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The Bah?'? Faith (Persian: A???) is a religion founded by Bah?'u'll?h in 19Th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind.[1] There are about six million Bah?'?s in more than 200 countries and territories around the world.[2][3]
According to Bah?'? teachings, religious history has unfolded through a series of God's messengers who brought teachings suited for the capacity of the people at their time, and whose fundamental purpose is the same. Bah?'u'll?h is regarded as the most recent, but not final, in a line of messengers that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, Muhammad and others. Bah?'u'll?h's claim to fulfill the eschatological promises of previous scriptures coincides with his mission to establish a firm basis for unity throughout the world, and inaugurate an age of peace and justice, which Bah?'?s expect will inevitably arise.[4]
Bah?'? (IPA: [ba?ha??i?]) can be an adjective referring to the Bah?'? Faith, or used as a term for a follower of Bah?'u'll?h. (Bah?'? is not a noun meaning the religion as a whole.) The word comes from the Arabic word Bah?? (????), meaning "glory" or "splendour".[5] "Bahaism" (or "Baha'ism") has been used in the past but is fading from use.
Beliefs
The Bah?'? teachings are often summarized by referring to three core principles: the unity of God, the unity of religion, and the unity of mankind.[3] Many Bah?'? beliefs and practices are rooted in these priorities; but taken alone these would be an over-simplification of Bah?'? teachings.
[edit] God
Main article: Bah?'? concept of God
The Bah?'? writings describe a single, imperishable God, the creator of all things, including all the creatures and forces in the universe. The existence of God is thought to be eternal, without a beginning or end,[6] and is described as "a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty."[7] Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of his creation, with a will and purpose. In Bah?'? belief, God expresses this will in many ways, including through a series of divine messengers referred to as Manifestations of God or sometimes divine educators.[3] In expressing God's intent, these manifestations are seen to establish religion in the world and to enable a relationship with God.[8]
Bah?'? teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, or to create a complete and accurate image, by themselves; human understanding of God is through his revelation via his Manifestations of God.[8][9] In the Bah?'? religion God is often referred to by titles and attributes (e.g. the All-Powerful, or the All-Loving), and there is a substantial emphasis on monotheism, and an interpretation of such doctrines as the Trinity in a symbolic rather than literal sense.[10][11] The Bah?'? teachings state that the attributes which are applied to God are used to translate Godliness into human terms and also to help individuals concentrate on their own attributes in worshipping God to develop their potentialities on their spiritual path.[9][8] According to the Bah?'? teachings the human purpose is to learn to know and love God through such methods as prayer and reflection.[8]
Symbols of many religions on the pillar of the Bah?'? House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois
Bah?'? notions of progressive religious revelation result in their accepting the validity of most of the world's religions, whose founders and central figures are seen as Manifestations of God. Religious history is interpreted as a series of dispensations, where each manifestation brings a somewhat broader and more advanced revelation, suited for the time and place in which it was expressed.[6] Specific religious social teachings (e.g. 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 (e.g. neighbourliness, or charity) are seen to be universal and consistent. In Bah?'? belief, this process of progressive revelation will not end; however, it is believed to be cyclical. Bah?'?s do not expect a new manifestation of God to appear within 1000 years of Bah?'u'll?h's revelation.
Bah?'? beliefs are sometimes described as syncretic combinations of earlier religions' beliefs.[14] Bah?'?s, however, assert that their religion is a distinct tradition with its own scriptures, teachings, laws, and history.[6][15] Its religious background in Shi'a Islam is seen as analogous to the Jewish context in which Christianity was established.[16] Bah?'?s describe their faith as an independent world religion, differing from the other traditions only in its relative age and in the appropriateness of Bah?'u'll?h's teachings to the modern context.[17] Bah?'u'll?h is believed to have fulfilled the messianic expectations of these precursor faiths.
Human beings
The Ringstone symbol represents humanity's connection to GodMain article: Bah?'? Faith and the unity of humanity
The Bah?'? writings state that human beings have a "rational soul", and that this provides the species with a unique capacity to recognize God's station 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.[18] Through recognition and obedience, service to humanity and regular prayer and spiritual practice, the Bah?'? writings state that the soul becomes closer to God, the spiritual ideal in Bah?'? belief. When a human dies, the soul passes into the next world, where its spiritual development in the physical world becomes a basis for judgment and advancement in the spiritual 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.[19]
The Bah?'? 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 tolerance. Doctrines of racism, nationalism, caste and social class are seen as artificial impediments to unity.[3] The Bah?'? teachings state that the unification of mankind is the paramount issue in the religious and political conditions of the present world.[6]
[edit] Demographics
Main article: Bah?'? statistics
The Bah?'? House of Worship in India attracts an average of 4 million visitors a year.Bah?'? sources usually estimate the worldwide Bah?'? population to be above 5 million.[20] Most encyclopedias and similar sources estimate between 5 and 6 million Bah?'?s in the world in the early twenty-first century.[21][22]
From its origins in the Persian and Ottoman Empires, the Bah?'? Faith had acquired a number of Western converts by World War I. Fifty years later its population had spread throughout the world as a result of Bah?'? pioneering efforts.
According to The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2004:
? The majority of Bah?'?s live in Asia (3.6 million), Africa (1.8 million), and Latin America (900,000). According to some estimates, the largest Bah?'? community in the world is in India, with 2.2 million Bah?'?s, next is Iran, with 350,000, and the U.S., with 150,000. Aside from these countries, numbers vary greatly. Currently, no country has a Bah?'? majority. Guyana is the country with the largest percentage of Bah?'?s (7%).[23] ?
The Bah?'? religion was listed in The Britannica Book of the Year (1992?present) as the second most widespread of the world's independent religions in terms of the number of countries represented. Britannica claims that it is established in 247 countries and territories; represents over 2,100 ethnic, racial, and tribal groups; has scriptures translated into over 800 languages; and has seven million adherents worldwide [2005].[21] Additionally, Bah?'?s have self organized in most of the nations of the earth.
[edit] Teachings
Texts & Scriptures
of the
Bah?'? Faith
Bah?'? literature
From The B?b
Persian Bay?n ? Arabic Bay?n
Writings of the B?b
From Bah?'u'll?h
Epistle to the Son of the Wolf
Four Valleys
Gems of Divine Mysteries
Gleanings ? Kit?b-i-Aqdas
Kit?b-i-?q?n ? Hidden Words
Seven Valleys
Summons of the Lord of Hosts
Tabernacle of Unity
Tablets of Bah?'u'll?h
From `Abdu'l-Bah?
Paris Talks
Secret of Divine Civilization
Some Answered Questions
Tablets of the Divine Plan
Tablet to Dr. Forel
Tablet to The Hague
Will and Testament
From Shoghi Effendi
The Advent of Divine Justice
Bah?'? Administration
God Passes By
World Order of Bah?'u'll?h
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Main article: Bah?'? teachings
[edit] Summary
Shoghi Effendi, the appointed head of the religion from 1921 to 1957, wrote the following summary of what he considered to be the distinguishing principles of Bah?'u'll?h's teachings, which, he said, together with the laws and ordinances of the Kit?b-i-Aqdas constitute the bed-rock of the Bah?'? 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
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