Religion should unite all hearts and cause wars and disputes to vanish from the face of the earth; it should give birth to spirituality, and bring light and life to every soul.
— Bahá’í Writings
The Bahá’í Faith is based on the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh. The principle of the oneness of humankind is the pivot around which all the teachings of Bahá’u’lláh revolve. Bahá’u’lláh taught that humanity, after a long and turbulent adolescence, is at last reaching a stage of maturity in which a global and just society can finally be established. To this end, the Bahá’í Faith prescribes laws of personal morality and behavior, as well as social laws and principles, to establish the oneness of humanity.
Bahá’ís believe:
- the purpose of life is to know and worship God and to acquire virtues
- the oneness of humankind
- all humanity was created by one God and is part of one human race
- work performed in the spirit of service is a form of worship
Bahá’ís practice:
- daily prayer and communion with God
- a life dedicated to the service of humanity
- fellowship with the followers of all religions
- high moral principles, including trustworthiness, chastity and honesty
- avoidance of materialism, partisan politics, backbiting, alcohol, drugs and gambling
- with no clergy, each Bahá’í is required to investigate and find the truth for themselves
Social principles include:
- equality of women and men
- the elimination of prejudice
- spiritual solutions to the economic problems
- the abolition of extremes of poverty and wealth
- the establishment of a world commonwealth of nations
- recognition of the common origin and fundamental unity of purpose of all religions
- the harmony of science and religion as two complementary systems of knowledge and practice
- the adoption of a world auxiliary language, as well as a universal script, currency, and system of weights and measures
To learn more about the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith, we invite you to the worldwide Bahá'í site.