|
A Perspective on the Baha'i Faith Karen Webb is a journalist and an active member of the Baha'i faith in Utah. The Baha'i Faith began on May 23, 1844, when a young Persian man proclaimed Himself the latest in the series of Prophets sent by God to mankind. He took the title the Bab, which means "the Gate" in Arabic. Though His ministry was an independent one in the way those of Christ, Moses, Buddha, and Muhammad's were independent, His most important mission was to pave the way for the Prophet Who would shortly follow Him. That Prophet, He said, would usher in that Day of Days prophesied by the Messengers Who had gone before, the Day when the world would unite and finally be at peace. He would be the return of Christ, the Fifth Buddha, the Mihdi, the Shah-Bahram, the Lord of Hosts. When questioned prior to His execution, the Bab announced to the Muslim divines, "I am, I am, I am the Promised One. I am the one Whose name you have for 1000 years invoked, at Whose mention you have risen, Whose advent you have longed to witness, and the hour of Whose Revelation you have prayed God to hasten." In 1863, the words of the Bab proved true. One of His most distinguished followers, to Whom the Bab had given the title Baha'u'llah ("Glory of God" in Arabic), proclaimed that He was thatOne foretold by the Bab. Though born as a prince of the land, Baha'u'llah gave up His wealth and position to serve mankind. He endured not only torture for His beliefs but 40 years of exile and imprisonment. "The Ancient Beauty," He says in one of His myriad tablets, "hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty." In His more than 19,000 tablets, Baha'u'llah both reiterated the great spiritual truths of the past --- that all men are brothers, that a loving Creator never leaves them without guidance -- and set down a pattern for future global society. Some of Baha'u'llah's teachings are the oneness of God, the equality of men and women, the agreement of science and religion, the adoption of a universal auxiliary language, mandatory education for all, and that the solutions to the world's social and economic problems are spiritual in nature. While Baha'u'llah taught that an individual's purpose is to know and to love God, he also taught that mankind has a collective purpose: "All men," He says, "have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization. The Almighty beareth Me witness: To act like the beasts of the field is unworthy of man. Those virtues that befit his dignity are forbearance, mercy, compassion and loving-kindness towards all the peoples and kindreds of the earth."An essential and unique feature of the Baha'i Faith is that Baha'u'llah left very specific instructions about who would lead the Baha'i world after His passing. He appointed His eldest surviving son, 'Abdu'l-Baha, to be His successor. In His turn, 'Abdu'l-Baha appointed His grandson, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, to succeed Him. Shoghi Effendi laid the groundwork that would, after his passing, allow the Supreme Institution envisioned by Baha'u'llah, the Universal House of Justice, to be elected. The first Universal House of Justice was elected in 1963, the 100th anniversary of Baha'u'llah's proclamation of His august station. The spiritual bedrock on which the Universal House of Justice stands, which Shoghi Effendi took such great pains to bring into being, is the system of local and national administrative bodies called Local and National Spiritual Assemblies. While the Local and National Spiritual Assemblies are believed to be divinely inspired, Baha'is believe that the Universal House of Justice is infallibly guided by God.
Link to "I Believe" video on the Baha'i Faith: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4829104988071579690&pr=goog-sl |