Bahá’í World/Volume 32/Introduction to the Bahá’í Community

The Bahá’í World
Volume 32

Introduction to the -

Bahé’i Community

group in Australia organizes a conference to examine ways Aof using the knowledge of indigenous cultures to advance

society while respecting the needs of those cultures and en— suring they are not exploited. In Turkey, a group visits a school for disabled children and uses the arts in an educational program about oral hygiene. People in Rwanda hold a meeting to discuss commu— nity issues and systematically examine the needs and opportunities in the region. In Switzerland, participants from 17 countries gather for a special centenary celebration. Organizers of a conference in Uganda commemorate International Peace Day by holding a panel discussion on ways to address issues related to conﬂict within the country. In the United States, scholars listen to a speaker explain that academic learning musr evolve beyond competitive and adversarial modes in order to advance society. Young people from more than 30 countries come together in the Czech Republic to learn how they can contribute to the welfare of humanity. At a gathering in Eng- land, participants explore ways to use the arts to express humanity’s spiritual nature, the importance ofprayer, and the afterlife. Visitors travel to a remote island in Papua New Guinea for the opening of a new, uniquely designed community center. Men and women in

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Malaysia come together For a conference to discuss the role of the advancement of women in the process of establishing world peace.

Although they come From diverse backgrounds and far—ﬂung areas of the planet. these people all share a united view of the world, its Future, and their role in shaping it. They are Bahé’fs.

The Bahé’f International Community. comprising members of the Bahé'l Faith From all over the globe, now numbers more than five million souls. Its members represent 2,112 ethnic and tribal groups who live in more than 100,000 localities in 191 independent countries and 4; dependent territories. What was once regarded by some as a small, obscure sect was reported by the Britannica Back of 1/1: Year 2002 to be the second—most widely spread independent religion in the world, after Christianity. lrs membership cuts across all bound— aries of class and race. governing itself through the establishment of local and national elected bodies known as Spiritual Assemblies. Its international center and the seat of its world governing council, known as the Universal House of Justice, are located in the Holy Land. in Haifa. Israel.

This article offers a brief introduction to the Bahé’i community. its history, its spiritual teachings. and its aims and objectives.

Origins In 1844. a young Persian merchant named Siyyid ‘Ali-Muhammad declared Himselfto be the Promised Qal’im awaited by Shia Muslims. He adopted the title “the Bib,” which means “the Gate,” and His teachings quickly attracted a large following. Alarmed by the grow— ing numbers of “Bébt‘s,” as His followers were known. the Muslim clergy allied themselves with ministers of the Shah in an efiort to destroy the infant Faith. Many thousands of Bébis were persecuted, tortured: and killed in the following years, but the growth of the new religion continued even after the Béb Himself was imprisoned and later executed in July r850. The horrific treatment of the Bébt’s at the hands of the secular and religious authorities was recorded by a number OFWestern diplomats, scholars. and travelers. who expressed their admiration For the character and fortitude of the victims. The Bébf religion sprang From [slam in much the same man— ner that Christianity sprang from Judaism 0r Buddhism did from

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Hinduism. That is to say. it was apparent early in the Bab’s min- istry that the religion established by Him was not merely a sect or a movement within Islam but an independent Faith. Furthermore, one of the main tenets of Bébi belief was the Ba’b's statement that He had been sent by God to prepare the way for One greater than Himselfi Who would inaugurate an era of peace and righteousness throughout the world, representing the culmination of all past re— ligious dispensations.

Mera Husayn—‘Alf was one of the leading adherents of the Babl' Faith Who was arrested and imprisoned during the tumultuous years of the Bab’s brief ministry. Because of pressure on the Persian Shah from European diplomats, He was spared from execution but was banished from Persia to Baghdad, Constantinople. Adrianople, and finally the penal colony of Acre in Palestine. Thus. the Persian government. which had secured the support of the rulers of the rival Ottoman Empire in suppressing the new movement, expected that His sphere of inﬂuence would be severely limited.

During His initial imprisonment, Mirza’ Husayn—‘Alf had received the first divine intimations that He was the Promised One of Whom the Bab had spoken. He adopted the title “Bahé’u'llfih." which means “Glory of God.” and publicly declared His mission on the eve of His exile from Baghdad, in April 1863.

Bahé’u'llah was still nominally a prisoner when He passed away near Acre in May 1892, although the authorities had gradually loosened their restrictions as they became acquainted with Him and the nature of His teachings. During the long years of His exile Bahfi'u'llah revealed the equivalent of more than too volumes of writings. consisting of the laws and ordinances of His dispensation, letters to the kings and rulers of the East and the West, mystical teachings, and other divinely inspired writings.

In His Will and Testament, Baha’u'lla'h appointed His eldest son. 'Abbés Efiendi, Who adopted the title “‘Abdu’l-Bahé" (“Servant of Bahé”), as His successor and the sole authoritative interpreter of His teachings. ‘Abdu’l—Bahé had shared His Fadier’s long exile and imprisonment and was freed only after a new regime was installed by the “Young Turk" movement in 1908. Shortly thereafter, at an advanced age, He embarked on an arduous journey to Europe and America where, from 1911 to 1913, He proclaimed Baha'u'llah's

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message ofuniversal brotherhood and peace to large audiences. con— i solidated ﬂedgling Bahfi'f communities, and warned of the potential . catastrophe looming on Europe‘s darkening horizon. By the outbreak ofWorld War I in 1914, ‘Abdu‘l—Bahé had returned to His home in Haifa. just across the bay from Acre, and devoted Himself to caring for the local people, fending off Famine by feeding them From stores of grain He had safeguarded for such an emergency. ‘Abdu‘l—Bahai’s humanitarian services and His promotion of intercultural harmony were recognized by the British government, which, at the end of the war, conferred upon Him knighthood—a title He acknowledged but declined to use. He passed away in 1921 and is buried on Mount Carmel in a vault near the spot where He had interred the remains of the Béb some years before.

Among the legacies that ‘Abdu’l—Bahé bequeathed to history is a series of letters called the Tablets of the Divine Plan, which He had addressed to the Bahé‘fs of North America during the years ofWorld War I. These I4 letters directed the recipients to scatter to countries on all continents and share with their populations the teachings of Bahfi'u’llih—a mandate that led to the global expansion of the Bahzi’f community.

Another legacy of ‘Abdu‘l—Bahé is His Will and Testament, which Bahé’fs regard as the charter of the administrative order conceived by Bahé’u’lléh. This document appointed ‘Abdu’l-Bahé’s eldest grandson, Shoghi Efiendi, as Guardian of the Bahé’i Faith and au— thorized interpreter of its teachings. Successorship to the Founders of the Bahé’f Faith would be shared by the Guardian and an elected Universal House ofjustice. whose complementary role would be to create legislation supplementing the Faith's scriptures.

During the period of his Guardianship, From x921 to i957, Shoghi Effendi concentrated on Four main areas: the development of the Bahé'i World Centre in the environs of Haifa; the translation and interpretation of the Bahé'f sacred writings; the rise and consolida— tion of the institutions of the Bahé’f administrative order; and the implementation of ‘Abdu'I-Bahé’s plan for the propagation of the Bethe“ Faith around the world.

At the Baht“ World Centre, Shoghi EFfendi effected the con- struction of a superstructure For the mausoleum containing the remains of the Béb, which had been brought secretly from Persia

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and interred by ‘Abdu’l—Bahé in a spot designated by Bahfi’u’lléh on Mount Carmel. Shoghi Effendi beautified and expanded the simple native stone structure, which is today a site ofpilgtimage for Bahé’ls From all over the world. He enhanced the Bahé'f properties and initi- ated construction of the International Bahzi'i' Archives building to house the original Bahé‘l scriptures and artifacts from the early days of the Bahzi’f Faith. This building, the first on the arc—shaped path on the site designated as the world administrative center of the Bahé’f community, was completed in I957. Shoghi Effendi’s actions laid the foundations, literally and figuratively, for the further development of the Bahé'i World Centre.

Shoghi Effendi was also instrumental in interpreting the writings of Bahfi'u’lléh and 'Abdu’l-Bahé and in translating them from the original Persian and Arabic into English. The Guardian had served as secretary to ‘Ahdu'l-Bahd for a number ofyeats and was a student at Oxford University at the time of his Grandfather's passing. Shoghi Effendi‘s mastery of Persian, Arabic, and English. coupled with the authority conferred upon him as the appointed interpreter of the Bahé'f writings, made him uniquely qualified to undertake their translation. He also translated Tb: Dawn—Brm/tm, a history of the Bibi Faith; authored God Passe: By. a history of the first century of the Bahé'l' Faith; and wrote thousands of letters to communities and individuals around the world. elucidating passages from the writings and giving direction and impetus to Bahé'l communities.

Development of the Administrative Order

Shoghi Efiendi’s work in developing the Bahé’l administrative order is one of the most dramatic legacies of his years as Guardian. The first step in this development was to encourage the organized, planned expansion of Bahé’i communities in places where local and national Bahé’l councils, known as Spiritual Assemblies, would eventually be established. The Guardian effected this global expansion of Bahé’f communities through a series of international plans ofvnrying dura— tion, during which 12 National Spiritual Assemblies were elected. At the time of Shoghi Effendi’s sudden passing in 1957, the Bahé’f community was in the middle of a global plan of expansion and consolidation called the Ten Year Crusade. During this period,

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which concluded in 1963—the centenary of Bahé’u’lléh’s declaration of His mission in the Garden of Ridvén in Baghdad—the goal was to open 132 new countries and major territories to the Faith and to expand existing communities in 120 countries and territories that had previously been opened. These ambitious targets were in certain instances actually exceeded by the end of the plan, in spite of the difficulties posed by the Guardian’s death.

‘Abdu’l—Bahé, in His Will and Testament, had authorized the continuation of the Guardianship through the appointment by the Guardian ofa successor From among his own sons, should he have them, or other direct descendants of Bahé’u’lléh. Such a designation was dependent upon the decision of Shoghi Effendi as to whether an individual could be named who met the demanding spiritual qualifications specified by ‘Abdu’l—Bahé. Shoghi Effendi had no chil- dren and died without designating such a Guardian to follow him. He had, however, taken steps towards the election of the Universal House ofJustice, the supreme governing body of the Bahé’l’ Faith. He had also appointed a number ofindividua] Bahé'l’s to an auxil— iary institution of the Guardianship called Hands of the Cause of God. These individuals had been charged with protecting the unity of the Faith and collaborating with National Spiritual Assemblies around the world to ensure that the goals ofthe Ten Year Crusade were won. Upon Shoghi Effendi’s passing, these men and women guided the Bahzi'l' community to complete the plan initiated by the Guardian and to hold the first election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963.

Conceived by Bahé’u’lléh Himself, the institution of the Uni— versal House ofjustice is established on principles laid down in the Bahé’x’ sacred writings. Its initial election, by the members of the 56 National Spiritual Assemblies that existed in April 1963, clearly demonstrated the principle of unity so central to the Bahzi’f Faith, with the nine members coming from four continents and represent— ing a variety of religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Based on the authority conferred on it by the Founder of the Faith, the Universal House ofjustice is now elected every five years. It stands as the acknowledged central authority in the worldwide Bahé’f community and has, during the past 40 years, launched eight global plans for the advancement of the Faith; From a worldwide

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population of4o8.ooo in 1963, the Babe“ community has grown to more than five million members; the number of National and Re— gional Spiritual Assemblies has grown from 56 to 183; and the number of Local Spiritual Assemblia has increased from 3,555 to 9,631.

Spiritual and Moral Teachings and Bahé’l' Community Life

The force that unites this diverse body of people is the vision achieved through their belief in Bahé’u'lléh as a Manifestation of God, in the social and administrative structures He established, and in the spiritual and moral teachings He propagated. Central to these spiritual teachings is the concept that there is only one God and that the world’s great religions have been established by Mes— sengers or Manifestations ofthis Divine Reality—Abtaham, Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, jesus, and Muhammad—Who have been sent throughout history to deliver a divine message commensurate with humanity's stage of development. Though the religions' social teachings change through this process of progressive revelation. the spiritual essence of all the major religions remains the same: hu— manity has been created to know and to worship God. The Bahé‘l’ perspective sees the cumulative benefits of progressively revealed religions as fundamental to an “ever—advancing civilization.” What divides various religious communities, Bahé'ls believe, comes not from God but from humanity and its accretions to the essential religious teachings brought by the divine Messengers.

At this stage of humanity’s development, the unity of the human race must be recognized, the equality of women and men must be established. the extremes ofwealth and poverty must be eliminated. and the age-olcl promise of universal peace must be realized. Liken— ing the development of the human race to that of an individual. the Bahai'l' writings say that we have passed through stages analogous to infancy and childhood and are now in the midst ofa tumultu- ous adolescence, standing on the threshold of maturity. Bahai'u'lldh taught that humanity is destined to come of age. but the course it takes to achieve that goal is entirely in its own hands.

To promote the development ofa society in which Bahzi’l' ideals can be Fully realized, Bahé'u'lléh established laws and moral teachings

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that axe binding on Bahé’ls. Central to these is daily obligatory prayer. Study of and meditation upon the Bahé'l sacred writings each morning and evening is also enjoined. Bahé’l’s between the ages of Is and 70, with certain exceptions. observe an annual 19—day, dawn— to-dusk fast. Bahai'u'lléh referred to prayer and Fasting as the “twin pillars" of faith, an indication of their importance and the benefits to be gained from them. He also raised work to the level ofworship. The main repository of Bahé’u’lléh’s laws is a volume entitled the Kitéb—i-Aqdas, or the “Most Holy Book."

There are no dietary ratrictions in the Bahé’i' Faith, but the con— sumption ofalcohol and the use of narcotic and hallucinogenic drugs are forbidden, as they aﬂ'ect the mind and interfere with spiritual growth. Bahé'u'lléh counseled Bahei'ls to be honest and trustworthy, to render service to humanity with an abundance of deeds rather than mere words, to be chaste, and to avoid gossip and backbiting. He forbade lying, stealing, adultery, homosexual acts, and promis— cuity. The importance of the family is central to Bahé’f community life. as is the moral and spiritual education of children.

Bahé’fs often gather together in their communities to study the sacred writings of their Faith and to pray, but a central Feature in Bahé'l’ community life is a meeting called the Nineteen Day Feast, at which all members join in worship, consult about community alTairs, and socialize. Pending the further development of Bahé’f communi— ties, these meetings often occur in rented Facilities, people's homes, or in local Bahé'i’ centers. The Bahé’f writings call for the erection in each community of a beautifillly designed House of Worship, sur- rounded by gardens and functioning as a spiritual center of activity. A variety ofsocial and humanitarian institutions are also to be estab— lished around it. Seven Bahé’l Houses ofWorship presently exist, in Australia, Germany. India, Panama, Uganda, the United Stats, and Samoa.T’lans have been launched For the construction of an eighth House of Worship in Chile, and sites have been purchased around the world for the erection of many more.l The Houses of Worship are open to people of all faiths—or those professing no particular faith—for prayer and meditation. Services are nondenominational. There are no sermons, only readings and prayers from the Babe?! writings and scriptures of other faiths with music by an a rapele choir. This preserves the sacredness of the experience of hearing

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and meditating upon the Holy Word without the interference of man-made concepts.

Aims, Objectives, and Activities

As the Universal House ofjustice stated in a message addressed to the peoples of the world written in October 1985, coinciding’with the United Nations International Year of Peace, “Acceptance of the oneness of mankind is the first fundamental prerequisite For the reorganization and administration of the world as one country, the home of humankind.” The ultimate aim of the Bahfi’l Faith is to establish unity among all the peoples of the world, and it is because of its orientation towards unity on an international scale that the Bahé’f community has been active at the United Nations since that organization's inception. Today the Bath“ International Community, a nongovernmental organization (NCO) that represents the collective voice of national Bahé’i' communities around the world. enjoys special status with the Economic and Social Council (2co- soc). It is particularly involved in addressing human rights issues, the needs of women and children, and environmental concerns, as well as pursuing sound, sustainable development policies. To coordi— nate its international eﬂ‘otts in these areas, the Bahé'l International Community's United Nations Office and Office of Public Informa— tion, as well as the Office of the Environment and the Office for the Advancement of Women, collaborate with National Spiritual Assemblies around the world. The Bahé’l’ International Community’s activities at the United Nations have earned it a reputation as one of the most effective religious NGOS in the UN system. Its national and international representatives have taken active roles in the major world summits and NGO forums sponsored by the United Nations during the pasr decades.

Bahé'fs look towards a day when a new international order will be established, a commonwealth to which all the nations of the world will belong. As Shoghi Effendi wrote in 1936:

The unity of the human race, as envisaged by Bahé’u'lléh, implies the establishment ofa world commonwealth in which all nations, races. creeds. and classes are closely and permanently united, and in which the autonomy of its state members and the personal

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freedom and initiative of the individuals that compose them are definitely and completely safeguarded. This commonwealth must. as far as we can visualize it, consist ofa world legislature. whose members will, as the trustees of the whole of mankind, ultimately control the entire resources of all the component na— tions, and will enact such laws as shall be required to regulate the life, satisfy the needs. and adjust the relationships of all races and peoples. A world executive, backed by an international Force, will carry out the decisions arrived at, and apply the laws enacted by, this world legislature, and will safeguard the organic unity of the whole commonwealth. A world tribunal will adjudicate and deliver its compulsory and final verdict in all and any disputes that may arise between the various elements constituting this universal system?

Shoghi Effendi went on to describe the tremendous benefits to humanity resulting from such a world order:

The enormous energy dissipated and wasted on war, whether economic or political, will be consecrated to such ends as will extend the range of human inventions and technical develop— ment, to the increase of the productivity of mankind. to the extermination of disease, to the extension of scientific research. to the raising of the standard of physical health. to the sharpening and refinement of the human brain, to the exploitation of the unused and unsuspected resources of the planet, to the prolonga- tion of human life, and to the furtherance of any other agency that can stimulate the intellectual, the moral. and spiritual life of the entire human race.i

To make its aims and objectives widely known and to promote its perspective on various issues, the Bahzi’i’ International Commu— nity nOt only collaborates with like—minded organizations within and outside of the United Nations, but it also engages in public information eflbrts to bring the spiritual and social principles of the Faith to the attention of people everywhere. The persecution of the Bahé'i's in Iran since the 1979 Iranian revolution has prompted wide dissemination of information about the Bahé‘i’ Faith in the interna— tional news media. More than 200 members of the Faith have been executed For their belief, which is considered as heresy by the regime.

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and thousands more have been imprisoned. fired from their jobs. or had their homes confiscated or their pensions cut olT as a result of government orders. Bahé’fs around the world have responded in unity to this ongoing persecution in lran—the land in which their religion was born—by petitioning their governments to take action against this injustice. [t is, to some degree, as a result of these efforts that the persecutions have not been more extreme, although Iran’s Bahé’ls still face the possibility of arbitrary imprisonment and execu— tion, and are still denied fundamental rights and freedoms.‘

The Bahi'i’ community has also taken a proactive approach to promulgating its views. The statement on peace issued by the Universal House of Justice in 1985, entitled The Promir: of World Peace, sparked a worldwide campaign of presentations and public awareness programs throughout the International Year of Peace and since, aimed at government figures. leaders of thought, and the general population. The centenary of Bahé’u'lla'h’s passing in 1992 was commemorated, in part, with the publication ofa state- ment detailing His life, teachings, and mission. designed to increase knowledge of the Bahé’l Faith among members of the public. A statement presenting the Bahé'f perspective on social development. The Prorptrity of Human/eind, was disseminated at the World Stun- mit for Social Development in Copenhagen in March 199;, and later that year a statement entitled Eming Paintfbr All Nations was released as a contribution to discussions on the fiJture of the United Nations during its 50th anniversary. In 1999, the Babe“ International Community released Why [5 Writing the Future? Rﬂutiam 0n the Twentieth Century. Mosr recently, in 2002, the Universal House of justice addressed a message to the world’s religious leaders.‘

The Bahé'f community has also been continually engaged in a series of international teaching plans. It has seen rapid expansion in different parts of the world. perhaps most notably in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, where national Bahé'l communities have been established in recent years following the collapse oflong- standing political barriers. New national governing bodies are also being formed elsewhere, as the Universal House of justice deems communities to have reached a sufficient level of maturity.

The existence and growth of the Bath!“ community offers irrefutable evidence that humanity, in all its diversity. can learn to

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live and work together in harmony. While Bahé’i’s are not unaware of the turmoil in the world surrounding them, their view is suc— cinctly expressed in the following words, taken from The Prosperity of Humankiml:

A world is passing away and a new one is struggling to be born. The habits, attitudes, and institutions that have accumulated over the centuries are being subjected to tests that are as necessary to human development as they are inescapable. What is required of the peoples of the world is a measure of faith and resolve to match the enormous energies with which the Creator ofaJl things has endowed this spiritual springtime of the race.“

The source of this Faith and resolve is the message oHeted by the teachings of Bahé’u’lléh, a message that deserves the thoughtful consideration of all those who yearn for peace and justice in the world.

NOTES

' See pp. 187—207. of this volume for further information on Bahé’f Houses

of Worship. 2 Shoghi Effendi, The era' Order of Ba/m’ ’u’lla’h: Salami Lenny, 2nd rev. ed. (Wilmette, IL: Bahé'f Publishing Trust, 1993), p. 20}. Ibid., p. 204. See pp. 135—40 and 213—2} for Further information on the continuing per— secution of Iran's Bahé’f community. For the full text of this message and a report on its presentation around the world, see The 134M? World 2002—2003, pp. 89—98 and 79—87. " Bahé’i International Community’s Ofi‘ice of Public Information, The I’m:- perity ofHumankina' (1995). See 777: 841/747 Warld 1994—95, pp. 273—96. for the complete text of this statement. ‘