Bahá’í: History and Beliefs
History
The first half of the 19th century produced much religious fervor. Some people claimed that Christ would be returning in 1844. Also in the Islamic religion people were looking for a promised individual to come.
In Persia (Iran) in 1844, a merchant named Mirza’ Ali Muhammad declared that he had a divine message that would lead to a new era for mankind. He proclaimed himself to be the Bab (Gate), and declared that his mission was to announce and prepare the way for a manifestation of God to appear who would bring in the peace promised in all different religions.
This promised person was referred to as Baha’u’llah. The Bab was martyred at the age of 31, after six years of proclaiming his mission, and left many followers and a religion called the Babi faith. Some people still follow this religion today.
In 1863, Mirza Hasayn’ Ali declared that he was the Bahá’u'lláh prophesied about 13 years earlier.
He had been born into a rich nobleman’s family, but spent more time in his youth trying to help the poor rather than living in luxury. He eventually became a follower of the Bab and was subsequently cast into prison and exiled. It was during his exile that he received his first revelation, and proclaimed himself to be the promised one. He continued to write down revelations throughout his life, and died in 1892, still an exile.
He had gathered somewhat of a following in life. After his death his son, ’Abdu’l Bahá took over and led the followers to immigrate to the United States. After the death of ’Abdu’l Bahá, Shoghi Effendi became the ruler. After his death, the Universal House of Justice was instituted in 1963. The Universal House of Justice is a nine-person counsel elected by Bahá’ís i from around the world. It governs the Baha’i religion from its headquarters in Haifa, Israel.
Today, there are around 5 million Bahá’ís around the world. They have schools for study in a few places around the U.S., including the Louhelen Bahá’í School in Davison, MI.
Beliefs
Basic Beliefs
“Bahá’u'lláh taught that there is one God whose successive revelations of His will to humanity have been the chief civilizing force in history. The agents of this process have been the Divine Messengers whom people have seen chiefly as the founders of separate religious systems but whose common purpose has been to bring the human race to spiritual and moral maturity.” (www.bahai.org)
“Humanity is now coming of age. It is this that makes possible the unification of the human family and the building of a peaceful, global society. Among the principles which the Bahá’í Faith promotes as vital to the achievement of this goal are
the abandonment of all forms of prejudice
assurance to women of full equality of opportunity with men
recognition of the unity and relativity of religious truth
the elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth
the realization of universal education
the responsibility of each person to independently search for truth
the establishment of a global commonwealth of nations
recognition that true religion is in harmony with reason and the pursuit of scientific knowledge” (www.bahai.org)
Holy Books
“The Most Holy Book of the Bahá’í Faith is the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the book of laws written by Bahá’u’lláh. It is part of a large body of scriptures authored by Him. Comprising an estimated 100 volumes, these writings cover topics of a wide range, including laws and principles for personal conduct and the governance of society, as well as mystical writings dealing with the progress of the soul and its journey towards God. The many writings of the Báb and those of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are also a sacred source of reference for Bahá’ís. Moreover, Bahá’ís recognize the Bible, the Qur’an, and the holy texts of the world’s other revealed religions.” (www.bahai.org)
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. This Being, Whom we call God, has absolute control over His creation (omnipotence) as well as perfect and complete knowledge of it (omniscience). Although we may have different concepts of God’s nature, although we may pray to Him in different languages and call Him by different names–Allah or Yahweh, God or Brahma–nevertheless, we are speaking about the same unique Being…”
“According to Bahá’í teachings, God is so far beyond His creation that, throughout all eternity, human beings will never be able to formulate any clear image of Him or attain to anything but the most remote appreciation of His superior nature. Even if we say that God is the All-Powerful, the All-Loving, the Infinitely Just, such terms are derived from a very limited human experience of power, love, or justice. Indeed, our knowledge of anything is limited to our knowledge of those attributes or qualities perceptible to us:” (www.bahai.org)
Oneness of Religion
“All world religions are in essence stages in the ongoing revelation of the one religion. They come from the same Source and have the same essential purpose—to guide and educate the human race. Their spiritual core is one, but they differ in their secondary aspects such as in their social teachings, which change in relation to humanity’s evolving requirements.” (www.bahai.org)
“When Bahá’ís say that the various religions are one, they do not mean that the various religious creeds and organizations are the same. Rather, they believe that there is only one religion and all of the Messengers of God have progressively revealed its nature. Together, the world’s great religions are expressions of a single unfolding Divine plan, “the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future.” People from all of the major religious backgrounds have found that the promises and expectations of their own beliefs are fulfilled in the Bahá’í Faith. Bahá’ís from Native American, African and other indigenous backgrounds, similarly, find in the Bahá’í teachings fulfillment of prophetic visions.”
“For Bahá’ís of Jewish background, Bahá’u'lláh is the appearance of the promised “Lord of Hosts” come down “with ten thousands of saints.” A descendent of Abraham and a “scion from the root of Jesse,” Bahá’u'lláh has come to lead the way for nations to “beat their swords into plowshares.” Many features of Bahá’u'lláh’s involuntary exile to the Land of Israel, along with other historical events during Bahá’u'lláh’s life and since are seen as fulfilling numerous prophecies in the Bible.”
“For Bahá’ís of Buddhist background, Bahá’u'lláh fulfils the prophecies for the coming of “a Buddha named Maitreye, the Buddha of universal fellowship” who will, according to Buddhist traditions, bring peace and enlightenment for all humanity. They see the fulfillment of numerous prophecies, such as the fact that the Buddha Maitreye is to come from “the West”, noting the fact that Iran is West of India.”
“For Bahá’ís of Hindu background, Bahá’u'lláh comes as the new incarnation of Krishna, the “Tenth Avatar” and the “Most Great Spirit.” He is “the birthless, the deathless,” the One who, “when goodness grows weak,” returns “in every age” to “establish righteousness” as promised in the Bhagavad-Gita.”
“For Bahá’ís of Christian background, Bahá’u'lláh fulfils the paradoxical promises of Christ’s return “in the Glory of the Father” and as a “thief in the night.” That the Faith was founded in 1844 relates to numerous Christian prophecies. Bahá’ís note, for example, that central Africa was finally opened to Christianity in the 1840s, and that event was widely seen as fulfilling the promise that Christ would return after “the Gospel had been preached ‘to all nations.’” In Bahá’u'lláh’s teachings Bahá’ís see fulfillment of Christ’s promise to bring all people together so that “there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.”
“For Bahá’ís of Muslim background, Bahá’u'lláh fulfils the promise of the Qur’an for the “Day of God” and the “Great Announcement,” when “God” will come down “overshadowed with clouds.” They see in the dramatic events of the Bábi and Bahá’í movements the fulfillment of many traditional statements of Muhammad, which have long been a puzzle.” (www.bahai.org)
Jesus
Jesus is not God but is merely a manifestation of God and is on the same level as Moses, Muhammed, Krishna, Budhha, Zoroaster, Confucius, Lao, and Bahá’u'lláh
The Bahá’u'lláh fulfills the second coming of Christ.
“Bahá’u'lláh explains that the return alluded to in former scriptures is the return of the attributes and spirit of God in the mirror of another Manifestation, not the return of the same human personality” (www.bahai.org)
Heaven and Hell
The Baha’i do believe that the soul is eternal, but they believe that death is the beginning of a journey. It is a spiritual journey, that continues for a long time. Heaven is a state of nearness to God, while hell is a state of distance from God. Progress to God is gained by obeying the commands given by the manifestations of God. Other than that, they are not sure exactly what happens after death.
“Heaven and Hell are not physical places, but spiritual realities.” (www.bahai.org)
“In the final analysis, heaven can be seen partly as a state of nearness to God; hell is a state of remoteness from God. Each state follows as a natural consequence of individual efforts, or the lack thereof, to develop spiritually. The key to spiritual progress is to follow the path outlined by the Manifestations of God. Beyond this, the exact nature of the afterlife remains a mystery. “The nature of the soul after death can never be described,” Bahá’u'lláh writes.” (www.bahai.org)
Sin
Baha’i teaches that human desires are not evil. Humanity is basically good, but human desires misapplied can be wrong. Basically, when someone does something that could be considered wrong, he is not sinning, but is merely hindering his spiritual progress.
Satan does not exist. They believe that when people sin it is looked upon as an imperfection, or dark spot. The only way to rid yourself of these imperfections is to follow the revelations of the manifestations of God. These manifestations show you what will help your spiritual progress or hinder your spiritual progress.
“In creation there is no evil, all is good. Certain qualities and natures innate in some men and apparently blameworthy are not so in reality. For example, from the beginning of his life you can see in a nursing child the signs of greed, of anger, and of temper. Then, it may be said, good and evil are innate in the reality of man, and this is contrary to the pure goodness of nature and creation. The answer to this is that greed, which is to ask for something more, is a praiseworthy quality provided that it is used suitably. So, if a man is greedy to acquire science and knowledge, or to become compassionate, generous, and just, it is most praiseworthy. If he exercises his anger and wrath against the bloodthirsty tyrants who are like ferocious beasts, it is very praiseworthy; but if he does not use these qualities in a right way, they are blameworthy…. It is the same with all the natural qualities of man, which constitute the capital of life; if they be used and displayed in an unlawful way, they become blameworthy. Therefore, it is clear that creation is purely good.” (www.bahai.org)
Salvation
Salvation is not a salvation from sin, but a salvation from our “imperfections” that lead to individual sorrow and social harm.
“Bahá’u'lláh repeatedly stressed that only revealed religion can save us from our imperfections. It is because God has sent his Manifestations to show us the path to spiritual development and to touch our hearts with the spirit of God’s love that we are able to realize our true potential and make the effort to be united with God. This is the “salvation” that religion brings. It does not save us from the stain of some “original sin,” nor does it protect us from some external evil force or devil. Rather, it delivers us from captivity to our own lower nature, a captivity that breeds private despair and threatens social destruction, and it shows us the path to a deep and satisfying happiness” (www.bahai.org)
Fasting
“As has been the case with other revealed religions, the Bahá’í Faith sees great value in the practice of fasting as a discipline for the soul . Bahá’u'lláh designated a nineteen-day period each year when adult Bahá’ís fast from sunrise to sunset each day. This period coincides with the Bahá’í month of Alá (meaning Loftiness), from March 2 to 21, inclusive. This is the month immediately preceding the Bahá’í new year, which occurs the day of the vernal equinox; and the period of fasting is therefore viewed as a time of spiritual preparation and regeneration for a new year’s activities. Women who are nursing or pregnant, the aged, the sick, the traveler, those engaged in heavy labor, as well as children under the age of fifteen, are exempt from observance of the Fast.” (www.bahai.org)
Becoming a Bahá’í
“A person becomes a Bahá’í by recognizing Bahá’u’lláh as the Messenger of God for this age and accepting to follow His laws and teachings and the administrative institutions He established for the unification of humankind. People enroll in a Bahá’í community by signifying such belief and commitment, orally or in writing, to the responsible Bahá’í institution.” (www.bahai.org)
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