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Wikipedia

Baháʼí Faith

March 02, 2023

This article is about the global religious community. For other related uses, see Bahai (disambiguation).

The Baháʼí Faith is a religion[a] founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people.[b] Established by Baháʼu'lláh, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception.[13] The religion is estimated to have 5–8 million adherents, known as Baháʼís, spread throughout most of the world's countries and territories.

Baháʼí Faith
Seat of the Universal House of Justice, governing body of the Baháʼís, in Haifa, Israel
TypeIndependent World Religion
ClassificationAbrahamic
ScriptureKitáb-i-Aqdas, various other Baháʼí literature
TheologyMonotheistic
RegionWidely distributed as minorities with no racial or national focus
LanguagePersian, Arabic, English
FounderBaháʼu'lláh
Origin19th century
Members5–8 million
This article contains Persian text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols.

The Baháʼí Faith has three central figures: the Báb (1819–1850), considered a herald who taught his followers that God would soon send a prophet similar to Jesus or Muhammad and who was executed by Iranian authorities in 1850; Baháʼu'lláh (1817–1892), who claimed to be that prophet in 1863 and faced exile and imprisonment for most of his life; and his son, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (1844–1921), who was released from confinement in 1908 and made teaching trips to Europe and the United States. After ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's death in 1921, the leadership of the religion fell to his grandson Shoghi Effendi (1897–1957). Baháʼís annually elect local, regional, and national Spiritual Assemblies that govern the religion's affairs, and every five years an election is held for the Universal House of Justice, the nine-member supreme governing institution of the worldwide Baháʼí community that is located in Haifa, Israel, near the Shrine of the Báb.

According to Baháʼí teachings, religion is revealed in an orderly and progressive way by a single God through Manifestations of God, who are the founders of major world religions throughout history; Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad are noted as the most recent of these, before the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh. Baháʼís regard the world's major religions as fundamentally unified in purpose, though diverging in social practices and interpretations. The Baháʼí Faith stresses the unity of all people, explicitly rejecting racism, sexism, and nationalism. At the heart of Baháʼí teachings is the goal of a unified world order that ensures the prosperity of all nations, races, creeds, and classes.[14][15]

Letters which were written by Baháʼu'lláh and sent to various people, including some heads of state, have been collected and assembled into a canon of Baháʼí scripture. This collection of scripture includes works by his son ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, and by the Báb, who is regarded as Baháʼu'lláh's forerunner. Prominent among the works of Baháʼí literature are the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, the Kitáb-i-Íqán, Some Answered Questions, and The Dawn-Breakers.

Etymology

Main article: Baháʼí orthography

The word Baháʼí (بهائی) is used either as an adjective to refer to the Baháʼí Faith or as a term for a follower of Baháʼu'lláh. The proper name of the religion is the Baháʼí Faith, not Baháʼí or Baha'ism (the latter, once common among academics, is regarded as derogatory by the Baháʼís).[16][17] It is derived from the Arabic Baháʼ (بهاء), a name Baháʼu'lláh chose for himself, referring to the 'glory' or 'splendor' of God. In English, the word is commonly pronounced bə-HYE (/bəˈhaɪ/), but the more accurate rendering of the Arabic is bə-HAH-ee (/bəˈhɑːʔiː/).

The accent marks above the letters, representing long vowels, derive from a system of transliterating Arabic and Persian script that was adopted by Baháʼís in 1923, and which has been used in almost all Baháʼí publications since.[16] Baháʼís prefer the orthographies Baháʼí, the Báb, Baháʼu'lláh, and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. "Bahai", "Bahais", "Bahaʼi", "the Bab", "Bahaullah" and "Bahaʼullah" are often used when accent marks are unavailable.

Beliefs

Main article: Baháʼí teachings
 
Baháʼí House of Worship in Ingleside, Sydney, Australia

The teachings of Baháʼu'lláh form the foundation of Baháʼí belief. Three principles are central to these teachings: the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of humanity.[18] Baha'is believe that God periodically reveals his will through divine messengers, whose purpose is to transform the character of humankind and to develop, within those who respond, moral and spiritual qualities. Religion is thus seen as orderly, unified, and progressive from age to age.[19]

God

Main article: God in the Baháʼí Faith

The Baháʼí writings describe a single, personal, inaccessible, omniscient, omnipresent, imperishable, and almighty God who is the creator of all things in the universe.[20] The existence of God and the universe is thought to be eternal, without a beginning or end.[21] Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of creation, with a will and purpose expressed through messengers called Manifestations of God.[22]

Baháʼí teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, or to create a complete and accurate image of by themselves. Therefore, human understanding of God is achieved through his revelations via his Manifestations.[23][24][better source needed] In the Baháʼí Faith, God is often referred to by titles and attributes (for example, the All-Powerful, or the All-Loving), and there is a substantial emphasis on monotheism. Baháʼí teachings state that the attributes applied to God are used to translate Godliness into human terms and to help people concentrate on their own attributes in worshipping God to develop their potentialities on their spiritual path.[23][24][better source needed] According to the Baháʼí teachings the human purpose is to learn to know and love God through such methods as prayer, reflection, and being of service to others.[23][better source needed]

Religion

Main article: Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion
See also: Progressive revelation (Baháʼí)
 
Symbols of many religions on a pillar of the Baháʼí House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.

Baháʼí notions of progressive religious revelation result in their accepting the validity of the well known religions of the world, whose founders and central figures are seen as Manifestations of God.[25] Religious history is interpreted as a series of dispensations, where each manifestation brings a somewhat broader and more advanced revelation that is rendered as a text of scripture and passed on through history with greater or lesser reliability but at least true in substance,[26] suited for the time and place in which it was expressed.[21] Specific religious social teachings (for example, the direction of prayer, or dietary restrictions) may be revoked by a subsequent manifestation so that a more appropriate requirement for the time and place may be established. Conversely, certain general principles (for example, neighbourliness, or charity) are seen to be universal and consistent. In Baháʼí belief, this process of progressive revelation will not end; it is, however, believed to be cyclical. Baháʼís do not expect a new manifestation of God to appear within 1000 years of Baháʼu'lláh's revelation.[27]

Baháʼís assert that their religion is a distinct tradition with its own scriptures and laws, and not a sect of another religion.[28] The religion was initially seen as a sect of Islam because of its origins. Most religious specialists now see it as an independent religion, with its religious background in Shiʻa Islam being seen as analogous to the Jewish context in which Christianity was established.[29] Baháʼís describe their faith as an independent world religion, differing from the other traditions in its relative age and in the appropriateness of Baháʼu'lláh's teachings to the modern context.[30][better source needed] Baháʼu'lláh is believed to have fulfilled the messianic expectations of these precursor faiths.[31]

Human beings

See also: Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity and Baháʼí Faith on life after death
 
The ringstone symbol, representing humanity's connection to God.

The Baháʼí writings state that human beings have a "rational soul", and that this provides the species with a unique capacity to recognize God's status and humanity's relationship with its creator. Every human is seen to have a duty to recognize God through his Messengers, and to conform to their teachings.[32] Through recognition and obedience, service to humanity and regular prayer and spiritual practice, the Baháʼí writings state that the soul becomes closer to God, the spiritual ideal in Baháʼí belief. According to Baháʼí belief when a human dies the soul is permanently separated from the body and carries on in the next world where it is judged based on the person's actions in the physical world. Heaven and Hell are taught to be spiritual states of nearness or distance from God that describe relationships in this world and the next, and not physical places of reward and punishment achieved after death.[33]

The Baháʼí writings emphasize the essential equality of human beings, and the abolition of prejudice. Humanity is seen as essentially one, though highly varied; its diversity of race and culture are seen as worthy of appreciation and acceptance. Doctrines of racism, nationalism, caste, social class, and gender-based hierarchy are seen as artificial impediments to unity.[18] The Baháʼí teachings state that the unification of humanity is the paramount issue in the religious and political conditions of the present world.[21]

Social principles

When ʻAbdu'l-Bahá first traveled to Europe and America in 1911–1912, he gave public talks that articulated the basic principles of the Baháʼí Faith.[34] These included preaching on the equality of men and women, race unity, the need for world peace, and other progressive ideas for the early 20th century. Published summaries of the Baháʼí teachings often include a list of these principles, and lists vary on wording and what is included.[35]

The concept of the unity of mankind, seen by Baháʼís as an ancient truth, is the starting point for many of the ideas. The equality of races and the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty, for example, are implications of that unity.[36] Another outgrowth of the concept is the need for a united world federation, and some practical recommendations to encourage its realization involve the establishment of a universal language, a standard economy and system of measurement, universal compulsory education, and an international court of arbitration to settle disputes between nations.[37] Nationalism, according to this viewpoint, should be abandoned in favor of allegiance to the whole of mankind. With regard to the pursuit of world peace, Baháʼu'lláh prescribed a world-embracing collective security arrangement.[38]

Other Baháʼí social principles revolve around spiritual unity. Religion is viewed as progressive from age to age, but to recognize a newer revelation one has to abandon tradition and independently investigate. Baháʼís are taught to view religion as a source of unity, and religious prejudice as destructive. Science is also viewed in harmony with true religion.[35] Though Baháʼu'lláh and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá called for a united world that is free of war, they also anticipate that over the long term, the establishment of a lasting peace (The Most Great Peace) and the purging of the "overwhelming Corruptions" requires that the people of the world unite under a universal faith with spiritual virtues and ethics to complement material civilization.[38]

Shoghi Effendi, the head of the religion from 1921 to 1957, wrote the following summary of what he considered to be the distinguishing principles of Baháʼu'lláh's teachings, which, he said, together with the laws and ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas constitute the bedrock of the Baháʼí Faith:

The independent search after truth, unfettered by superstition or tradition; the oneness of the entire human race, the pivotal principle and fundamental doctrine of the Faith; the basic unity of all religions; the condemnation of all forms of prejudice, whether religious, racial, class or national; the harmony which must exist between religion and science; the equality of men and women, the two wings on which the bird of human kind is able to soar; the introduction of compulsory education; the adoption of a universal auxiliary language; the abolition of the extremes of wealth and poverty; the institution of a world tribunal for the adjudication of disputes between nations; the exaltation of work, performed in the spirit of service, to the rank of worship; the glorification of justice as the ruling principle in human society, and of religion as a bulwark for the protection of all peoples and nations; and the establishment of a permanent and universal peace as the supreme goal of all mankind—these stand out as the essential elements [which Baháʼu'lláh proclaimed].[39][40]

Covenant

Main article: Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh

Baháʼís highly value unity, and Baháʼu'lláh clearly established rules for holding the community together and resolving disagreements. Within this framework no individual follower may propose 'inspired' or 'authoritative' interpretations of scripture, and individuals agree to support the line of authority established in Baháʼí scriptures.[41] This practice has left the Baháʼí community unified and avoided any serious fracturing.[42] The Universal House of Justice is the final authority to resolve any disagreements among Baháʼís, and the dozen or so attempts at schism[43] have all either become extinct or remained extremely small, numbering a few hundred collectively.[44][45] The followers of such divisions are regarded as Covenant-breakers and shunned.[46]

Sacred texts

Main article: Baháʼí literature

The canonical texts of the Baháʼí Faith are the writings of the Báb, Baháʼu'lláh, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice, and the authenticated talks of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. The writings of the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh are considered as divine revelation, the writings and talks of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá and the writings of Shoghi Effendi as authoritative interpretation, and those of the Universal House of Justice as authoritative legislation and elucidation. Some measure of divine guidance is assumed for all of these texts.[47]

Some of Baháʼu'lláh's most important writings include the Kitáb-i-Aqdas ("Most Holy Book"), which defines many laws and practices for individuals and society,[48] the Kitáb-i-Íqán ("Book of Certitude"), which became the foundation of much of Baháʼí belief,[49] and Gems of Divine Mysteries, which includes further doctrinal foundations. Although the Baháʼí teachings have a strong emphasis on social and ethical issues, a number of foundational texts have been described as mystical.[21] These include the Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys.[50] The Seven Valleys was written to a follower of Sufism, in the style of ʻAttar, the Persian Muslim poet,[51] and sets forth the stages of the soul's journey towards God. It was first translated into English in 1906, becoming one of the earliest available books of Baháʼu'lláh to the West. The Hidden Words is another book written by Baháʼu'lláh during the same period, containing 153 short passages in which Baháʼu'lláh claims to have taken the basic essence of certain spiritual truths and written them in brief form.[52]

History

Main article: History of the Baháʼí Faith
 
Shrine of the Báb in Haifa, Israel
Baháʼí timeline
1817 Baháʼu'lláh was born in Tehran, Iran
1819 The Báb was born in Shiraz, Iran
1844 The Báb declares his mission in Shiraz, Iran
1850 The Báb is publicly executed in Tabriz, Iran
1852 Thousands of Bábís are executed
Baháʼu'lláh is imprisoned and forced into exile
1863 Baháʼu'lláh first announces his claim to divine revelation in Baghdad, Iraq.
He is forced to leave Baghdad for Istanbul, then Adrianople
1868 Baháʼu'lláh is forced into harsher confinement in ʻAkká, in Palestine
1892 Baháʼu'lláh dies near ʻAkká
His Will appointed ʻAbdu'l-Bahá as successor
1908 ʻAbdu'l-Bahá is released from prison
1921 ʻAbdu'l-Bahá dies in Haifa
His Will appointed Shoghi Effendi as Guardian
1957 Shoghi Effendi dies in England
1963 The Universal House of Justice is first elected

The Baháʼí Faith traces its beginnings to the religion of the Báb and the Shaykhi movement that immediately preceded it. The Báb was a merchant who began preaching in 1844 that he was the bearer of a new revelation from God, but was rejected by the generality of Islamic clergy in Iran, ending in his public execution for the crime of heresy.[53] The Báb taught that God would soon send a new messenger, and Baháʼís consider Baháʼu'lláh to be that person.[54] Although they are distinct movements, the Báb is so interwoven into Baháʼí theology and history that Baháʼís celebrate his birth, death, and declaration as holy days, consider him one of their three central figures (along with Baháʼu'lláh and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá), and a historical account of the Bábí movement (The Dawn-Breakers) is considered one of three books that every Baháʼí should "master" and read "over and over again".[55]

The Baháʼí community was mostly confined to the Iranian and Ottoman empires until after the death of Baháʼu'lláh in 1892, at which time he had followers in 13 countries of Asia and Africa.[56] Under the leadership of his son, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, the religion gained a footing in Europe and America, and was consolidated in Iran, where it still suffers intense persecution.[13] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's death in 1921 marks the end of what Baháʼís call the "heroic age" of the religion.[57]

Báb

Main article: Báb

On the evening of 22 May 1844, Siyyid ʻAlí-Muhammad of Shiraz gained his first convert and took on the title of "the Báb" (الباب "Gate"), referring to his later claim to the status of Mahdi of Shiʻa Islam.[13] His followers were therefore known as Bábís. As the Báb's teachings spread, which the Islamic clergy saw as blasphemous, his followers came under increased persecution and torture.[21] The conflicts escalated in several places to military sieges by the Shah's army. The Báb himself was imprisoned and eventually executed in 1850.[58]

Baháʼís see the Báb as the forerunner of the Baháʼí Faith, because the Báb's writings introduced the concept of "He whom God shall make manifest", a messianic figure whose coming, according to Baháʼís, was announced in the scriptures of all of the world's great religions, and whom Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, claimed to be.[21] The Báb's tomb, located in Haifa, Israel, is an important place of pilgrimage for Baháʼís. The remains of the Báb were brought secretly from Iran to the Holy Land and eventually interred in the tomb built for them in a spot specifically designated by Baháʼu'lláh.[59] The writings of the Báb are considered inspired scripture by Baháʼís, though having been superseded by the laws and teachings of Baháʼu'lláh.[60] The main written works translated into English of the Báb are compiled in Selections from the Writings of the Báb (1976) out of the estimated 135 works.[61][62]

Baháʼu'lláh

Main article: Baháʼu'lláh

Mírzá Husayn ʻAlí Núrí was one of the early followers of the Báb,[63] and later took the title of Baháʼu'lláh.[64] In August 1852, a few Bábís[65] made a failed attempt to assassinate the Shah.[66] The Persian government responded by killing and in some cases torturing about 50 Bábís in Tehran initially,[66] further bloodshed was spread around the country: hundreds were reported in period newspapers by October, and tens of thousands by the end of December.[67] Baháʼu'lláh was not involved in the assassination attempt but was imprisoned in Tehran until his release was arranged four months later by the Russian ambassador, after which he joined other Bábís in exile in Baghdad.[68]

Shortly thereafter he was expelled from Iran and traveled to Baghdad, in the Ottoman Empire.[18] In Baghdad, his leadership revived the persecuted followers of the Báb in Iran, so Iranian authorities requested his removal, which instigated a summons to Constantinople (now Istanbul) from the Ottoman Sultan. In 1863, at the time of his removal from Baghdad, Baháʼu'lláh first announced his claim of prophethood to his family and followers, which he said came to him years earlier while in a dungeon of Tehran.[18] From the time of the initial exile from Iran, tensions grew between him and Subh-i-Azal, the appointed leader of the Bábís, who did not recognize Baháʼu'lláh's claim. Throughout the rest of his life Baháʼu'lláh gained the allegiance of almost all of the Bábís, who came to be known as Baháʼís, while a remnant of Bábís became known as Azalis.[69]

He spent less than four months in Constantinople. After receiving chastising letters from Baháʼu'lláh, Ottoman authorities turned against him and put him under house arrest in Adrianople (now Edirne), where he remained for four years, until a royal decree of 1868 banished all Bábís to either Cyprus or ʻAkká.

It was in or near the Ottoman penal colony of ʻAkká, in present-day Israel, that Baháʼu'lláh spent the remainder of his life. After initially strict and harsh confinement, he was allowed to live in a home near ʻAkká, while still officially a prisoner of that city.[70] He died there in 1892. Baháʼís regard his resting place at Bahjí as the Qiblih to which they turn in prayer each day.[71]

He produced over 18,000 works in his lifetime, in both Arabic and Persian, of which only 8% have been translated into English.[72] During the period in Adrianople, he began declaring his mission as a Messenger of God in letters to the world's religious and secular rulers, including Pope Pius IX, Napoleon III, and Queen Victoria.[73]

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá

Main article: ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
 
ʻAbdu'l-Bahá

ʻAbbás Effendi was Baháʼu'lláh's eldest son, known by the title of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (Servant of Bahá). His father left a will that appointed ʻAbdu'l-Bahá as the leader of the Baháʼí community.[74] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá had shared his father's long exile and imprisonment, which continued until ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's own release as a result of the Young Turk Revolution in 1908. Following his release he led a life of travelling, speaking, teaching, and maintaining correspondence with communities of believers and individuals, expounding the principles of the Baháʼí Faith.[18]

As of 2020, there are over 38,000 extant documents containing the words of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, which are of widely varying lengths.[75] Only a fraction of these documents have been translated into English.[needs update][62] Among the more well known are The Secret of Divine Civilization, Some Answered Questions, the Tablet to Auguste-Henri Forel, the Tablets of the Divine Plan, and the Tablet to The Hague.[75] Additionally notes taken of a number of his talks were published in various volumes like Paris Talks during his journeys to the West.

Shoghi Effendi

Main article: Shoghi Effendi

Baháʼu'lláh's Kitáb-i-Aqdas and The Will and Testament of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá are foundational documents of the Baháʼí administrative order. Baháʼu'lláh established the elected Universal House of Justice, and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá established the appointed hereditary Guardianship and clarified the relationship between the two institutions.[76] In his Will, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá appointed Shoghi Effendi, his eldest grandson, as the first Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith. Shoghi Effendi served for 36 years as the head of the religion until his death.[77]

Throughout his lifetime, Shoghi Effendi translated Baháʼí texts; developed global plans for the expansion of the Baháʼí community; developed the Baháʼí World Centre; carried on a voluminous correspondence with communities and individuals around the world; and built the administrative structure of the religion, preparing the community for the election of the Universal House of Justice.[18] He unexpectedly died after a brief illness on 4 November 1957, in London, England, under conditions that did not allow for a successor to be appointed.[78][79]

In 1937, Shoghi Effendi launched a seven-year plan for the Baháʼís of North America, followed by another in 1946. In 1953, he launched the first international plan, the Ten Year World Crusade. This plan included extremely ambitious goals for the expansion of Baháʼí communities and institutions, the translation of Baháʼí texts into several new languages, and the sending of Baháʼí pioneers into previously unreached nations.[80] He announced in letters during the Ten Year Crusade that it would be followed by other plans under the direction of the Universal House of Justice, which was elected in 1963 at the culmination of the Crusade.

Universal House of Justice

Main article: Universal House of Justice
 
The Baháʼí House of Worship, Wilmette, Illinois, is the oldest surviving Baháʼí House of Worship in the world.[81]

Since 1963, the Universal House of Justice has been the elected head of the Baháʼí Faith. The general functions of this body are defined through the writings of Baháʼu'lláh and clarified in the writings of Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. These functions include teaching and education, implementing Baháʼí laws, addressing social issues, and caring for the weak and the poor.[82]

Starting with the Nine Year Plan that began in 1964, the Universal House of Justice has directed the work of the Baháʼí community through a series of multi-year international plans.[83][84] Starting with the Nine-Year Plan that began in 1964, the Baháʼí leadership sought to continue the expansion of the religion but also to "consolidate" new members, meaning increase their knowledge of the Baháʼí teachings.[85] In this vein, in the 1970s, the Ruhi Institute was founded by Baháʼís in Colombia to offer short courses on Baháʼí beliefs, ranging in length from a weekend to nine days.[85] The associated Ruhi Foundation, whose purpose was to systematically "consolidate" new Baháʼís, was registered in 1992, and since the late 1990s the courses of the Ruhi Institute have been the dominant way of teaching the Baháʼí Faith around the world.[85] By 2013 there were over 300 Baháʼí training institutes around the world and 100,000 people participating in courses.[86] The courses of the Ruhi Institute train communities to self-organize classes for the spiritual education of children and youth, among other activities.[86] Additional lines of action the Universal House of Justice has encouraged for the contemporary Baháʼí community include social action and participation in the prevalent discourses of society.[87]

Annually, on 21 April, the Universal House of Justice sends a 'Ridván' message to the worldwide Baháʼí community,[88] that updates Baháʼís on current developments and provides further guidance for the year to come.[c]

At local, regional, and national levels, Baháʼís elect members to nine-person Spiritual Assemblies, which run the affairs of the religion. There are also appointed individuals working at various levels, including locally and internationally, which perform the function of propagating the teachings and protecting the community. The latter do not serve as clergy, which the Baháʼí Faith does not have.[21][89] The Universal House of Justice remains the supreme governing body of the Baháʼí Faith, and its 9 members are elected every five years by the members of all National Spiritual Assemblies.[90] Any male Baháʼí, 21 years or older, is eligible to be elected to the Universal House of Justice; all other positions are open to male and female Baháʼís.[91]

Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa, who became Baháʼí in 1968 and died in 2007, was the first serving head of state to embrace the Baháʼí Faith.[92]

Demographics

Further information: Baháʼí Faith by country
 
The Lotus Temple, the first Baháʼí House of Worship of India, built in 1986. It attracts an estimated 4.5 million visitors a year.

As of around 2020, there were about 8 million Bahá'ís in the world.[93][94] In 2013, two scholars of demography wrote that, "The Baha'i Faith is the only religion to have grown faster in every United Nations region over the past 100 years than the general population; Bahaʼi [sic] was thus the fastest-growing religion between 1910 and 2010, growing at least twice as fast as the population of almost every UN region."[95] (See Growth of religion.)

The largest proportions of the total world Bahá'í population[96] were found in sub-Saharan Africa (29.9%) and South Asia (26.8%), followed by Southeast Asia (12.7%) and Latin America (12.2%). Lesser populations are found in North America (7.6%) and the Middle East/North Africa (6.2%), while the smallest populations in Europe (2.0%), Australasia (1.6%), and Northeast Asia (0.9%). In 2015, the internationally recognized religion was the second-largest international religion in Iran,[97] Panama,[98] Belize,[99] Bolivia,[100] Zambia,[101] and Papua New Guinea;[102] and the third-largest in Chad,[103] and Kenya.[104]

From the Bahá'í Faith's origins in the 19th century until the 1950s, the vast majority of Baháʼís were found in Iran; converts from outside Iran were mostly found in India and the Western world.[105] From having roughly 200,000 Baháʼís in 1950,[106] the religion grew to having over 4 million by the late 1980s, with a widespread international distribution.[105][107] Most of the growth in the late 20th century was seeded out of North America by means of the planned migration of individuals.[108] Yet, rather than being a cultural spread from either Iran or North America, in 2001, sociologist David B. Barrett wrote that the Baháʼí Faith is, "A world religion with no racial or national focus".[109] However, the growth has not been even. From the late 1920s to the late 1980s the religion was harassed and banned in the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc,[110][111][112] and then again from the 1970s into the 1990s across some countries in sub-Saharan Africa.[83][113] The most intense opposition has been in Iran and neighboring Shia-majority countries,[114] considered by some scholars and watch agencies as a case of attempted genocide.[13][115][116][117] Meanwhile in other times or places the religion has experienced surges in growth. Before it was banned in certain countries, the religion "hugely increased" in sub-Saharan Africa.[118] In 1989 the Universal House of Justice named Bolivia, Bangladesh, Haiti, India, Liberia, Peru, the Philippines, and Taiwan as countries where growth in the religion had been notable in the previous decades.[119] Bahá'í sources claimed "more than five million" Bahá'ís in 1991-2.[120] However, since around 2001 the Universal House of Justice has prioritized statistics of the community by their levels of activity rather than simply their population of avowed adherents or numbers of local assemblies.[121][122][123]

Because Bahá'ís do not represent the majority of the population in any country,[124] and most often represent only a tiny fraction of countries' total populations,[125] there are problems of under-reporting.[126] In addition, there are examples where the adherents have their highest density among minorities in societies who face their own challenges.[127][128]

Social practices

See also: Baháʼí laws

Exhortations

The following are a few examples from Baháʼu'lláh's teachings on personal conduct that are required or encouraged of his followers:

  • Baháʼís over the age of 15 should individually recite an obligatory prayer each day, using fixed words and form.[129]
  • In addition to the daily obligatory prayer, Baháʼís should offer daily devotional prayer and should meditate and study sacred scripture.[130]
  • Adult Baháʼís should observe a Nineteen-Day Fast each year during daylight hours in March, with certain exemptions.[131]
  • There are specific requirements for Baháʼí burial that include a specified prayer to be read at the interment. Embalming or cremating the body is strongly discouraged.[citation needed]
  • Baháʼís should make a 19% voluntary payment on any wealth in excess of what is necessary to live comfortably, after the remittance of any outstanding debt. The payments go to the Universal House of Justice.[131]

Prohibitions

The following are a few examples from Baháʼu'lláh's teachings on personal conduct that is prohibited or discouraged:

The observance of personal laws, such as prayer or fasting, is the sole responsibility of the individual.[137] There are, however, occasions when a Baháʼí might be administratively expelled from the community for a public disregard of the laws, or gross immorality. Such expulsions are administered by the National Spiritual Assembly and do not involve shunning.[138]

While some of the laws from the Kitáb-i-Aqdas are applicable at the present time, others are dependent upon the existence of a predominantly Baháʼí society, such as the punishments for arson or murder.[139] The laws, when not in direct conflict with the civil laws of the country of residence, are binding on every Baháʼí.[140][141]

Marriage

Main article: Baháʼí marriage

The purpose of marriage in the Baháʼí Faith is mainly to foster spiritual harmony, fellowship and unity between a man and a woman and to provide a stable and loving environment for the rearing of children.[142] The Baháʼí teachings on marriage call it a fortress for well-being and salvation and place marriage and the family as the foundation of the structure of human society.[143] Baháʼu'lláh highly praised marriage, discouraged divorce, and required chastity outside of marriage; Baháʼu'lláh taught that a husband and wife should strive to improve the spiritual life of each other.[144] Interracial marriage is also highly praised throughout Baháʼí scripture.[143]

Baháʼís intending to marry are asked to obtain a thorough understanding of the other's character before deciding to marry.[143] Although parents should not choose partners for their children, once two individuals decide to marry, they must receive the consent of all living biological parents, whether they are Baháʼí or not. The Baháʼí marriage ceremony is simple; the only compulsory part of the wedding is the reading of the wedding vows prescribed by Baháʼu'lláh which both the groom and the bride read, in the presence of two witnesses.[143] The vows are "We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God."[143]

Transgender people can gain recognition of their gender in the Baháʼí Faith if they have medically transitioned and undergone sex reassignment surgery (SRS). After SRS, they are considered transitioned and may have a Baháʼí marriage.[145][146]

Work

Baháʼu'lláh prohibited a mendicant and ascetic lifestyle.[136] Monasticism is forbidden, and Baháʼís are taught to practice spirituality while engaging in useful work.[21] The importance of self-exertion and service to humanity in one's spiritual life is emphasised further in Baháʼu'lláh's writings, where he states that work done in the spirit of service to humanity enjoys a rank equal to that of prayer and worship in the sight of God.[21]

Places of worship

Main article: Baháʼí House of Worship
 
Baháʼí House of Worship, Langenhain, Germany

Bahá'í devotional meetings in most communities currently take place in people's homes or Bahá'í centres, but in some communities Bahá'í Houses of Worship (also known as Bahá'í temples) have been built.[147] Bahá'í Houses of Worship are places where both Baháʼís and non-Baháʼís can express devotion to God.[148] They are also known by the name Mashriqu'l-Adhkár (Arabic for "Dawning-place of the remembrance of God").[149] Only the holy scriptures of the Bahá'í Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside, and while readings and prayers that have been set to music may be sung by choirs, no musical instruments may be played inside.[150] Furthermore, no sermons may be delivered, and no ritualistic ceremonies practiced.[150] All Bahá'í Houses of Worship have a nine-sided shape (nonagon) as well as nine pathways leading outward and nine gardens surrounding them.[151] There are currently eight "continental" Bahá'í Houses of Worship and some local Bahá'í Houses of Worship completed or under construction.[79] The Bahá'í writings also envision Bahá'í Houses of Worship being surrounded by institutions for humanitarian, scientific, and educational pursuits,[149] though none has yet been built up to such an extent.[152]

Calendar

Main article: Baháʼí calendar

The Baháʼí calendar is based upon the calendar established by the Báb. The year consists of 19 months, each having 19 days, with four or five intercalary days, to make a full solar year.[18] The Baháʼí New Year corresponds to the traditional Iranian New Year, called Naw Rúz, and occurs on the vernal equinox, near 21 March, at the end of the month of fasting. Once every Baháʼí month there is a gathering of the Baháʼí community called a Nineteen Day Feast with three parts: first, a devotional part for prayer and reading from Baháʼí scripture; second, an administrative part for consultation and community matters; and third, a social part for the community to interact freely.[147]

Each of the 19 months is given a name which is an attribute of God; some examples include Baháʼ (Splendour), ʻIlm (Knowledge), and Jamál (Beauty).[153] The Baháʼí week is familiar in that it consists of seven days, with each day of the week also named after an attribute of God. Baháʼís observe 11 Holy Days throughout the year, with work suspended on 9 of these. These days commemorate important anniversaries in the history of the religion.[154]

Symbols

Main article: Baháʼí symbols
 
The calligraphy of the Greatest Name

The symbols of the religion are derived from the Arabic word Baháʼ (بهاء "splendor" or "glory"), with a numerical value of nine. This numerical connection to the name of Baháʼu'lláh, as well as nine being the highest single-digit, symbolizing completeness, are why the most common symbol of the religion is a nine-pointed star, and Baháʼí temples are nine-sided.[155][25] The nine-pointed star is commonly set on Baháʼí gravestones.[156]

The ringstone symbol and calligraphy of the Greatest Name are also often encountered. The ringstone symbol consists of two five-pointed stars interspersed with a stylized Baháʼ whose shape is meant to recall God, the Manifestation of God, and the world of man;[156] the Greatest Name is a calligraphic rendering of the phrase Yá Baháʼu'l-Abhá (يا بهاء الأبهى "O Glory of the Most Glorious!") and is commonly found in Baháʼí temples and homes.[156]

Socio-economic development

Main article: Socioeconomic development and the Baháʼí Faith
 
Students of School for Girls, Tehran, 13 August 1933. This photograph may be of the students of Tarbiyat School for Girls which was established by the Baháʼí Community of Tehran in 1911; the school was closed by government decree in 1934.[157]

Since its inception the Baháʼí Faith has had involvement in socio-economic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women,[158][better source needed] promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern,[159][better source needed] and that involvement was given practical expression by creating schools, agricultural co-ops, and clinics.[158][better source needed]

The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October 1983 was released. Baháʼís were urged to seek out ways, compatible with the Baháʼí teachings, in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived. Worldwide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Baháʼí socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482.[83]

Current initiatives of social action include activities in areas like health, sanitation, education, gender equality, arts and media, agriculture, and the environment.[160][better source needed] Educational projects include schools, which range from village tutorial schools to large secondary schools, and some universities.[161] By 2017, the Baháʼí Office of Social and Economic Development estimated that there were 40,000 small-scale projects, 1,400 sustained projects, and 135 Baháʼí-inspired organizations.[160]

United Nations

Baháʼu'lláh wrote of the need for world government in this age of humanity's collective life. Because of this emphasis the international Baháʼí community has chosen to support efforts of improving international relations through organizations such as the League of Nations and the United Nations, with some reservations about the present structure and constitution of the UN.[161] The Baháʼí International Community is an agency under the direction of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, and has consultative status with the following organizations:[162][163]

The Baháʼí International Community has offices at the United Nations in New York and Geneva and representations to United Nations regional commissions and other offices in Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Nairobi, Rome, Santiago, and Vienna.[163] In recent years, an Office of the Environment and an Office for the Advancement of Women were established as part of its United Nations Office. The Baháʼí Faith has also undertaken joint development programs with various other United Nations agencies. In the 2000 Millennium Forum of the United Nations a Baháʼí was invited as one of the only non-governmental speakers during the summit.[164][better source needed]

Persecution

Main article: Persecution of Baháʼís
 
The Baháʼí cemetery in Yazd after its desecration by the Iranian government

Baháʼís continue to be persecuted in some majority-Islamic countries, whose leaders do not recognize the Baháʼí Faith as an independent religion, but rather as apostasy from Islam. The most severe persecutions have occurred in Iran, where more than 200 Baháʼís were executed between 1978 and 1998.[165] The rights of Baháʼís have been restricted to greater or lesser extents in numerous other countries, including Egypt, Afghanistan,[166][better source needed] Indonesia,[167] Iraq,[168] Morocco,[169] Yemen,[170] and several countries in sub-Saharan Africa.[83]

Iran

The most enduring persecution of Baháʼís has been in Iran, the birthplace of the religion.[171] When the Báb started attracting a large following, the clergy hoped to stop the movement from spreading by stating that its followers were enemies of God. These clerical directives led to mob attacks and public executions.[13] Starting in the twentieth century, in addition to repression aimed at individual Baháʼís, centrally directed campaigns that targeted the entire Baháʼí community and its institutions were initiated.[172] In one case in Yazd in 1903 more than 100 Baháʼís were killed.[173] Baháʼí schools, such as the Tarbiyat boys' and girls' schools in Tehran, were closed in the 1930s and 1940s, Baháʼí marriages were not recognized and Baháʼí texts were censored.[172][174]

During the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to divert attention from economic difficulties in Iran and from a growing nationalist movement, a campaign of persecution against the Baháʼís was instituted.[d] An approved and coordinated anti-Baháʼí campaign (to incite public passion against the Baháʼís) started in 1955 and it included the spreading of anti-Baháʼí propaganda on national radio stations and in official newspapers.[172] During that campaign, initiated by Mulla Muhammad Taghi Falsafi, the Bahá'í center in Tehran was demolished at the orders of Tehran military governor, General Teymur Bakhtiar.[176] In the late 1970s the Shah's regime consistently lost legitimacy due to criticism that it was pro-Western. As the anti-Shah movement gained ground and support, revolutionary propaganda was spread which alleged that some of the Shah's advisors were Baháʼís.[177] Baháʼís were portrayed as economic threats, and as supporters of Israel and the West, and societal hostility against the Baháʼís increased.[172][178]

Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 Iranian Baháʼís have regularly had their homes ransacked or have been banned from attending university or from holding government jobs, and several hundred have received prison sentences for their religious beliefs, most recently for participating in study circles.[165] Baháʼí cemeteries have been desecrated and property has been seized and occasionally demolished, including the House of Mírzá Buzurg, Baháʼu'lláh's father.[13] The House of the Báb in Shiraz, one of three sites to which Baháʼís perform pilgrimage, has been destroyed twice.[13][179] In May 2018, the Iranian authorities expelled a young woman student from university of Isfahan because she was Baháʼí.[180] In March 2018, two more Baháʼí students were expelled from universities in the cities of Zanjan and Gilan because of their religion.

According to a US panel, attacks on Baháʼís in Iran increased under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency.[181][182] The United Nations Commission on Human Rights revealed an October 2005 confidential letter from Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Iran ordering its members to identify Baháʼís and to monitor their activities. Due to these actions, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights stated on 20 March 2006, that she "also expresses concern that the information gained as a result of such monitoring will be used as a basis for the increased persecution of, and discrimination against, members of the Baháʼí faith, in violation of international standards. The Special Rapporteur is concerned that this latest development indicates that the situation with regard to religious minorities in Iran is, in fact, deteriorating."[183]

On 14 May 2008, members of an informal body known as the "Friends" that oversaw the needs of the Baháʼí community in Iran were arrested and taken to Evin prison.[181][184] The Friends court case has been postponed several times, but was finally underway on 12 January 2010.[185] Other observers were not allowed in the court. Even the defense lawyers, who for two years have had minimal access to the defendants, had difficulty entering the courtroom. The chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said that it seems that the government has already predetermined the outcome of the case and is violating international human rights law.[185] Further sessions were held on 7 February 2010,[186] 12 April 2010[187] and 12 June 2010.[188] On 11 August 2010 it became known that the court sentence was 20 years imprisonment for each of the seven prisoners[189] which was later reduced to ten years.[190] After the sentence, they were transferred to Gohardasht prison.[191] In March 2011 the sentences were reinstated to the original 20 years.[192] On 3 January 2010, Iranian authorities detained ten more members of the Baha'i minority, reportedly including Leva Khanjani, granddaughter of Jamaloddin Khanjani, one of seven Baha'i leaders jailed since 2008 and in February, they arrested his son, Niki Khanjani.[193]

The Iranian government claims that the Baháʼí Faith is not a religion, but is instead a political organization, and hence refuses to recognize it as a minority religion.[194] However, the government has never produced convincing evidence supporting its characterization of the Baháʼí community.[195] The Iranian government also accuses the Baháʼí Faith of being associated with Zionism.[196] These accusations against the Baháʼís appear to lack basis in historical fact,[e][178][197] with some arguing they were invented by the Iranian government in order to use the Baháʼís as "scapegoats".[198]

In 2019, the Iranian government made it impossible for the Baháʼís to legally register with the Iranian state. National identity card applications in Iran no longer include the “other religions” option effectively making the Baháʼí Faith unrecognized by the state.[199]

Egypt

During the 1920s, Egypt's religious Tribunal recognized the Baha'i Faith as a new, independent religion, totally separate from Islam, due to the nature of the 'laws, principles and beliefs' of the Baha'is.

Baháʼí institutions and community activities have been illegal under Egyptian law since 1960. All Baháʼí community properties, including Baháʼí centers, libraries, and cemeteries, have been confiscated by the government and fatwas have been issued charging Baháʼís with apostasy.[200]

The Egyptian identification card controversy began in the 1990s when the government modernized the electronic processing of identity documents, which introduced a de facto requirement that documents must list the person's religion as Muslim, Christian, or Jewish (the only three religions officially recognized by the government). Consequently, Baháʼís were unable to obtain government identification documents (such as national identification cards, birth certificates, death certificates, marriage or divorce certificates, or passports) necessary to exercise their rights in their country unless they lied about their religion, which conflicts with Baháʼí religious principle. Without documents, they could not be employed, educated, treated in hospitals, travel outside of the country, or vote, among other hardships.[201][better source needed] Following a protracted legal process culminating in a court ruling favorable to the Baháʼís, the interior minister of Egypt released a decree on 14 April 2009, amending the law to allow Egyptians who are not Muslim, Christian, or Jewish to obtain identification documents that list a dash in place of one of the three recognized religions.[202][better source needed] The first identification cards were issued to two Baháʼís under the new decree on 8 August 2009.[203][better source needed]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Baháʼí Faith is described in reliable sources as a 'religion', 'sect',[1] 'relatively new religion',[2] 'world religion',[3] 'major world religion',[4] 'megareligion',[5] 'independent world religion',[6] 'new religious movement',[7] 'alternative religion',[8] and other attempts to convey that it is new (relative to well-established faiths), not mainstream, and with no racial or national focus.
  2. ^ Sources summarize the Baháʼí Faith as teaching, "the essential worth of all religions, the unity of all peoples, and the equality of the sexes",[9] "the essential unity of all religions and the unity of humanity",[10] "the spiritual unity of mankind and advocates peace and universal education",[11] "the unity of all peoples under God",[4] or "religious unity... the Oneness of Humanity... the equality of all human beings regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or social class".[12]
  3. ^ All Ridván messages can be found at Bahai.org.
  4. ^ In line with this is the thinking that the government encouraged the campaign to distract attention from more serious problems, including acute economic difficulties. Beyond this lay the difficulty which the regime faced in harnessing the nationalist movement that had supported Musaddiq.[175]
  5. ^ The Iranian leader Naser al-Din Shah Qajar banished Baháʼu'lláh from Iran to the Ottoman Empire, fron where he was later exiled by the Ottoman Sultan, at the behest of the Iranian Shah to territories further from Iran and finally to Acre, which only a century later was incorporated into the state of Israel.

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  158. ^ a b Momen 1994b: Section 9: Social and economic development
  159. ^ Kingdon 1997.
  160. ^ a b Baháʼí Office of Social and Economic Development 2018.
  161. ^ a b Momen 2007.
  162. ^ McMullen 2000, p. 39.
  163. ^ a b Baháʼí International Community 2000.
  164. ^ Baháʼí World News Service 2000.
  165. ^ a b International Federation of Human Rights 2003.
  166. ^ International Religious Freedom Report 2013, Afghanistan.
  167. ^ International Religious Freedom Report 2013, Indonesia.
  168. ^ International Religious Freedom Report 2013, Iraq.
  169. ^ International Religious Freedom Report 2013, Morocco.
  170. ^ Baháʼí World News Service 2017.
  171. ^ Hartz 2009, pp. 125–127.
  172. ^ a b c d Iran Human Rights Documentation Center 2007.
  173. ^ Nash 1982.
  174. ^ Sanasarian 2000, pp. 52–53.
  175. ^ Akhavi 1980, pp. 76–78.
  176. ^ The New York Times 1955.
  177. ^ Abrahamian 1982, p. 432.
  178. ^ a b Simpson & Shubart 1995, p. 223.
  179. ^ Netherlands Institute of Human Rights 2006.
  180. ^ Center for Human Rights in Iran 2018.
  181. ^ a b CNN 2008.
  182. ^ Sullivan 2009.
  183. ^ Jahangir 2006.
  184. ^ Iran Human Rights Documentation Center 2008b.
  185. ^ a b CNN 2010a.
  186. ^ Washington TV 2010.
  187. ^ Djavadi 2010.
  188. ^ Radio Free Europe 2010.
  189. ^ Siegal 2010.
  190. ^ CNN 2010b.
  191. ^ AFP 2011a.
  192. ^ AFP 2011b.
  193. ^ The Jerusalem Post 2010.
  194. ^ Kravetz 1982, p. 237.
  195. ^ Iran Human Rights Documentation Center 2008, p. 5.
  196. ^ Iran Human Rights Documentation Center 2007, Statement of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Buenos Aires, 26 September 1979.
  197. ^ Tavakoli-Targhi 2008, p. 200.
  198. ^ Freedman 2009.
  199. ^ "ID card law in Iran highlights plight of Baha'i – DW – 01/25/2020". dw.com.
  200. ^ International Religious Freedom Report 2013, Egypt.
  201. ^ Bigelow 2005.
  202. ^ Baháʼí World News Service 2009a.
  203. ^ Baháʼí World News Service 2009b.

References

Books

  • Abrahamian, Ervand (1982). Iran Between Two Revolutions. Princeton Book Company Publishers. ISBN 0-691-10134-5.
  • Adamson, Hugh C. (2009). The A to Z of the Baháʼí Faith. The A to Z Guide Series, No. 70. Plymouth, UK: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-6853-3.
  • Afnan, Elham (2022). "Ch. 39: Devotional Life". In Stockman, Robert H. (ed.). The World of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge. pp. 479–487. doi:10.4324/9780429027772-45. ISBN 978-1-138-36772-2. S2CID 244700641.
  • Akhavi, Shahrough (1980). Religion and Politics in Contemporary Iran: Clergy-State Relations in the Pahlavi Period. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. pp. 76–78. ISBN 0-87395-408-4.
  • Baháʼí International Community (2005). "History of Baháʼí Educational Efforts in Iran". Closed Doors: Iran's Campaign to Deny Higher Education to Baháʼís.
  • Barrett, David V. (2001). The New Believers: a survey of sects, cults, and alternative religions. London: Cassell & Co. ISBN 1-84403-040-7. OL 3999281M.
  • Effendi, Shoghi (1944). God Passes By. Wilmette, IL: Baháʼí Publishing Trust (published 1979). ISBN 0-87743-020-9.
  • Gallagher, Eugene V.; Ashcraft, W. Michael, eds. (2006). "The Baháʼís of the United States". Asian Traditions. Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America. Vol. 4. Westport, Connecticut • London: Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-275-98712-1.
  • Garlington, William (2008). The Baha'i Faith in America (Paperback ed.). Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7425-6234-9.
  • Hassall, Graham (2012). "The Bahá'í House of Worship: Localisation and Universal Form". In Cusack, Carol; Norman, Alex (eds.). Handbook of New Religions and Cultural Production. Brill Handbooks on Contemporary Religion. Vol. 4. Leiden: Brill. pp. 599–632. doi:10.1163/9789004226487_025. ISBN 978-90-04-22187-1. ISSN 1874-6691.
  • Hassal, Graham (2022). "Ch. 47: North East Asia". In Stockman, Robert H. (ed.). The World of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge. pp. 581–590. ISBN 978-1-138-36772-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)
  • Hassall, Graham (2022). "Ch. 48: Oceania". In Stockman, Robert H. (ed.). The World of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge. pp. 591–602. doi:10.4324/9780429027772-55. ISBN 978-1-138-36772-2. S2CID 244697166.
  • Hatcher, W.S.; Martin, J.D. (1998). The Baháʼí Faith: The Emerging Global Religion. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06-065441-4.
  • Hartz, Paula (2009). World Religions: Baha'i Faith (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Chelsea House Publishers. ISBN 978-1-60413-104-8.
  • Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (2008). (PDF). New Haven, CN. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2010.
  • Johnson, Todd M.; Grim, Brian J. (26 March 2013). "Global Religious Populations, 1910–2010". The World's Religions in Figures: An Introduction to International Religious Demography. John Wiley & Sons. pp. 59–62. doi:10.1002/9781118555767.ch1. ISBN 978-1-118-55576-7.
  • Kravetz, Marc (1982). Irano nox (in French). Paris: Grasset. p. 237. ISBN 2-246-24851-5.
  • MacEoin, Denis (2009). The Messiah of Shiraz: Studies in Early and Middle Babism. Brill. doi:10.1163/ej.9789004170353.i-740. ISBN 978-90-04-17035-3.
  • McMullen, Michael D. (2000). The Baha'i: The Religious Construction of a Global Identity. Atlanta, GA: Rutgers University Press. ISBN 0-8135-2836-4.
  • McMullen, Mike (27 November 2015). The Baháʼís of America: The Growth of a Religious Movement. NYU Press. ISBN 978-1-4798-5152-2.
  • Momen, Moojan (2007). "The Baháʼí Faith". In Partridge, Christopher H. (ed.). New Lion Handbook: The World's Religions (3rd ed.). Oxford, UK: Lion Hudson Plc. ISBN 978-0-7459-5266-6.
  • Momen, Wendi (2022). "Ch. 31: Marriage and family life". In Stockman, Robert H. (ed.). The World of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge. pp. 371–383. doi:10.4324/9780429027772-36. ISBN 978-1-138-36772-2. S2CID 244697438.
  • Nash, Geoffrey (1982). Iran's secret pogrom: The conspiracy to wipe out the Bahaʼis. Sudbury, Suffolk: Neville Spearman Limited. ISBN 0-85435-005-5.
  • Sanasarian, Eliz (2000). Religious Minorities in Iran. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 52–53. ISBN 0-521-77073-4.
  • Park, Ken, ed. (2004). World Almanac and Book of Facts. New York: World Almanac Books. ISBN 0-88687-910-8.
  • Simpson, John; Shubart, Tira (1995). Lifting the Veil. London: Hodder & Stoughton General Division. p. 223. ISBN 0-340-62814-6.
  • Smith, Peter (2008). An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-86251-6.
  • Smith, Peter (2022). "Ch. 41: The History of the Bábí and Bahá'í Faiths". In Stockman, Robert H. (ed.). The World of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge. pp. 501–512. doi:10.4324/9780429027772-48. ISBN 978-1-138-36772-2. S2CID 244705793.
  • Smith, Peter (2022). "Ch. 50: Southeast Asia". In Stockman, Robert H. (ed.). The World of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge. pp. 614–621. ISBN 978-1-138-36772-2.
  • Stausberg, Michael (2011). Religion and Tourism: Crossroads, Destinations, and Encounters. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-54931-8.
  • Stockman, Robert (2013). Baháʼí Faith: A Guide For The Perplexed. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-1-4411-8781-9.
  • Stockman, Robert H. (July 2020). James R. Lewis; Margo Kitts (eds.). The Bahá'í Faith, Violence, and Non-Violence. Cambridge Elements; Religion and Violence. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108613446. ISBN 978-1-108-61344-6. OCLC 1173507653. S2CID 225389995.
  • Stockman, Robert (2022). "Ch. 45: Latin America and the Caribbean". In Stockman, Robert H. (ed.). The World of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge. pp. 557–568. ISBN 978-1-138-36772-2.
  • Stockman, Robert (2022). "Ch. 46: North America". In Stockman, Robert H. (ed.). The World of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge. pp. 569–580. ISBN 978-1-138-36772-2.
  • Taherzadeh, Adib (1987). The Revelation of Baháʼu'lláh, Volume 4: Mazra'ih & Bahji 1877–92. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. p. 125. ISBN 0-85398-270-8.
  • Tavakoli-Targhi, Mohamad (2008). "Anti-Baha'ism and Islamism in Iran". In Brookshaw, Dominic P.; Fazel, Seena B. (eds.). The Baha'is of Iran: Socio-historical studies. New York: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-203-00280-3.
  • Van der Vyer, J.D. (1996). Religious human rights in global perspective: religious perspectives. Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. p. 449. ISBN 90-411-0176-4.
  • Warburg, Margit (2001). Introvigne (ed.). Baha'i. Studies in Contemporary Religions. USA: Signature Books.
  • Warburg, Margit (2006). Citizens of the world: a history and sociology of the Bahaʹis from a globalisation perspective. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-474-0746-1. OCLC 234309958.
  • Yazdani, Mina (2022). "Ch. 7: The Writings and Utterances of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá". In Stockman, Robert H. (ed.). The World of the Bahá'í Faith. Oxfordshire, UK: Routledge. pp. 88–104. doi:10.4324/9780429027772-9. ISBN 978-1-138-36772-2. S2CID 244689327.

Encyclopedias

  • Britannica
  • Barrett, David B., ed. (1982). "Global Adherents of all religions". World Christian Encyclopedia: A comparative survey of churches and religions in the modern world (1st ed.). Nairobi: Oxford University Press.
  • Barrett, David B.; Kurian, George T.; Johnson, Todd M. (2001). "World Summary". World Christian Encyclopedia: A comparative survey of churches and religions in the modern world (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Clarke, Peter B., ed. (2006). "Baha'i". Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements. London and New York: Routledge. p. 56. ISBN 978-0-415-26707-6.
  • Iranica
    • Multiple Authors (15 December 1988). "Bahaism". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. III. pp. 438–475. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
    • Cole, Juan (15 December 1988). "BAHAISM i. The Faith". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. III. New York (published 23 August 2011). pp. 438–446. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
    • Cole, Juan (15 December 1988). "BAHĀʾ-ALLĀH". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. III (published 23 August 2011). pp. 422–429. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
    • MacEoin, Denis (15 December 1988). "BAHAISM iii. Bahai and Babi Schisms". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. III (published 23 August 2011). pp. 447–449. ISSN 2330-4804.
    • Momen, Moojan (1989). "BAYT-AL-ʿADL (House of Justice)". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. IV. pp. 12–14. ISSN 2330-4804.
    • Momen, Moojan (2010). "Mašreq al-Aḏkār". Encyclopædia Iranica (online ed.).
    • Rafati, V.; Sahba, F. (1988). "BAHAISM ix. Bahai temples". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. III. pp. 465–467.
  • Hutter, Manfred (2005). "Bahā'īs". In Jones, Lindsay (ed.). Encyclopedia of Religion. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference US. pp. 737–740. ISBN 0-02-865733-0.
  • Momen, Moojan (1994b). "Iran: History of the Baháʼí Faith". draft "A Short Encyclopedia of the Baha'i Faith". Baháʼí Library Online. Retrieved 16 October 2009.
  • Momen, Moojan (2011). "Bahaʼi". In Juergensmeyer; Roof (eds.). Baha'i. Encyclopedia of Global Religion. Sage Publications. doi:10.4135/9781412997898.n61. ISBN 978-0-7619-2729-7.
  • Smith, Peter (2000). A Concise Encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith. Oxford, UK: Oneworld Publications. ISBN 1-85168-184-1.

Journals

  • Affolter, Friedrich W. (January 2005). (PDF). War Crimes, Genocide, & Crimes Against Humanity. 1 (1): 75–114. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2006.
  • Cole, Juan (1982). "The Concept of Manifestation in the Baháʼí Writings". Journal of Bahá'í Studies. monograph 9: 1–38.
  • Fozdar, Farida (2015). "The Baha'i Faith: A Case Study in Globalization, Mobility and the Routinization of Charisma". Journal for the Academic Study of Religion. 28 (3): 274–292. doi:10.1558/jasr.v28i3.28431.
  • Hatcher, John S. (2005). "Unveiling the Hurí of Love". Journal of Bahá'í Studies. 15 (1): 1–38. doi:10.31581/jbs-15.1-4.1(2005).
  • Kingdon, Geeta Gandhi (1997). "Education of women and socio-economic development". Baháʼí Studies Review. 7 (1).
  • Schaefer, Udo (2002). "An Introduction to Bahā'ī Law: Doctrinal Foundations, Principles and Structures". Journal of Law and Religion. 18 (2): 307–72. doi:10.2307/1602268. JSTOR 1602268. S2CID 154511808. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  • Smith, Peter (2016). "Babi–Baha'i Expansion and "Geo-Cultural Breakthroughs"". Journal of Religious History. 40 (2): 225–236. doi:10.1111/1467-9809.12280.
  • Smith, Peter; Momen, Moojan (1989). "The Baha'i Faith 1957–1988: A Survey of Contemporary Developments". Religion. 19 (1): 63–91. doi:10.1016/0048-721X(89)90077-8.
  • Universal House of Justice (September 2002). "Numbers and Classifications of Sacred Writings & Texts". Lights of Irfan. Wilmette, IL: Irfan Colloquia. 10: 349–350. Retrieved 20 March 2007.

News media

  • A.V. (20 April 2017). "The Economist explains: The Bahai faith". The Economist. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
  • AFP (16 February 2011). "Families fear for Bahais jailed in Iran".
  • AFP (31 March 2011). "US 'troubled' by Bahai reports from Iran".
  • Baháʼí International Community (6 June 2000). "History of Active Cooperation with the United Nations" (Press release). Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  • Baháʼí World News Service (1992). . The Baháʼís. Baháʼí International Community. p. 14. Archived from the original on 17 July 2015.
  • Baháʼí World News Service (8 September 2000). "Baha'i United Nations Representative addresses world leaders at Millennium Summit". Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  • Baháʼí World News Service (17 April 2009). "Egypt officially changes rules for ID cards". Baháʼí International Community. Retrieved 16 June 2009.
  • Baháʼí World News Service (14 August 2009). "First identification cards issued to Egyptian Baháʼís using a "dash" instead of religion". Retrieved 16 August 2009.
  • Baháʼí World News Service (21 April 2017). "Ominous wave of Yemen arrests raises alarm".
  • CNN (16 May 2008). "Iran's arrest of Baha'is condemned". Retrieved 4 February 2018. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  • CNN (12 January 2010). "Trial underway for Baha'i leaders in Iran". Retrieved 4 February 2018. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  • CNN (16 September 2010). "Sentences for Iran's Baha'i leaders reportedly reduced". Retrieved 25 September 2013. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  • Djavadi, Abbas (8 April 2010). "A Trial in Tehran: Their Only 'Crime' – Their Faith". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
  • Freedman, Samuel G. (26 June 2009). "For Bahais, a Crackdown Is Old News". The New York Times.
  • Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (15 May 2008). "IHRDC Condemns the Arrest of Leading Baháʼís" (Press release). Retrieved 17 May 2008.
  • "Iran Razing Dome of Bahai Temple". The New York Times. 24 May 1955.
  • Siegal, Daniel (11 August 2010). "Court sentences leaders of Bahai faith to 20 years in prison". Los Angeles Times.
  • "Iran detains 5 more Baha'i". The Jerusalem Post. 14 February 2010. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  • "Iran Baha'i Leaders Scheduled in Court on Election Anniversary". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 3 June 2010.
  • Sullivan, Amy (8 December 2009). "Banning the Baha'i". Time. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  • Washington TV (20 January 2010). "Date set for second court session for seven Baha'is in Iran". Retrieved 21 January 2010.

Other

  • Association of Religion Data Archives (2010). . Archived from the original on 27 April 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  • Baháʼí Office of Social and Economic Development (2018). "For the Betterment of the World: The Worldwide Baháʼí Community's Approach to Social and Economic Development" (PDF). Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  • Bigelow, Kit (16 November 2005). (Speech). Congressional Human Rights Caucus, House of Representatives. Archived from the original on 27 December 2006. Retrieved 29 December 2006.
  • "Woman Expelled From Iranian University Just Before Obtaining Degree Because She's Baha'i". Center for Human Rights in Iran. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  • "Baha'i". Dictionary.com Unabridged (4th ed.). Random House, Inc. 2017.
  • International Federation of Human Rights (August 2003). "Discrimination against religious minorities in Iran" (PDF). Paris: FIDH. (PDF) from the original on 31 October 2006. Retrieved 20 October 2006.
  • Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (2013). "International Religious Freedom Report for 2013". United States Department of State. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  • Hackett, Conrad; Grim, Brian J., eds. (December 2012). The Global Religious Landscape: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Major Religious Groups as of 2010 (PDF) (Report). Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion & Public Life. pp. 53–56. Retrieved 16 August 2022 – via Boston College.
  • Iran Human Rights Documentation Center (2007). (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2007.
  • Jahangir, Asma (20 March 2006). "Special Rapporteur on Freedom of religion or belief concerned about treatment of followers of Baháʼí Faith in Iran". United Nations. from the original on 26 April 2006. Retrieved 1 June 2006.
  • Lundberg, Zaid (2005). "The Concept of Progressive Revelation". Baha'i Apocalypticism: The Concept of Progressive Revelation (Master of Arts thesis). Department of History of Religion at the Faculty of Theology, Lund University, Sweden. Retrieved 1 May 2007.
  • Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (8 March 2006). . Archived from the original on 2 May 2006. Retrieved 31 May 2006.

Further reading

External links

  • bahai.org – The website of the worldwide Bahá’í community
    • Bahá’í Media Bank – Photographs for download
    • Bahá’í Reference Library – Online source of Authoritative Bahá’í writings in English, Farsi, and Arabic
  • Baháʼí Faith at Curlie
  • Baha'i – Video at PBS Learning Media

March 02, 2023
baháʼí, faith, this, article, about, global, religious, community, other, related, uses, bahai, disambiguation, religion, founded, 19th, century, that, teaches, essential, worth, religions, unity, people, established, baháʼu, lláh, initially, developed, iran, . This article is about the global religious community For other related uses see Bahai disambiguation The Bahaʼi Faith is a religion a founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people b Established by Bahaʼu llah it initially developed in Iran and parts of the Middle East where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception 13 The religion is estimated to have 5 8 million adherents known as Bahaʼis spread throughout most of the world s countries and territories Bahaʼi FaithSeat of the Universal House of Justice governing body of the Bahaʼis in Haifa IsraelTypeIndependent World ReligionClassificationAbrahamicScriptureKitab i Aqdas various other Bahaʼi literatureTheologyMonotheisticRegionWidely distributed as minorities with no racial or national focusLanguagePersian Arabic EnglishFounderBahaʼu llahOrigin19th centuryMembers5 8 millionThis article contains Persian text Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols The Bahaʼi Faith has three central figures the Bab 1819 1850 considered a herald who taught his followers that God would soon send a prophet similar to Jesus or Muhammad and who was executed by Iranian authorities in 1850 Bahaʼu llah 1817 1892 who claimed to be that prophet in 1863 and faced exile and imprisonment for most of his life and his son ʻAbdu l Baha 1844 1921 who was released from confinement in 1908 and made teaching trips to Europe and the United States After ʻAbdu l Baha s death in 1921 the leadership of the religion fell to his grandson Shoghi Effendi 1897 1957 Bahaʼis annually elect local regional and national Spiritual Assemblies that govern the religion s affairs and every five years an election is held for the Universal House of Justice the nine member supreme governing institution of the worldwide Bahaʼi community that is located in Haifa Israel near the Shrine of the Bab According to Bahaʼi teachings religion is revealed in an orderly and progressive way by a single God through Manifestations of God who are the founders of major world religions throughout history Buddha Jesus and Muhammad are noted as the most recent of these before the Bab and Bahaʼu llah Bahaʼis regard the world s major religions as fundamentally unified in purpose though diverging in social practices and interpretations The Bahaʼi Faith stresses the unity of all people explicitly rejecting racism sexism and nationalism At the heart of Bahaʼi teachings is the goal of a unified world order that ensures the prosperity of all nations races creeds and classes 14 15 Letters which were written by Bahaʼu llah and sent to various people including some heads of state have been collected and assembled into a canon of Bahaʼi scripture This collection of scripture includes works by his son ʻAbdu l Baha and by the Bab who is regarded as Bahaʼu llah s forerunner Prominent among the works of Bahaʼi literature are the Kitab i Aqdas the Kitab i Iqan Some Answered Questions and The Dawn Breakers Contents 1 Etymology 2 Beliefs 2 1 God 2 2 Religion 2 3 Human beings 2 4 Social principles 2 5 Covenant 3 Sacred texts 4 History 4 1 Bab 4 2 Bahaʼu llah 4 3 ʻAbdu l Baha 4 4 Shoghi Effendi 4 5 Universal House of Justice 5 Demographics 6 Social practices 6 1 Exhortations 6 2 Prohibitions 6 3 Marriage 6 4 Work 6 5 Places of worship 6 6 Calendar 6 7 Symbols 6 8 Socio economic development 6 9 United Nations 7 Persecution 7 1 Iran 7 2 Egypt 8 See also 9 Notes 10 Citations 11 References 11 1 Books 11 2 Encyclopedias 11 3 Journals 11 4 News media 11 5 Other 12 Further reading 13 External linksEtymology EditMain article Bahaʼi orthography The word Bahaʼi بهائی is used either as an adjective to refer to the Bahaʼi Faith or as a term for a follower of Bahaʼu llah The proper name of the religion is the Bahaʼi Faith not Bahaʼi or Baha ism the latter once common among academics is regarded as derogatory by the Bahaʼis 16 17 It is derived from the Arabic Bahaʼ بهاء a name Bahaʼu llah chose for himself referring to the glory or splendor of God In English the word is commonly pronounced be HYE b e ˈ h aɪ but the more accurate rendering of the Arabic is be HAH ee b e ˈ h ɑː ʔ iː The accent marks above the letters representing long vowels derive from a system of transliterating Arabic and Persian script that was adopted by Bahaʼis in 1923 and which has been used in almost all Bahaʼi publications since 16 Bahaʼis prefer the orthographies Bahaʼi the Bab Bahaʼu llah and ʻAbdu l Baha Bahai Bahais Bahaʼi the Bab Bahaullah and Bahaʼullah are often used when accent marks are unavailable Beliefs EditMain article Bahaʼi teachings Bahaʼi House of Worship in Ingleside Sydney Australia The teachings of Bahaʼu llah form the foundation of Bahaʼi belief Three principles are central to these teachings the unity of God the unity of religion and the unity of humanity 18 Baha is believe that God periodically reveals his will through divine messengers whose purpose is to transform the character of humankind and to develop within those who respond moral and spiritual qualities Religion is thus seen as orderly unified and progressive from age to age 19 God Edit Main article God in the Bahaʼi Faith The Bahaʼi writings describe a single personal inaccessible omniscient omnipresent imperishable and almighty God who is the creator of all things in the universe 20 The existence of God and the universe is thought to be eternal without a beginning or end 21 Though inaccessible directly God is nevertheless seen as conscious of creation with a will and purpose expressed through messengers called Manifestations of God 22 Bahaʼi teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend or to create a complete and accurate image of by themselves Therefore human understanding of God is achieved through his revelations via his Manifestations 23 24 better source needed In the Bahaʼi Faith God is often referred to by titles and attributes for example the All Powerful or the All Loving and there is a substantial emphasis on monotheism Bahaʼi teachings state that the attributes applied to God are used to translate Godliness into human terms and to help people concentrate on their own attributes in worshipping God to develop their potentialities on their spiritual path 23 24 better source needed According to the Bahaʼi teachings the human purpose is to learn to know and love God through such methods as prayer reflection and being of service to others 23 better source needed Religion Edit Main article Bahaʼi Faith and the unity of religion See also Progressive revelation Bahaʼi Symbols of many religions on a pillar of the Bahaʼi House of Worship in Wilmette Illinois U S Bahaʼi notions of progressive religious revelation result in their accepting the validity of the well known religions of the world whose founders and central figures are seen as Manifestations of God 25 Religious history is interpreted as a series of dispensations where each manifestation brings a somewhat broader and more advanced revelation that is rendered as a text of scripture and passed on through history with greater or lesser reliability but at least true in substance 26 suited for the time and place in which it was expressed 21 Specific religious social teachings for example the direction of prayer or dietary restrictions may be revoked by a subsequent manifestation so that a more appropriate requirement for the time and place may be established Conversely certain general principles for example neighbourliness or charity are seen to be universal and consistent In Bahaʼi belief this process of progressive revelation will not end it is however believed to be cyclical Bahaʼis do not expect a new manifestation of God to appear within 1000 years of Bahaʼu llah s revelation 27 Bahaʼis assert that their religion is a distinct tradition with its own scriptures and laws and not a sect of another religion 28 The religion was initially seen as a sect of Islam because of its origins Most religious specialists now see it as an independent religion with its religious background in Shiʻa Islam being seen as analogous to the Jewish context in which Christianity was established 29 Bahaʼis describe their faith as an independent world religion differing from the other traditions in its relative age and in the appropriateness of Bahaʼu llah s teachings to the modern context 30 better source needed Bahaʼu llah is believed to have fulfilled the messianic expectations of these precursor faiths 31 Human beings Edit See also Bahaʼi Faith and the unity of humanity and Bahaʼi Faith on life after death The ringstone symbol representing humanity s connection to God The Bahaʼi writings state that human beings have a rational soul and that this provides the species with a unique capacity to recognize God s status and humanity s relationship with its creator Every human is seen to have a duty to recognize God through his Messengers and to conform to their teachings 32 Through recognition and obedience service to humanity and regular prayer and spiritual practice the Bahaʼi writings state that the soul becomes closer to God the spiritual ideal in Bahaʼi belief According to Bahaʼi belief when a human dies the soul is permanently separated from the body and carries on in the next world where it is judged based on the person s actions in the physical world Heaven and Hell are taught to be spiritual states of nearness or distance from God that describe relationships in this world and the next and not physical places of reward and punishment achieved after death 33 The Bahaʼi writings emphasize the essential equality of human beings and the abolition of prejudice Humanity is seen as essentially one though highly varied its diversity of race and culture are seen as worthy of appreciation and acceptance Doctrines of racism nationalism caste social class and gender based hierarchy are seen as artificial impediments to unity 18 The Bahaʼi teachings state that the unification of humanity is the paramount issue in the religious and political conditions of the present world 21 Social principles Edit The Bahaʼi gardens in Haifa When ʻAbdu l Baha first traveled to Europe and America in 1911 1912 he gave public talks that articulated the basic principles of the Bahaʼi Faith 34 These included preaching on the equality of men and women race unity the need for world peace and other progressive ideas for the early 20th century Published summaries of the Bahaʼi teachings often include a list of these principles and lists vary on wording and what is included 35 The concept of the unity of mankind seen by Bahaʼis as an ancient truth is the starting point for many of the ideas The equality of races and the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty for example are implications of that unity 36 Another outgrowth of the concept is the need for a united world federation and some practical recommendations to encourage its realization involve the establishment of a universal language a standard economy and system of measurement universal compulsory education and an international court of arbitration to settle disputes between nations 37 Nationalism according to this viewpoint should be abandoned in favor of allegiance to the whole of mankind With regard to the pursuit of world peace Bahaʼu llah prescribed a world embracing collective security arrangement 38 Other Bahaʼi social principles revolve around spiritual unity Religion is viewed as progressive from age to age but to recognize a newer revelation one has to abandon tradition and independently investigate Bahaʼis are taught to view religion as a source of unity and religious prejudice as destructive Science is also viewed in harmony with true religion 35 Though Bahaʼu llah and ʻAbdu l Baha called for a united world that is free of war they also anticipate that over the long term the establishment of a lasting peace The Most Great Peace and the purging of the overwhelming Corruptions requires that the people of the world unite under a universal faith with spiritual virtues and ethics to complement material civilization 38 Shoghi Effendi the head of the religion from 1921 to 1957 wrote the following summary of what he considered to be the distinguishing principles of Bahaʼu llah s teachings which he said together with the laws and ordinances of the Kitab i Aqdas constitute the bedrock of the Bahaʼi Faith The independent search after truth unfettered by superstition or tradition the oneness of the entire human race the pivotal principle and fundamental doctrine of the Faith the basic unity of all religions the condemnation of all forms of prejudice whether religious racial class or national the harmony which must exist between religion and science the equality of men and women the two wings on which the bird of human kind is able to soar the introduction of compulsory education the adoption of a universal auxiliary language the abolition of the extremes of wealth and poverty the institution of a world tribunal for the adjudication of disputes between nations the exaltation of work performed in the spirit of service to the rank of worship the glorification of justice as the ruling principle in human society and of religion as a bulwark for the protection of all peoples and nations and the establishment of a permanent and universal peace as the supreme goal of all mankind these stand out as the essential elements which Bahaʼu llah proclaimed 39 40 Covenant Edit Main article Covenant of Bahaʼu llah Bahaʼis highly value unity and Bahaʼu llah clearly established rules for holding the community together and resolving disagreements Within this framework no individual follower may propose inspired or authoritative interpretations of scripture and individuals agree to support the line of authority established in Bahaʼi scriptures 41 This practice has left the Bahaʼi community unified and avoided any serious fracturing 42 The Universal House of Justice is the final authority to resolve any disagreements among Bahaʼis and the dozen or so attempts at schism 43 have all either become extinct or remained extremely small numbering a few hundred collectively 44 45 The followers of such divisions are regarded as Covenant breakers and shunned 46 Sacred texts EditMain article Bahaʼi literature The canonical texts of the Bahaʼi Faith are the writings of the Bab Bahaʼu llah ʻAbdu l Baha Shoghi Effendi and the Universal House of Justice and the authenticated talks of ʻAbdu l Baha The writings of the Bab and Bahaʼu llah are considered as divine revelation the writings and talks of ʻAbdu l Baha and the writings of Shoghi Effendi as authoritative interpretation and those of the Universal House of Justice as authoritative legislation and elucidation Some measure of divine guidance is assumed for all of these texts 47 Some of Bahaʼu llah s most important writings include the Kitab i Aqdas Most Holy Book which defines many laws and practices for individuals and society 48 the Kitab i Iqan Book of Certitude which became the foundation of much of Bahaʼi belief 49 and Gems of Divine Mysteries which includes further doctrinal foundations Although the Bahaʼi teachings have a strong emphasis on social and ethical issues a number of foundational texts have been described as mystical 21 These include the Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys 50 The Seven Valleys was written to a follower of Sufism in the style of ʻAttar the Persian Muslim poet 51 and sets forth the stages of the soul s journey towards God It was first translated into English in 1906 becoming one of the earliest available books of Bahaʼu llah to the West The Hidden Words is another book written by Bahaʼu llah during the same period containing 153 short passages in which Bahaʼu llah claims to have taken the basic essence of certain spiritual truths and written them in brief form 52 History EditMain article History of the Bahaʼi Faith Shrine of the Bab in Haifa Israel Bahaʼi timeline 1817 Bahaʼu llah was born in Tehran Iran1819 The Bab was born in Shiraz Iran1844 The Bab declares his mission in Shiraz Iran1850 The Bab is publicly executed in Tabriz Iran1852 Thousands of Babis are executedBahaʼu llah is imprisoned and forced into exile1863 Bahaʼu llah first announces his claim to divine revelation in Baghdad Iraq He is forced to leave Baghdad for Istanbul then Adrianople1868 Bahaʼu llah is forced into harsher confinement in ʻAkka in Palestine1892 Bahaʼu llah dies near ʻAkkaHis Will appointed ʻAbdu l Baha as successor1908 ʻAbdu l Baha is released from prison1921 ʻAbdu l Baha dies in HaifaHis Will appointed Shoghi Effendi as Guardian1957 Shoghi Effendi dies in England1963 The Universal House of Justice is first electedThe Bahaʼi Faith traces its beginnings to the religion of the Bab and the Shaykhi movement that immediately preceded it The Bab was a merchant who began preaching in 1844 that he was the bearer of a new revelation from God but was rejected by the generality of Islamic clergy in Iran ending in his public execution for the crime of heresy 53 The Bab taught that God would soon send a new messenger and Bahaʼis consider Bahaʼu llah to be that person 54 Although they are distinct movements the Bab is so interwoven into Bahaʼi theology and history that Bahaʼis celebrate his birth death and declaration as holy days consider him one of their three central figures along with Bahaʼu llah and ʻAbdu l Baha and a historical account of the Babi movement The Dawn Breakers is considered one of three books that every Bahaʼi should master and read over and over again 55 The Bahaʼi community was mostly confined to the Iranian and Ottoman empires until after the death of Bahaʼu llah in 1892 at which time he had followers in 13 countries of Asia and Africa 56 Under the leadership of his son ʻAbdu l Baha the religion gained a footing in Europe and America and was consolidated in Iran where it still suffers intense persecution 13 ʻAbdu l Baha s death in 1921 marks the end of what Bahaʼis call the heroic age of the religion 57 Bab Edit Main article Bab On the evening of 22 May 1844 Siyyid ʻAli Muhammad of Shiraz gained his first convert and took on the title of the Bab الباب Gate referring to his later claim to the status of Mahdi of Shiʻa Islam 13 His followers were therefore known as Babis As the Bab s teachings spread which the Islamic clergy saw as blasphemous his followers came under increased persecution and torture 21 The conflicts escalated in several places to military sieges by the Shah s army The Bab himself was imprisoned and eventually executed in 1850 58 Bahaʼis see the Bab as the forerunner of the Bahaʼi Faith because the Bab s writings introduced the concept of He whom God shall make manifest a messianic figure whose coming according to Bahaʼis was announced in the scriptures of all of the world s great religions and whom Bahaʼu llah the founder of the Bahaʼi Faith claimed to be 21 The Bab s tomb located in Haifa Israel is an important place of pilgrimage for Bahaʼis The remains of the Bab were brought secretly from Iran to the Holy Land and eventually interred in the tomb built for them in a spot specifically designated by Bahaʼu llah 59 The writings of the Bab are considered inspired scripture by Bahaʼis though having been superseded by the laws and teachings of Bahaʼu llah 60 The main written works translated into English of the Bab are compiled in Selections from the Writings of the Bab 1976 out of the estimated 135 works 61 62 Bahaʼu llah Edit Main article Bahaʼu llah Mirza Husayn ʻAli Nuri was one of the early followers of the Bab 63 and later took the title of Bahaʼu llah 64 In August 1852 a few Babis 65 made a failed attempt to assassinate the Shah 66 The Persian government responded by killing and in some cases torturing about 50 Babis in Tehran initially 66 further bloodshed was spread around the country hundreds were reported in period newspapers by October and tens of thousands by the end of December 67 Bahaʼu llah was not involved in the assassination attempt but was imprisoned in Tehran until his release was arranged four months later by the Russian ambassador after which he joined other Babis in exile in Baghdad 68 Shortly thereafter he was expelled from Iran and traveled to Baghdad in the Ottoman Empire 18 In Baghdad his leadership revived the persecuted followers of the Bab in Iran so Iranian authorities requested his removal which instigated a summons to Constantinople now Istanbul from the Ottoman Sultan In 1863 at the time of his removal from Baghdad Bahaʼu llah first announced his claim of prophethood to his family and followers which he said came to him years earlier while in a dungeon of Tehran 18 From the time of the initial exile from Iran tensions grew between him and Subh i Azal the appointed leader of the Babis who did not recognize Bahaʼu llah s claim Throughout the rest of his life Bahaʼu llah gained the allegiance of almost all of the Babis who came to be known as Bahaʼis while a remnant of Babis became known as Azalis 69 He spent less than four months in Constantinople After receiving chastising letters from Bahaʼu llah Ottoman authorities turned against him and put him under house arrest in Adrianople now Edirne where he remained for four years until a royal decree of 1868 banished all Babis to either Cyprus or ʻAkka It was in or near the Ottoman penal colony of ʻAkka in present day Israel that Bahaʼu llah spent the remainder of his life After initially strict and harsh confinement he was allowed to live in a home near ʻAkka while still officially a prisoner of that city 70 He died there in 1892 Bahaʼis regard his resting place at Bahji as the Qiblih to which they turn in prayer each day 71 He produced over 18 000 works in his lifetime in both Arabic and Persian of which only 8 have been translated into English 72 During the period in Adrianople he began declaring his mission as a Messenger of God in letters to the world s religious and secular rulers including Pope Pius IX Napoleon III and Queen Victoria 73 ʻAbdu l Baha Edit Main article ʻAbdu l Baha ʻAbdu l Baha ʻAbbas Effendi was Bahaʼu llah s eldest son known by the title of ʻAbdu l Baha Servant of Baha His father left a will that appointed ʻAbdu l Baha as the leader of the Bahaʼi community 74 ʻAbdu l Baha had shared his father s long exile and imprisonment which continued until ʻAbdu l Baha s own release as a result of the Young Turk Revolution in 1908 Following his release he led a life of travelling speaking teaching and maintaining correspondence with communities of believers and individuals expounding the principles of the Bahaʼi Faith 18 As of 2020 there are over 38 000 extant documents containing the words of ʻAbdu l Baha which are of widely varying lengths 75 Only a fraction of these documents have been translated into English needs update 62 Among the more well known are The Secret of Divine Civilization Some Answered Questions the Tablet to Auguste Henri Forel the Tablets of the Divine Plan and the Tablet to The Hague 75 Additionally notes taken of a number of his talks were published in various volumes like Paris Talks during his journeys to the West Shoghi Effendi Edit Main article Shoghi Effendi Bahaʼu llah s Kitab i Aqdas and The Will and Testament of ʻAbdu l Baha are foundational documents of the Bahaʼi administrative order Bahaʼu llah established the elected Universal House of Justice and ʻAbdu l Baha established the appointed hereditary Guardianship and clarified the relationship between the two institutions 76 In his Will ʻAbdu l Baha appointed Shoghi Effendi his eldest grandson as the first Guardian of the Bahaʼi Faith Shoghi Effendi served for 36 years as the head of the religion until his death 77 Throughout his lifetime Shoghi Effendi translated Bahaʼi texts developed global plans for the expansion of the Bahaʼi community developed the Bahaʼi World Centre carried on a voluminous correspondence with communities and individuals around the world and built the administrative structure of the religion preparing the community for the election of the Universal House of Justice 18 He unexpectedly died after a brief illness on 4 November 1957 in London England under conditions that did not allow for a successor to be appointed 78 79 In 1937 Shoghi Effendi launched a seven year plan for the Bahaʼis of North America followed by another in 1946 In 1953 he launched the first international plan the Ten Year World Crusade This plan included extremely ambitious goals for the expansion of Bahaʼi communities and institutions the translation of Bahaʼi texts into several new languages and the sending of Bahaʼi pioneers into previously unreached nations 80 He announced in letters during the Ten Year Crusade that it would be followed by other plans under the direction of the Universal House of Justice which was elected in 1963 at the culmination of the Crusade Universal House of Justice Edit Main article Universal House of Justice The Bahaʼi House of Worship Wilmette Illinois is the oldest surviving Bahaʼi House of Worship in the world 81 Since 1963 the Universal House of Justice has been the elected head of the Bahaʼi Faith The general functions of this body are defined through the writings of Bahaʼu llah and clarified in the writings of Abdu l Baha and Shoghi Effendi These functions include teaching and education implementing Bahaʼi laws addressing social issues and caring for the weak and the poor 82 Starting with the Nine Year Plan that began in 1964 the Universal House of Justice has directed the work of the Bahaʼi community through a series of multi year international plans 83 84 Starting with the Nine Year Plan that began in 1964 the Bahaʼi leadership sought to continue the expansion of the religion but also to consolidate new members meaning increase their knowledge of the Bahaʼi teachings 85 In this vein in the 1970s the Ruhi Institute was founded by Bahaʼis in Colombia to offer short courses on Bahaʼi beliefs ranging in length from a weekend to nine days 85 The associated Ruhi Foundation whose purpose was to systematically consolidate new Bahaʼis was registered in 1992 and since the late 1990s the courses of the Ruhi Institute have been the dominant way of teaching the Bahaʼi Faith around the world 85 By 2013 there were over 300 Bahaʼi training institutes around the world and 100 000 people participating in courses 86 The courses of the Ruhi Institute train communities to self organize classes for the spiritual education of children and youth among other activities 86 Additional lines of action the Universal House of Justice has encouraged for the contemporary Bahaʼi community include social action and participation in the prevalent discourses of society 87 Annually on 21 April the Universal House of Justice sends a Ridvan message to the worldwide Bahaʼi community 88 that updates Bahaʼis on current developments and provides further guidance for the year to come c At local regional and national levels Bahaʼis elect members to nine person Spiritual Assemblies which run the affairs of the religion There are also appointed individuals working at various levels including locally and internationally which perform the function of propagating the teachings and protecting the community The latter do not serve as clergy which the Bahaʼi Faith does not have 21 89 The Universal House of Justice remains the supreme governing body of the Bahaʼi Faith and its 9 members are elected every five years by the members of all National Spiritual Assemblies 90 Any male Bahaʼi 21 years or older is eligible to be elected to the Universal House of Justice all other positions are open to male and female Bahaʼis 91 Malietoa Tanumafili II of Samoa who became Bahaʼi in 1968 and died in 2007 was the first serving head of state to embrace the Bahaʼi Faith 92 Demographics EditFurther information Bahaʼi Faith by country The Lotus Temple the first Bahaʼi House of Worship of India built in 1986 It attracts an estimated 4 5 million visitors a year As of around 2020 there were about 8 million Baha is in the world 93 94 In 2013 two scholars of demography wrote that The Baha i Faith is the only religion to have grown faster in every United Nations region over the past 100 years than the general population Bahaʼi sic was thus the fastest growing religion between 1910 and 2010 growing at least twice as fast as the population of almost every UN region 95 See Growth of religion The largest proportions of the total world Baha i population 96 were found in sub Saharan Africa 29 9 and South Asia 26 8 followed by Southeast Asia 12 7 and Latin America 12 2 Lesser populations are found in North America 7 6 and the Middle East North Africa 6 2 while the smallest populations in Europe 2 0 Australasia 1 6 and Northeast Asia 0 9 In 2015 the internationally recognized religion was the second largest international religion in Iran 97 Panama 98 Belize 99 Bolivia 100 Zambia 101 and Papua New Guinea 102 and the third largest in Chad 103 and Kenya 104 From the Baha i Faith s origins in the 19th century until the 1950s the vast majority of Bahaʼis were found in Iran converts from outside Iran were mostly found in India and the Western world 105 From having roughly 200 000 Bahaʼis in 1950 106 the religion grew to having over 4 million by the late 1980s with a widespread international distribution 105 107 Most of the growth in the late 20th century was seeded out of North America by means of the planned migration of individuals 108 Yet rather than being a cultural spread from either Iran or North America in 2001 sociologist David B Barrett wrote that the Bahaʼi Faith is A world religion with no racial or national focus 109 However the growth has not been even From the late 1920s to the late 1980s the religion was harassed and banned in the Soviet led Eastern Bloc 110 111 112 and then again from the 1970s into the 1990s across some countries in sub Saharan Africa 83 113 The most intense opposition has been in Iran and neighboring Shia majority countries 114 considered by some scholars and watch agencies as a case of attempted genocide 13 115 116 117 Meanwhile in other times or places the religion has experienced surges in growth Before it was banned in certain countries the religion hugely increased in sub Saharan Africa 118 In 1989 the Universal House of Justice named Bolivia Bangladesh Haiti India Liberia Peru the Philippines and Taiwan as countries where growth in the religion had been notable in the previous decades 119 Baha i sources claimed more than five million Baha is in 1991 2 120 However since around 2001 the Universal House of Justice has prioritized statistics of the community by their levels of activity rather than simply their population of avowed adherents or numbers of local assemblies 121 122 123 Because Baha is do not represent the majority of the population in any country 124 and most often represent only a tiny fraction of countries total populations 125 there are problems of under reporting 126 In addition there are examples where the adherents have their highest density among minorities in societies who face their own challenges 127 128 Social practices EditSee also Bahaʼi laws Exhortations Edit The following are a few examples from Bahaʼu llah s teachings on personal conduct that are required or encouraged of his followers Bahaʼis over the age of 15 should individually recite an obligatory prayer each day using fixed words and form 129 In addition to the daily obligatory prayer Bahaʼis should offer daily devotional prayer and should meditate and study sacred scripture 130 Adult Bahaʼis should observe a Nineteen Day Fast each year during daylight hours in March with certain exemptions 131 There are specific requirements for Bahaʼi burial that include a specified prayer to be read at the interment Embalming or cremating the body is strongly discouraged citation needed Bahaʼis should make a 19 voluntary payment on any wealth in excess of what is necessary to live comfortably after the remittance of any outstanding debt The payments go to the Universal House of Justice 131 Prohibitions Edit Bahaʼi gardens in Haifa Israel The following are a few examples from Bahaʼu llah s teachings on personal conduct that is prohibited or discouraged Backbiting and gossip are prohibited and denounced 132 Drinking or selling alcohol is forbidden 133 Sexual intercourse is only permitted between a husband and wife and thus premarital extramarital or homosexual intercourse are forbidden 134 See also Homosexuality and the Bahaʼi Faith Participation in partisan politics is forbidden 135 Begging as a profession is forbidden 136 The observance of personal laws such as prayer or fasting is the sole responsibility of the individual 137 There are however occasions when a Bahaʼi might be administratively expelled from the community for a public disregard of the laws or gross immorality Such expulsions are administered by the National Spiritual Assembly and do not involve shunning 138 While some of the laws from the Kitab i Aqdas are applicable at the present time others are dependent upon the existence of a predominantly Bahaʼi society such as the punishments for arson or murder 139 The laws when not in direct conflict with the civil laws of the country of residence are binding on every Bahaʼi 140 141 Marriage Edit Main article Bahaʼi marriage The purpose of marriage in the Bahaʼi Faith is mainly to foster spiritual harmony fellowship and unity between a man and a woman and to provide a stable and loving environment for the rearing of children 142 The Bahaʼi teachings on marriage call it a fortress for well being and salvation and place marriage and the family as the foundation of the structure of human society 143 Bahaʼu llah highly praised marriage discouraged divorce and required chastity outside of marriage Bahaʼu llah taught that a husband and wife should strive to improve the spiritual life of each other 144 Interracial marriage is also highly praised throughout Bahaʼi scripture 143 Bahaʼis intending to marry are asked to obtain a thorough understanding of the other s character before deciding to marry 143 Although parents should not choose partners for their children once two individuals decide to marry they must receive the consent of all living biological parents whether they are Bahaʼi or not The Bahaʼi marriage ceremony is simple the only compulsory part of the wedding is the reading of the wedding vows prescribed by Bahaʼu llah which both the groom and the bride read in the presence of two witnesses 143 The vows are We will all verily abide by the Will of God 143 Transgender people can gain recognition of their gender in the Bahaʼi Faith if they have medically transitioned and undergone sex reassignment surgery SRS After SRS they are considered transitioned and may have a Bahaʼi marriage 145 146 Work Edit Bahaʼu llah prohibited a mendicant and ascetic lifestyle 136 Monasticism is forbidden and Bahaʼis are taught to practice spirituality while engaging in useful work 21 The importance of self exertion and service to humanity in one s spiritual life is emphasised further in Bahaʼu llah s writings where he states that work done in the spirit of service to humanity enjoys a rank equal to that of prayer and worship in the sight of God 21 Places of worship Edit Main article Bahaʼi House of Worship Bahaʼi House of Worship Langenhain Germany Baha i devotional meetings in most communities currently take place in people s homes or Baha i centres but in some communities Baha i Houses of Worship also known as Baha i temples have been built 147 Baha i Houses of Worship are places where both Bahaʼis and non Bahaʼis can express devotion to God 148 They are also known by the name Mashriqu l Adhkar Arabic for Dawning place of the remembrance of God 149 Only the holy scriptures of the Baha i Faith and other religions can be read or chanted inside and while readings and prayers that have been set to music may be sung by choirs no musical instruments may be played inside 150 Furthermore no sermons may be delivered and no ritualistic ceremonies practiced 150 All Baha i Houses of Worship have a nine sided shape nonagon as well as nine pathways leading outward and nine gardens surrounding them 151 There are currently eight continental Baha i Houses of Worship and some local Baha i Houses of Worship completed or under construction 79 The Baha i writings also envision Baha i Houses of Worship being surrounded by institutions for humanitarian scientific and educational pursuits 149 though none has yet been built up to such an extent 152 Calendar Edit Main article Bahaʼi calendar The Bahaʼi calendar is based upon the calendar established by the Bab The year consists of 19 months each having 19 days with four or five intercalary days to make a full solar year 18 The Bahaʼi New Year corresponds to the traditional Iranian New Year called Naw Ruz and occurs on the vernal equinox near 21 March at the end of the month of fasting Once every Bahaʼi month there is a gathering of the Bahaʼi community called a Nineteen Day Feast with three parts first a devotional part for prayer and reading from Bahaʼi scripture second an administrative part for consultation and community matters and third a social part for the community to interact freely 147 Each of the 19 months is given a name which is an attribute of God some examples include Bahaʼ Splendour ʻIlm Knowledge and Jamal Beauty 153 The Bahaʼi week is familiar in that it consists of seven days with each day of the week also named after an attribute of God Bahaʼis observe 11 Holy Days throughout the year with work suspended on 9 of these These days commemorate important anniversaries in the history of the religion 154 Symbols Edit Main article Bahaʼi symbols The calligraphy of the Greatest Name The symbols of the religion are derived from the Arabic word Bahaʼ بهاء splendor or glory with a numerical value of nine This numerical connection to the name of Bahaʼu llah as well as nine being the highest single digit symbolizing completeness are why the most common symbol of the religion is a nine pointed star and Bahaʼi temples are nine sided 155 25 The nine pointed star is commonly set on Bahaʼi gravestones 156 The ringstone symbol and calligraphy of the Greatest Name are also often encountered The ringstone symbol consists of two five pointed stars interspersed with a stylized Bahaʼ whose shape is meant to recall God the Manifestation of God and the world of man 156 the Greatest Name is a calligraphic rendering of the phrase Ya Bahaʼu l Abha يا بهاء الأبهى O Glory of the Most Glorious and is commonly found in Bahaʼi temples and homes 156 Socio economic development Edit Main article Socioeconomic development and the Bahaʼi Faith Students of School for Girls Tehran 13 August 1933 This photograph may be of the students of Tarbiyat School for Girls which was established by the Bahaʼi Community of Tehran in 1911 the school was closed by government decree in 1934 157 Since its inception the Bahaʼi Faith has had involvement in socio economic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women 158 better source needed promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern 159 better source needed and that involvement was given practical expression by creating schools agricultural co ops and clinics 158 better source needed The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October 1983 was released Bahaʼis were urged to seek out ways compatible with the Bahaʼi teachings in which they could become involved in the social and economic development of the communities in which they lived Worldwide in 1979 there were 129 officially recognized Bahaʼi socio economic development projects By 1987 the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482 83 Current initiatives of social action include activities in areas like health sanitation education gender equality arts and media agriculture and the environment 160 better source needed Educational projects include schools which range from village tutorial schools to large secondary schools and some universities 161 By 2017 the Bahaʼi Office of Social and Economic Development estimated that there were 40 000 small scale projects 1 400 sustained projects and 135 Bahaʼi inspired organizations 160 United Nations Edit Bahaʼu llah wrote of the need for world government in this age of humanity s collective life Because of this emphasis the international Bahaʼi community has chosen to support efforts of improving international relations through organizations such as the League of Nations and the United Nations with some reservations about the present structure and constitution of the UN 161 The Bahaʼi International Community is an agency under the direction of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa and has consultative status with the following organizations 162 163 United Nations Children s Fund UNICEF United Nations Development Fund for Women UNIFEM United Nations Economic and Social Council ECOSOC United Nations Environment Programme UNEP World Health Organization WHO The Bahaʼi International Community has offices at the United Nations in New York and Geneva and representations to United Nations regional commissions and other offices in Addis Ababa Bangkok Nairobi Rome Santiago and Vienna 163 In recent years an Office of the Environment and an Office for the Advancement of Women were established as part of its United Nations Office The Bahaʼi Faith has also undertaken joint development programs with various other United Nations agencies In the 2000 Millennium Forum of the United Nations a Bahaʼi was invited as one of the only non governmental speakers during the summit 164 better source needed Persecution EditMain article Persecution of Bahaʼis The Bahaʼi cemetery in Yazd after its desecration by the Iranian government Bahaʼis continue to be persecuted in some majority Islamic countries whose leaders do not recognize the Bahaʼi Faith as an independent religion but rather as apostasy from Islam The most severe persecutions have occurred in Iran where more than 200 Bahaʼis were executed between 1978 and 1998 165 The rights of Bahaʼis have been restricted to greater or lesser extents in numerous other countries including Egypt Afghanistan 166 better source needed Indonesia 167 Iraq 168 Morocco 169 Yemen 170 and several countries in sub Saharan Africa 83 Iran Edit The most enduring persecution of Bahaʼis has been in Iran the birthplace of the religion 171 When the Bab started attracting a large following the clergy hoped to stop the movement from spreading by stating that its followers were enemies of God These clerical directives led to mob attacks and public executions 13 Starting in the twentieth century in addition to repression aimed at individual Bahaʼis centrally directed campaigns that targeted the entire Bahaʼi community and its institutions were initiated 172 In one case in Yazd in 1903 more than 100 Bahaʼis were killed 173 Bahaʼi schools such as the Tarbiyat boys and girls schools in Tehran were closed in the 1930s and 1940s Bahaʼi marriages were not recognized and Bahaʼi texts were censored 172 174 During the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to divert attention from economic difficulties in Iran and from a growing nationalist movement a campaign of persecution against the Bahaʼis was instituted d An approved and coordinated anti Bahaʼi campaign to incite public passion against the Bahaʼis started in 1955 and it included the spreading of anti Bahaʼi propaganda on national radio stations and in official newspapers 172 During that campaign initiated by Mulla Muhammad Taghi Falsafi the Baha i center in Tehran was demolished at the orders of Tehran military governor General Teymur Bakhtiar 176 In the late 1970s the Shah s regime consistently lost legitimacy due to criticism that it was pro Western As the anti Shah movement gained ground and support revolutionary propaganda was spread which alleged that some of the Shah s advisors were Bahaʼis 177 Bahaʼis were portrayed as economic threats and as supporters of Israel and the West and societal hostility against the Bahaʼis increased 172 178 Since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 Iranian Bahaʼis have regularly had their homes ransacked or have been banned from attending university or from holding government jobs and several hundred have received prison sentences for their religious beliefs most recently for participating in study circles 165 Bahaʼi cemeteries have been desecrated and property has been seized and occasionally demolished including the House of Mirza Buzurg Bahaʼu llah s father 13 The House of the Bab in Shiraz one of three sites to which Bahaʼis perform pilgrimage has been destroyed twice 13 179 In May 2018 the Iranian authorities expelled a young woman student from university of Isfahan because she was Bahaʼi 180 In March 2018 two more Bahaʼi students were expelled from universities in the cities of Zanjan and Gilan because of their religion According to a US panel attacks on Bahaʼis in Iran increased under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad s presidency 181 182 The United Nations Commission on Human Rights revealed an October 2005 confidential letter from Command Headquarters of the Armed Forces of Iran ordering its members to identify Bahaʼis and to monitor their activities Due to these actions the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights stated on 20 March 2006 that she also expresses concern that the information gained as a result of such monitoring will be used as a basis for the increased persecution of and discrimination against members of the Bahaʼi faith in violation of international standards The Special Rapporteur is concerned that this latest development indicates that the situation with regard to religious minorities in Iran is in fact deteriorating 183 On 14 May 2008 members of an informal body known as the Friends that oversaw the needs of the Bahaʼi community in Iran were arrested and taken to Evin prison 181 184 The Friends court case has been postponed several times but was finally underway on 12 January 2010 185 Other observers were not allowed in the court Even the defense lawyers who for two years have had minimal access to the defendants had difficulty entering the courtroom The chairman of the U S Commission on International Religious Freedom said that it seems that the government has already predetermined the outcome of the case and is violating international human rights law 185 Further sessions were held on 7 February 2010 186 12 April 2010 187 and 12 June 2010 188 On 11 August 2010 it became known that the court sentence was 20 years imprisonment for each of the seven prisoners 189 which was later reduced to ten years 190 After the sentence they were transferred to Gohardasht prison 191 In March 2011 the sentences were reinstated to the original 20 years 192 On 3 January 2010 Iranian authorities detained ten more members of the Baha i minority reportedly including Leva Khanjani granddaughter of Jamaloddin Khanjani one of seven Baha i leaders jailed since 2008 and in February they arrested his son Niki Khanjani 193 The Iranian government claims that the Bahaʼi Faith is not a religion but is instead a political organization and hence refuses to recognize it as a minority religion 194 However the government has never produced convincing evidence supporting its characterization of the Bahaʼi community 195 The Iranian government also accuses the Bahaʼi Faith of being associated with Zionism 196 These accusations against the Bahaʼis appear to lack basis in historical fact e 178 197 with some arguing they were invented by the Iranian government in order to use the Bahaʼis as scapegoats 198 In 2019 the Iranian government made it impossible for the Bahaʼis to legally register with the Iranian state National identity card applications in Iran no longer include the other religions option effectively making the Bahaʼi Faith unrecognized by the state 199 Egypt Edit During the 1920s Egypt s religious Tribunal recognized the Baha i Faith as a new independent religion totally separate from Islam due to the nature of the laws principles and beliefs of the Baha is Bahaʼi institutions and community activities have been illegal under Egyptian law since 1960 All Bahaʼi community properties including Bahaʼi centers libraries and cemeteries have been confiscated by the government and fatwas have been issued charging Bahaʼis with apostasy 200 The Egyptian identification card controversy began in the 1990s when the government modernized the electronic processing of identity documents which introduced a de facto requirement that documents must list the person s religion as Muslim Christian or Jewish the only three religions officially recognized by the government Consequently Bahaʼis were unable to obtain government identification documents such as national identification cards birth certificates death certificates marriage or divorce certificates or passports necessary to exercise their rights in their country unless they lied about their religion which conflicts with Bahaʼi religious principle Without documents they could not be employed educated treated in hospitals travel outside of the country or vote among other hardships 201 better source needed Following a protracted legal process culminating in a court ruling favorable to the Bahaʼis the interior minister of Egypt released a decree on 14 April 2009 amending the law to allow Egyptians who are not Muslim Christian or Jewish to obtain identification documents that list a dash in place of one of the three recognized religions 202 better source needed The first identification cards were issued to two Bahaʼis under the new decree on 8 August 2009 203 better source needed See also EditBahaʼi Faith by country Bahaʼi Faith in fiction Bahaʼi studies Criticism of the Bahaʼi Faith List of Bahaʼis Outline of the Bahaʼi Faith Terraces Bahaʼi Notes Edit The Bahaʼi Faith is described in reliable sources as a religion sect 1 relatively new religion 2 world religion 3 major world religion 4 megareligion 5 independent world religion 6 new religious movement 7 alternative religion 8 and other attempts to convey that it is new relative to well established faiths not mainstream and with no racial or national focus Sources summarize the Bahaʼi Faith as teaching the essential worth of all religions the unity of all peoples and the equality of the sexes 9 the essential unity of all religions and the unity of humanity 10 the spiritual unity of mankind and advocates peace and universal education 11 the unity of all peoples under God 4 or religious unity the Oneness of Humanity the equality of all human beings regardless of race ethnicity gender or social class 12 All Ridvan messages can be found at Bahai org In line with this is the thinking that the government encouraged the campaign to distract attention from more serious problems including acute economic difficulties Beyond this lay the difficulty which the regime faced in harnessing the nationalist movement that had supported Musaddiq 175 The Iranian leader Naser al Din Shah Qajar banished Bahaʼu llah from Iran to the Ottoman Empire fron where he was later exiled by the Ottoman Sultan at the behest of the Iranian Shah to territories further from Iran and finally to Acre which only a century later was incorporated into the state of Israel Citations Edit World Christian Encyclopedia 1982 p 817 Barrett 2001 p 244 Iranica Bahaism 1988 a b Barrett 2001 p 248 World Christian Encyclopedia 2001 p 2 4 Hartz 2009 p 8 Clarke 2006 Barrett 2001 p 24 Dictionary com 2017 Britannica 2020 World Christian Encyclopedia 2001 p 2 653 Garlington 2008 pp xxii xxiii a b c d e f g Affolter 2005 Hatcher amp Martin 1998 Momen 2011 a b Stockman 2013 p 1 Hatcher amp Martin 1998 p xiii a b c d e f g Hutter 2005 pp 737 740 Smith 2008 pp 108 109 Smith 2008 p 106 a b c d e f g h i Daume amp Watson 1992 Smith 2008 pp 106 107 111 112 a b c Hatcher 2005 a b Cole 1982 a b Hartz 2009 p 14 Stockman 2013 pp 40 42 McMullen 2000 p 7 Hartz 2009 p 24 Van der Vyer 1996 p 449 Lundberg 2005 Hartz 2009 p 49 McMullen 2000 pp 57 58 Stockman 2013 p 45 Smith 2008 pp 52 53 a b Iranica The Faith 1988 Stockman 2013 p 9 Hartz 2009 p 21 a b Smith 2000 pp 266 267 Effendi 1944 pp 281 282 Adamson 2009 pp 383 384 Hartz 2009 p 20 Smith 2000 p 114 Stockman 2020 pp 36 37 Iranica Bahai and Babi Schisms 1988 p 448 Gallagher amp Ashcraft 2006 p 201 Smith 2008 p 173 Smith 2000 pp 100 101 Canonical texts Hatcher amp Martin 1998 p 46 Hatcher amp Martin 1998 p 137 Smith 2008 p 20 Smith 2000 p 311 Seven Valleys Smith 2000 p 181 Hidden Words Hartz 2009 p 11 A V 2017 From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer dated 9 June 1932 Taherzadeh 1987 p 125 Smith 2008 p 56 MacEoin 2009 p 414 Hartz 2009 pp 75 76 Smith 2008 p 101 Smith 2008 p 102 a b Universal House of Justice 2002 MacEoin 2009 p 498 Warburg 2006 p 145 Momen Moojan August 2008 Millennialism and Violence The Attempted Assassination of Nasir al Din Shah of Iran by the Babis in 1852 Nova Religio The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions 12 1 57 82 doi 10 1525 nr 2008 12 1 57 JSTOR 10 1525 nr 2008 12 1 57 The actual attempt on the shah s life was made by three individuals who appear to have been very ill prepared for their task having only pistols loaded with grape shot unlikely to kill anyone a b Warburg 2006 p 146 Persia The Journal de Constantinople The Guardian London UK 3 November 1852 p 2 Retrieved 6 September 2022 via Newspapers com Persia The Sun Baltimore MD 17 November 1852 p 1 Retrieved 6 September 2022 via Newspapers com Turkey London Standard London UK 20 December 1852 p 3 Retrieved 6 September 2022 via BritishNewspaperArchive co uk subscription required Warburg 2006 pp 146 147 Hartz 2009 p 48 51 Iranica Baha Allah 1988 Smith 2008 pp 20 21 28 Stockman 2013 p 2 BERRY ADAM 2004 THE BAHA I FAITH AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO ISLAM CHRISTIANITY AND JUDAISM A BRIEF HISTORY International Social Science Review 79 3 4 137 151 ISSN 0278 2308 JSTOR 41887188 Hartz 2009 pp 73 76 a b Yazdani 2022 Smith 2008 pp 55 57 Smith 2008 p 55 Smith 2008 pp 58 69 a b Smith 2022a Smith 2008 p 64 Stausberg 2011 p 96 Iranica Bayt al adl 1989 a b c d Smith amp Momen 1989 Hartz 2009 p 107 a b c Fozdar 2015 a b Stockman 2013 pp 193 194 Stockman 2013 p 203 Smith 2000 p 297 Ridvan Smith 2008 p 160 Warburg 2001 p 20 Smith 2008 p 205 Hassall 2022 Smith 2022b p 509 Baha is by Country World Religion Database Institute on Culture Religion and World Affairs 2020 Retrieved 21 December 2020 subscription required Johnson amp Grim 2013 Smith 2022a p 510 Iran Religious Adherents Association of Religion Data Archives 2015 Retrieved 21 July 2022 Panama Religious Adherents Association of Religion Data Archives 2015 Retrieved 21 July 2022 Belize Religious Adherents Association of Religion Data Archives 2015 Retrieved 21 July 2022 Bolivia Religious Adherents Association of Religion Data Archives 2015 Retrieved 21 July 2022 Zambia Religious Adherents Association of Religion Data Archives 2015 Retrieved 21 July 2022 Papua New Guinea Religious Adherents Association of Religion Data Archives 2015 Retrieved 21 July 2022 Chad Religious Adherents Association of Religion Data Archives 2015 Retrieved 21 July 2022 Kenya Religious Adherents Association of Religion Data Archives 2015 Retrieved 21 July 2022 a b Smith amp Momen 1989 pp 70 71 Smith 2016 Religion amp Baha i Faith Britannica Book of the Year Chicago Encyclopaedia Britannica 1988 p 303 Hampson Arthur May 1980 The growth and spread of the Baha i Faith PhD Department of Geography University of Hawaii pp 458 9 472 OCLC 652914306 UMI 8022655 Retrieved 24 July 2022 World Christian Encyclopedia 2001 Kolarz Walter 1962 Religion in the Soviet Union Armenian Research Center collection St Martin s Press pp 470 473 OCLC 254603830 Momen Moojan 1994a Turkmenistan draft of A Short Encyclopedia of the Baha i Faith Retrieved 28 July 2022 Hassall Graham 1992 Notes on the Babi and Bahaʼi Religions in Russia and its Territories PDF Journal of Bahaʼi Studies 5 3 Archived from the original PDF on 6 July 2011 Retrieved 21 July 2022 compiled by Wagner Ralph D NIGER Synopsis of References to the Bahaʼi Faith in the US State Department s Reports on Human Rights 1991 2000 Bahaʼi Library Online Retrieved 4 May 2008 For one recent published study see Morlock Naghme Naseri 6 December 2021 Religious Persecution amp Oppression A Study of Iranian Baha is Strategies of Survival Journal of Hate Studies 17 2 15 24 doi 10 33972 jhs 201 S2CID 245113244 Retrieved 21 July 2022 Dallaire Romeo 29 November 2011 Baha i People in Iran Inquiry Statements from Romeo Dallaire The Liberal caucus in the Senate Archived from the original on 6 January 2014 Retrieved 28 March 2012 Genocide and politicide watch Iran Genocide Watch The International Alliance to End Genocide 28 March 2012 Retrieved 28 March 2012 Seyfried Rebeka 21 March 2012 Progress report from Mercyhurst Assessing the risk of genocide in Iran Iranian Baha is The Sentinel Project for Genocide Prevention Retrieved 28 March 2012 Overview Of World Religions General Essay on the Religions of Sub Saharan Africa Division of Religion and Philosophy University of Cumbria Archived from the original on 9 December 2007 Retrieved 16 April 2008 Riḍvan 1989 To the Baha is of the World Baha i Reference Library www bahai org Bahaʼi World News Service 1992 Stockman 2022a p 565 Stockman 2022b p 578 Hassal 2022 p 588 Park 2004 Association of Religion Data Archives 2010 Pew Global Religious Landscape 2012 Kolodner Alexander 1 May 2014 The Baha i Faith Compared to Race in American Counties PDF Retrieved 18 March 2015 Smith 2022b p 619 An Introduction to Baha i Law 2002 p 334 Smith 2008 pp 161 162 a b An Introduction to Baha i Law 2002 pp 339 340 An Introduction to Baha i Law 2002 pp 330 332 An Introduction to Baha i Law 2002 p 323 An Introduction to Baha i Law 2002 p 326 The Bahaʼis of America amp Nov 2015 pp 69 136 149 253 254 269 a b Smith 2008 pp 154 155 An Introduction to Baha i Law 2002 p 339 An Introduction to Baha i Law 2002 p 348 349 An Introduction to Baha i Law 2002 pp 321 323 Smith 2008 p 158 An Introduction to Baha i Law 2002 pp 312 315 Smith 2008 pp 164 165 a b c d e Smith 2008 p 164 Momen 2022 Transsexuality Universal House of Justice 26 December 2002 Parashar Singh M 17 April 2020 Why Homosexuality Was Not Opposed by Narendra Modi Xlibris Corporation ISBN 978 1 984594 67 9 a b Afnan 2022 Warburg 2006 p 492 a b Hassall 2012 a b Iranica Bahai temples 1988 Iranica Masreq al Aḏkar 2010 Warburg 2006 p 486 Smith 2008 pp 188 190 Smith 2008 p 188 Smith 2000 pp 167 168 a b c Warburg 2001 p 39 Bahaʼi International Community 2005 a b Momen 1994b Section 9 Social and economic development Kingdon 1997 a b Bahaʼi Office of Social and Economic Development 2018 a b Momen 2007 McMullen 2000 p 39 a b Bahaʼi International Community 2000 Bahaʼi World News Service 2000 a b International Federation of Human Rights 2003 International Religious Freedom Report 2013 Afghanistan International Religious Freedom Report 2013 Indonesia International Religious Freedom Report 2013 Iraq International Religious Freedom Report 2013 Morocco Bahaʼi World News Service 2017 Hartz 2009 pp 125 127 a b c d Iran Human Rights Documentation Center 2007 Nash 1982 Sanasarian 2000 pp 52 53 Akhavi 1980 pp 76 78 The New York Times 1955 Abrahamian 1982 p 432 a b Simpson amp Shubart 1995 p 223 Netherlands Institute of Human Rights 2006 Center for Human Rights in Iran 2018 a b CNN 2008 Sullivan 2009 Jahangir 2006 Iran Human Rights Documentation Center 2008b a b CNN 2010a Washington TV 2010 Djavadi 2010 Radio Free Europe 2010 Siegal 2010 CNN 2010b AFP 2011a AFP 2011b The Jerusalem Post 2010 Kravetz 1982 p 237 Iran Human Rights Documentation Center 2008 p 5 Iran Human Rights Documentation Center 2007 Statement of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran Buenos Aires 26 September 1979 Tavakoli Targhi 2008 p 200 Freedman 2009 ID card law in Iran highlights plight of Baha i DW 01 25 2020 dw com International Religious Freedom Report 2013 Egypt Bigelow 2005 Bahaʼi World News Service 2009a Bahaʼi World News Service 2009b References EditBooks Edit Abrahamian Ervand 1982 Iran Between Two Revolutions Princeton Book Company Publishers ISBN 0 691 10134 5 Adamson Hugh C 2009 The A to Z of the Bahaʼi Faith The A to Z Guide Series No 70 Plymouth UK Scarecrow Press ISBN 978 0 8108 6853 3 Afnan Elham 2022 Ch 39 Devotional Life In Stockman Robert H ed The World of the Baha i Faith Oxfordshire UK Routledge pp 479 487 doi 10 4324 9780429027772 45 ISBN 978 1 138 36772 2 S2CID 244700641 Akhavi Shahrough 1980 Religion and Politics in Contemporary Iran Clergy State Relations in the Pahlavi Period Albany NY State University of New York Press pp 76 78 ISBN 0 87395 408 4 Bahaʼi International Community 2005 History of Bahaʼi Educational Efforts in Iran Closed Doors Iran s Campaign to Deny Higher Education to Bahaʼis Barrett David V 2001 The New Believers a survey of sects cults and alternative religions London Cassell amp Co ISBN 1 84403 040 7 OL 3999281M Effendi Shoghi 1944 God Passes By Wilmette IL Bahaʼi Publishing Trust published 1979 ISBN 0 87743 020 9 Gallagher Eugene V Ashcraft W Michael eds 2006 The Bahaʼis of the United States Asian Traditions Introduction to New and Alternative Religions in America Vol 4 Westport Connecticut London Greenwood Press ISBN 978 0 275 98712 1 Garlington William 2008 The Baha i Faith in America Paperback ed Lanham Maryland Rowman amp Littlefield ISBN 978 0 7425 6234 9 Hassall Graham 2012 The Baha i House of Worship Localisation and Universal Form In Cusack Carol Norman Alex eds Handbook of New Religions and Cultural Production Brill Handbooks on Contemporary Religion Vol 4 Leiden Brill pp 599 632 doi 10 1163 9789004226487 025 ISBN 978 90 04 22187 1 ISSN 1874 6691 Hassal Graham 2022 Ch 47 North East Asia In Stockman Robert H ed The World of the Baha i Faith Oxfordshire UK Routledge pp 581 590 ISBN 978 1 138 36772 2 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint ref duplicates default link Hassall Graham 2022 Ch 48 Oceania In Stockman Robert H ed The World of the Baha i Faith Oxfordshire UK Routledge pp 591 602 doi 10 4324 9780429027772 55 ISBN 978 1 138 36772 2 S2CID 244697166 Hatcher W S Martin J D 1998 The Bahaʼi Faith The Emerging Global Religion New York Harper amp Row ISBN 0 06 065441 4 Hartz Paula 2009 World Religions Baha i Faith 3rd ed New York NY Chelsea House Publishers ISBN 978 1 60413 104 8 Iran Human Rights Documentation Center 2008 Crimes Against Humanity The Islamic Republic s Attacks on the Bahaʼis PDF New Haven CN p 5 Archived from the original PDF on 2 September 2010 Johnson Todd M Grim Brian J 26 March 2013 Global Religious Populations 1910 2010 The World s Religions in Figures An Introduction to International Religious Demography John Wiley amp Sons pp 59 62 doi 10 1002 9781118555767 ch1 ISBN 978 1 118 55576 7 Kravetz Marc 1982 Irano nox in French Paris Grasset p 237 ISBN 2 246 24851 5 MacEoin Denis 2009 The Messiah of Shiraz Studies in Early and Middle Babism Brill doi 10 1163 ej 9789004170353 i 740 ISBN 978 90 04 17035 3 McMullen Michael D 2000 The Baha i The Religious Construction of a Global Identity Atlanta GA Rutgers University Press ISBN 0 8135 2836 4 McMullen Mike 27 November 2015 The Bahaʼis of America The Growth of a Religious Movement NYU Press ISBN 978 1 4798 5152 2 Momen Moojan 2007 The Bahaʼi Faith In Partridge Christopher H ed New Lion Handbook The World s Religions 3rd ed Oxford UK Lion Hudson Plc ISBN 978 0 7459 5266 6 Momen Wendi 2022 Ch 31 Marriage and family life In Stockman Robert H ed The World of the Baha i Faith Oxfordshire UK Routledge pp 371 383 doi 10 4324 9780429027772 36 ISBN 978 1 138 36772 2 S2CID 244697438 Nash Geoffrey 1982 Iran s secret pogrom The conspiracy to wipe out the Bahaʼis Sudbury Suffolk Neville Spearman Limited ISBN 0 85435 005 5 Sanasarian Eliz 2000 Religious Minorities in Iran Cambridge UK Cambridge University Press pp 52 53 ISBN 0 521 77073 4 Park Ken ed 2004 World Almanac and Book of Facts New York World Almanac Books ISBN 0 88687 910 8 Simpson John Shubart Tira 1995 Lifting the Veil London Hodder amp Stoughton General Division p 223 ISBN 0 340 62814 6 Smith Peter 2008 An Introduction to the Baha i Faith Cambridge Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 86251 6 Smith Peter 2022 Ch 41 The History of the Babi and Baha i Faiths In Stockman Robert H ed The World of the Baha i Faith Oxfordshire UK Routledge pp 501 512 doi 10 4324 9780429027772 48 ISBN 978 1 138 36772 2 S2CID 244705793 Smith Peter 2022 Ch 50 Southeast Asia In Stockman Robert H ed The World of the Baha i Faith Oxfordshire UK Routledge pp 614 621 ISBN 978 1 138 36772 2 Stausberg Michael 2011 Religion and Tourism Crossroads Destinations and Encounters Oxfordshire UK Routledge ISBN 978 0 415 54931 8 Stockman Robert 2013 Bahaʼi Faith A Guide For The Perplexed New York NY Bloomsbury Academic ISBN 978 1 4411 8781 9 Stockman Robert H July 2020 James R Lewis Margo Kitts eds The Baha i Faith Violence and Non Violence Cambridge Elements Religion and Violence Cambridge UK Cambridge University Press doi 10 1017 9781108613446 ISBN 978 1 108 61344 6 OCLC 1173507653 S2CID 225389995 Stockman Robert 2022 Ch 45 Latin America and the Caribbean In Stockman Robert H ed The World of the Baha i Faith Oxfordshire UK Routledge pp 557 568 ISBN 978 1 138 36772 2 Stockman Robert 2022 Ch 46 North America In Stockman Robert H ed The World of the Baha i Faith Oxfordshire UK Routledge pp 569 580 ISBN 978 1 138 36772 2 Taherzadeh Adib 1987 The Revelation of Bahaʼu llah Volume 4 Mazra ih amp Bahji 1877 92 Oxford UK George Ronald p 125 ISBN 0 85398 270 8 Tavakoli Targhi Mohamad 2008 Anti Baha ism and Islamism in Iran In Brookshaw Dominic P Fazel Seena B eds The Baha is of Iran Socio historical studies New York Routledge ISBN 978 0 203 00280 3 Van der Vyer J D 1996 Religious human rights in global perspective religious perspectives Martinus Nijhoff Publishers p 449 ISBN 90 411 0176 4 Warburg Margit 2001 Introvigne ed Baha i Studies in Contemporary Religions USA Signature Books Warburg Margit 2006 Citizens of the world a history and sociology of the Bahaʹis from a globalisation perspective Leiden Brill ISBN 978 90 474 0746 1 OCLC 234309958 Yazdani Mina 2022 Ch 7 The Writings and Utterances of ʻAbdu l Baha In Stockman Robert H ed The World of the Baha i Faith Oxfordshire UK Routledge pp 88 104 doi 10 4324 9780429027772 9 ISBN 978 1 138 36772 2 S2CID 244689327 Encyclopedias Edit Britannica Bahaʾi Faith Encyclopaedia Britannica 19 November 2020 Retrieved 29 November 2020 Daume Daphne Watson Louise eds 1992 The Bahaʼi Faith Britannica Book of the Year Encyclopaedia Britannica Chicago Encyclopaedia Britannica ISBN 0 85229 486 7 Barrett David B ed 1982 Global Adherents of all religions World Christian Encyclopedia A comparative survey of churches and religions in the modern world 1st ed Nairobi Oxford University Press Barrett David B Kurian George T Johnson Todd M 2001 World Summary World Christian Encyclopedia A comparative survey of churches and religions in the modern world 2nd ed New York Oxford University Press Clarke Peter B ed 2006 Baha i Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements London and New York Routledge p 56 ISBN 978 0 415 26707 6 Iranica Multiple Authors 15 December 1988 Bahaism Encyclopaedia Iranica Vol III pp 438 475 Retrieved 11 January 2021 Cole Juan 15 December 1988 BAHAISM i The Faith Encyclopaedia Iranica Vol III New York published 23 August 2011 pp 438 446 Retrieved 30 December 2012 Cole Juan 15 December 1988 BAHAʾ ALLAH Encyclopaedia Iranica Vol III published 23 August 2011 pp 422 429 Retrieved 30 December 2012 MacEoin Denis 15 December 1988 BAHAISM iii Bahai and Babi Schisms Encyclopaedia Iranica Vol III published 23 August 2011 pp 447 449 ISSN 2330 4804 Momen Moojan 1989 BAYT AL ʿADL House of Justice Encyclopaedia Iranica Vol IV pp 12 14 ISSN 2330 4804 Momen Moojan 2010 Masreq al Aḏkar Encyclopaedia Iranica online ed Rafati V Sahba F 1988 BAHAISM ix Bahai temples Encyclopaedia Iranica Vol III pp 465 467 Hutter Manfred 2005 Baha is In Jones Lindsay ed Encyclopedia of Religion Vol 2 2nd ed Detroit MI Macmillan Reference US pp 737 740 ISBN 0 02 865733 0 Momen Moojan 1994b Iran History of the Bahaʼi Faith draft A Short Encyclopedia of the Baha i Faith Bahaʼi Library Online Retrieved 16 October 2009 Momen Moojan 2011 Bahaʼi In Juergensmeyer Roof eds Baha i Encyclopedia of Global Religion Sage Publications doi 10 4135 9781412997898 n61 ISBN 978 0 7619 2729 7 Smith Peter 2000 A Concise Encyclopedia of the Bahaʼi Faith Oxford UK Oneworld Publications ISBN 1 85168 184 1 Journals Edit Affolter Friedrich W January 2005 The Specter of Ideological Genocide The Bahaʼis of Iran PDF War Crimes Genocide amp Crimes Against Humanity 1 1 75 114 Archived from the original PDF on 22 July 2012 Retrieved 31 May 2006 Cole Juan 1982 The Concept of Manifestation in the Bahaʼi Writings Journal of Baha i Studies monograph 9 1 38 Fozdar Farida 2015 The Baha i Faith A Case Study in Globalization Mobility and the Routinization of Charisma Journal for the Academic Study of Religion 28 3 274 292 doi 10 1558 jasr v28i3 28431 Hatcher John S 2005 Unveiling the Huri of Love Journal of Baha i Studies 15 1 1 38 doi 10 31581 jbs 15 1 4 1 2005 Kingdon Geeta Gandhi 1997 Education of women and socio economic development Bahaʼi Studies Review 7 1 Schaefer Udo 2002 An Introduction to Baha i Law Doctrinal Foundations Principles and Structures Journal of Law and Religion 18 2 307 72 doi 10 2307 1602268 JSTOR 1602268 S2CID 154511808 Retrieved 18 July 2022 Smith Peter 2016 Babi Baha i Expansion and Geo Cultural Breakthroughs Journal of Religious History 40 2 225 236 doi 10 1111 1467 9809 12280 Smith Peter Momen Moojan 1989 The Baha i Faith 1957 1988 A Survey of Contemporary Developments Religion 19 1 63 91 doi 10 1016 0048 721X 89 90077 8 Universal House of Justice September 2002 Numbers and Classifications of Sacred Writings amp Texts Lights of Irfan Wilmette IL Irfan Colloquia 10 349 350 Retrieved 20 March 2007 News media Edit A V 20 April 2017 The Economist explains The Bahai faith The Economist Retrieved 23 April 2017 AFP 16 February 2011 Families fear for Bahais jailed in Iran AFP 31 March 2011 US troubled by Bahai reports from Iran Bahaʼi International Community 6 June 2000 History of Active Cooperation with the United Nations Press release Retrieved 25 September 2013 Bahaʼi World News Service 1992 How many Bahaʼis are there The Bahaʼis Bahaʼi International Community p 14 Archived from the original on 17 July 2015 Bahaʼi World News Service 8 September 2000 Baha i United Nations Representative addresses world leaders at Millennium Summit Retrieved 21 October 2021 Bahaʼi World News Service 17 April 2009 Egypt officially changes rules for ID cards Bahaʼi International Community Retrieved 16 June 2009 Bahaʼi World News Service 14 August 2009 First identification cards issued to Egyptian Bahaʼis using a dash instead of religion Retrieved 16 August 2009 Bahaʼi World News Service 21 April 2017 Ominous wave of Yemen arrests raises alarm CNN 16 May 2008 Iran s arrest of Baha is condemned Retrieved 4 February 2018 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a author has generic name help CNN 12 January 2010 Trial underway for Baha i leaders in Iran Retrieved 4 February 2018 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a author has generic name help CNN 16 September 2010 Sentences for Iran s Baha i leaders reportedly reduced Retrieved 25 September 2013 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a author has generic name help Djavadi Abbas 8 April 2010 A Trial in Tehran Their Only Crime Their Faith Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty Freedman Samuel G 26 June 2009 For Bahais a Crackdown Is Old News The New York Times Iran Human Rights Documentation Center 15 May 2008 IHRDC Condemns the Arrest of Leading Bahaʼis Press release Retrieved 17 May 2008 Iran Razing Dome of Bahai Temple The New York Times 24 May 1955 Siegal Daniel 11 August 2010 Court sentences leaders of Bahai faith to 20 years in prison Los Angeles Times Iran detains 5 more Baha i The Jerusalem Post 14 February 2010 Retrieved 25 September 2013 Iran Baha i Leaders Scheduled in Court on Election Anniversary Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty 3 June 2010 Sullivan Amy 8 December 2009 Banning the Baha i Time Retrieved 23 February 2012 Washington TV 20 January 2010 Date set for second court session for seven Baha is in Iran Retrieved 21 January 2010 Other Edit Association of Religion Data Archives 2010 Most Baha i Nations 2010 Archived from the original on 27 April 2022 Retrieved 14 August 2022 Bahaʼi Office of Social and Economic Development 2018 For the Betterment of the World The Worldwide Bahaʼi Community s Approach to Social and Economic Development PDF Retrieved 3 May 2018 Bigelow Kit 16 November 2005 Kit Bigelow Director of External Affairs the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahaʼis of the United States Speech Congressional Human Rights Caucus House of Representatives Archived from the original on 27 December 2006 Retrieved 29 December 2006 Woman Expelled From Iranian University Just Before Obtaining Degree Because She s Baha i Center for Human Rights in Iran 29 July 2018 Retrieved 23 August 2018 Baha i Dictionary com Unabridged 4th ed Random House Inc 2017 International Federation of Human Rights August 2003 Discrimination against religious minorities in Iran PDF Paris FIDH Archived PDF from the original on 31 October 2006 Retrieved 20 October 2006 Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor 2013 International Religious Freedom Report for 2013 United States Department of State Retrieved 24 April 2015 Hackett Conrad Grim Brian J eds December 2012 The Global Religious Landscape A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World s Major Religious Groups as of 2010 PDF Report Pew Research Center s Forum on Religion amp Public Life pp 53 56 Retrieved 16 August 2022 via Boston College Iran Human Rights Documentation Center 2007 A Faith Denied The Persecution of the Baha is of Iran PDF Archived from the original PDF on 2 September 2010 Retrieved 1 May 2007 Jahangir Asma 20 March 2006 Special Rapporteur on Freedom of religion or belief concerned about treatment of followers of Bahaʼi Faith in Iran United Nations Archived from the original on 26 April 2006 Retrieved 1 June 2006 Lundberg Zaid 2005 The Concept of Progressive Revelation Baha i Apocalypticism The Concept of Progressive Revelation Master of Arts thesis Department of History of Religion at the Faculty of Theology Lund University Sweden Retrieved 1 May 2007 Netherlands Institute of Human Rights 8 March 2006 Iran Islamic Republic of Archived from the original on 2 May 2006 Retrieved 31 May 2006 Further reading EditHartz Paula 2009 World Religions Baha i Faith 3rd ed New York NY Chelsea House Publishers ISBN 978 1 60413 104 8 Smith Peter 2008 An Introduction to the Baha i Faith Cambridge Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0 521 86251 6 Stockman Robert ed 2022 The World of the Baha i Faith Abingdon UK Routledge doi 10 4324 9780429027772 ISBN 978 1 138 36772 2 S2CID 244692979 Warburg Margit 2006 Citizens of the world a history and sociology of the Bahaʹis from a globalisation perspective Leiden Brill ISBN 978 90 474 0746 1 OCLC 234309958 External links EditBahaʼi Faith at Wikipedia s sister projects Definitions from Wiktionary Media from Commons News from Wikinews Quotations from Wikiquote Texts from Wikisource Textbooks from Wikibooks Resources from Wikiversity Data from Wikidata bahai org The website of the worldwide Baha i community Baha i Media Bank Photographs for download Baha i Reference Library Online source of Authoritative Baha i writings in English Farsi and Arabic Bahaʼi Faith at Curlie Baha i Video at PBS Learning Media Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Bahaʼi Faith amp oldid 1140909983, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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