Bahá'í
The Bahá'í faith is one of the youngest of the world's major religions. It was founded by Bahá'u'lláh in Iran in 1863.
Iran was then mainly a Muslim country, and the faith was proclaimed by a young Iranian, who called himself The Báb. He said that a messenger would soon arrive from God, who would be the latest in a line of prophets including Moses, Muhammad and Jesus Christ.
- Bahá’ullah, which means the Glory of God in Arabic, was born Mirza Husayn Ali in 1817
- Bahá'ís believe that Bahá'u'lláh is the most recent Manifestation of God
- Bahá'u'lláh himself stated that he is not God's final messenger
- The Bahá'í faith accepts all faith and religions having true and valid origins
- The idea of progressive revelation is of central significance for the Bahá'í faith
- Bahá'u'lláh taught that God intervenes throughout human history at different times to reveal more of himself through his messengers (called divine messengers, or manifestations of God)
- The central idea of the faith is that of unity. They believe that people should work together for the common benefit of humanity
The followers of Bahá'u'lláh were descended from the Bábis - believers in the Báb who foretold the mission of Bahá'u'lláh. There are 6 million Bahá'ís in the world, in 235 countries and around 6,000 live in Britain.
Holy Days
Feast of the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh
This solemn holy day commemorates the anniversary of the death of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í faith.
Feast of the Birth of Báb
Thousands of Bahá'í followers around the world celebrate the birth of Báb on 20th October.
Feast of the Declaration of Báb
This holy day celebrates the Báb's announcement of his mission.
Feast of the Martyrdom of Báb
This holy day commemorates the events surrounding the death of the Báb in 1850.
Naw-Rúz
Naw-Rúz (literally 'new day') is the Bahá'í New Year festival. It is an occasion for family celebration and prayer.
Ridván
The Ridván festival marks Bahá'u'lláh's time in the garden of Ridván and his announcement that he was the prophet promised by the Báb.