Bahá'í Faith

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Origins

Similar to the way Christianity emerged from Judaism, the Bahá’í Faith resulted from theological disagreements within Islam.[1] The immediate precursor of the Bahá’í faith was the Babi movement; at least one scholar has called the Babis and Bahá’ís the “Gnostics of Islam.”[2] In December 1844, a young man who became known as “the Bab” (meaning “the Gate”) declared that he was the Hidden Imam the faithful had been awaiting for nearly a thousand years. He also stated that he was merely the predecessor of a greater messenger from God. Although not highly educated, this young man’s dealings in the family business had earned him a reputation for both integrity and ability.[3] [4] [5] [6] Despite the lack of a formal education, the Bab was noted for his “extensive theological commentaries” as well as a social prescription that had in mind a complete overhaul of Shia customs and laws. Among the Bab’s teachings, considered radical by many, was the idea of women’s equality.[7] Having greatly angered the political and religious authorities, he was martyred in 1850;[8] [9] many thousands of his followers had been martyred by then as well.[10]

The greater messenger declared by the Bab was a man named Mírzá Husayn ‘Alí, better known as Baha-ullah (1817–1892) and recognized as the founder of the Bahá’í Faith. Like the Bab, he had a reputation for being highly ethical and competent as well as humble. His is efforts on behalf of the Babi movement, needless to say, were not met with appreciation by the authorities. For some years his family’s social position shielded him from the persecution being meted out to the Babis, but eventually he was also imprisoned and tortured.[11] He survived without being martyred due to his family’s social position and to the personal intervention by the Russian ambassador, Prince Dolgorukov (who was, coincidentally, a distant cousin of Helena Blavatsky --- her maternal grandmother was a Dolgorukov).

The authorities did not want to release Baha-ullah because of his ties to the Babis. However, his social status prevented them from executing him without a trial, and, given the testimony of Babis who had been prosecuted, a trial would have forced the authorities to release him because he was innocent of illegal acts. Hence, a prime minister who was a relative of Baha-ullah’s was finally able to convince the royal family to simply banish him. This was done, but not before every bit of his property was seized and his country home leveled. This did not weigh on him, because while imprisoned he had experienced the vision that convinced him he was indeed the messenger the Bab had proclaimed.[12]


The Babi movement was revolutionary in many ways but was, according to Godefroy, still recognizable as Shi’ite Islam.[13] Under Baha-ullah, the movement evolved into the Bahá’í Faith, an entirely separate religion whose fundamental teaching is Unity.


Bahá’í Temple in Haifa

Connections with Theosophists

Miranda de Souza Canavarro, a Portuguese Theosophist in Hawai'i, is known to have explored Bahá'í Faith, although she was a confirmed Buddhist. She traveled to the Middle East to meet with 'Abdu'l-Baha.[14]

Hall of Unity

In the Hall of Unity in the headquarters of the Theosophical Society in Adyar, Chennai, India, Bahá’í Faith is included among the other great living religions – Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Islam, Jainism, Judaism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shintoism – with representations of bas-relief symbols and figures.[15] Members of the Bahá’í community regularly join in interfaith activities at the headquarters of the Theosophical Society in America, and TS lodges have often presented programs by and about Bahá’ís.

Abdu'l-Bahá Abbas in America

In 1912, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of the founder of the Bahá’í Faith, traveled extensively across the United States.

In 1937, when Sidney A. Cook was president of the Theosophical Society in America,The American Theosophist published this account of an anniversary celebration:

When Abdu'l-Baha Abbas visited America twenty five years ago, The Theosophical Society opened its platform to him. Therefor, in response to an invitation by the Baha'i Movement in Chicago, Prof. R. Brenes-Mesen, at the request of the National President, attended their twenty-fifth anniversary celebration and delivered the following greeting:

"Out of the Morning of Eternity, where infinite wisdom and all-embracing love abide, at intervals, when duty weakens and nations decline, splendorous souls come to this earth again to grace mankind with a new spring of faith, with a new ray of hope. They come forth to enkindle the dormant fires in the souls of men, to point out once more the guiding star rising on the horizon of a new humanity. Such are the Masters of Wisdom and Compassion, manifestations of the Omnipotent Love the Holy Spirit.
"To this saintly lineage belong Bahau'llah, the Splendor of God, and Abdu'l-Baha, the Servant of God. They have brought before the eyes of men, amidst a divided world, the principles of the unity of mankind; and in the midst of so many sects, the salutary doctrine of the common foundation of all forms of religion in the manifestation of the Holy Spirit; and amidst the contentious social and economic conflicts of our epoch they remind us of our obligation to do some fruitful labor in the spirit of service, of the need of voluntary sharing of our wealth with others to foster universal peace and that we may realize the brotherhood of men.
"Knowing and with stint admiring those principles, when Abdu'l-Baha set foot in the United States The Theosophical Society bestowed on him the gracious hospitality of its platform. he was a teacher and a brother, he had our heartfelt welcome.
"The achievements of Baha'ism in this country, so magnificently embodied in this Baha'i House of Worship, are proclaiming the satisfaction that so many souls find in the beauty, the truth, and the transcendence of the teachings flowing from this wellspring of wisdom.
"In behalf of The Theosophical Society in America, and at the request of its national President, I tender to you, with our congratulations, our cordial wishes for your spiritual prosperity, for we are one in our endeavors of spiritualizing the world."[16]

The speaker, Professor Roberto Brenes-Mesen, was Secretary of Public Instruction for Costa Rica, a member of the International Council of the World's Court League, and a well-known lecturer on modern languages.

Additional resources

Websites

Video

Audio

  • BahaiLibrary.com - over 270 audio presentations and lectures.
  • BahaiWorks - library of audio files and transcripts.
  • BahaiBookstore.com - free Bahá'í audio books.
  • One Common Faith - Bahá'í Blog provides an audio recording of One Common Faith, a text prepared under the supervision of the Universal House of Justice. this document reviews relevant passages from both the writings of Baha’u’llah and the scriptures of other faiths against the background of the contemporary religious crisis.

Books, pamphlets, and articles

Notes

  1. ↑ William S. Hatcher & J. Douglas Martin: The Bahá’í Faith: The Emerging Global Religion. New York: Harper & Row, 1985, p. 1
  2. ↑ Marie Godefroy: The Babis and Baha’is: Gnostics Of Islam. The Theosophist 40(4):363–372, January 1919.
  3. ↑ Hatcher & Martin, p. 9
  4. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/media-information/brief-history/
  5. ↑ Hatcher & Martin, p. 25
  6. ↑ Hatcher & Martin, p. 8
  7. ↑ Hatcher & Martin, pp. 22–25
  8. ↑ Hatcher & Martin, pp. 18–19
  9. ↑ Godefroy, p. 365
  10. ↑ https://news.bahai.org/media-information/brief-history/
  11. ↑ Hatcher & Martin, pp. 28–31
  12. ↑ Hatcher & Martin, pp. 32–33
  13. ↑ Godefroy, p. 366
  14. ↑ Edgar A. Weir Jr. The Whiter Lotus: Asian Religions and Reform Movements in America, 1836-1933. (2011),212. UNLV Theses/Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones. Paper 932.
  15. ↑ See TS-Adyar website.
  16. ↑ "Baha'i Quarter Century," The American Theosophist 25.6 (June, 1937), 142-143.
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