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The Bahá’í Faith - The website of the worldwide Bahá’í community

<!DOCTYPE html> <html lang="en" class="ltr en" id="top"> <head><script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/bundle-playback.js?v=HxkREWBo" charset="utf-8"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/wombat.js?v=txqj7nKC" charset="utf-8"></script> <script>window.RufflePlayer=window.RufflePlayer||{};window.RufflePlayer.config={"autoplay":"on","unmuteOverlay":"hidden"};</script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/_static/js/ruffle/ruffle.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> __wm.init("https://web.archive.org/web"); __wm.wombat("http://www.bahai.org/","20150314224737","https://web.archive.org/","web","/_static/", "1426373257"); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/banner-styles.css?v=S1zqJCYt" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/_static/css/iconochive.css?v=3PDvdIFv" /> <!-- End Wayback Rewrite JS Include --> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0"> <title>The Bahá’í Faith - The website of the worldwide Bahá’í community</title> <script> (function (w, d, m, p, r) { var url = w[r+'url'] = "/chrome/img/home/home-feature-__NUM__.jpg", wid = w[r+'wid'] = "1024px", min = w[r+'min'] = p("1",10), max = w[r+'max'] = p("5",10), num = w[r+'num'] = min + m.floor(m.random() * (1 + max - min)), img = w[r+'img'] = d.createElement("img"); img.src = url.replace('__NUM__', num); img.style.width = wid; }(window, document, Math, parseInt, '_random_image_')); </script> <script> var DOMAIN_NAME = 'bahai.org', PROPERTY_ID = '1'; var _gaq=_gaq||[];(function(e,t,n,r,i,s){function u(e,t){t=t||"",_gaq.push([t+"_setAccount",e],[t+"_setDomainName","."+r],[t+"_trackPageview"])}function a(){var e=t.getElementsByTagName("script")[0],r=t.createElement("script");r.async=!0,r.src=n.protocol+"//web.archive.org/web/20150314224737/http://www.google-analytics.com/ga.js",e.parentNode.insertBefore(r,e)}function f(t){var r=t||e.event,i=r.target||r.srcElement;i.nodeType==3&&(i=i.parentNode);if(i.nodeName=="A"&&i.href&&i.className.indexOf("js-track-link")>=0)if(i.hostname!=n.hostname)_gaq.push(["_trackEvent","Outbound link - "+n.hostname,i.href,i.hostname]);else{var s=i.href,o=s.substr(s.indexOf("/",8));_gaq.push(["_trackPageview",o])}}function l(e,t,n){t.addEventListener?t.addEventListener(e,n,!1):t.attachEvent&&t.attachEvent("on"+e,n)}var o="UA-32084-";u(o+i),i&&u(o+"41","b."),a(),l("click",t,f)})(window,document,location,DOMAIN_NAME,PROPERTY_ID); </script> <script src="/web/20150314224737js_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/js/typekit-bundle.min.js?2"></script> <!--[if lte IE 8]> <script src="http://static.bahai.org/modernizr/2.8.3/modernizr-html5shiv-printshiv.min.js"></script> <![endif]--> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/web/20150314224737cs_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/css/main.min.css?52" type="text/css"> <noscript><link rel="stylesheet" href="/web/20150314224737cs_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/css/noscript.min.css?1"></noscript> <meta name="description" content="The Bahá’í Faith, its origins, teachings and practices, and Bahá’í activities in the world today."> <meta name="keywords" content="Bahai, Baha'i, Bahais, Baha'is, Baha'u'llah, Bahaullah, Bab, Baha'i Faith, Bahaism, bahai religion,bahi,bhai"> </head> <body class=" global-home "> <div class="canvas js-canvas"> <header class="page-header"> <div class="header-text-container"> <div class="header-text"> <h1>The Bahá’í Faith</h1> <p>The website of the worldwide Bahá’í community</p> </div> </div> <div class="header-image js-random-image"> <noscript> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/home/home-feature-1.jpg" width="1024"> </noscript> </div> </header> <div style="position:relative"> <section class="body-content body-content-first"> <div class="opening"> <p class="opening-quote serif"> <em>“Let your vision be world embracing…”</em> <span class="attribution introquoteattribution"> —&nbsp;Bahá’u’lláh</span> </p> <p>Throughout history, God has sent to humanity a series of divine Educators—known as Manifestations of God—whose teachings have provided the basis for the advancement of civilization. These Manifestations have included Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad. Bahá’u’lláh, the latest of these Messengers, explained that the religions of the world come from the same Source and are in essence successive chapters of one religion from God.</p> <p>Bahá'ís believe the crucial need facing humanity is to find a unifying vision of the future of society and of the nature and purpose of life. Such a vision unfolds in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh.</p> </div> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/" class="area-link"> <h2>What Bahá’ís Believe&nbsp;&raquo;</h2> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/home/home-img-beliefs.jpg" width="640"> </a> <div class="image-highlight-list"> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/bahaullah-covenant/"> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/beliefs/bahaullah-covenant-thumbnail-img.jpg" width="165"> <div> <h3>Bahá’u’lláh and His Covenant</h3> <p>The origins of the Bahá’í Faith and the source of its distinctive unity</p> </div> </a> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit/"> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/beliefs/life-spirit-thumbnail-img.jpg" width="165"> <div> <h3>The Life of the Spirit</h3> <p>The eternal soul, the purpose of life, and the development of spiritual qualities</p> </div> </a> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/god-his-creation/"> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/beliefs/god-his-creation-thumbnail-img.jpg" width="165"> <div> <h3>God and His Creation</h3> <p>God, revelation, humanity, the natural world, and the advancement of civilization</p> </div> </a> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/essential-relationships/"> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/beliefs/essential-relationships-thumbnail-img.jpg" width="165"> <div> <h3>Essential Relationships</h3> <p>The development of relationships among individuals, communities, and institutions that reflect the principle of the oneness of&nbsp;humanity</p> </div> </a> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/universal-peace/"> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/beliefs/universal-peace-thumbnail-img.jpg" width="165"> <div> <h3>Universal Peace</h3> <p>The principles required for the attainment of peace and the building of a new global civilization</p> </div> </a> </div> <div class="last-section"> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/" class="area-link"> <h2>What Bahá’ís Do&nbsp;&raquo;</h2> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/home/home-img-action.jpg" width="640"> </a> <div class="image-highlight-list action-list"> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/response-call-bahaullah/"> <div> <h3>Response to the Call of Bahá’u’lláh</h3> <p>The two-fold purpose fundamental to Bahá’í life</p> </div> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/home/home-img-response-call-bahaullah.jpg" width="245"> </a> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/devotional-life/"> <div> <h3>Devotional Life</h3> <p>The integration of service and worship in Bahá’í community life</p> </div> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/home/home-img-devotional-life.jpg" width="245"> </a> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/family-life-children/"> <div> <h3>Family Life and Children</h3> <p>The importance of family and the education of children</p> </div> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/home/home-img-family-life-children.jpg" width="245"> </a> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/youth/"> <div> <h3>Youth</h3> <p>The efforts of young Bahá’ís to contribute to the betterment of the world</p> </div> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/home/home-img-youth.jpg" width="245"> </a> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/institutional-capacity/"> <div> <h3>Institutional Capacity</h3> <p>The development of the Bahá’í community’s administrative structures and the refinement of its associated processes</p> </div> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/home/home-img-institutional-capacity.jpg" width="245"> </a> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/involvement-life-society/"> <div> <h3>Involvement in the Life of Society</h3> <p>Working alongside others for the advancement of material and spiritual civilization</p> </div> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/home/home-img-involvement-life-society.jpg" width="245"> </a> </div> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/library/" class="area-link"> <h2>Bahá’í Reference Library&nbsp;&raquo;</h2> <img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/home/home-img-library.jpg" width="640"> </a> <p>The Bahá’í Reference Library is the authoritative online source of Bahá’í writings. It contains selected works of Bahá’u’lláh, The Báb, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Shoghi Effendi, and the Universal House of Justice, as well as other Bahá’í texts.</p> <aside class="home-secondary-content quote"> <p>“If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship and love, every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty, and discover the secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure.”</p> <p class="attribution">— Bahá’u’lláh</p> </aside> </div> </section> <aside class="home-secondary-content languages"> <h1>Other languages</h1> <p class="smaller">This site is the new version of Bahai.org and its content has not yet been translated into other languages. You can, however, read about the Bahá’í Faith and the activities of the Bahá’í community in a variety of languages in the links below:</p> <ul class="linklist smaller"> <li><a class="js-track-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224737/http://info.bahai.org/french/">Français</a></li> <li><a class="js-track-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224737/http://info.bahai.org/spanish/">Español</a></li> <li><a class="js-track-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224737/http://info.bahai.org/portuguese/">Português</a></li> <li class="chinese"><a class="js-track-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224737/http://info.bahai.org/chinese/">中文</a></li> <li class="persian"><a class="js-track-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224737/http://www.persian-bahai.org/">فارسی</a></li> <li class="arabic"><a class="js-track-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224737/http://info.bahai.org/arabic/">عربي</a></li> </ul> </aside> </div> <footer> <div class="footer-links"> <div class="global-community"> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/national-communities/"> <h2>A Global Community</h2> <p>The Bahá’í Faith is established in more than 100,000 localities in virtually every country and territory around the world.</p> <p>National Bahá’í websites »</p> </a> </div> <div class="other-sites"> <ul> <li><a class="js-track-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahaullah.org/">The Life of Bahá’u’lláh</a></li> <li><a class="js-track-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224737/http://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org/">The Universal House of&nbsp;Justice</a></li> <li><a class="js-track-link" href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/frontiers/">Frontiers of Learning</a></li> <li><a class="js-track-link" href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/arising/">Arising to Serve</a></li> <li><a class="js-track-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224737/http://news.bahai.org/">Bahá'í World News Service</a></li> <li><a class="js-track-link" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224737/http://www.bic.org/">Bahá’í International Community UN Office</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="footer-bottom"> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/contact">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/legal">Legal</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/legal#privacy">Privacy</a></li> </ul> <h1 class="signoff"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/" class="signoff-text">The Bahá’í Faith</a></h1> <p class="footer-copyright">© 2015 Bahá’í International Community</p> </div> </footer> <aside class="site-nav js-site-nav"> <div class="nav-top"> <nav> <ul class="level-1 js-menu-bar"> <li class="nav-global-home current"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/">Bahai.org Home</a></li> <li class="nav-beliefs js-menu-toggle " data-menu="nav-beliefs"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/">What Bahá’ís Believe</a></li> <li class="nav-action js-menu-toggle " data-menu="nav-action"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/">What Bahá’ís Do</a></li> <li class="nav-library js-menu-toggle " data-menu="nav-library"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/library/">Bahá’í Reference Library</a></li> </ul> </nav> <form id="mastersearch" class="clearfix js-site-search" action="https://web.archive.org/web/20150314224737/http://search.bahai.org/"> <input type="text" class="searchtext js-query-input" name="q" data-initial-value=" "> <input type="submit" value="Search" class="btnsearch"> <ul class="search-select-menu js-search-menu"> <li id="sitesearchselectallsites" class="js-search-option sitesearchselectselected" data-url="http://search.bahai.org/?q=QUERY"><a href="#">Search Bahai.org</a></li> <li id="sitesearchselectlibrary" class="js-search-option " data-url="/library/authoritative-texts/search#q=QUERY"><a href="#">Search the Bahá’í Reference Library</a></li> </ul> </form> </div> <div class="site-nav-dropdown js-menu-dropdown"> <div class="site-nav-dropdown-contents site-nav-dropdown-beliefs js-menu-content" id="nav-beliefs" data-menu="nav-beliefs"> <ul class="level-2-list js-tab-list"> <li class="nav-beliefs-home active"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/">What Bahá’ís Believe — Home</a></li> <li class="nav-beliefs-bahaullah-covenant"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/bahaullah-covenant/">Bahá’u’lláh and His Covenant</a></li> <li class="nav-beliefs-life-spirit"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit/">The Life of the Spirit</a></li> <li class="nav-beliefs-god-his-creation"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/god-his-creation/">God and His Creation</a></li> <li class="nav-beliefs-essential-relationships"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/essential-relationships/">Essential Relationships</a></li> <li class="nav-beliefs-universal-peace"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/universal-peace/">Universal Peace</a></li> </ul> <div class="level-2-description active js-tab-content"> <h2 class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/">What Bahá’ís Believe</a></h2> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/"><img src="/web/20150314224737im_/http://www.bahai.org/chrome/img/nav-thumb-beliefs.jpg" alt=""></a> <p>The Bahá’í Faith’s central beliefs have been organized on this site into a number of thematic areas. Here you can take time to read about the origins of the Bahá’í Faith and explore the principles and teachings that inspire members of the Bahá’í community throughout the world.</p> <a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/">What Bahá’ís Believe — Home&nbsp;»</a> </div> <ul class="level-3-list js-tab-content nav-list-bahaullah-covenant"> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/bahaullah-covenant/"><strong>Overview of this Section</strong><span> — The origins of the Bahá’í Faith and the source of its distinctive unity</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/the-bab/"><strong>The Báb</strong><span> —  The Báb is the Herald of the Bahá’í Faith</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/bahaullah/"><strong>Bahá’u’lláh</strong><span> —  Bahá’u’lláh is the Promised One foretold by the Báb and all of the Divine Messengers of the past</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/abdul-baha/"><strong>‘Abdu’l-Bahá</strong><span> —  Bahá’u’lláh appointed His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as the authorized interpreter of His teachings and Head of the Faith</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/shoghi-effendi/"><strong>Shoghi Effendi</strong><span> — Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, appointed by his Grandfather, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/the-universal-house-of-justice/"><strong>The Universal House of Justice</strong><span> — The international governing council of the Bahá’í Faith, whose creation was ordained by Bahá’u’lláh</span></a></li> </ul> <ul class="level-3-list js-tab-content nav-list-life-spirit"> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit/"><strong>Overview of this Section</strong><span> — The eternal soul, the purpose of life, and the development of spiritual qualities</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit/human-soul/"><strong>The Human Soul</strong><span> — The immortal, rational soul which passes through this world for a brief time and continues for eternity to advance towards God</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit/devotion/"><strong>Devotion</strong><span> — Acts of devotion such as prayer, meditation, fasting, pilgrimage, and service to others and their role in religious life</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit/life-generous-giving/"><strong>A Life of Generous Giving</strong><span> — We fulfil our highest purpose in a life of service in which we offer our time, energy, knowledge, and financial resources generously</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit/character-conduct/"><strong>Character and Conduct</strong><span> — The cultivation of spiritual qualities in this world is inseparable from an ongoing refinement of our conduct</span></a></li> </ul> <ul class="level-3-list js-tab-content nav-list-god-his-creation"> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/god-his-creation/"><strong>Overview of this Section</strong><span> — God, revelation, humanity, the natural world, and the advancement of civilization</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/god-his-creation/revelation/"><strong>Revelation</strong><span> — God, the Creator of the universe, cultivates intellectual and moral capacities through the teachings of Manifestations of God</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/god-his-creation/nature/"><strong>Nature</strong><span> — The beauty, richness and diversity of the natural world are all expressions of the attributes of God</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/god-his-creation/ever-advancing-civilization/"><strong>An Ever-Advancing Civilization</strong><span> — Humanity, having passed through the ages of infancy and childhood, now stands at the threshold of its collective maturity</span></a></li> </ul> <ul class="level-3-list js-tab-content nav-list-essential-relationships"> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/essential-relationships/"><strong>Overview of this Section</strong><span> — The development of relationships among individuals, communities, and institutions that reflect the principle of the oneness of humanity</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/essential-relationships/individual-society/"><strong>The Individual and Society</strong><span> — As humanity emerges from childhood and approaches its collective maturity, the need for a new understanding of the relationships between the individual, the community, and the institutions of society becomes ever more pressing</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/essential-relationships/one-human-family/"><strong>One Human Family</strong><span> — The conviction that we belong to one human family is at the heart of the Bahá’í Faith</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/essential-relationships/administrative-order/"><strong>The Bahá’í Administrative Order</strong><span> — The affairs of the Bahá’í community are administered through a system of institutions, each with its defined sphere of action</span></a></li> </ul> <ul class="level-3-list js-tab-content nav-list-universal-peace"> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/universal-peace/"><strong>Introduction</strong><span> — The principles required for the attainment of peace and the building of a new global civilization</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/universal-peace/promise-world-peace"><strong>The Promise of World Peace</strong><span> — The full text of a letter of the Universal House of Justice, addressed to the Peoples of the World</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/universal-peace/quotations"><strong>Quotations</strong><span> — An introductory selection of extracts from the Bahá’í writings on the theme of universal peace</span></a></li> <li class="js-nav-item"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/universal-peace/articles-resources"><strong>Articles and Resources</strong><span> — A selection of readings, essays, and resource materials on universal peace</span></a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="site-nav-dropdown-contents site-nav-dropdown-action js-menu-content" id="nav-action" data-menu="nav-action"> <ul class="level-2-list js-tab-list"> <li class="nav-action-home active"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/">What Bahá’ís Do — Home</a></li> <li class="nav-action-response-call-bahaullah"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/response-call-bahaullah/">Response to the Call of Bahá’u’lláh</a></li> <li class="nav-action-devotional-life"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/devotional-life/">Devotional Life</a></li> <li class="nav-action-family-life-children"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/family-life-children/">Family Life and Children</a></li> <li class="nav-action-youth"><a href="/web/20150314224737/http://www.bahai.org/action/youth/">Youth</a></li> <li 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