Bahá’í Glossary Terms

Effendi, Shoghi

Shoghi Effendi (1897–1957) succeeded his grandfather, 'Abdu’l-Bahá, as the head of the Bahá’í Faith in 1921. In order to give the Bahá’í Faith organization, Shoghi Effendi established the institutional structure of local and national spiritual assemblies...

Báb, the

In 1844, Siyyid 'Ali-Muhammad of Shiraz (1819-1850 CE) took the title of the “Báb” (or “Gate”), and claimed to be the promised one expected by Shi’ite Islam as well as prophecies of other world religions, and the Herald of One greater soon to come. In his...

Baha’u’llah

Bahá’u’lláh (1817–1892) was born in Iran as Mirza Husayn 'Ali and became the most influential of the early followers of the Báb. He acquired the title Bahá’u’lláh (Arabic for "the Glory of God") in 1848. In 1863 he announced a claim to be a messenger of...

fireside

A fireside is a common type of Bahá’í meeting, a gathering in a Bahá’í home to discuss the faith. Bahá’ís are encouraged to host such gatherings regularly. Bahá’í communities also sponsor large public firesides in a home or a Bahá’í Center. These events...

Nine Holy Days

The Bahá’í year includes nine holy days: the first, ninth and twelfth day of Ridv án (when Bahá’u’lláh declared himself a messenger of God, April 21-May 2); the anniversary of the Báb's declaration that he was the Promised One of Shi’ite Islam (May 23)...

Nineteen Day Feast

The Bahá’í community generally gathers on the first evening of each Bahá’í month, or once every nineteen days. Each Feast has three portions: worship, administrative and socializing. The devotional portion tends to center on two activities: the reading of...

Ridván

The Feast of Ridv án celebrates the declaration by Baha’u’llah that he was a messenger of God, an event which took place between April 21 and May 2, 1863. Three of the nine Holy Days of the Bahá’í calendar fall within this period: the first, ninth, and...

spiritual assembly

The spiritual assembly is the basic organizational structure of the Bahá’í Faith. Local spiritual assemblies may be formed anywhere that nine or more Bahá’ís live, and national spiritual assemblies are created at the national or regional level when local...

The Bahá’í Faith

The Bahá’í Faith first took shape in 1863 when Bahá’u’lláh (1817-1892) declared himself a divine messenger and the messianic figure predicted by the Bab (1819-1850). The religion stresses the oneness of God, the divine origin of all the world’s major...

Universal House of Justice

The Universal House of Justice is the nine-member worldwide governing body of the Bahá’í Faith. It is elected every five years by the members of the National Spiritual Assemblies according to the same principles of spiritual election as are used for local...

`Abdu’l-Bahá

Upon the death of Bahá’u’lláh in 1892, his son Abbas Effendi (1844-1921 CE), took the title `Abdu’l-Bahá (“Servant of Bahá’u’lláh”) and assumed the role given him by Bahá’u’lláh as the new head of the Bahá’í community. During his tenure he consolidated...