The following

outline Outline or outlining may refer to: * Outline (list), a document summary, in hierarchical list format * Code folding, a method of hiding or collapsing code or text to see content in outline form * Outline drawing, a sketch depicting the outer edge ...

is provided as an overview of and topical guide to the Baháʼí Faith.

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...

– relatively new religion teaching the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people, established by

Baháʼu'lláh Baháʼu'lláh (, born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was an Iranian religious leader who founded the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Iran and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Báb ...

in the 19th-century Middle East and now estimated to have a worldwide following of 5–8 million adherents, known as Baháʼís.

Beliefs and practices

Baháʼí teachings

Baháʼí teachings The teachings of the Baháʼí Faith are derived from the writings of Baháʼu'lláh, its founder. A corpus of Baháʼí literature include books and writings of the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh, along with the public talks and writings of ‘Abdu� ...

God in the Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí conception of God is of an "unknowable essence" who is the source of all existence and known through the perception of human virtues. The Baháʼí Faith follows the tradition of monotheism and dispensationalism, believing that G ...

Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion Unity of religion is a core teaching of the Baháʼí Faith which states that there is a fundamental unity in many of the world's religions. The principle states that the teachings of the major religions are part of a single plan directed from t ...

– the Baháʼí belief that many of the world's different religions were revealed by God as part of one gradually unfolding plan **

Progressive revelation (Baháʼí) Progressive revelation is a core teaching in the Baháʼí Faith that suggests that religious truth is revealed by God progressively and cyclically over time through a series of divine Messengers, and that the teachings are tailored to suit the ...

– the Baháʼí belief that God progressively reveals the truth through successive Manifestations of God **

Baháʼí Faith and Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is recognized in the Baháʼí Faith as one of nine known religions and its scriptures are regarded as predicting the coming of Baháʼu'lláh. Zoroaster is included in the succession of Manifestation of God (Baháʼí Faith), Manif ...

Baháʼí Faith and Hinduism Hinduism is recognized in the Baháʼí Faith as one of nine known religions. Krishna is included in the succession of Manifestations of God. References in the Baháʼí writings Baháʼu'lláh was familiar with Hinduism, which is clear from a ...

** Baháʼí Faith and Buddhism ** Muhammad in the Baháʼí Faith *

Manifestation of God (Baháʼí Faith) The Manifestation of God () is a concept in the Baháʼí Faith that refers to what are commonly called prophets. The Manifestations of God are appearances of the Divine Spirit or Holy Spirit in a series of personages, and as such, they perfect ...

– individuals whom Baháʼís believe were sent by God to establish religious teachings appropriate for their time and place, such as

the Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

, and

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

* Baháʼí Faith on life after death *

Baháʼí cosmology In Baháʼí cosmology reality is divided into three divisions. The first division is God, who is preexistent and on whom the rest of creation is contingent. The second division is God's Logos, the Primal Will, which is the realm of God's comman ...

* Faith in the Baháʼí Faith *

Baháʼí views on sin The Baháʼí Faith teaches that sin is disobedience to God and that sinning separates a person from God. Examples of sins in the Baháʼí Faith include anger, jealousy, hypocrisy, prejudice, and failure to follow the Baháʼí laws. Conversely, B ...

Martyrdom in the Baháʼí Faith A martyr (, ''mártys'', 'witness' stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an external party. In colloquial ...

Aniconism in the Baháʼí Faith __NOTOC__ The Baháʼí Faith continues a tradition found in Islam of not using depictions in art of people considered a Manifestation of God. This includes both images and drama. There exist several photographs and paintings of both the Báb a ...

– the Baháʼí prohibition on images of God or those seen as Manifestations of God *

Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh In the Baháʼí Faith there are two covenants, deemed the 'greater' and 'lesser'. The greater covenant refers to an agreement of progressive revelation: that God will send messengers about every thousand years, and it is humanity's duty to rec ...

Covenant-breaker Covenant-breaker is a term used in the Baháʼí Faith to refer to a person who has been excommunicated from the Baháʼí community for breaking the Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh, meaning actively promoting schism in the religion or otherwise op ...

Baháʼí views on science The Bahá'í Faith teaches that there is a harmony or unity between science and religion, and that true science and true religion can never conflict. This principle is rooted in various statements in the Bahá'í scriptures. Some scholars have ...

Baháʼí social principles

* Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity – the Baháʼí teaching that humanity is fundamentally one and should achieve a state of unity in diversity ** Baháʼí Faith and Native Americans **

New world order (Baháʼí) The conception of a "new world order" () found in the Baháʼí teachings refers to the gradual emergence of integrative political norms to be freely adopted by the nations and peoples of the earth, leading to a new system of worldwide g ...

Baháʼí perspective on international human rights Baháʼu'lláh, the prophet-founder of the Baháʼí Faith, called for global agreement on human rights protection nearly eighty years before the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948. He taught that "an equal standar ...

Baháʼí Faith and gender equality One of the fundamental teachings of the Baháʼí Faith is that men and women are equal and that equality of the sexes is a spiritual and moral standard essential for the unification of the planet and a prerequisite for peace. Baháʼí teaching ...

Baháʼí Faith and education The theme of education in the Baháʼí Faith is given emphasis. Its literature gives a principle of universal and compulsory education, which is identified as one of key principles alongside monotheism and the unity of humanity. Baháʼu'lláh, ...

Baháʼí Faith and auxiliary language The Baháʼí Faith teaches that the world should adopt an international auxiliary language, which people would use in addition to their mother tongue. The aim of this teaching is to improve communication and foster unity among peoples and natio ...

– the Baháʼí teaching that the world should adopt a worldwide auxiliary language in addition to people's various languages to facilitate the unity of humanity *

Socioeconomic development and the Baháʼí Faith Since its inception the Baháʼí Faith has had involvement in socioeconomic development beginning by giving greater freedom to women, promulgating the promotion of female education as a priority concern, and that involvement was given practica ...

Baháʼí laws

Baháʼí laws Baháʼí laws are laws and ordinances used in the Baháʼí Faith and are a fundamental part of Baháʼí practice. The laws are based on authenticated texts from Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, and also includes subsequent in ...

– practices that are religiously binding for Baháʼís *

Prayer in the Baháʼí Faith There are two types of prayer in the Baháʼí Faith: ''obligatory prayer'' and ''general'' or ''devotional 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 importa ...

– Baháʼí teachings on prayer, including both daily obligatory prayer and devotional prayer (general prayer) **

Obligatory Baháʼí prayers Obligatory Baháʼí prayers are prayers which are to be said daily by Baháʼís according to a fixed form decreed by Baháʼu'lláh. Prayers in the Baháʼí Faith are reverent words which are addressed to God, and refers to two distinct concep ...

Nineteen Day Feast Nineteen Day Feasts are regular community gatherings, occurring on the first day of each month of the Baháʼí calendar (and are often nineteen days apart from each other). Each gathering consists of a Devotional, Administrative, and Social pa ...

a gathering of a local Baháʼí community that occurs on the first day of each month of the

Baháʼí calendar The Baháʼí calendar used in the Baháʼí Faith is a solar calendar consisting of nineteen months and four or five intercalary days, with new year at the moment of Northern spring equinox. Each month is named after a virtue (''e.g.'', Perfect ...

Huqúqu'lláh Ḥuqúqu'lláh (, "Right of God") is a voluntary wealth tax paid by adherents of the Baháʼí Faith to support the work of the religion. Individuals following the practice calculate 19% of their discretionary income (after-tax income minus essen ...

– the Baháʼí obligation to give to the Baháʼí funds, which support the activities of Baháʼí communities *

Nineteen Day Fast Adherents of the Baháʼí Faith observe a sunrise-to-sunset fast annually for the nineteen days of the Baháʼí month of Loftiness. The practice is regarded as one of the most significant obligations of a Baháʼí, along with daily obliga ...

– a period of fasting that Baháʼís observe from sunrise to sunset for 19 days once each year *

Baháʼí marriage Baháʼí marriage is a physical and spiritual union between a man and a woman, primarily intended for spiritual purposes and to promote harmony, fellowship, and unity between the partners. The Baháʼí teachings describe marriage as "a fortres ...

Baháʼí views on homosexuality The Baháʼí Faith considers homosexual sexual intimacy to be against God in the Baháʼí Faith, God's will as taught by founder Baháʼu'lláh,: "In freely recognizing Baha’u’llah as the Manifestation of God—the divine Educator—for thi ...

Baháʼí pilgrimage A Baháʼí pilgrimage currently consists of visiting the holy places in Acre, Israel, Acre and Haifa at the Baháʼí World Centre in Northwest Israel. Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼís do not have access to other places designated as sites for pilgri ...

History

History of the Baháʼí Faith – events from 1863 to the present that had their background in two earlier movements in the nineteenth century,

Shaykhism Shaykhism () is a term used by Shia Muslims for the followers of Shaykh Ahmad in early 19th-century Qajar Iran. While grounded in traditional Twelver Shiʻi doctrine, Shaykhism diverged from the Usuli school in its interpretation of key ideas s ...

and

Bábism Bábism () is a Messianism, messianic movement founded in 1844 by Báb, the Báb ( 'Ali Muhammad). The Báb, an Iranian merchant-turned-prophet, professed that there is one incorporeal, unknown, and incomprehensible GodEdward Granville Browne ...

– a Shi'a Islamic religious movement founded by Shaykh Ahmad (1753–1826) *

– a religion founded by the Báb in 1844 that Baháʼís see as a predecessor to the Baháʼí Faith; see

Outline of Bábism Bábism is a monotheistic religion that was founded in 1844 in Qajar Persia by ʻAli Muhammad Shirazi (1819–1850), who took the title of the Báb (meaning "gate"). The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Bábi ...

Baháʼí–Azali split The Baháʼí–Azali split occurred when most Bábís accepted Baháʼu'lláh as the promised one of the Báb's writings, and thus became Baháʼís, leaving a remnant of Bábís who became known as Azalis, the followers of Subh-i-Azal. The ...

– the split of the followers of Bábism into Baháʼís, who accepted Baháʼu'lláh as a figure prophesied in the teachings of Bábism, and Azalis, who followed Subh-i-Azal *

Baháʼí prophecies The writings of founding members of the Bahá'í Faith include prophetic statements of future events, some of which are viewed by Bahá'ís as having been fulfilled. According to Bahá'í belief, there have been individuals throughout history who ...

Attempted schisms in the Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith was formed in the late 19th-century Middle East by Baháʼu'lláh, and teaches that an official line of succession of leadership is part of a divine Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh, covenant that assures unity and prevents Schism, s ...

Orthodox Baháʼí Faith The Orthodox Baháʼí Faith is an extremely small Baháʼí sect that was formed in 1960 by Mason Remey, and subsequently was the name used by one of his disputed successors, Joel Marangella. The sect is defined by a belief that the Guardianshi ...

Leland Jensen Leland Jensen (22 August 1914 – 6 August 1996) was the leader of a small apocalyptic cult called the Baháʼís Under the Provisions of the Covenant (BUPC). Jensen was originally a member of the mainstream Baháʼí Faith until he was excom ...

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's journeys to the West ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's journeys to the West were a series of trips ʻAbdu'l-Bahá undertook starting at the age of 66, journeying continuously from Palestine to the West between 1910 and 1913. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh, found ...

World Unity Conference The World Unity Conferences were a series of Baháʼí sponsored conferences to promote World Unity. There was also a ''World Unity'' magazine. Both appear to have been short-lived. List of conferences *October 22–24, 1926, Buffalo, N. ...

Baháʼí World Congress The Baháʼí World Congress is a large gathering of Baháʼís from across the world that is called irregularly by the Universal House of Justice, the governing body of the Baháʼís. There have only been two conferences of this nature; in 196 ...

Baháʼí teaching plans The leadership of the Baháʼí Faith has created goal-oriented Baháʼí teaching plans, spanning 1–10 years each, to spread the Baháʼí Faith. The plans began in the 1930s and 1940s as teaching goals for certain countries and in 1953 became ...

Baháʼí radio Since 1977, the international community of the Baháʼí Faith has established several radio stations worldwide, particularly in the Americas. Programmes may include local news, music, topics related to socio-economic and community development, ed ...

Persecution of Baháʼís Baháʼís are persecuted in various countries, especially in Iran, where the Baháʼí Faith originated and where one of the largest Baháʼí populations in the world is located. The origins of the persecution stem from a variety of Baháʼ ...

Seven Martyrs of Tehran The Seven Martyrs of Tehran were seven prominent Bábis executed at Tehran in 1850. After the Battle of Fort Tabarsi, mere adherence to the Báb could be sufficient to lead to a death sentence, as most famously in the case of the Seven Martyrs of ...

** 1903 Isfahan anti-Baháʼí riots **

Statements about the persecution of Baháʼís Members of the Baháʼí Faith have been religious persecution, persecuted in various countries, especially in Iran, the location of one of the largest Baháʼí populations in the world. The Baháʼí Faith originated in Iran, and represents the la ...

Baháʼí 7 The Baháʼí 7, also known as the "Yaran" (friends), were seven Iranian Baháʼí community leaders arrested in 2008 who served 10-year prison sentences in Iran. The seven prisoners of conscience were Mahvash Sabet, Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddi ...

** Egyptian identification card controversy * Baháʼí Faith by country – estimated numbers of Baháʼís globally, by country, and by continent, with links to full articles on the Baháʼí Faith in individual countries and continents **

Baháʼí Faith in Africa The history of the Baháʼí Faith in Africa dates back to the lifetimes of the three individual heads of the religion, Baháʼu'lláh, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, and Shoghi Effendi, each of who was in Africa at least once. The Association of Religion Data Arc ...

** Baháʼí Faith in Asia ** Baháʼí Faith in Europe **

Baháʼí Faith in North America ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, son of Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, visited the United States and Canada in 1912. Baháʼí Houses of Worship were completed in Wilmette, Illinois, United States in 1953 and in Panama City, Panama in 1 ...

** Baháʼí Faith in Oceania ** Baháʼí Faith in South America

Important figures

Central figures

The Báb ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The' ...

– the founder of the

, seen by Baháʼís as the predecessor to their religion *

– the founder of the Baháʼí Faith *

ʻAbdu'l-Bahá ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (; Persian: , ;, 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born ʻAbbás (, ), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Bahá’í Faith, who designated him to be his successor and head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 un ...

– the appointed successor of Baháʼu'lláh

Other influential figures

Groups

Afnán Afnán (, "Branches") is a term in literature of the Baháʼí Faith referring to maternal relatives of the Báb, and is used as a surname by their descendants. The Báb's wife was named Khadíjih-Bagum, who had two brothers, Hajjí Mírzá Abu'l ...

– the maternal relatives of the

Báb The Báb (born ʻAlí-Muḥammad; ; ; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850) was an Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbai ...

Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh The Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh were nineteen prominent followers of Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. The apostles were designated as such by Shoghi Effendi, head of the religion in the earlier half of the 20th century, and the ...

– nineteen eminent early followers of Baháʼu'lláh *

Baháʼu'lláh's family Baháʼu'lláh was the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. He was born in 1817 to Khadíjih Khánum and Mírzá Buzurg of Nur (in the province of Mazandaran), a Persian people, Persian nobleman, and went on to be a leader in the Bábism, Bábí moveme ...

Hands of the Cause Hand of the Cause was a title given to prominent early members of the Baháʼí Faith, appointed for life by the religion's founders. Of the fifty individuals given the title, the last living was ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá, who died in 2007. Hands o ...

– a select group of Baháʼís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Baháʼí Faith *

Knights of Baháʼu'lláh A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

– a title given by Shoghi Effendi to Baháʼís who brought the Baháʼí Faith to new countries and territories

Notable individuals

Shoghi Effendi Shoghí Effendi (; ;1896 or 1897 – 4 November 1957) was Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1922 until his death in 1957. As the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, he was charged with guiding the development of the Baháʼí Faith, in ...

– the appointed head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957, entitled the ''Guardian'' *

Badíʻ Badíʻ (18521869) was an eminent early follower of Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Baháʼí Faith, and considered one of his chief apostles. At the age of 17 he delivered a letter from Baháʼu'lláh to Náṣiri'd-Dín S͟háh, for which he w ...

– the 17-year-old who delivered Baháʼu'lláh's tablet to the Shah and was subsequently killed *

Nabíl-i-Aʻzam Mullá Yár-Muḥammad-i-Zarandí (29 July 1831 – 1892), more commonly known as Nabíl-i-Aẓam ( "the Great Nabíl") or Nabíl-i-Zarandí ( "Nabíl of Zarand"), was an eminent Baháʼí historian during the time of Baháʼu'lláh, and one of ...

– the author of the account of early Bábí and Baháʼí history called ''

The Dawn-breakers ''The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl's Narrative of the Early Days of the Baháʼí Revelation'' (''Maṭāleʿ al-anwār'') or ''Nabíl's Narrative'' (''Táríkh-i-Nabíl'') is an account of the early Bábí and Baháʼí Faiths written in Persian by N ...

'' *

Mishkín-Qalam Mírzá Ḥusayn-i-Isfahání (surnamed Mis͟hkín-Qalam () meaning "jet-black pen"; 18261912) was a prominent Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼí and one of the nineteen Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh, as well as a famous Calligraphy, calligrapher of 19th-ce ...

– a calligrapher who lived during the lifetime of

, and designer of the

Greatest Name Greatest may refer to: * ''Greatest!'', a 1959 album by Johnny Cash * '' Bee Gees Greatest'', a 1979 album by Bee Gees * ''Greatest'' (The Go-Go's album), 1990 * ''Greatest'' (Duran Duran album), 1998 * Greatest (Raspberries album), 2005 * Grea ...

Mírzá Abu'l-Faḍl Mírzá Muḥammad (), or Mírzá Abu'l-Faḍl-i-Gulpáygání (1844–1914), was the foremost Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼí scholar who helped spread the Baháʼí Faith in Baháʼí Faith in Egypt, Egypt, Baháʼí Faith in Turkmenistan, Turkmen ...

– a Baháʼí scholar who travelled broadly and authored several books about the Baháʼí Faith *

Martha Root Martha Louise Root (August 10, 1872 – September 28, 1939) was an American traveling teacher of the Baháʼí Faith in the early 20th century. From the declaration of her belief in 1909 until her death thirty years later, she went around the ...

– a prominent travelling teacher of the Baháʼí Faith in the late 19th and early 20th centuries *

Rúhíyyih Khánum Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum (born Mary Sutherland Maxwell; 8 August 1910 – 19 January 2000) was an American-born Canadian Hand of the Cause of the Baháʼí Faith. She was the wife of the Ottoman-born Iranian religious figure Shoghi Ef ...

– the wife of Shoghi Effendi, who was appointed a

Hand of the Cause Hand of the Cause was a title given to prominent early members of the Baháʼí Faith, appointed for life by the religion's founders. Of the fifty individuals given the title, the last living was ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá, who died in 2007. Hands of ...

Texts and scriptures

Baháʼí literature Baháʼí literature includes the books, letters, and recorded public talks of the Baháʼí Faith's founders, the clarifying letters of Shoghi Effendi, the elucidations of the Universal House of Justice, and a variety of commentary and history ...

By the Báb

Persian Bayán The ''Persian Bayán'' ( - "expression") is one of the principal scriptural writings of the Báb, the founder of Bábism, written in Persian. The Báb also wrote a shorter book in Arabic, known as the '' Arabic Bayán''. Content The Persian Ba ...

– one of the principal scriptural writings of the Báb, the founder of Bábism, which is also revered in the Baháʼí Faith *

Arabic Bayán The ''Arabic Bayán'' () is an unfinished book in Arabic written by the Báb around 1848. It functions as a significant scripture in Bábism, asserting that it is a product of divine revelation and inspiration. Etymology and meaning The word ' ...

– one of the principal scriptural writings of the Báb, the founder of Bábism, which is also revered in the Baháʼí Faith *

Selections from the Writings of the Báb ''Selections from the Writings of the Báb'' is an anthology in English that features translated works of the Báb, the founder of Bábism and the forerunner-Prophet of the Baháʼí Faith. It was compiled and published in 1976 by the Universal ...

– a book of excerpts from notable works of the Báb, compiled by the

Universal House of Justice The Universal House of Justice is the nine-member supreme ruling body of the Baháʼí Faith. It was envisioned by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, as an institution that could legislate on issues not already addressed in the ...

, the highest authority in the Baháʼí Faith

By Baháʼu'lláh

List of writings of Baháʼu'lláh A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...

Epistle to the Son of the Wolf The ''Epistle to the Son of the Wolf'' is the last major work of Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Baháʼí Faith, written in 1891 just before his death in 1892. It is a letter written to "the son of the Wolf," Shaykh Muhammad Taqi known as Áqá N ...

– the last major work of Baháʼu'lláh, written soon before his death in 1892 * Four Valleys – a mystical treatise written in Persian *

Gems of Divine Mysteries ''Gems of Divine Mysteries'' (''Jawáhiru'l-Asrár'', ) is a lengthy Arabic epistle by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. The tablet (as Baháʼu'lláh's works are often called) was written during his time in Baghdad (1853-1863) ...

– a long epistle in Arabic *

Gleanings from the Writings of Baháʼu'lláh ''Gleanings from the Writings of Baháʼu'lláh'' is a compilation of selected tablets and extracts from tablets by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1921 to 1957, made the ...

– a compilation of Baháʼu'lláh's writings selected by Shoghi Effendi *

Kitáb-i-Aqdas The ''Kitáb-i-Aqdas'' () is the central religious text of the Baháʼí Faith, written by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the religion, in 1873. Though it is the main source of Baháʼí laws and practices, much of the content deals with other ...

– a central book of the Baháʼí Faith which lays out the Baháʼí laws *

Kitáb-i-Íqán The ''Kitáb-i-Íqán'' (, "Book of Certitude") is a book written by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. It is the religion's primary theological work and one of many texts that Baháʼís hold sacred. It is considered the seco ...

– the primary theological work of the Baháʼí Faith *

Hidden Words ''The Hidden Words'' (, , ) is a book written by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, around 1858. He composed it while walking along the banks of the Tigris river during his exile in Baghdad. The book is written partly in Arabi ...

– a collection of short poetic utterances, 71 in Arabic and 82 in Persian *

The Seven Valleys ''The Seven Valleys'' ( ''Haft-Vádí'') is a book written in Persian by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. ''The Seven Valleys'' follows the structure of the Persian poem '' The Conference of the Birds''. ''The Seven Valleys'' ...

– a mystical treatise written in Persian *

Summons of the Lord of Hosts The ''Summons of the Lord of Hosts'' is a collection of the Tablet (religious), tablets of Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Baháʼí Faith, that were written to the kings and rulers of the world during his exile in Adrianople and in the early ye ...

– a collection of Baháʼu'lláh's writings that were written to the kings and rulers of the world *

Tabernacle of Unity The ''Tabernacle of Unity'' is a small book, first published in July 2006, containing Baháʼu'lláh's Tablet, from the early ʻAkká period, to Mánikc͟hí Ṣáḥib, a prominent Zoroastrian, and a companion Tablet addressed to Mírzá Abu ...

– a collection of several of Baháʼu'lláh's writings first published in July 2006 *

Tablets of Baháʼu'lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas The ''Tablets of Baháʼu'lláh Revealed After the Kitáb-i-Aqdas'' are selected tablets written by Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, and published together as of 1978. The current edition bears the title ''Fountain of Wisdom: ...

– a collection of Baháʼu'lláh's writings from later in his life that have been published together since 1978

By ʻAbdu'l-Bahá

* Paris Talks – a book transcribed from talks given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá while in Paris *

The Secret of Divine Civilization ''The Secret of Divine Civilization'' is a book written anonymously by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá in 1875, addressed to the rulers and the people of Persia, but can be applied to developmental reform in any society. It is considered to be part of the authori ...

– a book written in 1875 by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, addressed to the rulers and the people of Persia *

Some Answered Questions ''Some Answered Questions'' (abbreviated SAQ; Persian version: ''Mufáviḍát-i-‘Abdu'l-Bahá'') is a compilation of table talks of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá that were collected by Laura Clifford Barney between 1904 and 1906 across several pilgrimages. ...

– contains questions posed by Laura Clifford Barney (between 1904 and 1906) and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's answers *

Tablets of the Divine Plan The ''Tablets of the Divine Plan'' collectively refers to 14 letters ( tablets) written between March 1916 and March 1917 by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to Baháʼís in the United States and Canada. Included in multiple books, the first five tablets were pr ...

– 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 The ''Will and Testament of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá'' was a seminal document of the Baháʼí Faith, written in three stages by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá. Several sections were written under imminent threat of harm. The first section was probably written in 1906. T ...

– A seminal document, written in three stages by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá

By Shoghi Effendi

* The Advent of Divine Justice – a letter to the Baháʼís of the United States and Canada, dated December 25, 1938 *

God Passes By ''God Passes By'', written by Shoghi Effendi, head of the Baháʼí Faith in the first half of the 20th century, is a book which provides a historical summary of the first century of the Baháʼí Faith, from 1844 to 1944. While historical episod ...

– an account of the first century of Baháʼí history (beginning with the declaration of the Báb in 1844) * Promised Day is Come – a book-length letter written for Baháʼís in the Western world, dated 1941

By the Universal House of Justice

The Promise of World Peace ''The Promise of World Peace'' is a document produced by the Universal House of Justice of the Baháʼí Faith in October 1985, on the occasion of the International Year of Peace. It outlines the major prerequisites for, as well as the obstacles ...

Organizations

Baháʼí administration

Baháʼí administration The Baháʼí administration is a system of elected and appointed institutions to govern the affairs of the Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼí community. Its supreme body is the Universal House of Justice, elected every five years. Some features set ...

International Baháʼí Council The International Baháʼí Council (IBC) was an administrative institution of the Baháʼí Faith, first created in 1951 as a precursor to the Universal House of Justice, which replaced it in 1963. Formation The following is a January 9, 195 ...

– the precursor to the Universal House of Justice that existed from 1951–1963 *

– the supreme governing institution of the Baháʼí Faith, first elected in 1963 * Spiritual Assemblies – a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith *

Institution of the Counsellors The Institution of the Counsellors () is the current appointed branch in the administrative system of the Baháʼí Faith. It consists of the 9 International Counsellors of the International Teaching Centre, the 90 Continental Counsellors, their ...

International Teaching Centre The International Teaching Centre (ITC; ) is a Baháʼí institution based in the Baháʼí World Centre in Haifa, Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebano ...

Baháʼí International Community The Baháʼí International Community, or the BIC, is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) representing the members of the Baháʼí Faith; it was first chartered in March 1948 with the United Nations, and currently has affiliates ...

Other Baháʼí organizations

* Baháʼí Esperanto League *

Baháʼí school A Baháʼí school at its simplest would be a school run officially by the Baháʼí institutions in its jurisdiction and may be a local class or set of classes, normally run weekly where children get together to study about Baháʼí teachings, ...

Baháʼí Institute for Higher Education The Baháʼí Institute for Higher Education (BIHE), is a unique open university in Iran, which has been portrayed as an underground university, established by the Baháʼí community of Iran in 1987 to meet the educational needs of young people ...

Banani International Secondary School Banani International Secondary School is a residential international girls' secondary school (grades 8–12) in Chisamba, Zambia. The nearest village is Liteta. It is a non-profit institution and follows the principles of the Baháʼí Faith. It ...

Townshend International School Townshend International School is a private, Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼí-inspired International school located in Hluboká nad Vltavou in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1992, the school draws some 140 students from approximately 30 countries each ...

** School of the Nations (Macau) **

New Era High School The New Era High School (or NEHS) is located in Panchgani, a hill station town known as an educational centre, in the state of Maharashtra, India. It is a private co-educational international Baháʼí school, drawing students from all over t ...

** Barli Development Institute for Rural Women * FUNDAEC * Ruhi Institute

Places

Síyáh-Chál The Síyáh-Chál ( literally "black pit") was a subterrenean dungeon southeast of Golestan Palace in Tehran. It carries a significant role in the history of the Baháʼí Faith, because its founder, Baháʼu'lláh was held there for four month ...

Garden of Ridván, Baghdad The Garden of Ridván (literally ''garden of paradise'') or Najibiyyih Garden was a wooded garden in what is now Baghdad's Al-Rusafa, Iraq, Rusafa District, on the banks of the Tigris river. It is notable as the location where Baháʼu'lláh, fou ...

Báb's house The house of the Báb in Shiraz, Iran, is considered a holy place to Bábism, Bábís and Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼís. It was the location where the Báb proclaimed his religion for the first time. In the Kitáb-i-Aqdas Baháʼu'lláh declared ...

Baháʼí World Centre The Baháʼí World Centre is the name given to the spiritual and administrative centre of the Baháʼí Faith, representing sites in or near the cities of Acre and Haifa, Israel. Much of the international governance and coordination of the ...

Baháʼí World Centre buildings The Baháʼí World Centre buildings are buildings that are part of the Baháʼí World Centre in Israel. The Baháʼí World Centre buildings include both the Baháʼí holy places used for Baháʼí pilgrimage, pilgrimage and the international ...

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Shrine of the Báb The Shrine of the Báb is a structure on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel, where the remains of the Báb, founder of the Bábí Faith and forerunner of Baháʼu'lláh in the Baháʼí Faith, are buried; it is considered to be the sec ...

***

Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh The Mansion of Bahjí (, Qasr Bahjī, ''Mansion of Delight'') is a summer house in Acre, Israel where Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, died in 1892. He was buried in an adjacent house, which became the Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh, ...

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Qiblih __NOTOC__ In the Baháʼí Faith, the Qiblih (, "direction") is the location to which Baháʼís face when saying their daily obligatory prayers. The Qiblih is fixed at the Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh, near Acre, in present-day Israel; approxim ...

– the point towards which Baháʼís face during their daily obligatory prayers ***

Shrine of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá The Shrine of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá is the location in Israel wherein the remains of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, one of the central figures of the Baháʼí Faith, will be reinterred. Since his death in 1921, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá's remains have been located beneath one of ...

Terraces (Baháʼí) The Baháʼí Terraces, or the Hanging Gardens of Haifa, are garden terraces on Mount Carmel in Haifa, and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Israel. Completed in 2001, there are 19 terraces and more than 1,500 steps ascending the mo ...

Baháʼí House of Worship A Baháʼí House of Worship or Baháʼí temple is a place of worship of the Baháʼí Faith. It is also referred to by the name ''Mashriqu'l-Adhkár'', which is Arabic for "Dawning-place of the remembrance of God". All Baháʼí Houses of Wo ...

– a place of worship of the Baháʼí Faith, also known as a Baháʼí temple ** List of Baháʼí Houses of Worship ***

Lotus Temple The Lotus Temple is a Baháʼí House of Worship in Kalkaji, New Delhi, Delhi, India. It was completed in December 1986. Notable for its lotus-like shape, it has become a prominent attraction in the city. Like all Bahá’í Houses of Worshi ...

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Baháʼí House of Worship (Wilmette, Illinois) The Baháʼí House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois (or Chicago Baháʼí Temple) is a Baháʼí temple. It is the second Baháʼí House of Worship ever constructed and the oldest one still standing. It is one of eight continental temples, c ...

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Sydney Baháʼí Temple The Sydney Baháʼí House of Worship or Sydney Baháʼí Temple is situated in Ingleside, New South Wales, Ingleside, a northern suburb of Sydney, Australia. According to Jennifer Taylor (architect), Jennifer Taylor, a historian at Sydney Univ ...

*** Santiago Bahá'í Temple *

Haziratu'l-Quds A Haziratu'l-Quds (Arabic, ''sacred fold''), or Baháʼí centre, is one of the national, regional or local Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼí administrative centres. Shoghi Effendi, the head of the Baháʼí Faith in the first half of the 20th century, ...

– a Baháʼí administrative centre often used for Baháʼí gatherings, also known as a Baháʼí centre

Calendar

List of observances set by the Baháʼí calendar This table is determined by when the March Equinox falls. It fell on March 20 from 2018 to 2021 and will fall on March 21 in 2022–2023. All Baha'i observances begin at the sundown prior to the date listed, and end at sundown of the date in questi ...

Baháʼí Holy Days The Baháʼí Faith has eleven holy days, which are important anniversaries in the history of the religion. On nine of these holy days, work is suspended. There is no fixed format for any of the holy days, and Baháʼí communities organize their ...

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Baháʼí Naw-Rúz Naw-Rúz () is the first day of the Baháʼí calendar year, and one of eleven holy days for adherents of the Baháʼí Faith. It occurs on the northern vernal equinox, on or near March 21, which is also the traditional Persian New Year. The ...

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Ridván Riḍván (; Bahá'í orthography: Rezván, ) is a twelve-day festival in the Bahá'í Faith commemorating Bahá'u'lláh's declaration that he was a Manifestation of God. In the Bahá'í calendar, it begins at sunset on the 13th of Jalál, ...

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Twin Holy Birthdays The Festivals of the Twin Birthdays or the Twin Holy Birthdays refers to two successive holy days in the Baháʼí calendar that celebrate the births of two central figures of the Baháʼí Faith. The two holy days are the birth of the Báb on t ...

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Birth of Baháʼu'lláh The Birth of Baháʼu'lláh is one of nine holy days in the Baháʼí calendar that is celebrated by adherents of the Baháʼí Faith and during which work is suspended. The holy day celebrates the birth of Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Ba ...

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Day of the Covenant (Baháʼí) The Day of the Covenant is the day when Baháʼís celebrate the appointment of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá as the Centre of Baha'u'llah's Covenant. It occurs yearly on the 4th day of Speech (Qawl) which coincides with either November 25 or 26 depending on ...

Ayyám-i-Há Ayyám-i-Há is a period of intercalary days in the Baháʼí calendar, when Baháʼís celebrate the Festival of Ayyám-i-Há. The four or five days of this period are inserted between the last two months of the calendar (Mulk and ʻAláʼ). ...

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