Part 16. Other Religions: Bahai

The Bahai religion was established in Iran during the nineteenth century by the prophet Baha’u’llah.  Originally raised as a Shi’ite Muslim in Tehran, Baha’u’llah joined a sect led by a preacher who called himself the Bab (Door) and saw himself as the gate to the hidden twelfth Imam and as a manifestation of God.  As his movement gained followers, it became clear that many of the Bab’s teachings contradicted traditional Shi`a beliefs and his followers began to be persecuted by the Iranian government.  Violence erupted with many of the Babis being killed.  While the Babis did arm themselves and intended to launch an uprising, most of their clashes with the Iranian government were defensive in nature and ended with thousands of Babis being massacred.  In 1850 the Bab was executed and his body was left out for all to see, allowing his disciples to steal the Bab’s remains and take them into hiding.  After being transferred to many locations, they were eventually buried in Haifa, a city in Palestine (modern day Israel), where the world headquarters of the Bahai is today.

Following the execution of the Bab, Baha’u’llah was arrested and imprisoned in Tehran with other Babis.  Later released, he was expelled from Iran to Baghdad from where he was later also expelled after he proclaimed himself to be a prophet whose coming was foretold by the Bab.  He was later placed under arrest by the Ottoman government and imprisoned in Constantinople, Adrianople, and finally in Akka, near Haifa.  Baha’u’llah spent 24 years imprisoned in Akka, where he died in 1892.  During this time he wrote extensively, producing thousands of texts, which now make up a portion of the vast canonical writings of the Bahai faith.  His writings and those of the Bab are considered by the Bahai to be divine revelation.

Following the death of Baha’u’llah, his son Abdu’l Bahá succeeded him as leader of the Bahai faith.  He traveled widely, teaching and spreading the Bahai faith in multiple countries around the world.  Under his leadership and that of his successor, Shoghi Effendi, Bahaism became an international faith.  A Universal House of Justice was established in Haifa with nine elected leaders who serve as the supreme ruling body for the faith.

The main teachings of the Bahai are the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of humanity.  The Bahai hold to a belief in progressive revelation, which is the idea that all the religions of the world are revelations of the one true God.  The different founders and central figures of world religions are seen as manifestations of God in the world, who brought the divine message to their followers.  The purpose of humanity is to know and love God and to honor Him through prayer, spiritual reflection, and service to others.

For more information on the Bahai faith, see the following links.  The first link is to an article in an online publication called “The Conversation,” which discusses the origins of the Bahai faith.  The second link is to a short CBS discussing Bahai practices in the United States.  The third link is to a Bahai website which includes lots of information about Bahai teachings, history and beliefs.  The last link is to a short aerial video of the beautiful gardens at the Bahai World Center in Haifa Israel

https://theconversation.com/who-are-the-bahais-and-why-are-they-so-persecuted-84042

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmNWatW17kc

https://bahaiteachings.org/bahai-faith/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZX2Q7scTN8