________________
Essence of World Religions
Baha'i
of
Founded
The Baha'i Faith began in 1844.
Founder
The Baha'i Faith was founded in Persia (Iran) by Mirza Husayn Ali Nuri (1817-1892) known as Bahäulläh, the "Glory of God." The word Baha'i is derived from Bähe ("glory" or "splendor") and means follower of Bahäulläh.
The Baha'i Faith began in 1844 in Shiraz, Persia (now Iran), when a young merchant named Sayyid Ali Muhammad, also known as the Bäb (the Gate of God), proclaimed himself to be the Promised One of Islam, the Qaim, and said that the mission of his dispensation was to alert the people that another prophet would soon come to unite the world and bring universal peace to all. The Bäb was executed in 1850 at the age of 31. Over 20,000 followers of the Bäb died as martyrs for his cause.
In 1863, Bahäulläh announced that he was the messenger foretold by the Bäb, sent by God to establish a universal faith. He endured a series of exiles and imprisonments and finally was banished to the prison city of Acre, Palestine. He died in 1892 while still under house arrest.
Major Scriptures
The Baha'i writings include numerous works by Bahäulläh, the Prophet-Founder, and interpretations by his son, 'Abdul-Bahä, and great-grandson, Shoghi Effendi. Baha'i literature can be read today in over 750 languages and dialects.
The writings of Bahäullah include 100 volumes of Arabic and Persian text in many literary styles, which is considered to be
77
