[161], The Iranian government claims that the Baháʼí Faith is not a religion, but is instead a political organization, and hence refuses to recognize it as a minority religion. Baháʼu'lláh established the elected Universal House of Justice, and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá established the appointed hereditary Guardianship and clarified the relationship between the two institutions. 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. [27] These include the Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys. [116] Baháʼí writings refer to an institution called a "Mas͟hriqu'l-Ad͟hkár" (Dawning-place of the Mention of God), which is to form the center of a complex of institutions including a hospital, university, and so on. After receiving chastising letters from Baháʼu'lláh, Ottoman authorities turned against him and put him under house arrest in Adrianople (now Edirne), where he remained for four years, until a royal decree of 1868 banished all Bábís to either Cyprus or ʻAkká. Every human is seen to have a duty to recognize God through his messengers, and to conform to their teachings. In Brookshaw & Fazel, eds. It is to NO surprise that such a one-world minded religion would be very popular with the New Age movement of our day, and it surely is. [33], Baháʼí beliefs are sometimes described as syncretic combinations of earlier religious beliefs. [15][16], The Baháʼí teachings state that one can develop a closer relationship with God through prayer, meditation, study of the holy writings, and service to humanity. ANSWER: Followers of the Baha’i religion have an exalted view of God, so much so they deem God unknowable. The Baháʼí view of God is essentially monotheistic. Without documents, they could not be employed, educated, treated in hospitals, travel outside of the country, or vote, among other hardships. Following his release he led a life of travelling, speaking, teaching, and maintaining correspondence with communities of believers and individuals, expounding the principles of the Baháʼí Faith.[24]. Baha'u'llah (1817-1892) was the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith, considered by adherents to be the Universal Manifestation of God who has ushered in a new age of world unity. In the 2000 Millennium Forum of the United Nations a Baháʼí was invited as the only non-governmental speaker during the summit. [27], Each of the 19 months is given a name which is an attribute of God; some examples include Baháʼ (Splendour), ʻIlm (Knowledge), and Jamál (Beauty). [148] In March 2018, two more Baháʼí students were expelled from universities in the cities of Zanjan and Gilan because of their religion. [78], The marginalization of the Iranian Baháʼís by current governments is rooted in historical efforts by Muslim clergy to persecute the religious minority. Summary of Bahá'í beliefs God is transcendent and can't be known directly. Independent investigation of truth. God is known through the lives and teachings of his great prophets, the … Baháʼu'lláh's Kitáb-i-Aqdas and The Will and Testament of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá are foundational documents of the Baháʼí administrative order. Letters written by Baháʼu'lláh to various people, including some heads of state, have been collected and assembled into a canon of Baháʼí scripture. [112], Baháʼís intending to marry are asked to obtain a thorough understanding of the other's character before deciding to marry. The latter do not serve as clergy, which the Baháʼí Faith does not have. [47], The Baháʼí teachings speak of a "Greater Covenant",[48] being universal and endless, and a "Lesser Covenant", being unique to each religious dispensation. The One true God, He Who knoweth all things, Himself testifieth to the truth of these words. Oneness of humankind. [158] After the sentence, they were transferred to Gohardasht prison. Their scriptures specifically acknowledge the divine origin of most of the major world religions. The general functions of this body are defined through the writings of Baháʼu'lláh and clarified in the writings of Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi. [60] Although they are distinct movements, the Báb is so interwoven into Baháʼí theology and history that Baháʼís celebrate his birth, death, and declaration as holy days, consider him one of their three central figures (along with Baháʼu'lláh and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá), and a historical account of the Bábí movement (The Dawn-Breakers) is considered one of three books that every Baháʼí should "master" and read "over and over again". These functions include teaching and education, implementing Baháʼí laws, addressing social issues, and caring for the weak and the poor. "[citation needed] It was written to a follower of Sufism, in the style of ʻAttar, the Persian Muslim poet,[58] and sets forth the stages of the soul's journey towards God. While the Baháʼí writings teach of a personal god who is a being with a personality (including the capacity to reason and to feel love), they clearly state that this does not imply a human or physical form. 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. [111] The Baháʼí teachings on marriage call it a fortress for well-being and salvation and place marriage and the family as the foundation of the structure of human society. Baha’i Religion or Baha’i is believed 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 to moral and spiritual qualities. It is one of the fastest-growing religion with over 116,000 localities across the globe (as of 2018). If religion does not agree with science, it is superstition and ignorance; for God has endowed … [132] In recent years, an Office of the Environment and an Office for the Advancement of Women were established as part of its United Nations Office. 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. The Baha'i Faith: A Guide for the Perplexed. The Manifestations of God are analogous to divine mirrors which reflect God's created attributes and thus reveal aspects of God without being incarnations of God's essence. They have a commitment both to bettering themselves and the world. [81][82] Additional lines of action include social action and participation in the prevalent discourses of society. 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