Outline of the Baháʼí Faith

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The following outline is provided as an overview of and a topical guide to the Baháʼí Faith.

Baháʼí Faith – monotheistic religion founded by Baháʼu'lláh in 19th-century in Baghdad, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. In the Baháʼí Faith, religious history is seen to have unfolded through a series of divine messengers, each of whom established a religion that was suited to the needs of the time and the capacity of the people.[citation needed] Humanity is understood to be in a process of collective evolution, and the need of the present time is for the gradual establishment of peace, justice and unity on a global scale.[citation needed]

Nature of the Baháʼí Faith[]

The Baháʼí Faith can be described as all of the following:

  • Belief system –

Beliefs and practices[]

  • Baháʼí teachings –
  • God in the Baháʼí Faith – the Baháʼís believe that God is One
  • Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity – the Baháʼís believe that all humans are equal in the sight of God
  • Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion – the Baháʼís believe there is but one religion, slowly revealed by God
  • Progressive revelation – the idea that God progressively reveals the truth through prophets or Manifestations of God
  • Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh – refers to two separate binding agreements between God and man: a Greater Covenant, made between every messenger from God and his followers concerning the next dispensation, and a Lesser Covenant that concerns successorship of authority within the religion after the messenger dies
  • Nineteen Day Feast – regular community gatherings, occurring on the first day of each month of the Baháʼí calendar (and so most often nineteen days apart from each other)
  • Prayer – two distinct concepts: obligatory prayer and devotional prayer (general prayer). Both types of prayer are composed of reverent words which are addressed to God, and the act of prayer is one of the most important Baháʼí laws for individual discipline.

Social principles[]

History[]

  • Baháʼí history – had its background in two earlier movements in the nineteenth century, Shaykhism and Babism.
  • Baháʼí timeline – a timeline showing the significant points in the history of the Baháʼí faith
  • Baháʼí/Bábí split – The Baháʼí/Bábí split occurred when most Bábís accepted Baháʼu'lláh as the messiah of the Báb's writings, leading them to become Baháʼís, and leaving a remnant of Bábís who became known as Azalis.
  • Bábís – a religious movement that flourished in Persia from 1844 to 1852,
  • Shaykh Ahmad – the founder of a 19th-century Shaykhi-Shiʻi school in the Persian and Ottoman empires.
  • Shaykhism – an Islamic religious movement founded by Shaykh Ahmad in early 19th century Qajar Iran.
  • Letters of the Living – primary followers of the Báb some of whom are remembered prominently in the Baháʼí Faith
  • Persecution of Baháʼís – Baháʼís are seen as apostates from Islam, and, according to some, must choose between repentance and death
  • Baháʼí Faith by country – the spread of the religion across countries and within countries

Culture and other topics[]

Institutions[]

Texts and scriptures[]

Key scripture[]

  • Kitáb-i-Aqdas – a central book of the Baháʼí Faith written by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the religion.
  • Kitáb-i-Íqán – the primary theological work of the followers of the Baháʼí Faith
  • The Hidden Words (Kalimát-i-Maknúnih) – a collection of short utterances, 71 in Arabic and 82 in Persian
  • The Seven Valleys – a book written in Persian by Baháʼu'lláh

By The Báb[]

  • Persian Bayán – one of the principal scriptural writings of the Báb, the founder of Bábi religion, written in Persian
  • Arabic Bayán – a book written by the Báb around 1848. Its larger sister book is the Persian Bayán. The work is incomplete, containing only eleven Vahids.
  • Selections from the Writings of the Báb – a book of excerpts from notable works of the Báb, the forerunner-Prophet of the Baháʼí Faith.

By Baháʼu'lláh[]

By ʻAbdu'l-Bahá[]

  • Paris Talks – a book transcribed from talks given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá while in Paris.
  • The Secret of Divine Civilization – a book written in 1875 by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, addressed to the rulers and the people of Persia.
  • Some Answered Questions – contains questions asked to ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, son of the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, by Laura Clifford Barney, during several of her visits to Haifa between 1904 and 1906, and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's answers to these questions.
  • Tablets of the Divine Plan – 14 letters (tablets) written between September 1916 and March 1917 by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to Baháʼís in the United States and Canada.
  • Tablet to Dr. Forel – a letter of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, written in reply to questions asked by Auguste-Henri Forel, a Swiss myrmecologist, neuroanatomist and psychiatrist.
  • Tablet to The Hague – a letter which ʻAbdu'l-Bahá wrote to the Central Organisation for Durable Peace in The Hague, The Netherlands on 17 December 1919.
  • Will and Testament of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá – A seminal document, written in three stages by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá.

By Shoghi Effendi[]

  • The Advent of Divine Justice – a letter written December 25, 1938 to the Baháʼís of the United States and Canada, by Shoghi Effendi
  • Baháʼí Administration – a collection of letters and messages from Shoghi Effendi addressed to the Baháʼís of the United States and Canada from 1922 to 1932.
  • God Passes By – a historical summary of the first century of the Baháʼí Faith
  • World Order of Baháʼu'lláh – a collection of letters and messages from Shoghi Effendi from his ministry as head of the religion

Important figures[]

Central figures[]

Chronologically there have been three individuals who are considered paramount in the religion, though not of equal station

Other influential figures[]

Groups[]

  • Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh – nineteen eminent early followers of Baháʼu'lláh.
  • Disciples of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá – Shoghi Effendi, designated nineteen Western Baháʼís as Disciples of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá and 'Heralds of the Covenant'.
  • Hands of the Cause – a select group of Baháʼís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Baháʼí Faith.
  • Knights of Baháʼu'lláh – a title given by Shoghi Effendi to Baháʼís who arose to open new territories to the Faith starting in the Ten Year Crusade.

Notable individuals[]

  • Shoghi Effendi – the appointed head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957, entitled Guardian.
  • Mulla Husayn – whose actions began the unfoldment of the history of the religion by encountering the Báb on the evening of May 23, 1844.
  • Táhirih – born as Fátimih Baraghání she became known as Táhirih, an influential poet and theologian of the Bábí Faith in Iran. Her life, influence and execution made her a key figure of both religions.
  • Badíʻ - The 17-year-old who delivered Baháʼu'lláh's tablet to the Shah and was subsequently killed.
  • Nabíl-i-Aʻzam - The author of the historical narrative called The Dawn-breakers.
  • Mishkín-Qalam - Noteworthy calligrapher of his time and designer of the Greatest Name.
  • Mírzá Abu'l-Faḍl - The famous scholar who travelled as far as America and wrote several notable books about the Baháʼí Faith.
  • Martha Root – a prominent traveling teacher of the Baháʼí Faith in the late 19th and early 20th century.
  • Rúhíyyih Khánum - wife of Shoghi Effendi who was appointed a Hand of the Cause

See also[]

  • Outline of religion#Baháʼí Faith topics

References[]

  1. ^ "Lights of Guidance/Women - Bahaiworks, a library of works about the Bahá'í Faith". bahai.works. Retrieved 2020-10-21.

External links[]

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