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The main principles of the Baha’i Faith can be summed up into the following points: - The abandonment of all forms of prejudice - Full equality between women and men - Recognition of the oneness and progressive nature of religious truth - The elimination of extremes of poverty and wealth - The realization of universal education - The responsibility of each person to independently search for truth - The establishment of a global commonwealth of nations - Recognition that true religion is in harmony with reason and the pursuit of scientific knowledge The Baha’i Faith is largely centered around the idea of unity. Unity of the human race and oneness of the worldly religions. It is made up of all ethnicities and is celebrated in over 235 countries and territories across the world, from Africa all the way to Canada. They believe the principal challenge facing the peoples of the earth is to accept the fact of their oneness and to assist in the processes of unification. The Baha’i Faith is unique in that it unreservedly accepts the validity of the other great faiths.

He was an independent Messenger of God, whose mission was to inaugurate a new cycle in humanity's spiritual development. His writings prepared the way for the mission of Baha'u'llah and he spread the word that a new Messenger of God was coming. The Báb was executed in 1850 at the insistence of Islamic clergy, who felt threatened by the principles He taught. The Shrine of the Báb, Israel. He is regarded by Baha'is as the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond recorded time and that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad. He showed great insight into a new age for humanity at a very young age without any special schooling and left his life of princely comfort for one of poverty and great suffering. Mirza Husayn Ali, but He identified Himself as Baha'u'llah, which means "Glory of God," a title bestowed by His Forerunner, the Bab.

Baha'u'llah married `Asiyih Khanum, the daughter of another nobleman and they had three children. Baha'u'llah declined the ministerial career open to Him in government, and chose instead to devote His energies to a range of philanthropies which by the early 1840s, earned him the title "Father of the Poor." The Bábi movement swept Iran like a whirlwind and influential members of the court became worried. They ordered him into the notorious “Black Pit” in Persia, and what they had hoped would be a death sentence became the birth place for a new religious revelation. Upon His release, Baha'u'llah was banished from His native land, and this was the beginning of his 40 year exile, a time spent reflecting on the implications of the task to which He had been called to do. Beginning in September 1867, Baha'u'llah wrote a series of letters to the world leaders of His time. He spoke of the dawn of a new age. But first, He warned, there would be catastrophic upheavals in the world's political and social order unless they pursued justice and unity. Continued agitation from opponents caused the Turkish Government to send the exiles to Acre, a penal city in Ottoman Palestine.

Baha'u'llah and his family spent the remaining 24 years of his life in Acre and its environs. The living conditions were very dirty and small. Even the children, when they ventured outside, were pursued and pelted with stones. As time passed though, several of the town's governors and clergy, after examining the teachings of the Faith, became devoted admirers. The prison of Acre It was in Acre that Baha'u'llah's most important work was written. Known more commonly among Baha'is by its Persian name, the Kitab-i-Aqdas (the Most Holy Book), it outlines the essential laws and principles that are to be observed by His followers, and lays the groundwork for Baha'i administration. In the late 1870s, Baha'u'llah was given the freedom to move outside the city's walls, and His followers were able to meet with Him in relative peace and freedom. He took up residence in an abandoned mansion and was able to further devote Himself to writing. In 1892, Baha’u’llah passed away.

This symbol often appears on Baha’i ringstones and other Baha’i identity jewelry. the world of God, the Creator, the world of His Manifestations, and the world of man. The vertical line joins the three horizontal bars together in the same way that the Divine Messengers of God form the link between the world of God and the world of man. The twin five-pointed stars on either side of the design represent the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, the twin Messengers of God for this age. A nine pointed star is traditionally used for the Baha’i’s as a sign of their faith. The number nine holds special value in that Nine years after the announcement of the Báb in Shiraz, Bahá'u'lláh received the intimation of His mission in the dungeon in Teheran and nine, as the highest single-digit number, symbolizing completeness.

Daily prayer and meditation free the soul from conditioned patterns and open it to new possibilities. Baha’i’s have three daily,obligatory prayers that are recited at morning, noon, and evening. It is entirely up to the believer as to which they recite. Joining in projects with people of various backgrounds breaks down traditional prejudices. The use of alcohol or narcotic drugs is avoided, except when prescribed for medical reasons, because these substances eventually deaden the mind. The sanctity of marriage, recognition of equality between the husband and wife, and the use of consultation (consensus) are especially emphasized. Daily prayer and meditation are held at the same importance as working, raising a family, and interacting with the outside, diverse world. As in many other worldly religions, Baha’i’s fast yearly. From March 2 nd to the 20 th, Baha’is abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. It is a time of deep reflection and spiritual renewal and those pregnant, ill, travelling, or elderly are not obligated to participate.

A religion of unity There is only one religion, all the religions of the past are one changeless faith of God. History is filled with many messengers of God Openness towards all religions Elimination of racial prejudice The making of art is no different than prayer Creativity is prayer Term “fashioner” is given to God as an alternative word to Creator and is used at the ends of prayer. When you are an artist, you are a fashioner. If religion be a cause of disunity, it were better that there were no religion. soulpancake.html

Baha’i Temple, Wilmette, Illinois Baha’i Temple, Santiago, Chile Baha’i Temple, Kampala, Uganda Baha’i Temple, Near New Delhi, known as the Lotus Temple The purpose of a Baha’i House of Worship is to bring men and women together in unity. The auditorium of the temple is open to all for worship and meditation, no race or religion is excluded. Services are not elaborate as there is no set ritualism or professional clergy. Services are for prayer, meditation, and the reading of selections from the Sacred Scriptures of the Baha’i Faith and other great Faiths of the world. The only music is by soloists and a cappella choir.

Baha'is observe eleven holy days each year. These include days associated with the lives of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, as well as the Bahá’í new year, on March 21. The most important of the holidays is Ridván, a twelve-day period in the end of April/beginning of May that commemorates Bahá’u’lláh’s declaration of His mission and Revelation. The holy days are commemorated with community gatherings for prayer, reflection, and fellowship. On nine of these holy days, Baha'is abstain from work. The Baha'i calendar begins on 21 March, the vernal equinox, and divides the year into 19 months of 19 days each. With the division of the year into 19 months, four intercalary days are needed. These days occur at the end of February and are celebrated as a gift-giving time known as Ayyám-i-Há.

Baha’is generally do not celebrate Christmas in their own homes. However, because Baha’is recognize Christ as a Divine Messenger, theyshare in the season’s spirit of goodwill. Based on Baha’u’llah’s instruction to “Consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship,” Baha’is with Christian friends and family enjoy various Christmas activities. Baha’is also do not celebrate Easter, but they hold the spirit of Jesus’ resurrection very highly. Easter is a holy day of reflection, thoughtfulness and reverence celebrated with Christian relatives or friends with love and unity. Heaven and Hell are not physical places but spiritual realities. When we die, the condition of their souls determines our experience in the afterlife. Baha'i law limits permissible sexual relations to those between a man and a woman in marriage, however they do not attempt to impose their moral standards on those who have not accepted the Revelation of Baha’u’llah. To regard homosexuals with prejudice would be contrary to the spirit of the Baha'i teachings.

There are currently more than five million Baha'is resident in some 100,000 localities in every part of the world. The Faith is recognized as the second-most geographically widespread religion after Christianity. Persecution in Iran The Baha’i Faith is Iran’s largest minority religion. It is not accepted as a legitimate religion because Baha'u'llah after Muhammad. Muhammad is designated in the Qur'an, the Muslim Holy Book, as the Seal of the Prophets and Muslims have interpreted this verse to mean that Muhammad is the final prophet of God. Therefore, any claim of prophethood after Muhammad is considered blasphemous by the Muslim religious leaders. Consequently, Baha’i followers in Iran have been the targets of countless acts of violence and discrimination. Their legal rights have been revoked, they are denied jobs, pensions, and the right to inherit property, and more than Baha'is have been released from government and university posts, with Baha’i students being denied access to higher education.

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