How did the Bahá'í faith begin?
It began in 1844 in Persia which is now Iran. It began when a man named Siyyid Ali Muhammad who is also called the Bab predicted that a man would come after him who would become one of the great prophets as were Adam, Moses, Krishna, Buddha, Christ, Zoroaster and Mohammed. This new prophets name was Baha'u'llah. his message was that he and his followers should try to unite the people of the world by bringing the religions together in peace and harmony. This then would lead to a new world age where there was more peace and justice. It would lead to a time when there would be no religious or racial prejudice.

Bahá'í were persecuted in Iran by the Muslim leaders and so many left which spread the Bahá'í Faith all over the world. Today there are over five million.

What do Bahá'í believe and how does this affect the way they behave?
The Baha'is sacred text or Most Holy Book, contains the laws for behavior, both personal and public. Bahá'í believe that all religions are divine and that the great prophets were servants of the same God and preached the same message. For this reason, Baha'is are very accepting of all religions. They have a commitment both to bettering themselves and the world. Bahá'í see themselves as World Citizens. Prayer and fasting is required by all, they strongly encourage marriage, and don't believe in drinking alcohol. Baha'is believe in holding discussions and conferences on issues of world unity. They believe in meeting with many different people of different cultural and religious backgrounds to work toward world peace and religious harmony.

Where do Bahá'í's worship?
They worship in homes and temples. The House of Worship in India is built in a nine-sided shape after a lotus blossom. There are no priests in the Bahá'íFaith. That is because they believe all are equal in the eyes of God.
 

© 2002 United Religions Initiative