About Us - Understanding the Baha'i Community
The Baha’is believe that all divine Revelations come from the same Source; thus, the religions identified with them are in essence one. The religions differ in the measure of their teachings and particularly in their social laws and principles, appropriate to the times in which they appeared. The successive divine Revelations over the centuries have provided the spiritual force and laws for the advancement of civilization. Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad were all divine Messengers; the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh are the most recent. The coming of Bahá’u’lláh represents the fulfillment of this centuries’ long process of progressive revelation and of the expectations inspired by previous divine Messengers for the ultimate unity of peoples and peace among nations.
The Baha'is believe that the principle of the oneness of humankind is the most important principle that mankind can embrace and practice today.
Baha'u'llah taught that humanity, after a long and turbulent adolescence, is at last reaching a stage of maturity in which unity in a global and just society finally can be established.
To this end, the Baha'i Faith prescribes laws of personal morality and behavior, as well as social laws and principles, to establish the oneness of humanity.
Baha'is believe:
1. The purpose of life is to know and worship God, to acquire virtues, to promote the oneness of humankind and to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization
2. All humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race
3. Work performed in the spirit of service is a form of worship
4. The soul, created at the moment of conception, is destined by God to reach the afterlife, where it will continue to progress until it attains the presence of God
Baha'is practice:
1. Daily prayer and communion with God
2. High moral principles, including trustworthiness, chastity and honesty
3. Independent investigation of truth
4. A life dedicated to the service of humanity
5. Fellowship with the followers of all religions
6. Avoidance of excessive materialism, partisan politics, backbiting, alcohol, drugs and gambling
Social principles include:
1. Equality of women and men
2. The harmony of science and religion as two complementary systems of knowledge that must work together to advance the well being and progress of humanity
3. The elimination of prejudice
4. The establishment of a world commonwealth of nations
5. Recognition of the common origin and fundamental unity of purpose of all religions
6. Spiritual solutions to economic problems and the removal of economic barriers and restrictions
7. The abolition of extremes of poverty and wealth
8. The adoption of a world auxiliary language, a world script, and a uniform and universal system of currency and weights and measures