faith: what does it mean to be a Bahá'í?

What is a Bahá'í?

Members of the Bahá'í Faith are called Bahá'ís. It's pronounced buh-HI. It means "A follower of the Glory" in the Farsi (Persian) language. The Glory refers to Bahá'u'lláh, the central figure of the Faith. His name is pronounced buh-HA-oo-la and means "The Glory of God" in Farsi.

Where does the Faith come from?

The Bahá'í Faith originated in the country that is now Iran. The two prophet-founders of the Faith, The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, were born in what was then called Persia in the mid-1800s. Most of the earliest believers were Persian.

Are most Bahá'ís Persian?

Good question. In the intervening years the Faith has spread around the globe. There are now Bahá'ís in every corner of the world, of every race, religious and ethnic background. That said, there remain noticeable Persian elements and many Persian believers, and often some really great Persian food at potluck dinners. The Bahá'ís constitute the largest religious minority in Iran today, more than Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians combined.

What do Bahá'ís believe in?

Bahá'ís believe that The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh are Manifestations of God, similar to the station of Jesus or Mohammed or Moses. Bahá'ís believe that God sends new teachings when we are mature enough to understand and follow them. The Báb and Bahá'u'lláh are the teachers for our age. The picture to the left shows the room in the house of The Báb where he declared His mission in 1844.

The key to understanding the Bahá'ís Faith is Unity. Bahá'ís believe in one God, one world, the elimination of predjudice of all kinds, the equality of the races, the equality of men and women. There are no schisms or sects in the Bahá'í Faith, there are only Bahá'ís.

Bahá'ís believe in the oneness of all the revealed religions, in the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty, and in the desirability of a system of world government that promotes peace. Bahá'ís believe that religion and science agree, and that it is the responsibility of each individual to seek the truth.

Do Bahá'ís believe in Jesus?

Bahá'ís believe that Jesus was God's messenger or Manifestation for his age. Other such messengers include Moses, Mohammed, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, The Báb and Abraham. Bahá'ís believe that Bahá'u'lláh is the Manifestation of God for our age. Bahá'ís often study the revealed scriptures of earlier religions, including the Bible and the Qur'án.

Do Bahá'ís have a book of scriptures like the Bible?

Bahá'ís are blessed with many scriptures revealed by Bahá'u'lláh. Some are in the form of letters or tablets to early believers. Others are in book form. Over the course of Bahá'u'lláh's 40 year mission, he revealed an "Ocean of Knowledge". Unlike the revealed scriptures of earlier faiths, many of the original Bahá'í scriptures are carefully preserved in the archives of the Bahá'í World Center in Haifa, Israel. Some of the most widely-read Bahá'í scriptures include:

• Bahá'í Prayers is a small compilation of prayers revealed by Bahá'u'lláh, The Báb and 'Abdul-Bahá.
• The Hidden Words contains tiny gems of Bahá'u'lláh's spiritual poetry, reminiscent of Rumí.
• Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh compiles some of the most important passages from many letters and scriptures into one volume.
• The Kitáb-I-Aqdas or Most Holy Book contains laws and instructions revealed by Bahá'u'lláh that Bahá'ís follow in everyday life.

What sort of laws do Bahá'ís follow?

Bahá'ís follow a variety of laws pertaining to both spiritual practice and everyday life. Some of the spiritual laws include daily obligatory prayers, study of the scriptures, observance of holy days, and a period of fasting every year. Some of the personal laws cover the need for trustworthiness and honesty, avoidance of backbiting, the importance of working at a trade or profession, showing fellowship to followers of all faiths, and steering clear of alcohol and drugs. It is not easy following Bahá'í laws in today's world.

The fast extends throughout one Bahá'í month of 19 days. Bahá'ís do not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset during this period. Bahá'í's cherish the fast as a time of prayer and personal reflection.

What's that shiny thing in the picture?

The photo above shows calligraphy of what Bahá'ís call The Greatest Name in Arabic, as it appears above the entrance of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, the holiest place in the Bahá'í world. It is translated either O Glory of Glories or O Glory of the All-Glorious. The Greatest Name, the nine-pointed star, and the Bahá'í ringstone symbol are all symbols of the Faith. The Bahá'í ringstone symbol is shown below.

Do Bahá'ís have priests or mullahs or bishops or something?

Nope. There are no clergy in the Bahá'í Faith. There's a lot of group leadership through institutions called Spiritual Assemblies. These exist at local, national and international levels, and all are elected. Individuals are responsible for personal teaching and devotionals, while the institutions may take or delegate responsibility for planning community activities, like schools, conferences and holy day observances. A fair amount of what Bahá'ís call consultation with each other helps keep everyone working towards common goals.

I'm curious / alarmed / want to join right now / doing a high school paper and want to learn more

The Bahá'í links page on this site is a good starting point. It includes links to search engines, compilations of Bahá'í writings, Bahá'í news and events and other topics of interest. Thanks for visiting!