# Baha'i Faith: Overview

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Robert Stockman, Baha'i Faith: Overview, bahai-library.com.
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> World Religions: Belief, Culture, and Controversy                          http://religion.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1584364?sid=1584...
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> Baha'i Faith
> 
> The Baha'i Faith is a religion that began in Persia (modern-day Iran) in 1853. Its founder was Mirza Husayn-Ali,
> known as Baha'u'llah. Worldwide membership in the Baha'i Faith has grown to more than 5 million, and the Faith
> has emerged as the most geographically widespread religion in the world after the Roman Catholic Church.
> 
> The Baha'i Faith arose from the Babi Faith, a religion that briefly flourished in Persia in the 1840s. It was
> established by Ali-Muhammad of Shiraz, who in 1844 took on the title of the Bab (the Gate) and declared himself
> to be the fulfillment of Islamic prophecies. The Twelver Shia Islam that dominated Persia (and still dominates
> Iran) expected the return of the 12th imam (a messianic figure), and the expectation peaked among some Shiites
> in 1844. The Bab initially hinted that he was merely a gate to the 12th imam, but gradually made explicit a claim
> to be the 12th imam himself. He also penned mystic commentaries on the Koran, whose style and content
> signified a claim to divine revelation.
> 
> Beliefs and Practices
> 
> The Baha'i Faith possesses authoritative texts from the Bab, Baha'u'llah, Abdul-Baha, Shoghi Effendi, and the
> Universal House of Justice. In all cases, a sharp distinction is made between written and oral statements by the
> head of the Faith: the former are binding if they can be authenticated; the latter are not binding unless they were
> committed to writing and subsequently approved by the head of the Faith.
> 
> The authoritative texts are also hierarchically ranked in importance. Those by the Bab and Baha'u'llah are the
> most important, because both individuals are considered Manifestations of God and who thus communicated
> divine revelation. Their writings are considered the word of God. Because Baha'u'llah often abrogated specific
> laws of the Bab, the latter are not binding on Baha'is. Abdul-Baha is not considered a Manifestation of God, but
> his writings come from an individual whose spiritual rank is considered unique in human history (above that of an
> ordinary human being but below that of a Manifestation); hence his writings possess a sacredness and are
> considered part of Baha'i scripture. Shoghi Effendi, on the other hand, occupies a rank even farther from that of a
> Manifestation, and his writings, though binding and authoritative, occupy a less sacred place in the hierarchy of
> Baha'i scripture. The writings of the Universal House of Justice are also binding and authoritative but, like papal
> encyclicals, would not be considered scripture.
> 
> Baha'u'llah describes God as an unknowable essence—in other words, ultimately God is beyond human ken and
> reckoning. Baha'u'llah's view, however, is not that humans can know nothing about God; on the contrary, even
> though the divine has an unknowable essence, it also has attributes such as mercy, justice, love, patience,
> self-subsistence, might, and knowledge that we can experience and know. By developing these qualities in their
> own souls, humans guide and foster their personal spiritual development and prepare themselves for the next life,
> in which spiritual growth occurs continuously and primarily through God's grace.
> 
> Experiencing God's attributes in creation is the basis of nature mysticism; Baha'u'llah says that all created things
> 
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> reflect divine attributes (a concept that is also fundamental to Baha'i environmental ethics). Baha'u'llah notes,
> however, that the perfect reflector of divine attributes on this plane of existence is the Manifestation of God, a rare
> figure who receives divine revelation and guidance and manifests them perfectly in the language of his or her
> culture and through his or her own life and actions. In an epistemological sense, the Manifestation is God,
> because in the mortal plane she or he is the only perfect source of knowledge of the divine. Baha'u'llah identifies
> Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Zoroaster, the Bab, and himself as Manifestations and suggests that
> Adam, Noah, the (unknown) founder of the Sabaean religion, Salih, and Hud were also Manifestations (the last
> three figures are mentioned in the Koran as well). To this list Abdul-Baha adds Buddha and Shoghi Effendi adds
> Krishna, raising the total to 14. Baha'u'llah also states that many Manifestations lived so long ago that their
> names have been lost; Abdul-Baha stresses that humanity has always received divine guidance through
> Manifestations.
> 
> The Baha'i recognition that most of the world's major religions were established by Manifestations is the basis of
> the Baha'i concept of the unity of religion. Baha'u'llah and Abdul-Baha both state that all religions are based on a
> divine revelation (either directly or by borrowing divine ideas from previous religions) but add that, while all
> religions share certain basic ethical and metaphysical principles, they also differ because the revelation had to be
> tailored to the social and cultural context in which it was expressed.
> 
> Baha'u'llah and Abdul-Baha strongly emphasized that all persons are equal before God and therefore must have
> basic equality in human society, that men and women are equal, and that races are equal and must be reconciled
> and united. In addition to its implications of unity, the oneness of humanity is also understood to imply the need to
> establish a global governing system. Baha'u'llah called on all kings and rulers to end war, limit armaments, and
> meet in an international summit to establish common treaties and institutions. He said that an international
> language and script should be selected to supplement local languages and allow easy world communication. The
> Baha'i texts also call for an international system of weights and measures, a world currency, an elected world
> legislature, an international collective security arrangement, and global measures to ensure universal education
> and health care, to create equitable access to resources, and to diminish the extreme imbalances of wealth and
> poverty. Indeed, the Baha'i authoritative texts include an extensive critique of existing social norms and a vision
> for creating a just, unified world.
> 
> Baha'i Community
> 
> The Baha'i community consists of all persons who have accepted Baha'u'llah and have requested membership in
> the body of his followers. It is conceived of as an evolving entity destined to reflect Baha'u'llah's teachings ever
> more perfectly and to embrace an ever-larger segment of humanity. The chief goal of the Baha'i community is to
> achieve ever-greater unity.
> 
> Baha'is strive for spiritual unity through various means. Baha'i gatherings begin with prayer. Discussion about any
> matter is conducted according to the principles of consultation, whereby individuals are encouraged to be frank
> but tactful in expressing themselves; should listen carefully and avoid offending or feeling offended by others;
> where ideas, once expressed, belong to the group and thus can be modified or rejected by all present, including
> the person first proposing the idea; where decisions ideally should be unanimous, but can be carried by a
> majority; and where the results of consultation must be trusted and not undermined by subsequent dissent,
> noncooperation, or backbiting. Consultation is simultaneously a set of principles of behavior, a collection of
> attitudes toward people and ideas, and a culture of discourse to model and perfect.
> 
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> World Religions: Belief, Culture, and Controversy                            http://religion.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1584364?sid=1584...
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> In addition to the Baha'i governing institutions, the Baha'i texts describe the creation and development of Baha'i
> communities. Baha'i community life centers on the institution of the feast, a gathering once every Baha'i month
> (which lasts 19 days) wherein the Baha'is worship together, consult on local community activities, and socialize.
> 
> Particularly important are Baha'i holy days, nine of which are observed every year. In addition to the Baha'i New
> Year's Day (March 21), they commemorate events in the lives of the Bab and Baha'u'llah. Supplementing the nine
> holy days on which Baha'is should suspend work are two holy days connected with the life of Abdul-Baha (on
> which Baha'is can carry out their occupations) and Ayyam-i-Ha, a four- or five-day period of service,
> merrymaking, and gift-giving (February 26 through March 1. Ayyam-i-Ha is necessary to bring the total days in
> the Baha'i calendar from 361 to the number of days in a solar year). Every Baha'i holy day is accompanied by a
> gathering that is open to the public.
> 
> In the United States, most local Baha'i communities meet in members' homes, though rented and purchased
> Baha'i Centers are becoming much more common. The United States has only one Baha'i House of Worship,
> located in Wilmette, Illinois, outside Chicago.
> 
> Prayer and Devotional Life
> 
> No account of Baha'i teachings would be complete without an exploration of the devotional life of the individual.
> The Baha'i scriptures state that the purpose of life is "to know and worship" God and to "carry forward an
> ever-advancing civilization," thus embracing both a vertical relationship with one's Creator and a horizontal
> relationship with one's fellow humans. Rather than stress an instant of personal salvation, like some Christian
> groups, or a moment of enlightenment, like some Buddhist groups, the Baha'i scriptures stress ongoing personal
> transformation based on internalization of the Baha'i revelation and its expression in service to others.
> 
> Baha'u'llah called on Baha'is to build their prayer life on the pillar of daily obligatory prayer; he gave three prayers
> among which Baha'is choose one to say daily. Baha'is can also choose among hundreds of prayers penned by
> Baha'u'llah, the Bab, and Abdul-Baha on a variety of subjects, such as forgiveness, assistance, healing, and
> grief; they rarely pray spontaneously in their own words. Baha'u'llah ordained the repeating of the phrase Allah-
> u-Abha (God Is Most Glorious) 95 times each day as the basis for one's meditative and contemplative life. He
> also established a period of fasting—from sunrise to sunset, for 19 days from March 2 through March 20. During
> that period, Baha'is abstain from eating, drinking, and tobacco as a mild ascetic practice, granting exceptions to
> those under age 15 or over age 70; the ill; travelers; women who are pregnant, menstruating, or nursing; and
> anyone performing heavy labor. He enjoined the practice of reciting the word of God twice daily to connect the
> believer to the revelation.
> 
> Robert Stockman
> 
> Further Reading
> 
> ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. Some Questions Answered. Wilmette, IL: Baha'í Distribution Service, 1981; Bahá'u'llah. The Kitáb-
> i-Aqdas: The Book of Certitude. Trans. by Shoghi Effendi. London: Baha'í Publishing Trust London, 1961. Various
> additional editions; Hatcher, William S., and J. Douglas Martin. The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion.
> 
> Select Citation Style:
> 
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> MLA
> Stockman, Robert. "Baha'i Faith." World Religions: Belief, Culture, and Controversy. ABC-CLIO, 2011. Web. 2
> Nov. 2011.
> World Religions: Belief, Culture, and Controversy                       http://religion.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1584364?sid=1584...
> 
> San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1984; Perkins, Mary, and Philip Hainsworth. The Baha'i Faith. London: Ward
> Lock Educational, 1980; Smith, Peter. The Babi and Baha'i Religions: From Messianic Shi'ism to a World
> Religion. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1987; The Báb. Selections from the Writings of the Báb. Haifa:
> Baha'í World Centre, 1978.
> 
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> — *Baha'i Faith: Overview (Used by permission of the curator)*