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| Baha'is | |
|---|---|
| Name | Bahá'í Faith |
| Caption | Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, Bahjí |
| Type | Abrahamic religion |
| Scripture | The Kitáb-i-Aqdas; The Hidden Words; The Seven Valleys |
| Founded | Mid-19th century |
| Founder | Bahá'u'lláh |
| Headquarters | Bahjí; Bahá'í World Centre, Haifa |
| Language | Persian; Arabic; English |
Baha'is are followers of the Bahá'í Faith, a monotheistic religion founded in the 19th century that emphasizes the unity of humanity, progressive revelation, and global peace. Originating in Qajar Iran amid millenarian movements, the faith spread through the Middle East, South Asia, Europe, and the Americas, establishing international institutions and communities. It has influenced and intersected with figures, movements, and institutions across modern history.
The Bahá'í Faith emerged from the 19th-century Persian milieu that included the Báb movement, Qajar Iran, and the social transformations linked to the Tanzimat era and interactions with the British Empire and Russian Empire. Its founder, Bahá'u'lláh, declared his mission after exile to Baghdad, Adrianople, and ultimately Akká (Acre), leading to an administrative evolution involving the Bahá'í World Centre in Haifa and the establishment of the Universal House of Justice. Early agents and interpreters included figures such as ‘Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, who shaped community organization during encounters with institutions like the League of Nations and later the United Nations. The faith's expansion involved communities in India, the United States, United Kingdom, and Latin America, often interacting with colonial administrations, missionary networks, and modernizing elites.
Central doctrines include belief in one God as articulated by Bahá'u'lláh, progressive revelation through messengers such as the Báb, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and Buddha (as referenced within Bahá'í writings), and the principle of the oneness of humanity, which connects to internationalist ideas found in documents of the United Nations and the intellectual currents of figures like Ralph Waldo Emerson and Leo Tolstoy. Ethical teachings emphasize elimination of prejudice, equality of men and women—echoing reforms seen in the works of Mary Wollstonecraft and John Stuart Mill—and harmony of science and religion, resonant with dialogues involving scientists like Albert Einstein and institutions such as the Royal Society. Social principles advocate universal education, independent investigation of truth, and global governance frameworks similar to proposals advanced in the League of Nations and later debates within UNESCO.
Primary scriptures include the Kitáb-i-Aqdas and the Hidden Words, alongside extensive tablets and letters by Bahá'u'lláh and interpretive works by ‘Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. The life and station of the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh are central, with pilgrimage sites like the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh and the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel. The writings engage with prior revelatory traditions, citing scriptures and figures such as Torah, Gospel, and Qur'an contexts, and interact with intellectual legacies of composers and poets like Omar Khayyám and Rumi in Persian literary frames.
Community life includes daily prayer and devotional gatherings, observance of an annual 19-day month and the Naw-Rúz celebration, and a 19-day fast. The faith prescribes marriage and family laws articulated in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, consultation processes for community decision-making that parallel deliberative bodies like the Parliament of the World’s Religions, and humanitarian engagement through socioeconomic development projects similar to initiatives by Red Cross and UNDP agencies. Pilgrimage to the Bahá'í World Centre and commemorations for figures such as ‘Abdu'l-Bahá feature in communal calendars.
Administrative structures center on elected bodies without clergy: Local Spiritual Assemblies, National Spiritual Assemblies, and the international Universal House of Justice seated in Haifa, with administrative functions carried out by the International Teaching Centre and various committees. The community has established educational and development institutions, publishing houses, and archives that interact with organizations like the British Museum, the Library of Congress, and UNESCO in preservation and interfaith dialogues.
The community has adherents worldwide with notable populations historically in Iran, India, United States, Kenya, Brazil, Bolivia, Congo (Kinshasa), Australia, and France. Demographic estimates vary and are recorded in surveys and censuses alongside data from institutions like the Pew Research Center, UNFPA, and national statistical offices. Growth patterns reflect migration, conversion, and community development projects across urban centers and rural districts in countries such as South Africa, Mexico, Philippines, and South Korea.
The religion has faced persecution, particularly in Iran under multiple regimes and in legal contexts involving denial of rights, demolition of property, and imprisonment; cases have engaged international bodies including the United Nations Human Rights Council and advocacy by NGOs like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Legal recognition varies—registered status in countries such as the United States and United Kingdom contrasts with restrictions in places like Saudi Arabia and historical bans in parts of the Soviet Union. Responses have included diplomatic interventions, legal appeals to courts such as national supreme courts, and campaigns through international law instruments including conventions monitored by the European Court of Human Rights.
Category:Bahá'í Faith