What is Oneness?

The entire structure and philosophy of the Bahá'í teachings revolves around the oneness of humanity. Bahá'ís believe that all of us come from the same ancestors; that we all have one common humanity; that we share our DNA and our heritage and our earthly home and our Creator. Bahá'u'lláh wrote Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship. Thus, the Baha’i teachings promote the equality of the sexes and the elimination of all prejudice and racism.

← Bahá'í temple in Battambang, Cambodia

Who is Bahá’u’lláh?

Bahá'ís believe Bahá’u’lláh (Arabic for 'Glory of God') is the latest manifestation (teacher) from God. He was born in 1817 in Tehran, Persia. In 1848, as a follower of the Báb, He was  cast into a dungeon known as the Black Pit, where He received the first intimations of a divine revelation within Him. After 4 months in the Black Pit, Bahá’u’lláh was banished from Iran to Constantinople, then to Adrianople, where He wrote to the kings and rulers of the world, urging them to pursue justice and establish peace. He was finally banished to ‘Akká, Palestine, arriving in 1868. All His life, He wrote books and letters which comprise the scriptures of the Baha’i Faith. He passed away in ‘Akká in 1892.

Bahá'í temple, Agua Azul, Colombia →

Who is ‘Abdu'l-Bahá?

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the eldest son of Bahá’u’lláh, was the appointed head of the Bahá’í Faith from 1892 until his death in 1921. Born in Tehran in 1844, He and the family were exiled to Baghdad, then to Constatinople, Adrianople, and finally Akka (Palestine). As he grew he took more responsibility, welcoming visitors, meeting government officials, and finally arranging for Bahá’u’lláh's passing in 1892. He traveled to Europe, the USA and Canada in 1912, introducing and strengthening the Faith in the West. His public talks and writings were recorded and published worldwide. Bahá’ís consider Him the "unerring Interpreter of His Word", the "embodiment of every Bahá’í ideal" and the "incarnation of every Bahá’í virtue."

←Bahá'í temple, Apia, Samoa

Who is the Báb?

Siyyid 'Ali-Muḥammad was born in Shiraz, Iran in 1819, during a time of messianic ferment. He announced Himself to be the Báb ('gate' in Arabic), in fulfillment of Moslem teachings of the return of the Qá'im (Mihdí). His mission was to prepare His followers for the coming of "Him Whom God shall make manifest", an allusion to Bahá’u’lláh. He was tortured, imprisoned, and finally executed in Tabriz in 1850. His body was interred in the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel, Akka, by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, in 1909.

Bahá'í temple, New Delhi, India →

Who is Shoghi Effendi?

Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957), the great-grandson of Bahá’u’lláh, was appointed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith. Born in Acre, he studied at Oxford until Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing in 1921. For the next thirty-six years, as Head of the Bahá’í Faith, he guided the worldwide expansion and the evolution of Bahá’í Administration, developed and extended the Bahá’í World Center in Haifa and Acre, translated many works by Bahá’u’lláh, and wrote thousands of letters as well as a history of the first hundred years of the Bábí and Bahá’í Faiths. On 4 November 1957 he died during a visit to London.

← Bahá'í temple near Panama City, Panama

What is the Universal House of Justice?

The Universal House of Justice is the supreme governing and legislative council of the Bahá’í Administrative Order. Ordained by Bahá’u’lláh, and its functions elaborated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Universal House of Justice was established in 1963 and is elected every five years with no nominations and no campaigning for votes. The electors, a body consisting of all current members of Bahá’í governing councils for nations and regions (National Spiritual Assemblies). The membership of the Universal House of Justice consists of nine individuals who may come from any part of the world. The Universal House of Justice directs the activities of Bahá’í communities worldwide and legislates on issues that are not covered in Bahá’í scripture. It is also responsible for the Bahá’í holy places and the administrative functioning of the Bahá’í World Center.

Bahá'í temple in Wilmette, Illinois, USA →

Bahá'ís believe mankind has been guided spiritually by a sequence or progression of great Messengers of God, including Moses, Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammad. They have revealed both spiritual truths, which are eternal, and laws belonging to a particular age. The spiritual truths are evident: that we should love one another, do good, be sincere, truthful and law-abiding; that we should seek out our own shortcomings before we condemn the faults of others, and that we should not consider ourselves superior to our neighbours. Thus, all the world has been instructed by a single God, and follows the same religion, if we consider the deeper, spiritiual truths which are the essence of religion.

← Bahá'í temple near Sydney, Australia

Bahá'ís have a distinct calendar, with nineteen months of nineteen days, plus four (five in leap years) intercalary days that Bahá'ís call Ayyám'i'Há (thus, 19x19+4=365). The year begins with Naw-Rúz on/near March 21 (the first day of Spring), following nineteen days of fasting (info). The months are named for the attributes of God. There are also nine holy days throughout the year, including commemorations of the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh and the Birth of the Báb in October/November), and the Declaration of the Báb (May 22/23), and others. We are now in Bahá'í year 181.

Bahá'í temple near Kampala, Uganda →

In 1863, Bahá'u'lláh had been a prisoner of the Turkish Government in Baghdad for several years. He had been ordered to move to Constantinople. While the caravan was being prepared, the family encamped in an garden near town for twelve days. It was during that time, April 22 to May 3 of 1863, that Bahá'u'lláh announced to His followers that He was the One Whose coming had been foretold, the Promised One of all the Prophets. The Garden where this declaration took place has become known to Bahá'ís as the "Garden of Riḍván," and the days Bahá'u'lláh spent there are celebrated as the "Feast of Riḍván". Bahá'ís celebrate the first, ninth, and twelfth day of Riḍván.

← Bahá'í temple near Santiago, Chile

Bahá'ís communities (such as in Miami) are directed by a Local Spiritual Assembly of nine people, elected annually by adult Bahá'ís in that area. Similarly, a National Spiritual Assembly is elected annually. NSA members gather every five years to elect nine members of the Universal House of Justice that guides the Bahá'ís of the world. The Bahá'í World Center is in Haifa, Israel. There is no paid clergy or priesthood.

Proposed Bahá'í temple near Papua, New Guinea →

When death occurs, Bahá'ís believe the body returns to the world of dust, while the soul continues to progress in the spiritual worlds of God. The soul will continue to progress in an eternal journey towards perfection. Bahá’u’lláh wrote, “It will manifest the signs of God and His attributes, and will reveal His loving kindness and bounty.” The world beyond, writes Bahá’u’lláh, “is as different from this world as this world is different from that of the child while still in the womb of its mother.” Both here and in the next life, we advance with the assistance of God’s bounty and grace. Seen in this light, death is not to be feared. Bahá’u’lláh refers to it as a “messenger of joy.”

← Bahá'í temple (proposed) in the Republic of Vanuatu

A fireside is an informal discussion of Bahá'í topics such as Bible prophecies, the nature of God, or the relationship of Bahá'í to other religions. There is never any admission charge or monetary contributions expected (people who are not members cannot contribute financially to the Bahá'í Faith). Light refreshments are generally served. It is perfectly all right just to come and listen. Please feel welcomed!

Proposed Bahá'í temple near Kenshasha, Democratic Republic of the Congo →