Which is the one true religion? A Persian mystic named Bahá’u’lláh (1817–1892) gave an unorthodox answer in 1863 that sparked the creation of the Bahái’í faith: all of them.
The unity of all religious traditions is the central tenet of Bahái’í, which Bahá’u’lláh founded in Palestine and which now claims about 5 million followers worldwide. Bahá’u’lláh denounced divisions along religious and ethnic lines and embraced Jesus, Muhammad, the Buddha, and scores of other religious figures as valid “manifestations of God.”
Bahá’u’lláh was born as Mirza Hoseyn Ali Nuri in the Persian capital of Tehran. He was raised in Shiite Islam but changed his name when he joined an underground sect, the Babi, whose leader was executed for treason by Persian authorities in 1850. After the founder’s death, Bahá’u’lláh assumed leadership of the Babi.
In the mass persecution that followed, Bahá’u’lláh was banished from Persia and traveled to Baghdad, Kurdistan, and Constantinople. In Turkey, he declared himself the “rightly guided leader” and manifestation of God who had been predicted by the Babi founder. Bahá’u’lláh was banished for a second time, this time by the Ottoman government, and confined to a prison colony in Acre, a Mediterranean city in what is now Israel.
From Acre, he continued to write books, prayers, and letters to followers outlining his religious beliefs. He claimed that he was God’s messenger, the messiah figure predicted by many religious traditions who would unite the religions and overcome earthly divisions.
In addition, Bahá’u’lláh outlined a set of rules for his followers that included ritual fasting, daily prayer, and total abstinence from drugs and alcohol. Bahái’í has no clergy or ceremonies; services in Bahái’í temples consist of readings from scriptures of other religions.
Although legally confined at Acre for the rest of his life, Bahá’u’lláh was allowed to travel in the region, receive visitors, and communicate with his followers. After his death, through the work of his son, the religion spread throughout the Middle East, Africa, and the United States.
ADDITIONAL FACTS
- Bahái’í is now headquartered in Haifa, Israel, a few miles from the site of Bahá’u’lláh’s imprisonment in Acre.
- Other prophets recognized by Bahá’u’lláh include Abraham, Moses, and Zoroaster.
- After his death, Bahá’u’lláh was succeeded as leader of the Bahái’í by his son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1844–1921), and his grandson, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani (1897–1957).
