"[112], Baháʼu'lláh prohibited a mendicant and ascetic lifestyle. Although they acted alone, the government responded with collective punishment, killing many Bábís. Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi, (2008) "Anti-Bahaiʼism and Islamism in Iran". You can join them live … 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. Religion is thus seen as orderly, unified, and progressive from age to age. [149][152] The Friends court case has been postponed several times, but was finally underway on 12 January 2010. [140][142], 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. This knowledge of the attributes is also proportioned. 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. [95], The Baháʼí Faith is currently the largest religious minority in Iran,[96] Panama[97] and Belize,[98] the second largest international religion in Bolivia,[99] Zambia,[100] and Papua New Guinea;[101] and the third largest international religion in Chad[102][103] and Kenya.[104]. [65][70] 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. [81][82] Additional lines of action include social action and participation in the prevalent discourses of society. The principal Baha’i tenets are the essential unity of all religions … [1] He is described as "a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty". 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. There are over 27,000 extant documents by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, mostly letters, of which only a fraction have been translated into English. Elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty, Baháʼís over the age of 15 should individually recite an. The House of Justice then launched a nine-year plan in 1964, and a series of subsequent multi-year plans of varying length and goals followed, guiding the direction of the international Baháʼí community. Embalming or cremating the body is strongly discouraged. ^ Hatcher 1985, p. 74 harvnb error: no target: CITEREFHatcher1985 (help) Obedience to government is not applicable when submission to law amounts to a denial of Faith. Sources summarize the Baháʼí Faith as teaching, "the essential worth of all religions, the unity of all peoples, and the equality of the sexes". [27] Though inaccessible directly, God is nevertheless seen as conscious of creation, with a will and purpose expressed through messengers called Manifestations of God. Schisms have occurred over the succession of authority, but any Baháʼí divisions have had relatively little success and have failed to attract a sizeable following,[50] numbering only a few hundred collectively. Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch.”. [144] Baháʼís were portrayed as economic threats, and as supporters of Israel and the West, and societal hostility against the Baháʼís increased.[140][145]. [127], The religion entered a new phase of activity when a message of the Universal House of Justice dated 20 October 1983 was released. Its purpose is to spread the knowledge of the oneness of all revealed religions … Prayer and fasting is required by all, they strongly encourage marriage, and don't believe in drinking alcohol. [73][74][75], In 1937, Shoghi Effendi launched a seven-year plan for the Baháʼís of North America, followed by another in 1946. From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer dated 9 June 1932, Stockman, R. H. (2012). 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. Such conception of the Divine Being, as the Supreme and ever present Reality in the world, is not anthropomorphic, for it transcends all human limitations and forms, and does by no means attempt to define the essence of Divinity which is obviously beyond any human comprehension. For the establishment of a lasting peace (The Most Great Peace) and the purging of the "overwhelming Corruptions" it is necessary that all the people of the world universally unite under a universal Faith. Baháʼu'lláh was put in prison. [9] Baháʼu'lláh writes on this subject: All-praise to the unity of God, and all-honour to Him, the sovereign Lord, the incomparable and all-glorious Ruler of the universe, Who, out of utter nothingness, hath created the reality of all things, Who, from naught, hath brought into being the most refined and subtle elements of His creation, and Who, rescuing His creatures from the abasement of remoteness and the perils of ultimate extinction, hath received them into His kingdom of incorruptible glory. According to the Baháʼí teachings, God is single and all-powerful. [25], The Baháʼí writings describe a single, personal, inaccessible, omniscient, omnipresent, imperishable, and almighty God who is the creator of all things in the universe. [78], The marginalization of the Iranian Baháʼís by current governments is rooted in historical efforts by Muslim clergy to persecute the religious minority. [citation needed] 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,[32] suited for the time and place in which it was expressed. The Manifestations of God reflect divine attributes, which are creations of God made for the purpose of spiritual enlightenment, onto the physical plane of existence. [63], 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 "the Gate"), referring to his later claim to the status of Mahdi of Shiʻa Islam. In the current plan, the House of Justice encourages the Baháʼís around the world to focus on capacity building through children's classes, junior youth groups, devotional gatherings, and study circles. At this time Baháʼís view Baháʼu'lláh's revelation as a binding lesser covenant for his followers; in the Baháʼí writings being firm in the covenant is considered a virtue to work toward. According to a US panel, attacks on Baháʼís in Iran increased under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency. 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. [112] 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. 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. The teachings of Baha'i are NOT based upon the Truth of God's Word; therefore, we are to separate from them because they are unbelievers. Baháʼís observe 11 Holy Days throughout the year, with work suspended on 9 of these. [10][146][147] [110], 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. [27] 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. The most severe persecutions have occurred in Iran, where more than 200 Baháʼís were executed between 1978 and 1998. Every five years the members of all National Spiritual Assemblies elect 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. [66] Among the more well known are The Secret of Divine Civilization, the Tablet to Auguste-Henri Forel, and Some Answered Questions. [149][150] 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. The Baháʼí Faith stresses the unity of all people, explicitly rejecting racism and nationalism. Letters written by Baháʼu'lláh to various people, including some heads of state, have been collected and assembled into a canon of Baháʼí scripture. [12], So perfect and comprehensive is His creation that no mind or heart, however keen or pure, can ever grasp the nature of the most insignificant of His creatures; much less fathom the mystery of Him Who is the Day Star of Truth, Who is the invisible and unknowable Essence...[13][14]. [90] Baháʼí sources since 1991 usually estimate the worldwide Baháʼí population to be above 5 million. [143] In the late 1970s the Shah's regime consistently lost legitimacy due to criticism that it was pro-Western. [64], 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. The Bahá’í Faith is a world religion based on the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. The symbols of the religion are derived from the Arabic word Baháʼ (بهاء "splendor" or "glory"), with a numerical value of 9, which is why the most common symbol is the nine-pointed star. [168], 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. [112], Baháʼís intending to marry are asked to obtain a thorough understanding of the other's character before deciding to marry. [96] The rights of Baháʼís have been restricted to greater or lesser extents in numerous other countries, including Egypt, Afghanistan,[134] Indonesia,[135] Iraq,[136] Morocco,[137] Yemen,[138] and several countries in sub-Saharan Africa. [153] Other observers were not allowed in the court. Throughout the rest of his life Baháʼu'lláh gained the allegiance of most of the Bábís, who came to be known as Baháʼís. [113] Interracial marriage is also highly praised throughout Baháʼí scripture. Among other beliefs include: 1. [117] The first ever Mas͟hriqu'l-Ad͟hkár in ʻIshqábád, Turkmenistan, has been the most complete House of Worship. [28][29], Baháʼí teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, or to create a complete and accurate image of by themselves. [148] In March 2018, two more Baháʼí students were expelled from universities in the cities of Zanjan and Gilan because of their religion. 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