From: hayek@eemips.tamu.edu (Khalil Hayek)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.lebanon
Subject: Bahai Faith
Date: 8 Apr 92 19:52:17 GMT
Organization: Texas A&M University

On soc.culture.indian (I guess) there were two postings recently about
the history and teachings of the Bahai faith by
Arindam Ghosh MECE1E3@Jetson.UH.EDU and
Kamran Hakim hakim@bigq.ENET.dec.com
I am posting here the latter; it might be interesting to some of the netters.

Note: I am Christian myselfl; the text below does not reflect my opinion
(but it's really interesting.)

Khalil Hayek 

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Early History

In May of 1844, a young Persian by the name of Siyyid Ali Muhammed declared 
that He was the first of two Prophets promised by many of the religions of 
the past; to Shi'ah Islam He claimed to be the promised Qa'im, to Judaism the 
return of the "Prophet Elijah", and to Christianity the return of "John the
Baptist", to the Zoroasterian Faith "Hooshidar Maah" or "The Morning Star".
He took the title of The Bab (Gate).  The Bab claimed to be the latest in a
line of Manifestations (messengers) of God dating back to the time of Abraham
and including Moses, Christ, and Muhammed. The Bab's mission was twofold; 
He first announced to the people of His native land His own station as an
independent Messenger and He also prepared the way for the coming of another
Manifestation, a Prophet who would announce His station soon after The Bab. 

The next six years marked a dramatic increase in both the number of persons
who became followers of the Bab and in the energy spent by the Shi'ah clergy
of Iran to stamp out this new religion.  Eventually 20,000 Babis would be put
to death for their beliefs.  The Bab himself was imprisoned in the fortresses
of Mah-Ku and Chihriq, and in July of 1850 was executed in the town of Tabriz.

Many Babis were also imprisoned. Among them was a Man by the name of Husayn
Ali, who was imprisoned in 1853 in Tehran for several months and then exiled
to Iraq. It was in the city of Baghdad in 1863 that Husayn Ali announced
to the world His station. He declared that He was the One that the Bab had
prepared the way for and He took the title of Baha'u'llah (The Glory of God)
given to Him by His forerunner The Bab. Baha'u'llah claimed to be the Promised
One of many religions; the Return of Christ to Christianity, the "Lord of
Hosts" to Judaism, the Imam Husayn to Shi'ah Islam, the "Spirit of God" or 
"the Return of Christ" to Sunni Islam, the Shah-Bahram of Zoroastrian Faith, 
the reincarnation of Krishna or manifestation of Kalki Avatar to Hindu Faith, 
and Maitrya-Amitabha or the fifth Buddha or to Buddhism. The majority of the 
Babis (the followers of the Bab) accepted Baha'u'llah's claim and became known 
as Baha'is (the follower of Baha).

Shortly after His declaration, Baha'u'llah was again banished even further
from His native land, to Baghdad, Constantinople and then to Adrianople. 
Finally in 1867, Baha'u'llah was exiled for the last time.  He was sent to 
the prison city of Akka (Acre) in Palestine.  He would stay in and around 
Akka until the end of His life in 1892. 

Before Baha'u'llah passed away, He appointed His eldest son, Abdu'l-Baha, to 
be the center of His Covenant and the interpreter of His writings Abdu'l-Baha 
was leader of the Baha'i Faith until His own passing in 1922. Although He is 
not considered to be a Manifestation of God like the Bab and Baha'u'llah,
Abdu'l-Baha's decisions are believed to have been divinely guided and His
writings (along with the Bab's and Baha'u'llah's) are considered a part of 
the Baha'i sacred scripture. After being released from the prison in Akka,
Abdu'l-Baha made several journeys to the West, including a trip to America 
in 1912. 


Baha'i Teachings

Some of the basic principles of the Baha'i Faith are:

 1. The oneness of mankind -

      "It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but
       rather for him who loveth the whole world.  The earth is but one
       country and mankind its citizens." - Gleanings from the Writings of
       Baha'u'llah, p. 250.

 2. The oneness of religion -

      "All these divisions we see on all sides, all these disputes and
       opposition, are caused because men cling to ritual and outward obser-
       vances, and forget the simple, underlying truth.  It is the outward
       practices of religion that are so different, and it is they that cause
       disputes and enmity--while the reality is always the same, and one.
       The Reality is the Truth, and truth has no division.  Truth is God's
       guidance, it is the light of the world, it is love, it is mercy.  These
       attributes of truth are also human virtues inspired by the Holy Spirit."
       - Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, pp. 120-1.

 3. Independent investigation of truth -

      "Furthermore, know ye that God has created in man the power of reason,
       whereby man is enabled to investigate reality. God has not intended
       man to imitate blindly his fathers and ancestors.  He has endowed him
       with mind, or the faculty of reasoning, by the exercise of which he is
       to investigate and discover the truth, and that which he finds real and
       true he must accept." - Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace,
       p. 291.

 4. Religion as a source of unity -

      "He (Baha'u'llah) sets forth a new principle for this day in the 
       announcement that religion must be the cause of unity, harmony and 
       agreement among mankind.  If it be the cause of discord and hostility,
       if it leads to separation and creates conflict, the absence of religion
       would be preferable in the world." - Abdu'l-Baha, Baha'i World Faith,
       p. 247.
     
 5. The evolutionary nature of religion - Baha'is view religion as a 
    progressive, evolutionary process which needs to be updated as humanity
    evolves mentally, socially, and spiritually.  Every so often a new Prophet
    is sent to humanity to update religion to the current needs of mankind.
    These Prophets bring essentially the same spiritual message to mankind;
    in a form that meets the needs of the people of Their time.  Baha'is
    believe that Baha'u'llah has brought an updated message for mankind today.
    
     "There is no distinction whatsoever among the Bearers of My Message.
      They all have but one purpose; their secret is the same secret.  To
      prefer one in honor to another, to exalt certain ones above the rest,
      is in no wise to be permitted.  Every true Prophet hath regarded His
      Message as fundamentally the same as the Revelation of every other 
      Prophet gone before Him...      
      The measure of the revelation of the Prophets of God in this world, 
      however, must differ.  Each and every one of them hath been the 
      Bearer of a distinct Message, and hath been commissioned to reveal
      Himself through specific acts.  It is for this reason that they appear
      to vary in their greatness...
      It is clear and evident, therefore, that any apparent variation in the
      intensity of their light is not inherent in the light itself, but should
      rather be attributed to the varying receptivity of an ever-changing
      world.  Every Prophet Whom the Almighty and Peerless Creator hath 
      purposed to send to the peoples of the earth hath been entrusted with
      a Message, and charged to act in a manner that would best meet the 
      requirements of the age in which He appeared."
      - Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, pp.78-9.
      
 6. Harmony between religion, science, and reason -

     "Religion and science are the two wings upon which man's intelligence
      can soar into the heights, with which the human soul can progress.
      It is not possible to fly with one wing alone!  Should a man try to
      fly with the wing of religion alone he would quickly fall into the
      quagmire of superstition, whilst on the other hand, with the wing of 
      science alone he would also make no progress, but fall into the 
      despairing slough of materialism."
      - Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p.143.

 7. Peaceful consultation as a means for resolving differences -
    In the Baha'i Faith, difference of opinion is not squelched, in fact it
    is encouraged.
    
     "The shinning spark of truth cometh forth only after the clash of 
      differing opinions." - Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p.87.

    However, differences of opinion can be expressed in a way that doesn't
    humiliate another human being.  The Baha'i principle of consultation 
    requires that an individual be detached from his or her opinions and always
    be open to the truth, from whoever or wherever it comes from.
    
     "They must then proceed with the utmost devotion, courtesy, dignity, care
      and moderation to express their views.  They must in every manner search
      out the truth and not insist upon their own opinion, for stubbornness
      and persistence in one's views will lead ultimately to discord and 
      wrangling and the truth will remain hidden.  The honoured members (of the
      consulting body) must with all freedom express their own thoughts, and it
      is in no wise permissible for one to belittle the thought of another, nay,
      he must with moderation set forth the truth..."
      -Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p.88.

 8. An international auxiliary language -

     "It behoveth the sovereigns of the world--may God assist them--or the
      ministers of the earth to take counsel together and to adopt one of the
      existing languages or a new one to be taught to children in schools
      throughout the world, and likewise one script.  Thus the whole earth 
      will come to be regarded as one country." - Baha'u'llah, Tablet of
      Bisharat (Tablets of Baha'u'llah, p. 22.)

 9. Universal education -

     "Unto every father hath been enjoined the instruction of his son and 
      daughter in the art of reading and writing and in all that hath been laid
      down in the Holy Tablet. He that putteth away that which is commanded
      unto him, the Trustees of the House of Justice are then to recover from
      him that which is required for their instruction, if he be wealthy, and
      if not the matter devolveth upon the House of Justice. Verily, have We
      made it a shelter for the poor and needy.  He that bringeth up his son or
      the son of another, it is as though he hath brought up a son of Mine; upon
      him rest My Glory, My Loving-Kindness, My Mercy, that have compassed
      the world." - Baha'u'llah, Tablet of Ishraqat (Tablets of Baha'u'llah,
      p.128).
 
 10. The elimination of all forms of prejudice -

      "...again, as to religious, racial, national and political bias:
      all these prejudices strike at the very root of human life; one and all
      they beget bloodshed, and the ruination of the world.  So long as
      these prejudices survive, there will be continuous and fearsome wars."
      - Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p.249.

 11. Equality of men and women -

     "To accept and observe a distinction which God has not intended in
      creation is ignorance and superstition.  The fact which is to be 
      considered, however, is that woman, having formerly been deprived, must
      now be allowed equal opportunities with man for education and training.
      There must be no difference in their education. Until the reality of
      equality between man and woman is fully established and attained, the
      highest social development of mankind is not possible."
      - Abdu'l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p.76.

 12. The abolition of the extremes of wealth and poverty -

     "O Ye Rich Ones on Earth!
      The poor in your midst are My trust; guard ye My trust, and be not 
      intent only on your own ease."
      - The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah, p.41.

     "We see amongst us men who are overburdened with riches on the one hand,
      and on the other those unfortunate ones who starve with nothing; those
      who possess several stately palaces, and those who have not where to 
      lay their head.  Some we find with numerous courses of costly and dainty
      food; whilst others can scarce find sufficient crusts to keep them alive.
      Whilst some are clothed in velvets, furs and fine linen, others have
      insufficient, poor and thin garments with which to protect them from the
      cold.
      
      This condition of affairs is wrong and must be remedied. Now the remedy
      must be carefully undertaken.  It cannot be done by bringing to pass
      absolute equality between men."
      -Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p.151.

 13. Universal Peace -

     "The time must come when the imperative necessity for the holding of a
      vast, an all-embracing assemblage of men will be universally realized.
      The rulers and kings of the earth must needs attend it, and, 
      participating in its deliberations, must consider such ways and means
      as  will lay the foundations of the world's Great Peace amongst men.
      Such a peace demandeth that the Great Powers should resolve, for the
      sake of the tranquillity of the peoples of the earth, to be fully rec-
      onciled among themselves. Should any king take up arms against another,
      all should unitedly arise and prevent him.  If this be done, the nations
      of the world will no longer require any armaments, except for the 
      purpose of preserving the security of their realms and of maintaining
      internal order within their territories."
      - Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 249.

      
Recent History and Current Status

Abdu'l-Baha stated in his Will and Testament that leadership of the Baha'i 
community was to be passed on to his eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, who 
became the "Guardian" of the Baha'i community after Abdu'l-Baha died.
Shoghi Effendi lead the Baha'is until his passing in 1957.  It was under
Shoghi Effendi's leadership that the Baha'i Faith spread to all corners
of the world.  Today there are Baha'is in over 200 countries and territories
and Baha'i literature has been translated into over 700 different languages.

There is no professional clergy in the Baha'i Faith. This is primarily due
to the Baha'i principle of independent investigation of truth.  No one
individual Baha'i can interpret the Baha'i writings and force that 
interpretation on other Baha'is. However there are Baha'i institutions today 
that govern the administrative affairs of the Faith. At the local level is the 
Local Spiritual Assembly, a nine-member board elected by the Baha'is in their 
locality annually. At the national level there is the National Spiritual 
Assembly, also consisting of nine members elected annually by representatives 
of the Baha'is in their country. At the international level is the Universal
House of Justice, which is centered in Haifa, Israel (just across the bay from
the prison city of Akka where Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha were imprisoned).
The Universal House of Justice consists of nine members and is elected every
five years by members of the National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the
world.  It is the Universal House of Justice which has final responsibility
for overseeing the International Baha'i Community.


References

Baha'i Sacred Writings -

  "Baha'i World Faith. Selected Writings of Baha'u'llah and Abdu'l-Baha",
    Baha'i Publishing Trust, Wilmette, IL, 1956 edn., rp. 1976.
    
  "Tablets of Baha'u'llah revealed after the Kitab-i-Aqdas", Baha'i World
    Center, Haifa, 1978.
    
  "Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah", translated by Shoghi Effendi.
    Baha'i Publishing Trust, Wilmette, IL, 1939, 3rd ed. 1976.
    
  "The Hidden Words of Baha'u'llah", Baha'i Publishing Trust , Wilmette, IL,
    1939, 11th ed. 1980.
    
  "Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha", Baha'i World Center, Haifa,
    1978.
    
  Abdu'l-Baha. "Some Answered Questions", Baha'i Publishing Trust, Wilmette,IL
    rev. ed. 1981.
    
  Abdu'l-Baha. "Paris Talks. Addresses given by Abdu'l-Baha in Paris in 1911-12"
    Baha'i Publishing Trust, London, 11th ed. 1969.
    
  Abdu'l-Baha, "The Promulgation of Universal Peace, Talks Delivered by 
    Abdu'l-Baha during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912",
    Baha'i Publishing Trust, Wilmette, IL, 1982.

Baha'i History -
  
  Effendi, Shoghi. "God Passes By" , Baha'i Publishing Trust, Wilmette, IL,
    1944.
    
  Balyuzi, H.M. "Baha'u'llah, the King of Glory" , George Ronald, Oxford, 1980.

NOTE: Some of these volumes can be found at your local public library.

-- 
_______________________________________________________________________________
Khalil F. Hayek
hayek@eemips.tamu.edu
_______________________________________________________________________________