Origins and leadership:

• The Bab (1819-1850) declaration: 1844
• Baha’u’llah (1817-1892) declaration: 1863
• Abdu’l-Baha (1844-1921)
• Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957)
• Current organization and leadership:
• The Universal House of Justice (1963)
• National Spiritual Assemblies
• Local Spiritual Assemblies

• Writings
• The New Message social teachings of equality, world peace and unity
• Unity:
• God is one
• Religions are one
• Progressive revelation
• Messengers
• Humanity is one
• World society
• Women, Family, Marriage

• No local church buildings
• Temples (seven worldwide)
• No clergy or priesthood
• Calendar (fasting and the new year: "Naw Ruz")
• Holy days
• Worship ("Feast" days)
• "Fireside" discussions
• Group decision making:
• Election of leaders
• Consultation and consensus
 
 
 
 

Origins and leadership: 19th cent. Persia (Iran), founders and first followers were Muslim

• The Bab ("The Gate") 1819-1850: in 1844 declared himself to be the 12th Imam of Shi’ite expectations and proclaimed the coming of a new message and a new messenger (equivalent of John the Baptist). He and his followers (called "Babis") were rejected and persecuted as blasphemers by Muslims since Muhammad was believed to be the last of the messengers to be sent to humanity by God. The Bab was martyred in 1850 but his followers continued belief in his teachings about a coming messenger and they continued to be persecuted, imprisoned and ultimately (in 1863) exiled from Persia
• Baha’u’llah ("The Glory of God") 1817-1892: a follower of The Bab who, in a mystical encounter, came to recognize himself as the one prophesied by The Bab. In 1863, during their exodus from Persia, he declared this to the rest of the Babis. They now became his followers and known thereafter as Baha’is. However, they remained a persecuted group and Baha’u’llah was ultimately put under house arrest for the remainder of his life by the Turkish government in Acre (now in Israel). Acre is now a site of pilgrimage for Baha’is.
• Abdu’l-Baha ("Servant of Baha") (1844-1921): Baha’u’llah’s son carried on his father’s work after Baha’u’llah’s death. He did much to spread the faith worldwide. He traveled to Europe and North America. Although it grew out of Shi’ite Islam, it was never accepted by Islam as a legitimate Muslim sect and neither does it see itself as such (although some Muslims think of it as a heretical sect of Islam). The Baha’i faith became a new universal religion now with over 5 million followers in over 200 countries from all races and nationalities.
• Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957): appointed by his grandfather, Abdu’l Baha, to be "Guardian of the Faith", restructured the faith into local organizations with a central world leadership elected from among the followers rather than led by a single descendent of the founder.
• Current organization and leadership: democratic and hierarchical:
• The Universal House of Justice: formed in 1963, is now the ruling body of the Baha’i faith located in Haifa, Israel. It’s nine members are elected every five years by the various National Spiritual Assemblies from among all the world’s Baha’is.
• National Spiritual Assemblies: the ruling bodies within each nation having sufficient number (nine?) of Local Baha’i Communities. Delegates elected by each Community gather to elect members to the NSA from among all Baha’is in each nation.
• Local Baha’i Communities: wherever there are at least nine adult Baha’is within a local geographic area, this smallest unit of organization can be formed. Like a parish of the Catholic church, Baha’is living in a certain area are automatically members of the Local Baha’i Community. Local leadership is by an elected body of nine members who constitute the "Local Spiritual Assembly".

• Writings: Baha’u’llah wrote (channeled in trance state) many books comprising the equivalent of sacred text and considered by Baha’is as revelation from God: a new message for a new age of humanity. Most important text written by Baha’u’llah is Kitab-i-aqdas (The "Most Holy Book" of Laws and Ordinances), a text containing basic religious and moral laws of the faith. Books by Abdu’l Baha and Shoghi Effendi are secondary to the writings of Baha’u’llah serving as additional guidance.
• The New Message: The social teachings about relationships between human beings are new; spiritual teachings about the relationship between human beings and God are the same as in other religions. This, Baha’is believe to be universal for all times and all places. Baha’i faith brings a new message for social relationships amongst humanity: that which will promote equality, world peace and unity in an age (19th - 20th cent. and on) where humanity lives in a "global village". None of the older religions could speak to this issue because they were revealed in a time when this was not an issue.
• A religion of unity: God is one, religions are one, humanity is one
• God is one: The Baha’i faith is Monotheistic, as are all other Western religions.
• Religions are one:
• Progressive revelation: Baha’is understand that all the different religions through time and around the world are but different revelations of the same basic religion. Differences are due to different cultures and different times. Each religion is seen, by Baha’is, as a continuation of a single revelation, as the evolving of the religion of humanity. All are understood to be revealed by the same God. All are understood to contain the same basic spiritual truths but each is seen to advance the social teachings as the human race advances and evolves. The Baha’i faith is seen as the religion for today with its teachings about social equality and world unity.
• Messengers: Baha’is recognize a series of nine "messengers" from God seen as manifestations of God: Abraham, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad, The Bab, Baha’u’llah. Such a messenger stands between ordinary human beings and God. A messenger is more than just a prophet (cf.: Islamic understanding). Messengers have a special standing among human beings, are born with a destiny to bring a new revelation to humanity. Anyone could become a prophet or a saint. Only certain individuals, few and far between, are born specifically to be messengers. They are not ordinary men. Baha’is do not believe that Baha’u’llah is to be the final messenger but they do not expect another one until 1000 years have passed since Baha’u’llah (cf.: Christian Millennial beliefs)
• Unity of humanity:
• One world society: Baha’i faith condemns prejudice and racism, advocates equality of women and men, promotes social changes such as development of a universal language, a world court of justice, a world league of nations. Baha’is are very active with the UN and the World Federalist organizations
• Women: hold equal power and leadership within the faith (except at the highest level); are given equal opportunity for higher education (preference when a choice must be made for financial or other such reasons);
• Family: most important social unity, women are seen as most important within the family as the first teachers of the next generation
• Marriage:
• Interracial marriage is common and even preferred among Baha’is as a way of promoting racial equality.
• Interfaith marriage is allowed, the spouse may or may not convert to Baha’i faith, the children are often exposed to the religious heritage of both parents.
• Divorce is discouraged but allowed after very serious consideration.

• No local church buildings (meet in homes, public schools, community centers). Seven Temples worldwide (all nine sided) open to anyone, Baha’i or not, for prayer, meditation and for hearing readings from revelations (holy books) of all religions. Baha’is expect that, in time, every local community will have a Baha’i center.
• No clergy or priesthood: leading group worship and other group activities is shared by everyone in the community
• Baha’i calendar: The Baha’i year is nineteen months of nineteen days each with four (or five) "intercalary days" celebrated just before the last month of the year (Feb. 26 - Mar. 1). The Spring Equinox is the New Year (Persian tradition). Baha’is fast from sunup to sundown (cf.: Muslim way of fasting) during the last month of the year.
• Holy days commemorate key events in the early history of the faith concerning the Bab and Baha’u’llah (their birth, death and declaration of mission):
• Naw Ruz (March 21): New Year Day
• Ridvan (April 21 - 29 - May 2): 12 day period celebrating the declaration of Baha’u’llah. Important days are 1st, 9th and 12th
• Declaration of the Bab (May 23)
• Ascension of Baha’u’llah (May 29): commemorating the death of the founder
• Martyrdom (death) of the Bab (July 9)
• Birth of the Bab (Oct. 20)
• Birth of Baha’u’llah (Nov. 12)

• Nineteen day "feast": Every Baha’i Community gathers for a "Feastday" every nineteen days, at the start of a new Baha’i month. The Feast consists of three parts: prayer, "consultation" (i.e., Community business is discussed), and socializing. Ordinarily only Baha’is of a given Local Community can attend a Feast day celebration because private Community matters are discussed during the consultaion. Occasionally, a given Community will hold a "Unity Feast" where consultation will not take place: then any Baha’is from other Communities and non-Baha’is may attend.
• Other activities include regular (weekly, monthly) "firesides" where Baha’is and their non-Baha’i friends and others interested in learning about the faith, gather for discussion and socializing. "Deepenings" are held for study of Baha’i and other sacred texts.
• Group decision making: Consultation and consensus:
• Leadership at all levels is through election from among all members without campaigning. Each voting member simply selects the nine names he or she honestly feels most suited to leadership. Those nine in the group who receive the most votes are thus elected to the post.
• Group decisions are always made through group consultation and discussion leading, ideally, to unanimous conclusion. Ideas brought to the discussion are seen as belonging to no one in particular and, thus, to all and are considered in the objective light of equality. The vote of the majority is not the preferred way of group decision making.