I'm doing a class presentation and project on the Bah?'? faith.
It's basically so we can develop on our research skills and also develop our knowledge on a variety of different religions.
However, I've never been taught about this religion, so to a certain extent I'm struggling a bit.
My teacher told me to try and avoid using the official website as it will be biased, and speedwaysalableLes you all may know.
So, a bit of information and facts would be appreciated..
Who is followed?
Place of worship?
Important teachings?
Religious celebrations and traditions?
The founder?
Religious book?
How it affects the followers life?
ANY information at all is very much appreciated!
No negative comments as well please!
Respect to all religions & beliefs!
Thank-you!!
You will need to use the sources available; both of which you seem to reject, the official site and Wikipedia. I found it very helpful personally, in making my decision regarding the Bahai faith, to read some of their scripture which I found very saccharine, too flowery and sweet in other words.
You best guide to Bahai is observing the spiritual life of the local Bahai group in your area. You need to contact them, express your interest, and hang out with them some. Often they display a mixed agenda which is partially political.
I'm a lifelong Baha'i and can help answer some of your questions. Also, to fill in any blanks that I miss, I think it's safe to use the main kipped--it's monitored very closely by Baha'i volunteers to prevent vandalism and misinformation. Moving on:
> Who is followed?
The Baha'i Faith is a monotheistic religion, so we follow God--the same God as the God of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, etc. The Faith was founded by a man named Baha'u'llah (bu-HA-oo-lah) which means "Glory of God" in Arabic. He was the son of a Persian nobleman and was known as a community advocate for the poor and downtrodden before His life as a religious leader. The Baha'i Faith also has a predecessor Manifestation named The Bab (means "the Gate"), whose teachings paved the way for Baha'u'llah. They are considered equal in station.
> Place of worship?
Baha'is don't have an equivalent to church. Most worship takes place in the homes of believers, or sometimes in community-owned Baha'i centers. Most centers are Miltie-purposed, meaning that they are for meetings, activities, social events, etc. as well as worship. Also, there are Houses of Worship which are large, unique structures--currently only 7 exist. The North American one is in Chicago (there are others in Panama, Germany, Uganda, India, Australia, Samoa, and under construction in Chile). These Houses of Worship are open to everyone of any faith and are places for quiet meditation, prayer, and introspection.
> Important teachings?
Core beliefs are the oneness of God; oneness of Religion; the unity of humankind; elimination of racism and prejudices of all types; the equality of men and women; universal education; elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty. Baha'is aren't allowed to proselytize, although non-aggressive/non-coercive "teaching" is important. In addition to lacking traditional church-like structures, Baha'is do not have a clergy.
Baha'is believe in an idea called Progressive Revelation, which basically means that all the major world religions are updates/versions of one fundamental religion. Manifestations are introduced to humankind at points in history to update the religious message of the age, according to man's capacity to understand it. To that extent the Manifestations represent the same "Son of God" and are theologically equivalent. Baha'u'llah and The Baha'i Faith are simply the latest "updates" to this unfolding universal religion. To us religions are not in conflict with each other except through imperfect human interpretation of their teachings; instead they all supplement and build on one another and are all valid "paths to God".
> Religious celebrations and traditions?
The Baha'i Faith has 9 Holy Days which I will not list here for the sake of space limitations; they can be found on wikipedia or the US Baha'i site. The Faith has relatively few set traditions, which is intentional. The leaders of the Faith wish each community to feel free to create its own traditions and flavor. Major events such as weddings and funerals have basic frameworks and rules, but are otherwise left to the decision of the individual(s).
There is also Ayyam-i-Ha, which is 4-5 days in late winter which are celebrated in anticipation of the upcoming Fast. This is the Baha'i gift-giving season. March 2-20 is The Fast, a period during which Baha'is of qualifying age and health refrain from food or drink from sunrise to sunset each day.
> The founder?
See the description of Baha'u'llah above.
> Religious book?
The most holy book in the Faith is the Kitab-i-Aqdas ("Book of Laws"). Other critically important works are the Kitab-i-Iqan ("Book of Certitude") and "The Hidden Words". The Bab and Baha'u'llah together wrote hundreds of books and tablets.
> How it affects the followers life?
I think this one is pretty broad but in general, to be a Baha'i is to love the whole world as your family. It means to banish hatred, prejudice, and overt nationalism from one's heart. It is to live humbly, give generously, and to submit to God and His will and all of His laws. Baha'is do not drink or do illicit drugs. We are held to extremely high standards of dress, language, modesty, and chastity. Baha'is have unique ways of solving conflicts and building harmony. We distance ourselves from political issues and divisive subjects.
I hope I've helped! Best of luck with your presentation.
ETA: I am, regretfully, forced to point out that the user Nonagon represents the Tarbiyat Baha'i Community, which is considered a Covenant-Breaker splinter group from the Baha'i Faith. They are not recognized by the worldwide Baha'i community and their views are not considered genuine Baha'i teachings. Please use wikipedia if you're curious about what constitutes Covenant Breaking.
Who is followed? Bah??u?Lelah is the prophet-founder of the Bah??? Faith; his Writings form the core of the Teachings of the Faith.
Place of worship? Most Bah??is worship in private homes or in other privately owned and maintained spaces.
Important teachings? The Faith emphasizes the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of humankind, and (within the Tarb?yat tradition) reflects a spiritual paradigm of inclusion and pluralism, tolerance and respect.
Religious celebrations and traditions? The Bah??? calendar consists of nineteen months of nineteen days each; thus, Bah??is come together for a Bah??? Feast once every nineteen days, in addition to the various holy days.
Religious book? The most important book in the Faith is the Kit?b-i-?q?n (Book of Certitude), which Shogh? Effend? (the First Guardian of the Faith) explicitly referred to as "this book of *unsurpassed pre-eminence* among the writings of the Author of the Bah??? Revelation."
How it affects the follower's life? In the Tablet to the Son, Bah??u?ll?h states that the fundamental principle of the Baha'i revelation is virtue:
"Note that what appeared was virtues, of which all remained ignorant." para 8, Tablet of the Son
Thus, the acquisition of virtue is the fundamental practice of the Bah??? path, but only to the extent that believers are receptive to its cultivation.
Please note that, although the mainstream Haifan Bah??? organization does not recognize the existence or validity of the Tarb?yat Bah??? Community (much as Orthodox Judaism does not recognize the Reform and Conservative movements as valid expressions of Judaism), the Tarb?yat Bah??? Community of the United States and Canada is a legally incorporated non-profit religious organization recognized by the Government of the United States (the Constitution of which guarantees freedom of religious practice and belief), with members throughout the United States, Canada, India and Australia. Calling a minority Bah??? community a ?small splinter group? of ?Covenant-breakers? (as one commenter has shamefully done in an unprovoked attack) is a typical tactic used by Haifan Bah???s to delegitimize and discredit alternative Bah??? movements, especially on the internet.
Facts and information on the Bah?'? faith?
