a University of Virginia guide
"The Bahá'í Faith is the youngest of the world's independent religions. Its founder, Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), is regarded by Bahá'ís as the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond recorded time and that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad. The central theme of Bahá'u'lláh's message is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for its unification in one global society."
Patheos Library: Baha’i Origins, Baha’i History, Baha’i Beliefs
The Obligatory Prayers
Bahá’u’lláh invested a few prayers with special power. These include three obligatory prayers revealed by Him. Bahá’ís recite one of these each day: either a short prayer of a few brief lines, which is said between noon and sunset; a medium obligatory prayer of several verses, which is recited in the morning, at noon, and in the evening; or a long prayer, which is recited once in twenty-four hours.
To be recited once in twenty four hours, at noon.
I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth.
There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.
To be recited daily, in the morning, at noon, and in the evening.
Whoso wisheth to pray, let him wash his hands, and while he washeth, let him say:
Strengthen my hand, O my God, that it may take hold of Thy Book with such steadfastness that the hosts of the world shall have no power over it. Guard it, then, from meddling with whatsoever doth not belong unto it. Thou art, verily, the Almighty, the Most Powerful.
And while washing his face, let him say:
I have turned my face unto Thee, O my Lord! Illumine it with the light of Thy countenance. Protect it, then, from turning to anyone but Thee.
Then let him stand up, and facing the Qiblih (Point of Adoration, i.e., Bahjí, ‘Akká), let him say:
God testifieth that there is none other God but Him. His are the kingdoms of Revelation and of creation. He, in truth, hath manifested Him Who is the Dayspring of Revelation, Who conversed on Sinai, through Whom the Supreme Horizon hath been made to shine, and the Lote-Tree beyond which there is no passing hath spoken, and through Whom the call hath been proclaimed unto all who are in heaven and on earth: “Lo, the All-Possessing is come. Earth and heaven, glory and dominion are God’s, the Lord of all men, and the Possessor of the Throne on high and of earth below!”
Let him, then, bend down, with hands resting on the knees, and say:
Exalted art Thou above my praise and the praise of anyone beside me, above my description and the description of all who are in heaven and all who are on earth!
Then, standing with open hands, palms upward toward the face, let him say:
Disappoint not, O my God, him that hath, with beseeching fingers, clung to the hem of Thy mercy and Thy grace, O Thou Who of those who show mercy art the Most Merciful!
Let him, then, be seated and say:
I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee. Thou hast, verily, revealed Thy Cause, fulfilled Thy Covenant, and opened wide the door of Thy grace to all that dwell in heaven and on earth. Blessing and peace, salutation and glory, rest upon Thy loved ones, whom the changes and chances of the world have not deterred from turning unto Thee, and who have given their all, in the hope of obtaining that which is with Thee. Thou art, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Bountiful.
(If anyone choose to recite instead of the long verse these words: “God testifieth that there is none other God but Him, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting,” it would be sufficient. And likewise, it would suffice were he, while seated, to choose to recite these words: “I bear witness to Thy unity and Thy oneness, and that Thou art God, and that there is none other God beside Thee.”)
All Bahaʾi houses of worship have nine sides and a dome. The House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, is the only one in the United States.
In the mid-1800s a religion called the Bahaʾi faith started in what is now Iran. It later spread around the world. Its followers seek to bring together all people in one religion.
Bahaʾis believe that all religions are one and all people are one. They also believe that God is beyond understanding. Bahaʾis teach that one should worship God and try to make the world a better place
At services, members listen to readings from the scriptures of all religions. Bahaʾis have no priests or special ceremonies. There are rules about prayer and fasting, however. Also, a person is supposed to marry only once and should not use alcohol and tobacco.
A man named Mirza ʿAli Mohammad started a group called the Babi in Persia (now Iran) in 1844. He believed that a new prophet, or messenger of God, would soon appear. Muslim leaders and the government opposed his ideas. He was arrested, and in 1850 he was killed.
One of the first Babis was Mirza Hoseyn ʿAli Nuri. After he joined the group, he called himself Bahaʾ Ullah. He was arrested in 1852. While in jail, he realized that he was the new prophet. In 1853 he was released and sent to Iraq. He led the Babi community there. The Babis who believed that he was the new prophet were called the Bahaʾis.
Bahaʾ Ullah died in 1892. After his death, his oldest son led the group. He helped spread the faith to North America, Europe, and other continents. By the end of the 1900s, it had about 7 million followers around the world.
Source: https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Baha%CA%BEi-Faith/352816
In a historic process for the Spanish public administration, the Government of Spain grants the Bahá'í Community deeply rooted status, thus putting into effect for the first time the mechanisms and procedures regulating the declaration of notorious roots of religious denominations in Spanish territory.
Madrid, 26 September 2023- After 76 years of development as an integral part of Spanish society, the Bahá’í Community has been officially recognised by the Government as a community as deeply rooted in the country. The report of the Advisory Commission on Religious Freedom was unanimously favourable, marking a step forward in the recognition of minority rights and religious diversity in Spain.
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