Bahá'í Faith
A nineteenth‑century Persian movement that presents a theology of progressive revelation and an administrative order intended to foster global unity and social transformation.
Quick Facts
- Period
- 1844 - Present
- Region
- Middle East
- Key Figures
- 'Abdu'l‑Bahá, Bahá'u'lláh, Shoghi Effendi +2 more
Key Figures
'Abdu'l‑Bahá
Interpreter / Exemplar
Bahá'í Faith'Abdu'l‑Bahá (ʻAbbás Ḥusayní, 1844–1921) was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh and a central, contestedly authoritative figu...
Bahá'u'lláh
Founder
Bahá'í FaithBahá'u'lláh (Mírzá Ḥusayn‑'Alí Núrí) is the central figure of the Bahá'í Faith and the author of the movement's primary ...
Shoghi Effendi
Guardian / Administrator
Bahá'í FaithShoghi Effendi Rabbání (1897–1957) served as the first Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, a position set out in the Will and ...
Táhirih (Qurratu'l‑'Ayn)
Early Theologian / Poet
Bábí movement (precursor to Bahá'í Faith)Táhirih, born Fatimah Baraghani around 1814 in Qazvin and commonly known by the honorific Qurratu'l‑'Ayn (often shortene...
The Báb
Precursor/Prophetic Forerunner
Bábí movement (precursor to Bahá'í Faith)The Báb (Siyyid ʻAlí Muḥammad Shírází, c. 1819–1850) was a central and contested religious figure whose public declarati...
The Story
This narrative combines documented history with dramatized scenes for storytelling purposes.
Origins and Founding
The Bahá'í Faith emerges historically from a turbulent religious and social milieu in nineteenth‑century Persia (modern Iran), interacting with Ottoman imperial...
Beliefs and Worldview
The Bahá'í Faith articulates a coherent set of doctrinal claims and ethical principles that its adherents present as applicable to individual spiritual life and...
Practice and Ritual Life
The lived religious life of Bahá'ís combines daily devotional practices, an annual sacred calendar, community‑level gatherings, and the cultivation of ethics th...
Authority and Transmission
Authority in the Bahá'í Faith is constituted by a combination of sacred scripture, designated interpretive figures named in the community’s formative documents,...
The Tradition Today
The Bahá'í Faith exists today as a global religious community with a distinctive administrative order, a set of internationally recognised sacred centres, educa...
Timeline
Declaration of the Báb
**1844** — In 1844 Sayyid ʻAlí Muḥammad Shirazi (the Báb) announced a new religious mission in Shiraz; this event is regarded by Bahá'ís as the beginning of a prophetic cycle and by historians as the public inception of the Bábí movement in Persia.
Execution of the Báb
**1850** — The Báb was executed in Tabriz after years of imprisonment and confrontation with Persian authorities; his death precipitated both repression of his followers and the emergence of rival claimants within the Bábí movement.
Bahá'u'lláh's Declaration at Ridván
**1863** — In the spring of 1863 Bahá'u'lláh publicly signalled his mission to followers while in the Garden of Ridván near Baghdad; Bahá'ís commemorate this event annually as a major festival and it functions as a key founding moment in Bahá'í chronology.
Exile of Bahá'u'lláh to Akka
**1868** — Bahá'u'lláh was transferred by Ottoman authorities to the fortified town of Akka (Acre) as a political exile; his prolonged residence and eventual burial there established the region as a central geographical locus for the community's sacred sites.
Composition of the Kitáb‑i‑Aqdas (circa)
**1873** — Around the early 1870s Bahá'u'lláh composed the Kitáb‑i‑Aqdas (the Most Holy Book), a foundational legal and ethical text that has since served as a primary source for communal law and practice within the Bahá'í community.
Death of Bahá'u'lláh
**1892** — Bahá'u'lláh died in 1892 in the vicinity of Akka; his burial place and associated shrines became principal pilgrimage sites, and his passing marked the transfer of leadership to his eldest son and designated interpreter, 'Abdu'l‑Bahá.
'Abdu'l‑Bahá's Journeys to the West
**1911-1913** — 'Abdu'l‑Bahá travelled to Europe and North America between 1911 and 1913, delivering public talks and meeting with diverse audiences; these visits catalyzed the formation of Bahá'í communities in the West and are well documented in contemporary press and Bahá'í records.
Death of 'Abdu'l‑Bahá and Appointment of the Guardian
**1921** — 'Abdu'l‑Bahá died in 1921; in his Will and Testament he named Shoghi Effendi as Guardian, a role that would shape the movement's translation, canonical and administrative development through the mid‑twentieth century.
Death of Shoghi Effendi
**1957** — Shoghi Effendi, the first Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith, died in 1957 without a named successor; the ensuing years saw institutional elaboration that culminated in the establishment of an elected international body to guide the community.
Establishment of the Universal House of Justice
**1963** — In 1963 the Bahá'í community constituted the Universal House of Justice, an elected international council described in Bahá'í scripture as having authority to legislate on matters not explicitly covered in the writings; its formation marked a formalization of the global administrative order.
Persecution Intensifies in Iran
**1979** — Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, Iranian Bahá'ís experienced renewed and intensified persecution, including the closure of institutions, denial of civil rights, and documented arrests and executions in subsequent years; international human rights organizations have repeatedly documented these episodes.
Global Expansion and Institutional Consolidation
**Late 20th century – early 21st century** — Throughout the late twentieth century and into the early twenty‑first century the Bahá'í Faith expanded into new regions, established national institutions in many countries, and engaged in social and educational projects; this period also saw the construction of new Houses of Worship and growth in translation and publishing of Bahá'í scriptures.
Sources
- academic_bookThe Babi and Baha'i Religions, 1844–1944: Some Contemporary Western Accounts
Moojan Momen (ed.), a collection of historical documents and scholarly commentary useful for nineteenth‑century context.
- academic_bookAn Introduction to the Baha'i Faith
Peter Smith, a widely cited scholarly introduction that surveys history, teachings and the global community (multiple editions).
- academic_bookThe Revelation of Bahá'u'lláh: A Study of the Religious and Social Development of the Bahá'í Faith
Nader Saiedi, theological and textual analysis focusing on Bahá'u'lláh's writings and their interpretive legacy.
- academic_bookThe Bahá'í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion
Wendy M. Hatcher and William S. Hatcher (eds.), surveys of history, doctrine and institutional development.
- reference_encyclopediaEncyclopaedia Britannica — Bahá'í Faith
Concise overview of history and teachings written for a general reference audience.
- primary_textKitáb‑i‑Aqdas (The Most Holy Book)
Bahá'u'lláh’s principal legal text; used here as a primary source for doctrinal and legal provisions.
- primary_textKitáb‑i‑Íqán (The Book of Certitude)
Bahá'u'lláh’s theological work that articulates the doctrine of progressive revelation.
- academic_referenceOxford Research Encyclopedia of Religion — Bahá'í Faith
Peer‑reviewed encyclopedia entries and surveys on contemporary religious traditions; includes articles by specialists in Bahá'í studies.
- human_rights_documentsReports on the situation of Bahá'ís in Iran
Documentation by international human rights organizations and UN reports provide primary material on persecution and legal discrimination (useful for contemporary context).
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