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Bahá'í

Ridvan

The Feast of Ridvan 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 twelfth day of the month of Ridvan.

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 God, the one whose coming was predicted by the Bible, the Qur’an, and by his forerunner, the Báb. Because of his claims, Bahá’u’lláh was repeatedly imprisoned and banished. In his forty-year ministry he produced over over 18,000 unique works, mostly letters and prayers, which defined the basics of his religion. He died in 1892 in Akka, a... Read more about Baha’u’llah

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 and national spiritual assemblies. The Universal House of Justice is located at the Bahá’í World Center on Mt. Carmel in Haifa, Israel.

Becoming a Bahá’í

To convert to the Bahá’í Faith, one must simply state one’s understanding of Bahá’í  scripture and declare one’s belief. Bahá’í  children are raised to become active members in the Bahá’í  community and tradition, beginning obligatory prayers at the age of fifteen.... Read more about Becoming a Bahá’í

Feasts, Firesides, and Core Activities

Bahá’í  worship includes scriptural reading, musical performance, monthly feasts, and fireside discussions of Bahá’í ideas with respected community members. There are no clergy, so any community member may lead worship.  A relatively new set of Bahá’í  non-worship core activities include adult study circles, devotional meetings, and youth programs.... Read more about Feasts, Firesides, and Core Activities

Human Equality

The central principles of the Bahá’í Faith are the oneness of God, the oneness of religion, and the oneness of mankind. In line with this belief in human equality, when Abdu'l-Baha visited the United States in 1912, he emphasized the particular importance of addressing racial justice and gender equality in the United States. Throughout the tradition's history, Bahá’ís have been active in pursuing racial justice, gender equality, and interfaith engagement, and this is reflected in both policies and selection of leaders.... Read more about Human Equality

Worldwide Expansion

In the late 19th century, many Bahá’ís were persecuted and fled throughout the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and the United States. The Bahá’í  tradition first spread in the United States through immigrant Bahá’í teachers, and the religion grew worldwide through the international efforts of Bahá’í  leadership. The Bahá’í  Faith is one of the most diverse and widespread world religions, comprised of over 5 million people residing in more than 200 countries and representing more than 2,100 different ethnic groups. ... Read more about Worldwide Expansion

The Báb and Baha’u’llah

In the mid to late-19th century, the Bahá’í faith emerged out of the Twelver Shi’ite Muslim community in Iran. Siyyid ‘Ali-Muhammad of Shiraz (later named the Báb, or “gate”) claimed to be a Messenger of God and his follower, Mirza Husayn-’Ali (named Baha’u’llah, or “The Glory of God”) claimed to receive divine revelations from God. Both were persecuted and imprisoned in their lives but created large bodies of writing, including Baha’u'llah’s Kitab-i-Aqdas, the central Bahá’i book which outlines basic Bahá’í laws and practices.... Read more about The Báb and Baha’u’llah

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