A Bahá’í is “a follower of Bahá’u’lláh”…
A Bahá’í is one who recognizes and believes in the station of Bahá’u’lláh as the Promised One of all the various religions, and follows the tenets laid down in his writings. The acceptance of his writings and teachings comes after investigation and learning. One must not blindly accept the words of another, but rather study them and know them to be true for oneself.
The name Bahá’u’lláh is Arabic for [The] ‘Glory of God’. This is the title of the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, and is the title given in the Holy Books for the Promised One of all ages.
The Bahá’í Faith has many roots in the Holy Books of the past. The current revelation, or dispensation, has its beginning in 1844 A.D. Its roots, however, go back as far as the first revelation of God to humankind. Bahá’u’lláh’s lineage can be traced back to Abraham, and his Message is to bring together all the diverse people of the world. It is the fulfillment of the prophecies and promises for the Christians, Moslems, Native American Indians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Zoroastrians, and all other divine revelations.
One World, One People, Please…
Prominent in the beliefs of the Bahá’í Faith is the principle of the oneness of all mankind. Cultural and ethnic backgrounds are respected, and diversity in mankind is cherished, yet we are all members of the same species. All the people of the world – of all races, nations, classes, religions and etc. – should come together in a spirit of understanding, unity, and purpose, without discrimination. Rascism and discrimination are viewed as devisive, destructive, and greatly detrimental to the growth and advancement of mankind, both in the world in which we live and in our spiritual lives.
Progressive Revelation…
The Bahá’í Faith is not a new religion in the sense that it is a continuation of the on-going guidance that God has been giving mankind all along. It is the next step in the process of progressive revelation – the belief that God sends messengers appropriate for our time and maturity as a people.
Does this mean we believe Christ has returned? Yes, it very much does. There are many verses from various holy books which tell us Christ would return in the Glory of God. Bahá’í’s believe that Bahá’u’lláh is this return of God’s Messenger on Earth – the “Glory of God” – who has brought mankind God’s message for the next stage of our spiritual and wordly growth as God’s children.
“… for the Glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (Rev.21:23).
Prophecies are fulfilled…
Going through all the prophecies of the Bible would take volumes, and in fact many volumes have been written. Bahá’í’s believe that all the prophecies to date, numerical and otherwise, are fulfilled in the Bahá’í Faith, and the proofs are available in the writings. The writings are available in libraries and through your local Bahá’ís or Bahá’í library.
Other religions are not “wrong”…
“Bahá’í’s deeply revere Christ, Moses, and the Founders of all the world’s revealed religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islám, as part of God’s plan of progressive revelation down through the ages, and believe them to be the inspiration and cause of world civilizations that have followed in their wake. Bahá’ís do not believe in the multitude of sects and divisions [which later seperated from or splintered from] the religions that were founded by these Messengers of God.”
–Bahá’í Answers, page 7.
The Bahá’í Faith is a world religion…
The Bahá’í Faith is the second most wide-spread religion throughout the world. It is in every country, in over 333 sovereign states, territories, and islands. Bahá’í literature and writings have been translated into 589 different languages world wide.
Since Bahá’ís are everywhere…
Why don’t you hear about the Bahá’í Faith on every street corner? Because Bahá’ís do not believe in prosletizing or “witnessing” (in fact, the Writings forbid it). You won’t find Bahá’ís hanging out in airports or bus stations tugging at elbows, and they won’t be shouting from a soapbox in a park or on a street corner. Bahá’ís believe that those individuals who are truely seeking God will find their own way to the Faith. Bahá’ís call these individuals “seekers”. If a seeker asks a Bahá’í about the Faith, they will be more than happy to answer questions or even lend a Bahá’í book. They won’t press a seeker to convert. In fact, they may even encourage the seeker to take their time, ask more questions, study more of the Writings, and develop their own opinion of the Faith, before making any decisions about it. It is not uncommon for seekers to spend years investigating the Faith before deciding to become a Bahá’í. It’s a very important decision.
Believing in God…
A Bahá’í is a believer in God. A person who is filled with a love for God and their fellow mankind. They are members of a world-embracing Faith, a part of the second most widespread religion in the world today. A Bahá’í is a believer in the previous Manifestations of God and in the fulfillment of Their promises of the Great Educator – the one fold with one Shepherd – the Glory of God. A Bahá’í believes that we are all God’s children, and as children mankind is growing and maturing. As with children, each stage of mankinds growth requires different teachings, a different message, different rules and responsibilities. The Bahá’í Faith is the current dispensation from God. This revelation is for all mankind, at this time, and in a way that is divinely appropriate for our maturation and continued growth as God’s children.