The Baha'i Faith began in 1844 in Shiraz, Persia (now Iran) by Siyyid `Alí-Muhammad. He is now known as “The Báb,” (meaning “Gate” in Arabic). The Báb proclaimed that He had been sent by God to prepare humanity for a new age and for the imminent appearance of another Messenger even greater than Himself.
The Báb’s teachings, which spread rapidly, were viewed as heretical by the clergy and government of Persia. More than 20,000 of His followers, known as Bábís, perished in a series of massacres throughout the country.
Báb Himself was publicly executed in the city of Tabriz on 9 July 1850.
Bahá’ís consider The Báb to be both an independent Messenger of God and the forerunner of Baha’u’llah, who is the founder of the Bahá’í Faith. In 1863, Bahá'u'lláh proclaimed that He was the manifestation that The Báb prophesied. His mission is to spiritually re-awaken humanity and unite all the peoples of the world across geographic boundaries, regardless of races, and religions. He teaches that there is one God who has revealed Himself to humanity throughout history with different Messengers of God, including Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad. As a result, while religions differ in how they meet the needs of different times, ultimately they all come from the same source, God.
For this noble purpose, He endured a life of persecution, imprisonment, torture, and exile for 40 years. Bahá’u’lláh’s imprisonment began in Persia in 1852 when, as a supporter of the Báb, He was arrested, tortured, and cast into a subterranean dungeon, Tehran’s notorious Síyáh-Chál, called the "Black Pit."
During the 40 years of His exile, Bahá’u’lláh revealed a series of books, tablets, and letters that today are considered as the core of the holy writings of the Bahá’í Faith. Comprising the equivalent of some 100 volumes, the writings of Bahá’u’lláh describe the nature of God, the purpose of human existence, religious laws, and outline a vision for creating a peaceful, united and prosperous global society.
“It is not for him to pride himself who loveth his own country, but rather for him who loveth the whole world. The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” Bahá'u'lláh
For more information about the history of the Bahá’í Faith Read more
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