Basic Facts of the Bahá’í Faith/Text

Basic Facts

Of the Babd’z’ Faith

WWW

W. KENNETH CHRISTIAN

IHE WORD ”Bahá’í” comes from the name of the Founder of the Faith Bahá’u’lláh (“the Glory of God”). Bahá’í simply means ”a follower of Bahá’u’lláh.”

The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh is called the “Bahá’í World Faith.” There are three reasons for this.

First, Bahá’ís live in more than two hundred and forty countries of the world. Bahá’ís are people who formerly had different and conflicting religious backgrounds. They had been Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, Zoroastrians, Hindus, Protestants, Catholics, or else they had no religion at all. They have found in the Bahá’í Faith a basis of unity that makes

[Page 2]the competition of sects and denominations seem unimportant to them. Bahá’ís are people of different economic and social classes. Through a common devotion, rich and poor mingle as equals and work together to establish a world order for all men and women. They are people of diferent national and racial backgrounds. But the Bahá’í teachings have given them a higher loyalty—the loyalty to humanity. Bahá’ís have no “color line” or racial segregation. In this Faith, people of all races find equality with each other because they are equal before God.

Second, the Bahá’í Faith develops world—mindedness. Read these wellknown Bahá’í quotations: . . . ”Let your vision be world-embracing, rather than confined to your own selves.” . . . “That one indeed is a man who, today, dedicateth himself to the service of the entire human race.”

Third, the Bahá’í Faith offers a clear pattern of world order. It does not have any secret mystic doctrines; it does not have any priesthood or professional clergy. People find this a practical, spiritual religion with the mission of uniting the world in one common faith and one order. Bahá’u’lláh declared that in our time religion must unite people or else it has no social value. He declared that religion must show men how to build a just world. He emphasized that justice is the greatest good in the sight of God. To show men how to achieve this, He outlined a pattern of world order.

Bahá’u’lláh’s vision of a united world begins with each man and woman. Indi [Page 3]viduals must have high moral standards and a new basis of belief it they are to become citizens of one world.

Bahá’ís believe in one God, even though men have called Him by different names. God has revealed His Word in each period of history through a chosen Individual Whom Bahá’ís call “the Manifestation of God.” He restates in every age God’s purpose and will. His teachings are a revelation from God. Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ, and l\/Iuhammad wer_e NIanifestations of God. Each gave men divine teachings to live by. Bahá’ís believe that true religion is the real basis of civilized life.

Since there is one God, these Manifestations of God have each taught the same religious faith. They have developed and adapted it to meet the needs of the people in each period of history. This unfoldment of religion from age to age is called ”progressive revelation.” Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, is the Manifestation of God for our time.

This is the basis of Bahá’í belief: one God has given men one Faith through progressive revelations of His Will in each age of history, and Bahá’u’lláh reveals the Will of God for men and women of the present age. This basic belief enables Bahá’ís to unite and work together in spite of different religious backgrounds.

The Oneness Of Niankind is like a pivot around which all the teachings of Bahá’u’léh revolve. This means that men and women of all races are equal in the ‘sight

[Page 4]of God and equal in the Bahá’í community. People of different races must have equal educational and economic opportunity, equal access to decent living conditions—and equal responsibilities. In the Bahá’í view, there is no superior race or superior nation.

Bahá’u’lláh declared that a House of Justice must be established in each community. This body, elected by the people, is to be composed of men and women so qualified that they may be “trustees of the Merciful among men." Each nation will have a Secondary or National House of Justice whose members will elect the International House of Justice. This international legislature will make the laws for a federalized world.

Bahá’u’lláh emphasized certain principles to help bind people together in a united world:

Men must seek for truth in spite of custom, prejudice, and tradition.

Men and women must have equal opportunities, rights, and privileges.

The nations must choose an international language to be used along with the mother tongue.

All children must receive a basic education.

Men must make a systematic effort to wipe out all those prejudices which divide people. ,

Men must recognize that religion should go hand-in-hand with science.

Men must work to abolish extreme wealth and extreme poverty.

This Faith and these challenging ideas

[Page 5]originated in Persia (Iran) in 1844. In that a year a young Man Who called Himself the Báb (or ”Gate”) began to teach that God would soon “make manifest” a World Teacher to unite men and women and usher in an age of peace. The Báb attracted so many followers that the Persian government and the Islamic clergy united to kill Him. And they massacred more than twenty thousand of His followers.

In 1863 Bahá’u’lláh announced to the few remaining followers of the Báb that He was the chosen Manifestation of God for this age. He called upon people to unite; He said that only in one common faith and one order could the world find an enduring peace. He declared that terrible wars would sweep the face of the earth and destroy the institutions and ideas that keep men from their rightful unity.

The teachings of Bahá’u’lláh are a ringing call to action. They offer hope, courage, and vision. The books of Bahá’u’lláh in English are: The IJidden Words, The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleyx, The Booh of Certitude, Epistle to the Son of the Wolf, Prayers and Meditations, and Gleanings from the Writings of Bahd’u’ (ih. A selection of His writings is in the anthology called Bahd'z' World Faith.

But Bahá’u’lláh was not greeted with V enthusiasm by the religious leaders of Islam. As they saw His Faith spread, their hatred grew. They forced Him into exile —fi'rst to Baghdad, then to Constantinople, t0 Adrianople, and finally to ‘Akká, Palestine. There He died, still an exile and prisoner, in’1892.

[Page 6]Bahá’u’lláh appointed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His eldest son, as the Interpreter of His teachings and the Exemplar of the Faith. Under the leadership of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the Faith was introduced to Europe and America. After He was freed from prison in 1908, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá made several missionary journeys. In 1912 He was in America for eight months during which time He laid the cornerstone of the Bahá’í Temple in Wilmette, Illinois.

In 1921 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá died and left a will naming His eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Faith and the interpreter of the teachings. Under Shoghi Effendi’s direction the Bahá’ís throughout the world have adopted an administrative order that is an application of Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings for a world order. Thus Bahá’ís have begun to practice in their own affairs the social teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.

Local and National Bahá’í Spiritual Assemblies are the pattern for the Houses of Justice of tomorrow. Bahá’ís know from increasing experience that differences of nation, race, class, and religion can be removed by the Limiting power of Bahá’u’lláh. Bahá’ís know from increasing experience that this Faith can save men and womenfrom the hatreds, the pessimism, the corruption, and the materialism of our age. They know this because they have seen it and experienced it. They invite you to investigate this Faith and share in this spiritual adventure.

BAHA’II PUBLISHING TRUST WILMETI'E, ILLINOIS

Printed in U.S.A.