Bahá'í

Overview

Bahá'ís are followers of Bahá'u'lláh; (1817- 1892)
There is One God, the creator of the Universe.
God loves His creation and created man to know Him and to love Him.
He has never left humanity without guidance, sending Messengers from age to age; including Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad.
Bahá'u'lláh is a Messenger of God, and His message is to bring about the unification of humanity into a single global society.

Basic Teachings of Bahá'u'lláh

God guides humanity through His Messengers
They convey to humanity both spiritual truths and social laws, suited to the needs and capacity of humanity in their day.
They lead humanity on the next stage of its spiritual and social evolution.
They are also called Manifestations of God, because they show God's attributes to us, and it is only through Them that we can know God.
Bahá'u'lláh's message is the creative force behind the development of humanity in this age.                                   

                                                                                                               
Fundamental Principles

There is One God.
The human race is one.
Religion is one.
Bahá'u'lláh is very explicit in His writings about what these fundamental principles imply in practice.

1. The abandonment of prejudice
All must strive to overcome or abandon their prejudices.
Prejudices including those of race, colour, creed, class, caste, gender and nationality must be abandoned.

2. Universal Education
Bahá'u'lláh called for Universal Education
All people, both men and women, must be educated.
All will be able to investigate the truth for themselves
Humanity will no longer need clergy or priests to interpret scriptures for them.

3. Equality of men and women
Bahá'u'lláh proclaimed that women are and always have been equal in the sight of God.
Women and Men must be accorded equal rights and opportunities.
Boys and girls must be educated according to the same curriculum.
The education of girls takes priority because as mothers they are the educators of the next generation.
Unity of the family is important, and family decisions should be made in consultation, and not by either parent being dictatorial over the other.
4. A just international social order


A world parliament should be created democratically to create just international laws.
Governments must give up the right to wage war.
An international court is needed to ensure that governments obey the international law
An international police force is needed to maintain peace throughout the world.
A uniform system of weights and measures will facilitate international trade.
Global trade must be conducted fairly, with just payments to producers.
Fair global trade will be facilitated by in international monetary system.
The elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty will be achieved.
5. Some other principles brought by Bahá'u'lláh. (The list is not exhaustive).


God's greatest gift to "man" is the gift of reason.
Science and religion must be in harmony
Trustworthiness must be the keynote of all dealings in public and private life.
Consultation is to be the method of decision-making at all levels of society.
Bahá'í History
There are three central figures:-

The Báb (1819 - 1850)


He was the forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh.
He was born in Shiraz in Iran.
He proclaimed His message in 1844.
The keynote of his mission was to prepare his followers for a greater messenger to come.
He and his followers were persecuted for their beliefs.
He was publicly executed in 1850 by a firing squad of 750 soldiers.

Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892)


He became a follower of the Báb in 1844.
He received a direct revelation from God while in prison for being a Bábi, (follower of the Báb).
He was subsequently exiled from Iran to Baghdad, and suffered successive imprisonments and exiles throughout his life.
The treatment He received did not deter him from declaring His mission to the followers of the Báb in 1863, and to the kings and rulers of the day in 1867 to 1870.
He continued to reveal his message for mankind in numerous books and tablets.
He died in 1892 near to Akka, which was at the time a penal colony of the Ottoman Empire.
'Abdu'l-Bahá (1844 - 1921)


He was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh and recognised his Father's great spiritual station while still a young child.
In His Will and Testament, Bahá'u'lláh appointed 'Abdu'l-Bahá to be the one to whom His followers should turn.
He remained a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire until its overthrow by the "Young Turk" revolution in 1908 having been a prisoner since 1868.
He was the "Perfect Exemplar" (example) and expounder of his Father's teachings.
Following his release from prison he travelled to Europe and America before the First World War, and was recognised by many people as a Holy man of peace.
Holy Scriptures
The Holy scriptures of the Bahá'ís are the authenticated writings of the three central figures, and comprise numerous books, tablets and letters.

Spread of the Faith

From its earliest history the faith spread eastwards from Iran to India and Burma, and westwards to Europe and America.
By about 1990 it was found by researchers for the Encyclopaedia Britannica to be the second most widespread religion on earth, after Christianity.
Houses of Worship
There are 7 world-wide, and they are all very different, being variations of a theme of a single dome representing unity, and nine sides representing being open to all. The European one is near Frankfurt in Germany.



Bahá'i House of Worship in India

Community Life (a brief summary)

Calendar There are 19 months of 19 days each
New Year 21st March; the spring equinox in the Northern hemisphere.
19 day feast A monthly gathering of every local Bahá'í community to worship God, discuss community affairs and socialise harmoniously.
Holy Days There are nine in the year and all but New Years Day commemorate events in Bahá'í History.
Local communities hold devotional meetings, study circles and children's classes.
Bahá'ís come from all backgrounds and all sections of society.
Depending on local needs, health clinics, children's schools, adult education classes, farming and other socio-economic projects are organised.


Administration

The local community is administered by an elected body called a spiritual assembly.
Election takes place annually.
A national spiritual assembly is also elected annually, by elected delegates.
All Bahá'í elections take place without candidates, without electioneering and in a spirit of prayer; each one voting for those he considers to be the most capable and devoted.
The 19-day feast provides the local spiritual assembly with the opportunity to consult with the community about all matters of concern to the community, thereby all believers participate in decisions at the local level and the organisation of local community activities.
At the International level, a governing body called the Universal House of Justice and comprising 9 men is elected for 5-year terms. The delegates for this election are the members of the national assemblies, of which there are about 200. 


Personal Life
In common with all other faiths, there are guidelines for living a pure and holy life, and the virtues of honesty, generosity, humility, trustworthiness and so on (the list is very long) are all enjoined on believers.


Daily prayer is obligatory, and a choice of any one of three specific prayers fulfils the obligation.
Reading from scripture in the morning and evening is also obligatory. A verse or passage of one's own choice fulfils this.
Fasting during the last month of the year (19 days) is obligatory for all who are fit enough to do so. Children, the elderly, the sick, pregnant and nursing mothers, travellers and those doing heavy manual labour are excused.
Dress should be modest.
The smoking of tobacco is discouraged but not forbidden.
Alcohol is forbidden and so are drugs that alter or affect the mind.
Drugs to cure illnesses or disorders are allowed when prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner.
All believers should be chaste, and married couples absolutely faithful.
The purpose of life is to know and to love God, and nearness to God is heaven.
Hell is symbolic of separation or remoteness from God.
All souls will progress after death, in the many worlds of God.
All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilisation, and every Bahá'í should devote his life to the service of the whole of humanity

The Preston Bahá'i community

There has been a Bahá'i community in Preston since the 1970's. In 1986 the first Spiritual Assembly was elected. It is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee. There are no clergy or leaders in the Bahá'i Faith. Authority rests with the authenticated scriptures, responsibility for their spiritual life rests with each individual and responsibility of the organisation of community affairs rests with elected bodies at the local, national and international level.

The Bahá'is of Preston hold all the meetings described in the foregoing article, and may be contacted through the secretary:

Carol Henshaw, 60 Wolseley Road, Preston PR1 8EU Tel: 01772 825989 Email: carol.henshaw52@googlemail.com

Preston Bahai community page http://bci.org/preston/
International Bahai web site http://www.bahai.org
International Bahai news http://news.bahai.org/index.cfm