The Bahá'í Faith

Founded a century and half ago, the Bahá'í Faith is the youngest of the world’s independent religions. The Bahá'í Faith is represented in every country on earth. In just over one hundred years, the Bahá'í Faith embraces people from more than 2100 ethnic, racial and tribal groups, maintaining its cohesiveness in doing so, it represents a diverse body. Bahá’ís believe the crucial need facing humanity is to find a unifying vision of the future of society and of the nature and purpose of life. Such a vision unfolds in the writings of Bahá’u’lláh.

The short film, “The Tree of Unity” explores and captures the conversation between two youths on the purpose of the Baha’i Faith.

Bahá’ís believe that every time a manifestation of God appears, a fuller measure of inspiration for the next stage awakening and progress of humanity is released into the world. Human beings- ordinary in every outward respect is called to be the messenger of God. In the past, the Sun of Truth has shone through Noah, Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus Christ and Muhammed. Bahá’ís believe that all the Prophets of the past are equal rank in purpose. They are all Divine Gardeners helping the growth of the blessed tree of God. We are constantly assured that there is no distinction between the Manifestations of God. Their names may be different but they represent the same Truth, are seated upon the same Throne and enjoy the same nearness to God.

The Bahá’í Faith began with the mission entrusted by God to two Divine Messengers—the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. The Bab’s mission was to prepare the way for the coming of a second Messenger from God, greater than Himself, who would usher in an age of peace and justice. Bahá’u’lláh—the “Glory of God”—is the Promised One foretold by the Báb and all of the Divine Messengers of the past. Baha’u’llah has appeared for the current cycle of humanity and has outlined a framework for the development of a global civilization which takes into account both the spiritual and material dimensions of human life.

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“The foundation of all the divine religions is one. All are based upon reality. Reality does not admit plurality”

- The Promulgation of Universal Peace

Oneness

of Religion

“Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship.“

- Bahá’u’lláh

Oneness

Of Mankind

“The world of humanity possesses two wings: man and woman. If one wing remains incapable and defective, it will restrict the power of the other, and full flight will be impossible.”

- The Promulgation of Universal Peace

Equality

Men & Women

“Inasmuch as ignorance and lack of education are barriers of separation among mankind, all must receive training and instruction. Through this provision the lack of mutual understanding will be remedied and the unity of mankind furthered and advanced.”

- The Promulgation of Universal Peace

Universal Compulsory Education

“Prejudice of all kinds, whether religious, racial, patriotic or political is destructive of divine foundations in man. All the warfare and bloodshed in human history have been the outcome of prejudice. This earth is one home and nativity. God has created mankind with equal endowment and right to live upon the earth.“

- The Promulgation of Universal Peace

Elimination

of all

forms of prejudice

“Religion must conform to science and reason, otherwise it is superstition. God has created man in order that he may perceive the verity of existence and endowed him with mind or reason to discover truth. Therefore scientific knowledge and religious belief must be conformable to the analysis of this divine faculty in man.”

- The Promulgation of Universal Peace

Harmony

Religion &

Science

“Bahá'u'lláh has proclaimed the adoption of a universal language. A language shall be agreed upon by which unity will be established in the world. (…) This will facilitate intercommunication and dispel the misunderstandings which the barriers of language have occasioned in the world.”

- The Promulgation of Universal Peace

Universal Auxiliary Language

Independent Investigation of

Truth

“God has given man the eye of investigation by which he may see and recognize truth. He has endowed man with ears that he may hear the message of reality and conferred upon him the gift of reason by which he may discover things for himself.”

- The Promulgation of Universal Peace

The Most Holy Book

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The Kitáb-i-Aqdas or Aqdas is the central book of the Baháʼí Faith. This "Most Holy Book" sets forth laws of God for the Baha'i Dispensation, and ordains necessary institutions through which the integrity and the unity of Baha'u'llah's Faith can be safeguarded.

“The human race, as a distinct, organic unit, has passed through evolutionary stages analogous to the stages of infancy and childhood in the lives of its individual members, and is now in the culminating period of its turbulent adolescence approaching its long-awaited coming of age.”

Read More - The Promise of World Peace

Baha’is do not follow rituals, rites or sermons — but have temples known as the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in every continent. The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár translated as “The Dawning Place of the Mention of God” is often referred to as The Baha’i House of Worship was ordained by Bahá’u’lláh Himself.

On each continent in the world, a Baha’i House of Worship welcomes everyone. These Houses of Worship have become magnets for those from every Faith and people with no Faith, as a place to reflect, meditate and pray, and as beautiful monuments to the Baha’i ideals of the oneness of God, religion and humanity. To date, there are eight continental Houses of Worship that have been built around the world.