# Brittanica article *Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 1 clipping.* --- > THE BAHA'I FAITH > A summary Reprinted from the Encyclopaedia Britannica > _______________ > > WORLD RELIGIOUS STATISTICS > Reprinted from the 1988 Britannica Book of the Year > > > > THE BAHA'I FAITH > > Baha'i faith is a religion founded by Mirza Husayn 'Ali > (1817-92; known as . . . Baha'u'llah, Glory of God). The word > Baha'i derives from Baha ("glory, splendor") and signifies a > follower of Baha'u'llah. The religion stemmed from the Babi > faith -- founded in 1844 by Mirza (Siyyid) 'Ali Muhammad of > Shiraz, known as the Bab -- which emphasized the forthcoming > appearance of "Him Whom God Shall Make Manifest," > a new prophet or messenger of God. The Babi faith in turn > had sprung from Shi'ah Islam, which believed in the forthcoming > return of the 12th imam (successor of Muhammad), > who would renew religion and guide the faithful. This messianic > view was the basis of the teachings of the Shaykhi sect, > so named after Shaykh Ahmad-i-Ahsa'i. Shaykh Ahmad > and his successor, Siyyid Kazim-i-Rashti abandoned traditional > liberalism and gave allegorical interpretations to doctrines > such as resurrection, the Last Judgment, and the return > of the 12th imam. They and their followers expected the > appearance of the Qa'im (He Who Arises, the 12th imam) in > the immediate future. > > On May 22,1844, in Shiraz, Persia, a young descendant > of Muhammad, Mirza 'Ali Muhammad, proclaimed to a > learned Shaykhi divine, Mulla Husayn-i-Bushru'i, that he > was the expected Qa'im, whereupon Mulla Husayn became > the first disciple of Mirza 'Ali Muhamad, who assumed the > title of the Bab ("gate," or channel of grace from someone still > veiled from the sight of men). > > Soon the teachings of the Bab, the principal of which > was the tidings of the coming of "Him Whom God Shall > Make Manifest," spread throughout Persia, provoking strong > opposition on the part of the clergy and the government. The > Bab was arrested and, after several years of incarceration, > condemned to death. In 1850 he was brought to Tabriz, > where he was suspended by ropes against a wall in a public > square. A regiment of several hundred soldiers fired a > volley. When the smoke cleared, the large crowd that had > gathered at the place of execution saw ropes cut by bullets, > but the Bab had disappeared. He was found unhurt in an > adjacent building, calmly conversing with a disciple. The > execution was repeated, this time effectively. There followed > large-scale persecutions of the Babis in which ultimately > more than 20,000 people lost their lives. > > History and Extent > > Baha'u'llah, who had been an early disciple of the Bab, > was arrested in connection with an unsuccessful attempt on > the life of the shah of Persia, Nasiri'd-Din, made in August > 1852 by two Babis intent upon avenging their master. Though > Baha'u'llah had not known of the plot, he was thrown into > the Black Pit, a notorious jail in Tehran, where he became > aware of his mission as a messenger of God. He was released > in January 1853 and exiled to Bag had. There Baha'u'llah's > leadership revived the Babi community, and an alarmed > Persian government urged the Ottoman government to > move both Baha'u'llah and the growing number of his > followers farther away from Persia's borders. Before being > transferred to Constantinople, Baha'u'llah spent 12 days in a > garden on the outskirts of Baghad, where in April 1863 he > declared to a small number of Babis that he was the messenger > of God whose advent had been prophesied by the Bab. > From Constantinople, where Baha'u'llah spent some four > months, he was transferred to Adrianople. There he made a > public proclamation of his mission in letters ("tablets") > addressed to the rulers of Persia, Turkey, Russia, Prussia, > Austria, and Britain, to the pope, and to the Christian and > Muslim clergy collectively. > > An overwhelming majority of the Babis acknowledged > Baha'u'llah's claim and thenceforth became known as Baha'is. > A small minority followed Baha'u'llah's half brother, Mirza > Yahya Subh-i-Azal, creating a temporary breach within the > ranks of the Basis. Embittered by his failure to win more than > a handful of adherents, Mirza Yahya, assisted by his supporters, > provoked the Turkish government into exiling Baha'u'llah > to Akka ('Akko, Acre), Palestine. He became, however, a > victim of his own intrigues and was himself exiled to Cyprus. > > For almost two years Baha'u'llah, his family, and a > number of disciples were confined in army barracks converted > into a jail. One of his sons and several companions > died. When the severity of the incarceration abated, Baha'u'llah > was permitted to reside within the walls of Akka and later in > a mansion near the town. Before his life ended in 1892, > Baha'u'llah saw his religion spread beyond Persia and the > Ottoman Empire to the Caucasus, Turkistan, India, Burma, > Egypt, and the Sudan. > > Baha'u'llah appointed his eldest son, 'Abdu'l-Baha ("Servant > of the Glory," 1844-1921), as the leader of the Baha'i > community and the authorized interpreter of his teachings. > 'Abdu'l-Baha not only administered the affairs of the movement > from Palestine but also actively engaged in spreading > the faith, traveling in Africa, Europe, and America from 1910 > to 1913. 'Abdu'l-Baha appointed his eldest grandson, Shoghi > Effendi Rabbani (1897-1957), as his successor, Guardian of > the Cause, and authorized interpreter of the teachings of > Baha'u'llah, thus assuring the continued unity of the believers. > > During 'Abdu'l-Baha's ministry, Baha'i groups were > established in North Africa, the Far East, Australia, and the > United States. Since then the movement has spread to virtually > every country in the world, with particularly large and > vigorous communities in Africa, Iran, India, the United > States, and certain areas of Southeast Asia and the Pacific.... > Since the 1960s ... the Baha'i faith has undergone > a period of rapid expansion.[1] By January 1989 Baha'is > resided in more than 118,000 localities throughout the world, > with 148 national spiritual assemblies (national governing > bodies -- two more are to be elected in April 1989) and 20,000 > local spiritual assemblies. Baha'i literature has been translated > into more than 800 languages. > [1. The remainder of this paragraph has been revised to reflect current membership statistics. -- ED.] > > Sacred Literature > > Baha'i sacred literature consists of the total corpus of > the writings of Baha'u'llah and their interpretation and amplification > in the writings of 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi. > Baha'u'llah's literary legacy of more than 100 works > includes the Kitab-i-Aqdas ("The Most Holy Book"), the > repository of his laws; the Kitab-i-Iqan (The Book of Certitude), > an exposition of essential teachings on the nature of God and > religion; The Hidden Words, a collection of brief utterances > aimed at the edification of men's "souls and the rectification > of their conduct"; The Seven Valleys, a mystic treatise that > "describes the seven stages which the soul of the seeker must > needs traverse ere it can attain the object of its existence"; > Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, his last major work; as well as innumerable > prayers, meditations, exhortations, and epistles. > The Baha'is believe that the writings of Baha'u'llah are > inspired and constitute God's revelation for this age. > > Religious and Social Tenets > > Baha'u'llah teaches that God is unknowable and "beyond > every human attribute, such as corporeal existence, > ascent and descent, egress and regress." "No tie of direct > intercourse can possibly bind Him to His creatures.... No > sign can indicate His presence or His absence...." Human > inability to grasp the divine essence does not lead to agnosticism, > since God has chosen to reveal himself through his > messengers, among them Abraham, Moses, Zoroaster, > Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, and the Bab, who "are one and > all the Exponents on earth of Him Who is me central Orb of > the universe...." The messengers, or, in Baha'i terminology, > "manifestations," are viewed as occupying two "stations," or > occurring in two aspects. The first "is the station of pure > abstraction and essential unity," in which one may speak of > the oneness of the messengers of God because all are manifestations > of his will and exponents of his word. This does not > constitute syncretism since "the other station is the station of > distinction.... In this respect, each manifestation of God > heath a distinct individuality, a definitely prescribed mission...." > Thus, while the essence of all religions is one, each > has specific features that correspond to the needs of a given > time and place and to the level of civilization in which a > manifestation appears. Since religious truth is considered > relative and revelation progress he and continuing, the Baha'is > maintain that other manifestations will appear in the future, > though not, according to Baha'u'llah, before the expiration of > a full thousand years from his own revelation. > > In Baha'i teachings God is, and always has been, the > Creator. There was, therefore, never a time when the cosmos > did not exist. Man was created through God's love: "Veiled > in My immemorial being and in the ancient eternity of My > essence, I knew My love for thee; therefore I created thee." > The purpose of man's existence as taught by Baha'u'llah is to > know and to worship God and "to carry forward an ever > advancing civilization..." Man, whom Baha'u'llah calls > "the noblest and most perfect of all created things," is endowed > with an immortal soul which, after separation from > the body, enters a new form of existence. Heaven and hell are > symbolic of the soul's relationship to God. Nearness to God > results in good deeds and gives infinite joy, while remoteness > from him leads to evil and suffering. To fulfill his high > purpose, man must recognize the messenger of God within > whose dispensation he lives and "observe every ordinance of > him who is the desire of the world. These twin duties are > inseparable. Neither is acceptable without the other." > > Civilization, Baha'u'llah teaches, has evolved to the > point where unity of mankind has become the paramount > necessity. The Baha'i faith, in the words of Shoghi Effendi, > > proclaims the necessity and the inevitability of the unification of > mankind asserts that it is gradually approaching, and claims that > nothing short of the transmuting spirit of God, working through > His chosen Mouthpiece in this day, can ultimately succeed in > bringing it about. It, moreover, enjoins upon its followers the > primary duty of an unfettered search after truth, condemns all > manner of prejudice and superstition, declares the purpose of religion > to be the promotion of amity and concord, proclaims its essential > harmony with science, and recognizes it as the foremost agency > for the pacification and-the orderly progress of human society. It > unequivocally maintains the principle of equal rights, > opportunities and privileges for men and women, insists on compulsory > education, eliminates extremes of poverty and wealth, abolishes the > institution of priesthood, prohibits slavery, asceticism, mendicancy, > and monasticism, prescribes monogamy, discourages divorces, > emphasizes the necessity of strict obedience to one's government, > extols any work performed in the spirit of service to the level > of worship, urges either the creation or the selection of an auxiliary > international language, and delineates the outlines of those institutions > that must establish and perpetuate the general peace of mankind. > > Practices > > Membership in the Baha'i community is open to all who > profess faith in Baha'u'llah and accept his teachings. There > are no initiation ceremonies, no sacraments, and no clergy. > Every Baha'i however, is under the spiritual obligation to > pray daily; to fast 19 days a year, going without food or drink > from sunrise to sunset; to abstain totally from narcotics, > alcohol, or any substances that affect the mind; to practice > monogamy; to obtain the consent of parents to marriage; and > to attend the Nineteen Day Feast on the first day of each > month of the Baha'i calendar. The Nineteen Day Feast, > originally instituted by the Bab, brings together the Baha'is > of a given locality for prayer, the reading of scriptures, the > discussion of community activities, and the enjoyment of > one another's company. The feasts are designed to ensure > universal participation in the affairs of the community and > the cultivation of the spirit of brotherhood and fellowship. > Eventually, Baha'is in every locality plan to erect a house of > worship around which will be grouped such institutions as > a home for the aged, an orphanage, a school and a hospital. > By the early 1980s there were houses of worship in Wilmette, > Illinois; Frankfurt am Main, West Germany; Kampala, Uganda; > Sydney, Australia; and Panama City, Panama. Houses of > worship were under construction in New Delhi, India, and in > Apia, Western Samoa.[1] In the temples there is no preaching; > services consist of recitation of the scriptures of all religions. > [1. The House of Worship in Western Samoa was dedicated in 1984; > the House of Worship in India was dedicated in December 1986. -- ED.] > > > The Baha'is use a calendar established by the Bab and > confirmed by Baha'u'llah, in which the year is divided into 19 > months of 19 days each, with the addition of four intercalary > days (five in leap years). The year begins on the first day of > spring, March 21, which is a holy day. Other holy days on > which work is suspended are the days commemorating the > declaration of Baha'u'llah's mission (April 21, April 29, and > May 2), the declaration of the mission of the Bab (May 23), the > birth of Baha'u'llah (November 12), the birth of the Bab > (October 20), the passing of Baha'u'llah (May 29), and the > martyrdom of the Bab (July 9). > > Organization and Administration > > The Baha'i community is governed according to general > principles proclaimed by Baha'u'llah and through institutions > created by him that were elaborated and expanded by > 'Abdu'l-Baha. These principles and institutions constitute > the Baha'i administrative order, which the followers of the > faith believe to be a blueprint of a future world order. The > governance of the Baha'i community begins on the local level > with the election of a local spiritual assembly. The electoral > process excludes parties or factions, nominations, and campaigning > for office. The local spiritual assembly has jurisdiction > over all local affairs of the Baha'i community. Each year > Baha'is elect delegates to a national convention that elects a > national spiritual assembly with jurisdiction over the entire > country. All national spiritual assemblies of the world periodically > constitute themselves an international convention > and elect the supreme governing body known as the Universe' > House of Justice. In accordance with Baha'u'llah's writings, > the Universal House of Justice functions as the supreme > administrative, legislative, and judicial body of the Baha'i > commonwealth It applies the laws promulgated by Baha'u'llah > and legislates on matters not covered in the sacred texts. The > seat of the Universal House of Justice is in Haifa, Israel in the > immediate vicinity of the shrines of the Bab and 'Abdu'l-Baha, > and near the shrine of Baha'u'llah at Bahji near Akka. > > There also exist in the Baha'i faith appointive institutions, > such as the Hands of the Cause of God and the > continental counselors. The former were created by > Baha'u'llah and later assigned by 'Abdu'l-Baha the functions > of propagating the faith and protecting the community. > The Hands of the Cause appointed by Shoghi Effendi > in his lifetime now serve under the direction of the Universal > House of Justice. The continental counselors perform the > same functions as the Hands of the Cause but are appointed > by the Universal House of Justice. Assisting the counselors > in advising, inspiring, and encouraging Baha'i institutions > and individuals are auxiliary boards appointed by the counselors > and serving under their direction. > > Bibliography > > The classic introduction to the Baha'i faith, giving a > general view of its history and teachings, is J. E. ESSLEMONT, > Baha'u'llah and the New Era, 4th rev. ed. (1980). The most > recent survey of the Baha'i faith is WILLLAM S. HATCHER and J. > DOUGLAS MARTIN, The Baha'i Faith: The Emerging Global Religion, > 1st ed. (1984). GEORGE TOWNSHEND, The Promise of All Ages, 3rd > rev. ed. (1973), approaches the Baha'i faith from a background > of Christianity. The history of the Baha'i faith has > been studied by many scholars, but the most detailed and > poetic account is The Dawn-Breakers by MUHAMMAD-I-ZARANDI, > surnamed Nabil trans. and ed. by SHOGHI EFFENDI (1932, reprinted > 1974; end ed., 1953); the latter's God Passes By (1944, > reprinted 1974), recounts to the end of the first Baha'i > century. The origins of the Baha'i faith in North America are > traced in ROBERT H. STOCKMAN, The Baha'i Faith in America: Origins, > 1892-1900 (1985). The most important source for the > study of the Baha'i faith is the writings of Baha'u'llah and > their interpretation and application by 'Abdu'l-Baha and > Shoghi Effendi. Several of Baha'u'llah's major works are > available in excellent English translations. The Kitab-i-Iqan > (1950, reprinted 1981) is indispensable for understanding > Baha'i views of God, progressive revelation, and the nature > of religion. The Hidden Words (1954, reprinted 1980) and The > Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, 3rd rev. ed. (1978), deal > with man's spiritual life and the states of the soul. Gleanings > from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, end ed. (1976) is a representative > selection. 'ABDU'L-BAHA'S Some Answered Questions, 5th > rev. ed. (1981), is a record of table talks on various religious > themes. The Secret of Divine Civilization, end ed. (1970) uses > the problem of modernization and development to set forth > the spiritual prerequisites of true progress and civilization. > SHOGHI EFFENDI'S writings include The World Order of Baha'u'llah, > end rev. ed. (1974), an exposition of principles for the establishment > of universal peace and world civilization; and The > Promised Day Is Come, end ed. (1980), an examination of the > effects of manifestation upon the modern world. > (F. Ka.) > > Reprinted from the > 1988 Britannica Book of the Year > > WORLD RELIGIOUS > STATISTICS > > The 1987 table below gives details of the global spread > of the world's 16 largest faiths or ideologies. It illustrates the > articles on the various religions by showing each religion's > continental statistics in the overall global context. It also > demonstrates an extraordinary religious development of the > 20th century religious pluralism. > > As the right-hand column demonstrates, over 14 major > religious systems are each now found in over 80 countries. > Christianity, Islam, and the Baha'i World Faith are the most > global; agnosticism and atheism are also widespread. Hinduism > has recently spread to 88 countries, Buddhism to 86. > > This 20th-century spread has brought the religions into > contact with each other as never before. Thus we find > Filipino Catholics and Korean Protestants in Saudi Arabia, > Gujarati Hindus in rural England, Tibetan Tantrists in Wales, > Muslim mosques in every capital of Western Europe including > Rome. The long-term effects of this mass proximity are > sure to be profound. They are certainly resulting in unprecedented > interest in other people's religions, expressed in > seminars, courses, discussion, dialogue, tolerance, and even > acceptance. (David B. Barrett) > > [DUE TO THE SMALLNESS OF THE TYPE, UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE TABLE > THAT APPEARED ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE OF THE ORIGINAL PUBLICATION.] > > — *Brittanica article*