THE BAHÁ'Í FAITH

ORIGIN

• The Bahá'í Faith was founded in Iran in the mid-19th century by Mirza Hoseyn 'Ali Nuri.
• Today, the Bahá'í Faith has 7 million followers worldwide.

BELIEFS

• Bahá’í beliefs consist the oneness of God, religion, and humanity. freedom from prejudice, the inherent nobility of the human being, the progressive revelation of religious truth, the development of spiritual qualities, the integration of worship and service, the fundamental equality of the sexes, the harmony between religion and science, the centrality of justice to all human endeavours, the importance of education, and the dynamics of the relationships that are to bind together individuals, communities, and institutions as humanity advances towards its collective maturity.

TRADITIONS

• Bahá’u’lláh has reduced all ritual and form to an absolute minimum in His Faith. The two longer obligatory daily prayers are only symbols of inner attitude. He gave them the very short and simple prayer, for those who did not feel the desire to perform the acts associated with the other two.

SACRED wRITINGS

• The Báb —the “Gate”—was an independent Manifestation of God, whose mission was to inaugurate a new cycle in humanity’s spiritual development. His Writings prepared the way for the coming of Bahá’u’lláh.

AFTERLIFE

• The Bahá’í teachings state that there is no such physical place as heaven or hell, and emphasise the eternal journey of the soul towards perfection. They explain that references to “heaven” and “hell” in the Holy Scriptures of other religions are to be understood symbolically, describing states of nearness to and distance from God in this world and in the realms beyond.

LIFE EVENTS

• The Nineteen Day Fast was instituted by Bahá'u'lláh. He stated that if capable, those between the ages of 15 and 70 should fast 19 days a year, going without food or drink from sunrise to sunset.

HOLY DAYS

• There are nine annual Bahá'í holy days plus an annual fast. With the exception of New Year, Bahá'í holidays commemorate major events in the lives of the founders of the Bahá'í Faith. On holy days, Bahá'ís do not work and this is considered a sacrifice.

WORSHIP PRACTICES

• The Bahá'í Faith places great importance on the relationship with God, but not on religious ritual. Bahá'ís have no priesthood or clergy, no initiation ceremonies, no sacraments, and no worship rituals.

PLACES OF WORSHIP

• the original purpose of temples and houses of worship is to unify everyone. They are places of meeting where various peoples, different races and all religions may come together.

WORKS CITED

• http://www.religionfacts.com/bahai/history
• http://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/
• http://www.bahai.org/beliefs/life-spirit/human-soul/heaven-hell
• http://www.religionfacts.com/bahai/holidays
• http://www.religionfacts.com/bahai/practices
• http://bahaiblog.net/site/2011/04/21-stunning-photos-of-bahai-houses-of-wor...