Those words are by Bahá’u’lláh, considered the organizer of the Bahá’í Faith. Today is an appropriate day to explore the Bahá’í Faith: it's the anniversary of when Siyyid `Alí Muḥammad Shírází, known at "the Báb " (Arabic for "The Gate") claimed in 1844 at the age of 24 to be the promised Qá'im (or Mahdi). He and Bahá’u’lláh are key figures of the religion whose writings are considered to be divine revelation.
There are today millions of Bahá’ís. In the '60s and '70s the Bahá’ís were strongly visible on American college and university campuses. Today some adherents are subject to persecution or worse in a number of Muslim nations, especially in Iran, where the religion arose in the early 19th century.
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Let me start by noting that I have never been Bahá’í, despite my wanderings through many religious traditions. I first encountered its followers among several students at Haverford College when I returned at age 25 to finish in 1971. Although founded in Persia, the governing body of the faith is located in Haifa, Israel. I will be using several sources, most notably what the Faith has to say about itself at The international website of the Bahá’is of the world. I will also avail myself of several pages at Wikipedia, and a number of printed resources from my library that offer some (albeit limited) information on the Faith. I invite those who know more, or are perhaps themselves adherents, to add more in the comments.
Allow me to let the Faith speak for itself, from their home page:
Throughout history, God has revealed Himself to humanity through a series of divine Messengers, whose teachings guide and educate us and provide the basis for the advancement of human society. These Messengers have included Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad. Their religions come from the same Source and are in essence successive chapters of one religion from God.
Bahá’u’lláh, the latest of these Messengers, brought new spiritual and social teachings for our time. His essential message is of unity. He taught the oneness of God, the oneness of the human family, and the oneness of religion.
Bahá'u'lláh said, "The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens," and that, as foretold in all the sacred scriptures of the past, now is the time for humanity to live in unity.
Founded more than a century and a half ago, the Bahá'í Faith has spread around the globe. Members of the Bahá'í Faith live in more than 100,000 localities and come from nearly every nation, ethnic group, culture, profession, and social or economic background.
Bahá'ís believe the crucial need facing humanity is to find a unifying vision of the nature and purpose of life and of the future of society. Such a vision unfolds in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh.
The title of the faith is derived from the Arabic Bahá’, meaning "glory" or "splendour". The three key principles of the Faith are the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of humankind, as you can see in the quote above from the Faith's website.
Historically the Bahá’i Faith arose in the roots of Shi'a Islam, in the land (then Persia) which was a key center of the Shi'a tradition. Some scholars find a parallel with the rise of Christianity from the Judaism of the time in Israel, while others will point at what they consider the syncretistic joining of earlier traditions. Adherents of the Faith will argue that theirs is a unique and independent world religion, with its own traditions, scripture, history and teachings. I might note that the assertion by The Báb that he was the the return of the 12th or hidden Imam has a messianic element to it that is reminiscent of similar figures in Judaism (Jacob Frank, Shabbatai Z'vi, the claims by the followers of the late Lubavitzer Rebbe). From the wiki article on the Báb we read
Bahá'ís claim that the Báb was also the return of Elijah and John the Baptist, that he was the "Ushídar-Máh" referred to in the Zoroastrian scriptures, and that he was the forerunner of their own religion. Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, was a follower of the Báb and claimed to be the fulfillment of his promise that God would send another messenger."
The Báb was executed by firing squad in 1850. Bahá'u'lláh, born, Mírzá Husayn `Alí Núrí , was one of the early followers of the Báb, and who later took the title of Bahá'u'lláh. He was arrested and imprisoned for his involvement in 1852. It was during this imprisonment that he received the first intimations that he was the one anticipated by the Báb. This claim caused a split among the followers of The Báb. By 1866 he was declaring his mission as a Messenger of God in letters to likes of Pope Pius IX, Napoleon III, and Queen Victoria. This led to his banishment from Persia to the Ottoman penal community of Akka in modern day Israel. While eventually released from prison he still was officially a prisoner until his death in 1892, when he was succeeded by his son `Abbás Effendi, who became known as `Abdu'l-Bahá (Servant of Bahá).
It is worth noting that the resting place of Bahá'u'lláh serves for many Bahá’is as the Qiblih, the direction in which they should face at time of prayer.
It is also worth noting that the leadership passed from `Abdu'l-Bahá to his eldest grandson (and thus great-grandson of Bahá'u'lláh) Shoghi Effendi, the one most responsible for the organization of the Bahá’i Faith, including its missionary work in the United States.
Allow me to offer some examples of how their website explains some beliefs and practices of the Bahá’i Faith:
In summary, the spiritual reason for our life on earth is to provide us with a training ground; our life is a period of growth during which we focus on the development of our innate spiritual and intellectual capacities. Because these capacities are faculties of our immortal soul, they are eternal, and we must make great efforts to develop them. But such efforts are worthwhile, since the soul is the only part of us which endures. Whatever promotes our spiritual development is good, and whatever hinders it is bad.
For Bahá’ís, the concepts of Heaven and Hell are allegories for nearness and remoteness from God. When we die, the condition of our souls determines our experience of the afterlife. Heaven and Hell are not physical places, but spiritual realities.
on marriage and family life a number of selection:
Bahá'ís understand that the family is the basic unit of society. Unless this all-important building block is healthy and unified, society itself cannot be healthy and unified. Monogamous marriage stands at the foundation of family life.
Bahá'u'lláh said marriage is "a fortress for well-being and salvation." The Bahá'í writings further state that married couples should strive to become "loving companions and comrades and at one with each other for time and eternity..."
As in most religions, the marriage vow is considered sacred in the Bahá'í Faith. The partners are expected to be absolutely faithful to each other.
The Faith's emphasis on the equality of women and men, however, and its promotion of consultation as a tool for problem-solving mean that the roles of husband and wife within a Bahá'í marriage are not the traditional ones. Women are free to pursue careers that interest them; men are expected to share in household duties and child-rearing.
So-called "interracial marriage" is also encouraged in the Bahá'í teachings, which stress the essential oneness of the human race.
And several other snippets on other topics:
Bahá’ís worship God through prayer and meditation, by participating in devotional gatherings, and through active service to their communities. They individually recite one of three obligatory prayers each day as prescribed by Bahá’u’lláh. The Bahá’í scriptures offer much guidance on the uses of prayer and contain many prayers for various purposes and occasions. Moreover, work performed in the spirit of service is, according to the Bahá’í teachings, a form of worshipping God.
Bahá’u’lláh required that His followers strictly abstain from conflict and contention, which are characteristics of the partisanship practiced in present-day politics. Bahá’ís, in whatever country they reside, are prohibited from holding membership in any political party.
It is worth noting that the members of The Faith are allowed to vote, encouraged to participate in society, and may hold non-governmental appointments in service of society. We further read
The principle of noninvolvement in politics is closely related, both in belief and practice, to the Bahá’í teaching of loyalty to government in power.
Bahá’u’lláh called upon His followers to obey the government in power at a given time, and to refrain strictly from any attempts to subvert or undermine it. Should the government of a nation change, the Bahá’í community must, in the same spirit of faithfulness, give its loyalty to the new administration, in every fashion consistent with the principle of nonpolitical involvement.
Here I might remind people that St. Paul urged obedience to the authorities of the Roman Empire, although that might best be understood in light of the expectation of the early Christians of the Parousia, the imminent return of Jesus and the ensuing final judgment.
Bahá’ís are strong environmentalists, as can be seen on this page from their website, from which I offer only this:
Bahá'í Scriptures teach that, as trustees of the planet's vast resources and biological diversity, humanity must seek to protect the "heritage [of] future generations;" see in nature a reflection of the divine; approach the earth, the source of material bounties, with humility; temper its actions with moderation; and be guided by the fundamental spiritual truth of our age, the oneness of humanity. The speed and facility with which we establish a sustainable pattern of life will depend, in the final analysis, on the extent to which we are willing to be transformed, through the love of God and obedience to His Laws, into constructive forces in the process of creating an ever-advancing civilization.
Much of the appeal of the teaching the Bahá’í Faith comes from its emphasis on the oneness of humankind, of the universality of religion (which should be unified), and to creating a new and peaceful world civilization based on principles of justice, prosperity, and continuing advancement. For Bahá’ís, religion is seen as orderly, unified, and progressive from age to age. I suspect that the equality of women and the acceptance of interracial marriage also exercised a strong appeal in the late 60s and early 70s.
As noted, I am not a Bahá’í. Nor am I suggesting that others should pursue the Bahá’í Faith, or any other religious path. I choose to use the occasion of this date to try to help us understand something about a religious faith that in less than two centuries has grown to what some authorities now say is more than 7 million people, despite attempts to suppress it in the land of its founding.
Let me offer one more quotation from Bahá’u’lláh, found on the home page of The Faith:
"If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship and love, every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty, and discover the secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure."
Whether or not one is drawn to the Faith itself, can we not each in our own fashion hope for much what you have just read in the final quotation?
Peace.