Bahá’u’lláh claimed that the inspiration for His teachings
was from God Himself – the “Great Being”, the “Unknowable Essence”, the
creative force behind the entire universe. He claimed that He was the One promised
in each of the world’s great religions. He declared that this age will be the one
in which the followers of each religion will recognise the truth and wisdom in
all the others:
“There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the
world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly
Source, and are the subjects of one God. The difference between the ordinances
under which they abide should be attributed to the varying requirements and
exigencies of the age in which they were revealed. All of them, except a few
which are the outcome of human perversity, were ordained of God, and are a
reflection of His Will and Purpose.”
Born into a wealthy family in Persia, He became an early
believer in the necessarily short-lived religion of the Báb, Who announced that
He was preparing the way for the World Teacher about to come, and Who was
executed by the authorities in 1850. Bahá’u’lláh was thrown into a dungeon,
where He was chained in filthy conditions in the pitch dark. It was here that
He had the intense spiritual experience which intimated to Him that He was to
be the promised Messenger of God for the world: “I was but a man like others…
when lo, the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the
knowledge of all that hath been.” Although many of His companions were led out
to be executed, Bahá’u’lláh was instead banished first to Baghdad, later to
Constantinople, and finally to Akká, the prison city in Palestine.
Despite the intense suffering - the imprisonments, the banishments and various attempts on His life – Bahá’u’lláh continued to teach and inspire those round Him and to proclaim the basic principles on which civilisation should be built in this new age. He taught that each individual has the right to seek out truth for themselves; that all kinds of prejudice should be abandoned; that all humankind should be seen as one people. He emphasised that women and men should be recognised as equal; that a fair economic system should be developed which is based on spiritual principles, and that a form of world government should be established. One language should be chosen or created which can be used as a means of communication between the different peoples of the world: “It behoveth the sovereigns of the world… or the ministers of the earth to take counsel together and to adopt one of the existing languages or a new one to be taught to children in schools throughout the world, and likewise one script. Thus the whole earth will come to be regarded as one country.”
Despite the intense suffering - the imprisonments, the banishments and various attempts on His life – Bahá’u’lláh continued to teach and inspire those round Him and to proclaim the basic principles on which civilisation should be built in this new age. He taught that each individual has the right to seek out truth for themselves; that all kinds of prejudice should be abandoned; that all humankind should be seen as one people. He emphasised that women and men should be recognised as equal; that a fair economic system should be developed which is based on spiritual principles, and that a form of world government should be established. One language should be chosen or created which can be used as a means of communication between the different peoples of the world: “It behoveth the sovereigns of the world… or the ministers of the earth to take counsel together and to adopt one of the existing languages or a new one to be taught to children in schools throughout the world, and likewise one script. Thus the whole earth will come to be regarded as one country.”
Throughout the world, Bahá’ís are now celebrating the
bicentenary of Bahá’u’lláh’s birth: in cities, towns and villages in virtually
every country and every group of islands. But far from resting, and being
satisfied with what has been achieved, the Bahá’ís know that their efforts need
to be intensified – for example, to extend the numbers of classes for children,
where they learn how to be happy and helpful to others, plus empowerment groups
for teens and pre-teens which emphasise personal growth and service to the
community. An increasing number of people who are not Bahá’ís are helping with
this community-building work.
In two hundred years the Bahá’í Faith has grown from obscure beginnings to a vibrant community of several million people. Bahá’ís, of whatever background, are united in their efforts to put into practice Bahá’u’lláh’s vision of a happy and prosperous world for all. After two hundred years an important milestone has been reached, but there is still so much more to do, and so much more to be achieved.
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A website has been set up which is now posting messages sent to the Bahá’ís by national and local leaders, artistic endeavours which have been started because of the bicentenary, and giving more background on the life of Bahá’u’lláh Himself. It will also include details of community events as they happen. It can be accessed at https://bicentenary.bahai.org.
In two hundred years the Bahá’í Faith has grown from obscure beginnings to a vibrant community of several million people. Bahá’ís, of whatever background, are united in their efforts to put into practice Bahá’u’lláh’s vision of a happy and prosperous world for all. After two hundred years an important milestone has been reached, but there is still so much more to do, and so much more to be achieved.
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A website has been set up which is now posting messages sent to the Bahá’ís by national and local leaders, artistic endeavours which have been started because of the bicentenary, and giving more background on the life of Bahá’u’lláh Himself. It will also include details of community events as they happen. It can be accessed at https://bicentenary.bahai.org.