Bahá’ís << buh HAH eez >> are members of the Bahá’í Faith. This religion grew out of the Bábí Faith, a religion founded in Persia (now Iran) in the mid-1800’s. The Bahá’í Faith has spread throughout the world.
Bahá’ís believe that God sent a series of messengers to teach eternal moral truths and reveal new social principles. Among them are Abraham; Moses; Jesus Christ; Buddha; and Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, the religion of the Muslims. Bahá’ís believe that the latest messenger was a Persian called Bahá’u’lláh (Glory of God).
Bahá’u’lláh declared that all religions honor the same God, and that the highest form of worship is service to other human beings. He also taught that God wants all people to form a united society based on mutual acceptance. Bahá’u’lláh opposed discrimination based on age, race, or sex, and he favored a federated system of world government. He emphasized the need to pray, and to read and meditate on the word of God daily.
Siyyid ‘Alí Muhammad, also called the Báb (Gate), founded the Bábí Faith in Persia in 1844. The Báb predicted that a great prophet soon would appear. He won many followers, but the Persian government executed him in 1850 for his teachings. In the persecution that followed, as many as 20,000 Bábís were killed. Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned, and then exiled to what is now Iraq. In 1863, he declared himself to be the predicted prophet. Most other Bábís accepted him and became known as Bahá’ís.
There are about 5 million Bahá’ís worldwide. National governing bodies exist in nearly every country. The United States National Spiritual Assembly has its headquarters in Wilmette, Illinois. The Universal House of Justice, the international governing body, meets in Haifa, Israel.
