Bahá’í Faith: A Guide for the Perplexed

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Founded by Bahá'u'llah in Iran in the 19th century, the Bahá'í Faith is one of the youngest of the world's major religions. Though it has over 5 million followers worldwide, it is still little understood outside of its own community. The Bahá'í Faith: A Guide for the Perplexed explores the utopian vision of the Bahá'í Faith including its principles for personal spiritual transformation and for the construction of spiritualized marriages, families, Bahá'í communities, and, ultimately, a spiritual world civilization. Aimed at students seeking a thorough understanding of this increasingly studied religion, this book is the ideal companion to studying and understanding the Bahá'í Faith, its teachings and the history of its development. Cover HalfTitle Series Title Copyright Dedication Contents Acknowledgements 1 A religion of the word PART ONE The Bahá’í teachings 2 The watchword: Unity Unity as process The importance of education Unity in diversity Consultation Unity and the need for organization Incompatibility of unity and partisanship The Bahá’í election process Pressure tactics and lobbying Infallibility, covenant and dissent Covenant breaking The Bahá’í Faith and secular partisan politics Civil disobedience, civil obedience and social change Conclusion 3 The divine and its relationship to creation The unknowable essence, the primal will and creation The manifestation Progressive revelation Other sorts of prophetic figures The process of revelation The Bahá’í view of other religions 4 The path of individual transformation Prayer Fasting Studying the revelation Pilgrimage Law and faith Marriage Family life The exemplar 5 An ever-advancing civilization Work is worship The dawning place of the remembrance of God (Mashriqu’l-Adhkár) Teaching, social action and public discourse Global civilization The lesser peace Reforming the economic system The most great peace PART TWO Development of the Bahá’í community 6 The Báb and Bábí community, 1844-53 Early life of ‘Ali-Muhammad Declaration of the Báb Early dissemination of the religion Pilgrimage Philosophical writings in Shiraz and Isfahan A growing community of followers The fortress of Mákú The day of resurrection The fortress of Chihríq Trial and execution Aftermath 7 The ministry of Bahá’u’lláh, 1853-92 The plot and the black pit Exile Return to Baghdad; Revelation of major works Declaration of his mission in the garden of Ridván Istanbul and Edirne Acre: The prison city Mazra’ih and Bahjí Development of the Iranian Bahá’í community, 1853–92 Spread of the Bahá’í Faith in the Middle East and central, south and southeast Asia Bahá’u’lláh’s final years 8 The ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 1892-1921 Opposition to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Expansion of the faith to the occident Development of the Iranian Bahá’í community Knitting together the Bahá’í world Houses of worship Strengthening Bahá’í devotional practices Persecution The Iranian constitutional revolution, 1905–13 Freedom for ‘Abdu’l-Bahá Travels in the occident World War One and aftermath 9 The ministry of Shoghi Effendi, 1921-63 The aftermath of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s passing Priorities of the guardianship Building the administrative order Interpreting the Bahá’í revelation New authoritative translations Developments in Haifa and Acre Implementing the divine plan Development of Bahá’í institutions, 1944–53 The Ten Year Crusade Persecution Construction of new edifices The chief stewards The Claim of charles Mason Remey 10 Developments under the Universal House of Justice, 1963-96 Developments during the nine year plan and beyond Reaching minority populations The five year plan, 1974–9 The Expansion of Bahá’í scholarship, 1963–79 The Islamic revolution and systematic persecution of the Iranian Bahá’í community The seven year plan The six year plan The Holy Year and the three year plan 11 The current epoch, 1996-2012 Education, scholarship and the arts, 1990–2000 Continued emergence from obscurity The twelve month plan, 2000–1, and fi ve year plan, 2001–6 The second fi ve year plan, 2006–11 The third fi ve year plan, 2011–16 Scholarship, education and external affairs 12 An evolving faith Notes Bibliography Index