The Bahá’í Faith is the newest world religion, founded in 1863 by Bahá’u’lláh. Its forerunner religion, the Bábí Faith, was founded in 1844 by the Báb. Along with Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb, Bahá’u’lláh’s son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, is considered a Founder of the Bahá’í Faith. The three Bahá’í Faith Founders were born in Iran, the Báb in Shiraz, Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Tehrán. All three were prolific writers Who penned prayers and other writings which impart to the Bahá’í Faith a profound literary foundation.
The Bahá’í concept of the Manifestation of God also exists in other religions, particularly Hinduism. The Founder of religion is literally the earthly Manifestation of the Unknowable God. Christians are well acquainted with the doctrine that only through a relationship with the Founder of their religion can they reach God.
Christianity was founded 2,000 years ago. Jesus was quoted as saying that He will come again quickly. Only a minority recognized the appearance of the Messiah when Jesus appeared. Because many had a fixed idea of how the Messiah would appear, they failed to recognize a humble carpenter as the King of Glory.
Muhammad appeared a little over 600 years after Jesus. Ever since, religionists in each camp have labeled the other as infidels. But actually Muhammad’s teachings are perfectly compatible with the teachings of Christ. Nearly 1400 years have elapsed since the appearance of Muhammad, and by this time there should have been another Manifestation.
Throughout history a new religion has arisen every 500 to 1000 years. Buddha founded Buddhism about a half millennium before Christ. Moses founded Judaism somewhere bwetween a half millennium to a millennium prior to Buddha. Abraham appeared about a millennium before Moses and founded the Abrahamic Faith. Krishna appeared about a millennium prior to Abraham and founded the Hindu religion, the religion of the Indus River area. The rich spiritual heritage of the Vedic culture names other Manifestations Who appeared prior to Krishna. One can verify that prior to the present age, not much more than a millennium had passed without the founding of a new religion. Why would that change? Does not God still yearn to reach out to humankind? Do we not hunger for the latest Divine Teachings for the age we are in?
—Jera Jones Igo
Quotes From the Bahá’í Writings
Is there any Remover of difficulties save God? Say: Praised be God! He is God! All are His servants, and all abide by His bidding!
—The Báb
Create in me a pure heart, O my God, and renew a tranquil conscience within me, O my Hope! Through the spirit of power confirm Thou me in Thy Cause, O my Best-Beloved, and by the light of Thy glory reveal unto me Thy path, O Thou the Goal of my desire! Through the power of Thy transcendent might lift me up unto the heaven of Thy holiness, O Source of my being, and by the breezes of Thine eternity gladden me, O Thou Who art my God! Let Thine everlasting melodies breathe tranquillity on me, O my Companion, and let the riches of Thine ancient countenance deliver me from all except Thee, O my Master, and let the tidings of the revelation of Thine incorruptible Essence bring me joy, O Thou Who art the most manifest of the manifest and the most hidden of the hidden! —Bahá’u’lláh
Bahá’í Library
O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hands. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.
O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself.I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord.—’Abdu’l-Bahá
Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be worthy of the trust of thy neighbor, and look upon him with a bright and friendly face. Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer of the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men. Be as a lamp unto them that walk in darkness, a joy to the sorrowful, a sea for the thirsty, a haven for the distressed, an upholder and defender of the victim of oppression. Let integrity and uprightness distinguish all thine acts. Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be an ornament to the countenance of truth, a crown to the brow of fidelity, a pillar of the temple of righteousness, a breath of life to the body of mankind, an ensign of the hosts of justice, a luminary above the horizon of virtue, a dew to the soil of the human heart, an ark on the ocean of knowledge, a sun in the heaven of bounty, a gem on the diadem of wisdom, a shining light in the firmament of thy generation, a fruit upon the tree of humility.
—Bahá’u’lláh
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