Universal education “Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”Bahá’u’lláh A universal auxiliary language “And among the teachings of …Baha'u'llah is the origination of one language that may be spread universally among the people. This teaching was revealed from the pen of His Holiness Baha'u'llah in order that this universal language may eliminate misunderstandings from among mankind.” Abdu’l-Bahá Religion must be harmonious with science The Bahá'í teachings stress the fundamental harmony of science and religion. Bahá'ís consider that it is the same unique God who is both the Author of revelation and the Creator of the reality which science investigates. Science without the moral grounding of Religion is materialism. Religion without the rational support of Science is superstition. Spiritual solutions for economic problems The unity of humankind foreseen by Bahá'u'lláh is unity based on justice. One of the most striking examples of injustice in the world today is the grave imbalance in economic and material conditions. A relatively small percentage of humankind has immense wealth, while the majority of the world's population lives in dire poverty and misery. We must realize our spiritual oneness before any progress can be achieved in correcting the disparity between rich and poor.

16. Some Laws, Ordinances, and Exhortations from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Bahá’u’lláh’s book of laws.

17. The Administrative Order of the Bahá’í Faith The Universal House of Justice The National Spiritual Assemblies The Local Spiritual Assemblies The Seat of the Universal House of Justice on Mount Carmel, in Haifa, Israel.

18. Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois North of Chicago, Illinois Mashriqu'l-Adhkár, “The dawning place of the Praises or Remembrances of God”

19. Bahá’í House of Worship in New Delhi, India The “Lotus Temple” of India

20. The Shrine of Bahá’u’lláh at Bahji, in Israel north of‘Akká. This is the spot regarded as the Qiblih of the Bahá’í Dispensation, the spot to which Bahá’ís turn when saying the daily obligatory prayer.

21. The Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel, Haifa, Israel

22. The Golden Rule as it appears in various religious texts. Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. Buddhism What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. That is the entire law; all the rest is commentary. Judaism Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Christianity No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself. Islam Wish not for others what ye wish not for yourselves; fear God, and be not of the prideful.Bahá’í Faith