Origins and leadership:

• The Bab (1819-1850) declaration: 1844
• Baha’u’llah (1817-1892) declaration: 1863
• Abdu’l-Baha (1844-1921)
• Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957)
• Current organization and leadership:
• The Universal House of Justice (1963)
• National Spiritual Assemblies
• Local Spiritual Assemblies

• Writings
• The New Message social teachings of equality, world peace and unity
• Unity:
• God is one
• Religions are one
• Progressive revelation
• Messengers
• Humanity is one
• World society
• Women, Family, Marriage

• No local church buildings
• Temples (seven worldwide)
• No clergy or priesthood
• Calendar (fasting and the new year: "Naw Ruz")
• Holy days
• Worship ("Feast" days)
• "Fireside" discussions
• Group decision making:
• Election of leaders
• Consultation and consensus
 
 
 
 

Origins and leadership: 19th cent. Persia (Iran), founders and first followers were Muslim

• The Bab ("The Gate") 1819-1850: in 1844 declared himself to be the 12th Imam of Shi’ite expectations and proclaimed the coming of a new message and a new messenger (equivalent of John the Baptist). He and his followers (called "Babis") were rejected and persecuted as blasphemers by Muslims since Muhammad was believed to be the last of the messengers to be sent to humanity by God. The Bab was martyred in 1850 but his followers continued belief in his teachings about a coming messenger and they continued to be persecuted, imprisoned and ultimately (in 1863) exiled from Persia
• Baha’u’llah ("The Glory of God") 1817-1892: a follower of The Bab who, in a mystical encounter, came to recognize himself as the one prophesied by The Bab. In 1863, during their exodus from Persia, he declared this to the rest of the Babis. They now became his followers and known thereafter as Baha’is. However, they remained a persecuted group and Baha’u’llah was ultimately put under house arrest for the remainder of his life by the Turkish government in Acre (now in Israel). Acre is now a site of pilgrimage for Baha’is.
• Abdu’l-Baha ("Servant of Baha") (1844-1921): Baha’u’llah’s son carried on his father’s work after Baha’u’llah’s death. He did much to spread the faith worldwide. He traveled to Europe and North America. Although it grew out of Shi’ite Islam, it was never accepted by Islam as a legitimate Muslim sect and neither does it see itself as such (although some Muslims think of it as a heretical sect of Islam). The Baha’i faith became a new universal religion now with over 5 million followers in over 200 countries from all races and nationalities.
• Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957): appointed by his grandfather, Abdu’l Baha, to be "Guardian of the Faith", restructured the faith into local organizations with a central world leadership elected from among the followers rather than led by a single descendent of the founder.
• Current organization and leadership: democratic and hierarchical:
• The Universal House of Justice: formed in 1963, is now the ruling body of the Baha’i faith located in Haifa, Israel. It’s nine members are elected every five years by the various National Spiritual Assemblies from among all the world’s Baha’is.
• National Spiritual Assemblies: the ruling bodies within each nation having sufficient number (nine?) of Local Baha’i Communities. Delegates elected by each Community gather to elect members to the NSA from among all Baha’is in each nation.
• Local Baha’i Communities: wherever there are at least nine adult Baha’is within a local geographic area, this smallest unit of organization can be formed. Like a parish of the Catholic church, Baha’is living in a certain area are automatically members of the Local Baha’i Community. Local leadership is by an elected body of nine members who constitute the "Local Spiritual Assembly".

• Writings: The Baha’i Faith has multiple scriptures: Works by the Bab, Works by Baha’u’llah, and Works by ‘Abdu’l-Baha. And there is interpretation by Shoghi Effendi and elucidation by the Universal House of Justice – which are not considered as " scripture."

  • Baha’u’llah wrote (channeled in trance state) many books comprising the equivalent of sacred text and considered by Baha’is as revelation from God: a new message for a new age of humanity. 

  • Among the most important texts written by Baha’u’llah are:

    • Kitab-i-aqdas (The "Most Holy Book" of Laws and Ordinances), revealed in 1873, enshrining a host of spiritual, theological, social, and legal principles intended as guidance for the Baha’i community and ultimately as a gift to humanity.

    • Kitab-i-Iqan (Book of Certitude): A work revealed in 1861 in answer to questions from the uncle of the Bab. Baha’u’llah explains the meaning of passages in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic scriptures, demonstrating the oneness of religion and its progressive unfoldment. 

    • Hidden Words: A work consisting of short passages revealed by Bahá’u’lláh in Persian and Arabic in 1857/58 during His exile in Baghdad, translated by Shoghi Effendi.

  • Other books by Abdu’l Baha and Shoghi Effendi are secondary to the writings of Baha’u’llah serving as additional guidance.

  All Baha’i sacred texts currently available in English can be read at: The Baha'i Reference library

   

• The New Message: The social teachings about relationships between human beings are new; spiritual teachings about the relationship between human beings and God are the same as in other religions. This, Baha’is believe to be universal for all times and all places. Baha’i faith brings a new message for social relationships amongst humanity: that which will promote equality, world peace and unity in an age (19th - 20th cent. and on) where humanity lives in a "global village". None of the older religions could speak to this issue because they were revealed in a time when this was not an issue.
• A religion of unity: God is one, religions are one, humanity is one
• God is one: The Baha’i faith is Monotheistic, as are all other Western religions.
• Religions are one:
• Progressive revelation: Baha’is understand that all the different religions through time and around the world are but different revelations of the same basic religion. Differences are due to different cultures and different times. Each religion is seen, by Baha’is, as a continuation of a single revelation, as the evolving of the religion of humanity. All are understood to be revealed by the same God. All are understood to contain the same basic spiritual truths but each is seen to advance the social teachings as the human race advances and evolves. The Baha’i faith is seen as the religion for today with its teachings about social equality and world unity.
• "Manifestations of God": Baha’is recognize a series of nine "messengers" from God (like prophets) seen as "Manifestations" of God: Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad, The Bab, Baha’u’llah. Such a messenger stands between ordinary human beings and God. A messenger is more than just a prophet (cf.: Islamic understanding). These "Manifestations" have a special standing among human beings, are born with a destiny to bring a new revelation to humanity. Anyone could become a prophet or a saint. Only certain individuals, few and far between, are born specifically to be messengers. They are not ordinary men. Baha’is do not believe that Baha’u’llah is to be the final messenger but they do not expect another one until 1000 years have passed since Baha’u’llah (cf.: Christian Millennial beliefs)
• Unity of humanity:
• One world society: Baha’i faith condemns prejudice and racism, advocates equality of women and men, promotes social changes such as development of a universal language, a world court of justice, a world league of nations. Baha’is are very active with the UN and the World Federalist organizations
• Women: hold equal power and leadership within the faith (except at the highest level); are given equal opportunity for higher education (preference when a choice must be made for financial or other such reasons);
• Family: most important social unity, women are seen as most important within the family as the first teachers of the next generation
• Marriage:
• Interracial marriage is common and even preferred among Baha’is as a way of promoting racial equality.
• Interfaith marriage is allowed, the spouse may or may not convert to Baha’i faith, the children are often exposed to the religious heritage of both parents.
• Divorce is discouraged but allowed after very serious consideration.

• No local church buildings (meet in homes, public schools, community centers). Eight Temples worldwide (all nine sided) open to anyone, Baha’i or not, for prayer, meditation and for hearing readings from revelations (holy books) of all religions. Baha’is expect that, in time, every local community will have a Baha’i center. 

  • Baha’is meet in local centers (or rented space or members homes) for devotions and many other activities – there are dozens of local Baha’i centers in the U.S. alone, as well as several national and local Centers elsewhere in the world.

  • But the houses of worship (the Temples) have a special significance. In the house of worship, only recital of sacred texts and acapella music are permitted – no sermons or instrumental music. 

  • Baha'i's also have sacred places of pilgrimage - mostly in Israel - marking memorials for the Bab and Baha'u'llah (places where they died).

• No clergy or priesthood: leading group worship and other group activities is shared by everyone in the community
• Baha’i calendar: The Baha’i calendar is unique in having 19 months of 19 days each, with 4 (or 5) additional "intercalary" days (just prior to the last month) to maintain the solar based year (similar to the Zoroastrian calendar). Baha’i holidays begin at sundown. The dates are set based on occurrence of the Spring Equinox in Tehran (Naw Ruz) - the start of a new year.
• Holy days commemorate key events in the early history of the faith concerning the Bab, Baha’u’llah and Abdul Baha (their birth, death and declaration of mission):
• Naw Ruz (March 20 or 21): Following the Persian tradition, Baha’is celebrate the start of a new year on the vernal equinox. (Baha'u'llah, the founder of the faith, was Persian).
• Ridvan (April 20 or 21-May 1 or 2): The 12 day commemoration of the declaration of Baha'u'llah in 1863 as the prophesied messenger of the new faith. The first, ninth and last days of this period are the most important.
• Declaration of the Bab (May 23 or 24): Commemorates the day in 1844 on which the Bab declared himself "Bab" ("Gate") - herald of a new age.)
• Ascension of Baha’u’llah (May 28 or 29): Marks the anniversary of the death of the founder of the Baha'i faith.
• Martyrdom (death) of the Bab (July 9 or 10: Memorializes the death of the forerunner to the founder of the Baha'i faith)
• Birth of the Bab (varies by year, set as the first day after the 8th new moon after Naw-Ruz - October - November)
• Birth of Baha’u’llah (varies by year, set as the second day after the 8th new moon after Naw-Ruz): Commemorates the birth of the founder of the Baha'i faith in 1817.
• Day of Covenant (November 25 or 26): Celebrates the appointment of ‘Abdul-Baha, the son of Baha’u’llah, as successor to his father as leader of the Baha’i faith
• Ascension of ‘Abdul-Baha (November 27 or 28): Commemorates his death.

The "Intercalary" days (end of February), not part of any month, occur just before the last month in the Baha'i Calendar. These are a time of gift-giving and charity.

Following the 4 or 5 "intercalary" days, Baha'is have a month of fasting (month of Ala, March 1 or 2 - March 18 or 19). Baha’is (like Muslims) fast from sun-up to sun-down during this last of the 19 day Baha’i months

Holidays are commemorated with no work, "feast" celebrations (open to non-Baha’is) within the local Baha’i Community and, in some cases, fasting.

• Nineteen day "feast": Every Baha’i Community gathers for a "Feastday" every nineteen days, at the start of a new Baha’i month. The Feast consists of three parts: prayer, "consultation" (i.e., Community business is discussed), and socializing. Ordinarily only Baha’is of a given Local Community can attend a Feast day celebration because private Community matters are discussed during the consultaion. Occasionally, a given Community will hold a "Unity Feast" where consultation will not take place: then any Baha’is from other Communities and non-Baha’is may attend.
• Other activities include regular (weekly, monthly) "firesides" where Baha’is and their non-Baha’i friends and others interested in learning about the faith, gather for discussion and socializing. "Deepenings" are held for study of Baha’i and other sacred texts.
• Group decision making: Consultation and consensus:
• Leadership at all levels is through election from among all members without campaigning. Each voting member simply selects the nine names he or she honestly feels most suited to leadership. Those nine in the group who receive the most votes are thus elected to the post.
• Group decisions are always made through group consultation and discussion leading, ideally, to unanimous conclusion. Ideas brought to the discussion are seen as belonging to no one in particular and, thus, to all and are considered in the objective light of equality. The vote of the majority is not the preferred way of group decision making.