One God · One Human Family · One Unfolding Religion
Called by different names throughout the ages — God, Allah, Brahman, Jehovah, the Great Spirit — the eternal Creator of the universe is one and the same. Bahá'ís believe in a single, imperishable God, the source of all existence, limitless, all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-merciful.
This God is beyond full human comprehension, yet has always communicated with humanity through a series of divine Messengers — Abraham, Krishna, Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb, and Bahá'u'lláh — each revealing spiritual truth suited to the needs of the age and people to whom they came.
"The peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God."
Beyond all differences of race, culture, class or ethnicity, regardless of differences in customs, opinions, or temperaments, every individual is a member of one human family. Bahá'u'lláh taught that humanity is moving toward an age of maturity in which the oneness of the human race will finally be recognized and embraced.
This is not a vague sentiment of goodwill, but an organizing principle meant to reshape society — its institutions, laws, and relationships — around unity in diversity rather than division.
"Ye are the fruits of one tree, and the leaves of one branch. Deal ye one with another with the utmost love and harmony, with friendliness and fellowship."
This core belief in oneness calls us to actively root out our prejudices and the systemic inequalities that divide people of different ethnic backgrounds, genders, nationalities, and economic classes. Bahá'í communities around the world intentionally bring together people of every background in worship, learning, and service.
Humanity's spiritual, intellectual and moral capacities have been cultivated through the successive teachings of the Founders of the world's religions. Each one has, in turn, provided a fuller measure of guidance suited to the time and conditions in which it was revealed.
Bahá'u'lláh, whose name means "the Glory of God," is the most recent of these Divine Educators. Born Mírzá Ḥusayn-`Alí in Tehran, Persia in 1817, He spent nearly forty years in exile and imprisonment for His teachings, eventually passing away near Akka, in present-day Israel, in 1892. His writings — over a hundred volumes — address both the spiritual development of the individual and the establishment of a global civilization founded on justice and unity.
"This is the changeless Faith of God, eternal in the past, eternal in the future."
Today, more than 8 million Bahá'ís live in virtually every country on Earth, making it one of the most geographically widespread religions after Christianity. There is no clergy; instead, communities are organized through democratically elected councils called Spiritual Assemblies, at both the local and national level, which oversee the affairs of the Faith without authority over individual belief or conscience.
Learn more directly from the worldwide and U.S. Bahá'í community websites — official, comprehensive resources maintained by the Bahá'í community itself:
Each Bahá'í takes time every day to pray, read from scripture, meditate, and reflect on how to translate Bahá'í teachings into action. There is no clergy in the Bahá'í Faith.
Bahá'u'lláh revealed over a hundred volumes of sacred texts. The Hidden Words are perhaps the most accessible, explaining the essence of faith in short and beautiful passages.
Each year, the Bahá'í community elects local and national councils, known as Spiritual Assemblies. All Bahá'ís 21 and older are eligible to both vote and serve.
Each year during the 19 days before the spring equinox, Bahá'ís ages 15-70 abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset as a period of spiritual reflection and renewal.
Bahá'ís believe true worship is expressed through service. Communities engage in educational, social, and economic development projects that benefit their wider neighborhoods.
Bahá'ís believe in independent investigation of truth. There is no proselytizing — people are invited to explore the teachings at their own pace and reach their own conclusions.