{"id":379,"date":"2011-02-05T13:17:31","date_gmt":"2011-02-05T13:17:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/projectconversion.com\/?p=379"},"modified":"2011-02-05T13:17:31","modified_gmt":"2011-02-05T13:17:31","slug":"bahaiday-5-history-and-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/projectconversion\/2011\/02\/bahaiday-5-history-and-faith.html","title":{"rendered":"Baha’i\/Day 5: History and Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"
You’ve all been very patient, and as a reward…an IOU for something awesome should we ever meet. Anyway, today I want to go over some history and particulars of the Baha’i faith. Because the followers of Baha’ are such a recent addition to our world’s colorful and vibrant spiritual and religious spectrum, many might have never heard of them.<\/div>\n

But after this month, with your help, everyone will know about the Baha’i.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When the Baha’i faith began\u00a0in Shiraz, Iran in 1844, its followers were not called “Baha’is”, they were Babi’s. The faith was born of a young man in his early 20’s\u00a0who in 1844 declared his mission as “The Bab” or The Gate for the one to come; the next Manifestation of God.\u00a0Though immediately persecuted by Islamic authorities, his ministry lasted for six years until he and thousands of his followers were martyred in 1850. He was thirty years old at the time of his death.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Outside of the Baha’i faith, there is a tradition of those who view The Bab in a different and more elevated light apart from the Baha’i tradition. For more information, go here<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Shrine of The Bab on Mt Carmel in Haifa, Israel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Born Mirza Husayn\u00a0Ali Nuri, Baha’u’llah\u00a0(which means The Glory of God) was born to a noble family in Iran. From an early age he was recognized\u00a0as highly intelligent, perceptive, and kind to all. As a young man, he became known as the defender of the oppressed and refuge to the poor. Though he never met The Bab, he accepted the message immediately via The Bab’s first disciple, Mulla\u00a0Husayn, and gave up his position in the nobility to join the young Babi’ movement.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Just as Baha’u’llah\u00a0was gaining prominence as a member of the faith, violence\u00a0broke out between Babi’ groups and the Qajar government. The fighting led to an assassination attempt on the Shah which failed and resulted in the slaughter of many Babi’s and the imprisonment of\u00a0Baha’u’llah\u00a0himself. While in prison, Baha’u’llah\u00a0claimed to have been visited\u00a0by a handmaiden of God and told of his station as the promised one of The Bab. Baha’u’llah was released\u00a0from the “black pit” four months later and began what would be a life of exile.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Though his mission was revealed\u00a0to him in the “black pit,” Baha’u’llah\u00a0did not announce his status until years later in 1863\u00a0while he and his family lived in a tent\u00a0in a garden outside of Baghdad\u00a0along with many followers. Because of his growing popularity and influence, he was exiled\u00a0farther and farther from his homeland and throughout the\u00a0Turkish Empire. He spent last 40 years of his life in exile and prison. The writings Baha’i all over the world regard as scripture, including the\u00a0Kitab-i-Aqdas, Kitab-i-Iqan,\u00a0The Seven Valleys and the Four Valleys, and\u00a0collections of hundreds of prayers and letters to followers and world officials alike, were all composed while in prison or in exile.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Baha’i faith, though by the time of Baha’u’llah’s\u00a0death in 1892 had reached the shores of nearly every continent, was passed\u00a0down in leadership to Baha’u’llah’s\u00a0son, Abdu’l’Baha, whose name means “Servant of Glory.” Abdu’l’Baha\u00a0spent much of his life in exile with his father. From the age of 8, he hopped from prison to prison for 40 years–by his own free will–and came to be\u00a0known for his wisdom, humor and good spirit in the face of dispar, and care for the suffering. Baha’u’llah\u00a0eventually passed on the duties of administration and discourse over the faith to his son, whom he affectionately called “The Master.” Abdu’l’Baha\u00a0is regarded\u00a0as the exemplar of all good qualities every Baha’i and indeed, person, should uphold. He is quoted to have said, “My home is the home of laughter and mirth.”\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Abdu'l'Baha<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After 40 years in prison, Abdu’l’Baha\u00a0set out to spread the message of his father into Europe and America. He spoke at mosques, churches, and temples and soon many were filled with a zeal to spread the message throughout their part of the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n

When Abdu’l’Baha\u00a0died in 1921, the Faith was handed\u00a0down to his grandson, Shoghi\u00a0Effendi, and was given the title of “Gaurdian\u00a0of the Cause.” Effendi’s mission was to keep the Faith together against division and to set up an administrative body from the top down to carry out the propagation\u00a0and\u00a0maintenance of the Baha’i message.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Shoghi Effendi, Guardian of the Cause<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Organization:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n