Baháʼí teachings

In the course of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s journeys to the west during 1911 and 1912–1913, he clearly summarized the basic principles underlying Baháʼu’llah's teachings, which together with the laws and ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas constitute the foundation of the Baháʼí Faith: ==Unity==

Central to the teachings of the Baháʼí Faith are the three basic assertions, Oneness of God, Oneness of Religion and Oneness of Humanity, also referred to as the unity of god, unity of religion, and unity of mankind. The Baháʼí writings state that there is a single, all-powerful god who reveals his message through a series of divine messengers or educators whose teachings are regarded as contributing to the “carrying forward of an ever advancing civilisation", a process which is viewed as a succession of revelations from God and described as "progressive revelation". This one progressively revealed religion is offered to one single humanity, all of whom possess a rational soul and who only differ according to colour and culture. This idea is fundamental not only to explaining Baháʼí beliefs, but also to explaining the attitude Baháʼís have towards other religions, which they regard as divinely inspired.The acceptance of every race and culture in the world has brought Baháʼí demographics diversity, which has led to the Faith becoming the second most widespread faith in the world, its literature being translated into over 800 languages. The oneness of God The Baháʼí view of God is essentially monotheistic. God is the imperishable, uncreated being who is the source of all existence. He is described as "a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty". Though transcendent and inaccessible directly, his image is reflected in his creation. The purpose of creation is for the created to have the capacity to know and love its creator. In Baha'i belief, although human cultures and religions differ on their conceptions of God and his nature, the different references to God nevertheless refer to one and the same Being. The differences, rather than being regarded as irreconcilable constructs of mutually exclusive cultures, are seen as purposefully reflective of the varying needs of the societies to which the divine messages were revealed. The Baháʼí teachings state that God is too great for humans to be able to create an accurate conception of him. In Baháʼí understanding, the attributes attributed to God, such as All-Powerful and All-Loving, are derived from limited human experiences of power and love. Baháʼu'lláh taught that the knowledge of God is limited to those attributes and qualities which are perceptible to us, as a result of which knowledge of God is not possible. Furthermore, Baháʼu'lláh states that knowledge of the attributes of God is revealed to humanity through his messengers. As our knowledge of things, even of created and limited things, is knowledge of their qualities and not of their essence, how is it possible to comprehend in its essence the Divine Reality, which is unlimited? ... Knowing God, therefore, means the comprehension and the knowledge of His attributes, and not of His Reality. This knowledge of the attributes is also proportioned to the capacity and power of man; it is not absolute. The Baháʼí writings abound with names and attributes of God through which human beings are able to have a degree of understanding of him as one, personal, yet unknowable supreme reality; however, the teachings nevertheless reject anthropomorphic, pantheistic or incarnationist conceptions of God. The Baháʼí writings stress that the whole human race is one unified unit, one distinct species, Baháʼu'lláh stating, "We created you all from the same dust". The Baháʼí writings further stress that differences between various races, nations, and ethnic groups are either superficial (e.g. skin colour) or are the result of differences in background or education. One of the principal Baháʼí teachings is the elimination of all forms of prejudice, including racial, gender, economic and social. . The Baháʼí teachings state that while ethnic and cultural diversity will continue to exist, humanity's first allegiance will be with the human race rather than any subsidiary group such as race, nation, or ethnic group. There will be an end not only to war, but also to inter-group rivalry. While the Baháʼí writings stress the importance of world unity and that of its peoples, unity is not equated with uniformity, the writings affirming the value of cultural, national and individual diversity through the principle of "Unity in diversity," and stating that whilst recognizing the unity of mankind, cultural diversity should be celebrated. It [the Faith] does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnic origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world... Its watchword is unity in diversity... The oneness of religion The Baháʼí teachings state that there is one religion which God reveals progressively to mankind through his prophets/messengers as humanity matures and its capacity to understand grows. ==Progressive revelation==

Baháʼís believe that God reveals his will to mankind progressively at different times and in different places through messengers/prophets referred to as Manifestations of God, each of whom successively establishes a covenant and a religion. According to the Baháʼí writings this process of revelation is eternal, contrary to many other belief systems which believe in the finality of their prophet/messenger. The general theme of the successive and continuous religions founded by Manifestations of God is that there is an evolutionary tendency, and that each Manifestation of God brings a greater measure of revelation (or religion) to humankind than the previous one. Differences between the revelations brought by the Manifestations of God are not inherent attributes of the Manifestations of God, but are instead attributed to the various worldly, societal and human factors, Covenant A covenant is an agreement between groups of people involving mutually agreed obligations. The covenant in the Baháʼí Faith, which is referred to as 'the pivot of mankind and which assures the unity of the Faith', alludes to two specific covenants running through religious history. The first is the Greater Covenant which is made between each Manifestation of God and his followers in regard to the promised coming of the next Manifestation. As demonstrated in prophesy, every Manifestation, including Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb and Baháʼu'lláh, prophesied the coming of the next, their followers obliged to investigate the claims of the following Manifestation. The Lesser Covenant concerns the Manifestation and his immediate successorship, by which Bahá’u’lláh appointed ʻAbdu'l-Bahá as the centre of his covenant in his Book of the Covenant. In his Will and Testament 'Abdu'l-Bahá directed the believers to follow Shoghi Effendi, who in turn promised a continuation of divine guidance through the future Universal House of Justice. The Baháʼí Covenant also refers to a more generic covenant by which, in return for his bounties, God demands recognition of his Messengers and obedience to his laws. ==Social principles==

During his tours of Europe and North America 'Abdu'l-Bahá regularly summarised the central points pertinent to Baháʼí belief in lists of principles which include the following. The list is not authoritative and a variety of such lists exist. Equality of women and men The teachings of the Baháʼí Faith affirm the equality of women and men, Baháʼu'lláh stating that God has now removed distinctions which had previously separated the stations of men and women. Thus, women and men are equal in the sight of God. In his writings and talks ʻAbdu'l-Bahá repeatedly emphasised gender equality as being one of the most distinguishing teachings of the Baháʼí Faith, stating that both women and men possess the same potential for virtues and intelligence; he also compared the status of women and men and the progress of civilization with the two wings of a bird in that only if both wings are strong will the bird of humanity be able to fly. Women and men should be given the same opportunities in regard to education, including access to the same curriculum, at the same time being offered the same economic, social and political rights. While the Baháʼí teachings assert the full spiritual and social equality of women and men, they nevertheless confirm gender differentiation in certain areas of life. Women and men are recognized as having different strengths and abilities which enable them to better fill different roles. Thus there are certain teachings that give preference to men in some limited circumstances and some that give preference to women, one aspect relating to the biological reality of potential motherhood for women. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá stated that where necessary, girls should be given educational priority since as potential mothers they would be the first educators of their children. In terms of Baháʼí administration, all positions except for membership on the Universal House of Justice are open to women and men. Although no specific reason has been given for this exception, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá has stated that there is a wisdom in it which will eventually become clear. Harmony of religion and science The harmony of science and religion is a central tenet of the Baháʼí teachings, stressing that true science and true religion must be in harmony, and thus rejecting the view that science and religion are in conflict. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá asserted that religion based on superstition and which does not accord with science but is instead based on human concepts and ideas, should be rejected. When religion is in conformity with science its foundation is firm, and it has the ability to affect the human heart. ʻAbdu’l-Bahá also affirmed that reasoning powers are required in order to understand the truths of religion, Universal auxiliary language The Baháʼí teachings view improved communication between all people throughout the world as being of vital importance in bringing about world unity and peace. The multiplicity of languages currently in use are considered as being a major impediment to unity, stifling a free flow of information and making it difficult for the average unilingual individual to acquire a universal perspective on world events. Baháʼu’lláh encouraged humanity to choose an auxiliary language to be taught in schools alongside the local native language in order that the people of the world would be able to understand one another wherever they go to on the planet. Baháʼu’lláh stressed that complete unity between the various parts of the world would continue to be an unreality until the adoption of an auxiliary language. Baháʼu'lláh also stressed that the auxiliary language should in no way suppress existing natural languages, with the concept of unity in diversity being applied to languages as it is to other differences. The Baháʼí teachings also state that having an international auxiliary language would remove pressure from the natural aggrandizement of majority language groups and help to preserve minority languages, at the same time conserving minority cultures. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá drawing attention to the fact that they impede a compassionate society since extreme poverty demoralizes the poor, and extreme wealth overburdens the rich. Baháʼu’lláh ordained that the rich should protect the poor, who are a divine trust, and in order to address the extremes of wealth and poverty and provide for the welfare of all people, the Bahá’i teachings prescribe effective institutions, including Huqúqu'lláh, and the cultivation of a sense of social mutual concern. Both Baháʼu’lláh and ʻAbdu’l-Bahá endorsed the economic reorganisation of society as a means by which extremes of poverty and wealth would be abolished, but while they stressed the importance of dignity and equal rights for all despite social status, they did not promote the philosophies of communitarianism or communism, Baháʼu’lláh legitimising the personal ownership of property and the right to transfer property deeds. ʻAbdu'l-Bahá further noted that whilst being detached from worldly things is a virtue, wealth in itself is not evil, in some circumstances enabling individuals to offer help to society through promoting social welfare and education. ==Independent investigation of truth==

Baháʼu'lláh taught that every individual must investigate truth independently, without blindly following the beliefs of others or relying upon superstition and tradition as sources of knowledge. The Baháʼí writings state that in order to investigate truth the individual must abandon all prejudices, whilst stressing that since the essential Truth underlying reality is one, independent investigation is a powerful step towards the oneness of humanity. Baháʼís are encouraged to meditate and reflect daily on the Baháʼí writings in what has been termed "an eternal or unending process" of seeking the truth. This journey can have a mystical element in which the seeker after truth is driven by their attraction to the beauty of God, as highlighted in Baháʼu'lláh's mystical writings, such as 'The Seven Valleys'. The Baháʼí teachings explain that since human beings possess a "rational soul”, they are unique among all other forms of life ʻAbdu’l-Bahá stating that in order to foster this capacity for reason "God has given us rational minds for this purpose, to penetrate all things, to find truth". Alongside reason, the Baháʼí teachings also state that faith is an attribute of the human soul. While it is sometimes assumed that there is a distinction between heart and mind or faith and reason, for Baháʼís, faith is not an irrational blindness to fact. Shoghi Effendi asserts that Baháʼu'lláh "does not ask us to follow Him blindly" and encourages Baháʼís to "Read His [Baháʼu'lláh's] words, consider His teachings, and measure their value in the light of contemporary problems". For Baháʼís the word faith indicates a sense of "conscious knowledge" and a conviction that is expressed in "the practice of good deeds". Faith must also involve sincerely and wholeheartedly serving the public interest. Thus in the Baháʼi Faith, as one writer puts it, "reason is necessary but not sufficient". Both faith and reason are required in order to attain reality and truth. ==Spiritual teachings==

The Bahá'í writings contain many references to spiritual qualities and values that individuals should strive to develop. The elements of good character include, among others, trustworthiness, truthfulness, faithfulness, sincerity, purity of motive, dignity, avoidance of backbiting, service, justice, moderation, cleanliness, all balanced by reason and knowledge. God is described in the Baháʼí writings as being a single, personal, inaccessible, omniscient, omnipresent, imperishable, and almighty God who is the creator of all things in the universe. The existence of God and the universe is thought to be eternal, without beginning or end. The teachings of the Baháʼí Faith state that God is beyond the comprehension of human beings, and that human understanding of God is only possible through his Manifestations. Since God is beyond the comprehension of the human mind knowledge of him is possible only through his attributes and qualities, such as the all-powerful, the all-loving, the infinitely just, terms which are limited to the human experience. The social principles taught by God's Manifestations offer an environment in which spiritual growth is enabled, and the true purpose of society is made possible, the human purpose being to learn to know and love God through such methods as prayer, reflection and being of service to humankind. Through recognition and obedience, service to humanity and regular prayer and spiritual practice, the Baháʼí writings state that the soul becomes closer to God, the spiritual ideal in Baháʼí belief. When a human dies, the soul passes into the next world, where its spiritual development in the physical world becomes a basis for judgment and advancement in the spiritual world. Baháʼís' believe in the eternal life of the soul rather than reincarnation. Heaven and Hell are taught to be spiritual states of nearness or distance from God that describe relationships in this world and the next, and not physical places of reward and punishment achieved after death. ==Organization==

The fundamental element crucial to the development, growth and unity of the Baháʼí Faith is its Administrative Order. The Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh constitutes the foundational charter for his religion, the key documents being his Kitáb-i-Aqdas and Kitab-i-‘Ahd and the Will and Testament of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá‘ which is the charter for the development of the Administrative Order. The institutions of the Administrative Order fall into two distinct bodies, the elected and the appointed, both of which are guided by The Universal House of Justice, which is situated in Haifa, Israel. Consultation as a process for resolving differences Consultation is a fundamental element in the functioning of Baháʼí organization at all levels of administration, and a method of decision-making through which all the institutions of the Baháʼí Faith operate. Consultation enables a decision-making process in which all those engaged are encouraged to express their thoughts freely without criticism, and which aims to discover truth through universal participation and disciplined cooperation. ==See also==