S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

The Baha'i faith is one of the newer world religions stemming originally from Shi'ite Islam in Persia (modern-day Iran). However, it has come to achieve a unique status of its own. The Baha'i faith...

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July 01 2013 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

What is the Baha'i faith?

The Bahāʼī faith is not a sect of Islām but is an offshoot of the Bābī religion, a group in Persia (today Iran) that broke away from the Shīʽite branch of Islām in 1844. The leader of the Bābīs was Mīrzā ʽAlī Moḥammad of Shīrāz, who proclaimed himself the Bāb ("the Gate") and the imām-mahdī ("rightly guided leader") from the line of Muḥammad. He was executed by the Persian authorities in 1850. In 1863, Mīrzā Ḥoseyn Alī Nūrī, a prominent member of the Bābī group, "declared himself to be 'He whom God will make manifest,' whom the Bāb had foretold." He also took the name Bahāʼ Ullāh ("Glory of God") and formed a new religion, the Bahāʼī faith. Bahāʼ Ullāh was banished from Persia and was eventually imprisoned in Acco (today Acre, Israel). There, he wrote his main work, al-Kitāb al-Aqdas (The Most Holy Book), and developed the Bahāʼī faith's doctrine into a comprehensive teaching. 

At Bahāʼ Ullāh's death, the leadership of the fledgling religion passed to his son ʽAbd ol-Bahāʼ, then to his great-grandson, Shoghi Effendi Rabbānī, and in 1963 to an elected administrative body known as the Universal House of Justice. Bahāʼīs believe that God has revealed Himself to man through "Divine Manifestations," including Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Zoroaster, the Buddha, Jesus, Muḥammad, the Bāb, and Bahāʼ Ullāh. They believe that these messengers were sent to guide humanity through an evolutionary process, in which the appearance of the Bāb initiated a new age. The Bahāʼīs say that to date, his message is the fullest revelation ofGod'ss will and that it is the primary God-given instrument that will make world unity possible.​—1 Timothy 2:5, 6.

One of the basic precepts of Bahāʼī is "that all the great religions of the world are divine in origin, that their basic principles are in complete harmony." They "differ only in the nonessential aspects of their doctrines."​—2 Corinthians 6:14-18; 1 John 5:19, 20. Bahāʼī beliefs include the oneness of God, the immortality of the soul, and the evolution of humanity (biological, spiritual, and social). On the other hand, they reject the familiar concept of angels. They also reject the Trinity, the reincarnation teaching of Hinduism, and man's fall from perfection and subsequent ransom through the blood of Jesus Christ.​—Romans 5:12; Matthew 20:28. The brotherhood of man and the equality of women are significant features of Bahāʼī belief. Bahāʼīs practice monogamy. At least once a day, they pray any one of three prayers revealed by Bahāʼ Ullāh. They practice fasting from sunup to sundown during the 19 days of the Bahāʼī month of ʽAlā, which falls in March. (The Bahāʼī calendar consists of 19 months, each having 19 days, with certain intercalary days.) 

The Bahāʼī faith has few set rituals and no clergy. Any who profess faith in Bahāʼ Ullāh and accept his teachings may be enrolled as members. They meet for worship on the first day of every Bahāʼī month. The Bahāʼīs see themselves as having the mission of the spiritual conquest of the planet. They try to spread their faith through conversation, example, participation in community projects, and information campaigns. They believe in absolute obedience to the laws of the country in which they reside, and though they vote, they abstain from participation in politics. They prefer noncombatant duty in the armed forces when possible, but are not conscientious objectors. As a missionary religion, Bahāʼī has experienced rapid growth in the last few years. The Bahāʼīs estimate that there are nearly 5,000,000 believers worldwide, though actual adult enrollment in the faith is presently a little over 2,300,000.

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