Baha'ullah is the final Manifestation of God in the Baha'i faith. His teachings and writings serve the Baha'i religion as a framework for the development of humanity.
Baha'i Beliefs
Baha'is believe in only one God and believe Him to be all-knowing, all-loving, and all-merciful. The religion also holds that the soul of every human being is on an eternal advancement toward God, and that the soul's time on earth is to be dedicated to serve other human beings in order for their soul to progress spiritually and righteously on their path toward God. These core beliefs make for a monotheistic religion, believing in one God.
Baha'is also believe in Manifestations of God. These are Divine Messengers that followers of Baha'i believe God had sent down in order to expand the spiritual and moral capacities of mankind. They include prophets and messengers of other major religions, such as Abraham, Moses, Krishna, and Jesus.
Differing Baha'i significantly from other religions is the belief in a final messenger named Baha'ullah. Before the Baha'ullah, Baha'is believe that a messenger named The Bab ("The Gate" in Arabic) was brought to Earth in order to change mankind and prepare it for the coming of Baha'ullah. The Bab significantly improved the moral and spiritual state of women and the poor.
After the six years of The Bab's mission, Baha'is believe Baha'ullah then came to Earth by order of God to convey to humanity a a new Revelation and way of life.
Other beliefs of the Baha'i faith include the oneness and unity of humanity, universal peace, and the equality of men and women.
Bahá’í Teachings and Community Life
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion based on the teachings of the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh , each of whom received a direct revelation from God. The Bahá’í Faith accepts the validity of all the other major world religions, but it is not a sect or offshoot of any of them. Its independent character is reflected in a unique world-view and community structure anchored in its own sacred scriptures, religious laws and calendar.Basic Bahá’í belief
Bahá'ís believe that the unique God, Creator of the Universe, has educated humankind all through history by sending the prophets or messengers, such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed, as well as Krishna, Buddha and Zoroaster, who established the world's major religions.Thus, Bahá’ís believe that all religions come from the same source and are part of one ongoing educative process. Bahá'ís recognize two prophets for this age, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh.
Central teachings of the Bahá’í Faith
Bahá’u’lláh’s message is addressed to a world where literacy is widespread and a combination of social evolution and technological progress has made it both timely and essential to address problems in a global context. The main thrust of His teachings is that humankind is one, that the prejudices and barriers that divide humanity must be overcome, and that the unity of all peoples must be established through the evolution of the social order.Most of Bahá’u’lláh’s social teachings, such as the eradication of prejudice, the equality of men and women, the necessity of universal education, and the importance of social justice, which requires, among other things, the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty, all flow logically from this fundamental assertion.
According to the Bahá’í teachings, the health and progress of society depend on properly functioning families based on a monogamous union in which the man and the woman are equal partners. Bahá’u’lláh described matrimony as “a fortress for well-being and salvation” and identified the rearing of children as the fundamental, though not the only, purpose of marriage. Bahá’ís have a duty to meet the needs of their families through gainful work and to see to the moral and academic education of their children.
At the personal level, Bahá’u’lláh urged each individual to develop his or her God-given talents and capacities and to learn a trade or profession, adding that work performed in the spirit of service to others is accepted in the eyes of God as a form of worship. While warning against the dangers of intellectual pride and pointless hairsplitting, He encouraged the use of the mind, stating that there should be no contradiction between science and religion, because they are complementary approaches in the search after truth.
Leadership and organization of the Bahá’í community
In the Bahá’í Faith there is no professional clergy or other category of people whose function is to administer the community, officiate at ceremonies or provide spiritual guidance.The absence of individual leaders and hierarchical structures creates a situation where decisions affecting the collective welfare must be made together by those who are affected. To meet this challenge, all Bahá’ís must learn a system of joint problem-solving that Bahá’u’lláh called “consultation”. Consultation is the basis of decision-making in Bahá’í families and in all other collective undertakings in the Bahá’í community. While offering an efficient way of reaching decisions that will be assured of community support, the practice of consultation also contributes substantially to the building of a communal culture where justice is more important than power, where all voices can be heard, and where people can enjoy learning together.
The necessary coherence is provided by a network of elected councils at the local and national levels, which are composed of ordinary members elected annually. The work of these councils is coordinated by the Universal House of Justice, whose members are elected every five years by the members of all the national councils. All Bahá’í elections take the form of a secret ballot cast in a prayerful atmosphere. Each voter is guided only by his or her own conscience and knowledge of the community, as there are no lists of candidates and no nominations, campaigns or discussions that might influence his or her choice.
The elected institutions are assisted by a worldwide network of appointed counselors or advisers whose activities are coordinated by an institution established by the Universal House of Justice and known as the International Teaching Centre.
Bahá’í worship and other laws
Bahá’ís worship God through prayer and meditation. Devotional gatherings consist in the reading of prayers and other passages from the scriptures of the Bahá’í Faith and other religions. The worship that constitutes a religious duty consists in the daily recitation of any one of three special prayers prescribed by Bahá’u’lláh. This duty is fulfilled by each adult believer in privacy and is not subject to any control or sanction. Other laws governing personal life include an annual period of fasting and nine holy days on which work is suspended. There are no dietary restrictions in the Bahá’í Faith, but the consumption of alcoholic beverages and the non-medicinal use of narcotic and hallucinogenic drugs is forbiddenBaha'i Holidays
Baha'i holidays, excluding New Years, commemorate major events in the lives of the founders of this religion.
There are nine annual holidays and an annual fast. Baha'is do not work on holy days, and this is considered a sacrifice.
Baha'i holidays, including holy days, are as followed:
March 2-21 - Nineteen Day Fast - This fast was instituted by Baha'ullah. Baha'is between the ages of 15 to 70 should fast the nineteen days. This time is allocated for spiritual recuperation.
March 21 - Bahá'í New Year - On this holiday, also called Naw-Ruz, Baha'is celebrate the new year. The date coincides with the first day of spring, and many Baha'is celebrate through family gatherings and country picnics.
April 21 - First Day of the Ridván Festival - The festival of Ridvan is a 12-day period commemorating Baha'ullah's declaration of his mission on the eve of his departure from Baghdad to Constantinople in 1863. The first day observes his arrival in the Najibiyyih Garden, where his declaration took place. This day and festival is usually celebrated very elaborately.
April 29 - Ninth Day of the Ridván Festival - This day commemorates the arrival of Baha'ullah's family in the Najibiyyih Garden.
May 2 - Twelfth Day of the Ridván Festival - This day commemorated Baha'ullah leaving for Constantinople.
May 23 - Declaration of the Báb - The Bab declared his mission on this day in 1844. This day is set aside to commemorate his declaration.
May 29 - Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh - This day commemorates the ascension of Baha'ullah from this life.
July 9 - Martyrdom of the Báb - This day commemorates the execution of The Bab by a firing squad.
October 20 - Birth of the Báb - This holiday commemorates the birth of The Bab on this day in 1819.
November 12 - Birth of Bahá'u'lláh - This holiday celebrates the birth of Baha'ullah on this day in 1817.
The festival of Ridvan is a enthusiastically celebrated event and holiday. Here, Baha'is are celebrating the ninth day of Ridvan at the 12-day festival. Baha'is dress in their best new clothes and gather for fun and celebration with their families and friends.
March 21 - Bahá'í New Year - On this holiday, also called Naw-Ruz, Baha'is celebrate the new year. The date coincides with the first day of spring, and many Baha'is celebrate through family gatherings and country picnics.
April 21 - First Day of the Ridván Festival - The festival of Ridvan is a 12-day period commemorating Baha'ullah's declaration of his mission on the eve of his departure from Baghdad to Constantinople in 1863. The first day observes his arrival in the Najibiyyih Garden, where his declaration took place. This day and festival is usually celebrated very elaborately.
April 29 - Ninth Day of the Ridván Festival - This day commemorates the arrival of Baha'ullah's family in the Najibiyyih Garden.
May 2 - Twelfth Day of the Ridván Festival - This day commemorated Baha'ullah leaving for Constantinople.
May 23 - Declaration of the Báb - The Bab declared his mission on this day in 1844. This day is set aside to commemorate his declaration.
May 29 - Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh - This day commemorates the ascension of Baha'ullah from this life.
July 9 - Martyrdom of the Báb - This day commemorates the execution of The Bab by a firing squad.
October 20 - Birth of the Báb - This holiday commemorates the birth of The Bab on this day in 1819.
November 12 - Birth of Bahá'u'lláh - This holiday celebrates the birth of Baha'ullah on this day in 1817.
The festival of Ridvan is a enthusiastically celebrated event and holiday. Here, Baha'is are celebrating the ninth day of Ridvan at the 12-day festival. Baha'is dress in their best new clothes and gather for fun and celebration with their families and friends.
Due to wide diversity of Baha'is, it is impossible to determine the sect of a Baha'i just by appearance. However, Baha'is in the major branch make up a very large majority of the followers.
Baha'i Sects
There are three division in the Baha’i faith. The majority of the followers follow the only major branch of the Baha’i faith, which is simply called the Baha’i faith.
The second division in the Baha'i faith is Babism. This sector includes followers who do not believe in the coming of Baha'ullah after The Bab, and therefore never became Baha'is. The number of followers under this sector is very low.
The third division in the Baha'i faith is a broad category under which various schismatic groups fall. These groups include Orthodox Baha'is. The differences between these Baha'is and the major Baha'i sect lie only in organization and leadership. They differ little in terms of practices and beliefs. For example, Baha'is reject the Universal House of Justice as the international governing council of the Baha'i faith.
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