Baháʼí teachings

Part of a series on the
Baháʼí Faith
Central figures Baháʼu'lláh The Báb ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
Basics Teachings Unity of God Unity of humanity Unity of religion Laws Prayer Calendar Nineteen Day Feast
Key scripture Kitáb-i-Aqdas Kitáb-i-Íqán The Hidden Words Some Answered Questions Other Texts
Institutions Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh Administrative Order The Guardianship Universal House of Justice Spiritual Assemblies
History Baháʼí history Timeline Bábism Persecution
People Shoghi Effendi Hands of the Cause Apostles Other Baháʼís Bábis Letters of the Living Mullá Husayn Táhirih
Places House of Worship Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh Qiblih Shrine of the Báb Síyáh-Chál World Centre Pilgrimage Haifa Acre
Other topics Tasjil Socioeconomic development Progressive revelation Cosmology Symbols Homosexuality Gender Science Prophecies Statistics Orthography
Category
v t e

The Baháʼí teachings, which are incorporated in the Baháʼí writings.^[1] cover theological, ethical, social, and spiritual concepts which were established by Baháʼu'lláh, founder of the Baháʼí Faith, and elucidated at his passing by his son, ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, following whom, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s grandson, Shoghi Effendi. A core teaching of the Baháʼí Faith is the fundamental unity of the world’s major religions (Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam) as part of a single plan overseen by one God.^[1] The teachings also address theological subjects including the oneness of God, humanity and religion, as well as aspects of human life such as the harmony of science and religion, elimination of extreme wealth and poverty, universal compulsory education, and the equality of all people equality, regardless of gender, race, nationality, colour, or social class. ^[1][2]

During the course of  ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s journeys to the west during 1911 and 1912-1913 he clearly summarized the basic principles underlying Baháʼu’llah’s teachings, which together with the laws and ordinances of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas constitute the foundation of the Baháʼí Faith:

The independent search after truth, unfettered by superstition or tradition; the oneness of the entire human race, the pivotal principle and fundamental doctrine of the Faith; the basic unity of all religions; the condemnation of all forms of prejudice, whether religious, racial, class or national; the harmony which must exist between religion and science; the equality of men and women, the two wings on which the bird of human kind is able to soar; the introduction of compulsory education; the adoption of a universal auxiliary language; the abolition of the extremes of wealth and poverty; the institution of a world tribunal for the adjudication of disputes between nations; the exaltation of work, performed in the spirit of service, to the rank of worship; the glorification of justice as the ruling principle in human society, and of religion as a bulwark for the protection of all peoples and nations; and the establishment of a permanent and universal peace as the supreme goal of all mankind—.^[3]

Central to the teachings of the Baháʼí Faith are the three basic assertions, Oneness of God, Oneness of Religion and Oneness of Humanity, also referred to as the unity of god, unity of religion, and unity of mankind.^[4]The Baháʼí writings state that there is a single, all-powerful god who reveals his message through a series of divine messengers or educators whose teachings are regarded as contributing to the “carrying forward of an ever advancing civilisation",^[5] a process which is viewed as a succession of revelations from God and described as "progressive revelation".^[6]This one progressively revealed religion is offered to one single humanity, all of whom possess a rational soul and who only differ according to colour and culture. This idea is fundamental not only to explaining Baháʼí beliefs, but also to explaining the attitude Baháʼís have towards other religions, which they regard as divinely inspired.The acceptance of every race and culture in the world has brought Baháʼí demographics diversity, which has led to the Faith becoming the second most widespread faith in the world,^[7] its literature being translated into over 800 languages.^[8]

The Baháʼí view of God is essentially monotheistic. God is the imperishable, uncreated being who is the source of all existence.^[7][9] He is described as "a personal God, unknowable, inaccessible, the source of all Revelation, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent and almighty".^[10][11] Though transcendent and inaccessible directly, his image is reflected in his creation. The purpose of creation is for the created to have the capacity to know and love its creator.^[12]

In Baha'i belief, although human cultures and religions differ on their conceptions of God and his nature, the different references to God nevertheless refer to one and the same Being. The differences, rather than being regarded as irreconcilable constructs of mutually exclusive cultures, are seen as purposefully reflective of the varying needs of the societies to which the divine messages were revealed.^[13]

The Baháʼí teachings state that God is too great for humans to be able to create an accurate conception of him. In Baháʼí understanding, the attributes attributed to God, such as All-Powerful and All-Loving are derived from limited human experiences of power and love. Baháʼu'lláh taught that the knowledge of God is limited to those attributes and qualities which are perceptible to us, as a result of which knowledge of God is not possible. Furthermore, Baháʼu'lláh states that knowledge of the attributes of God is revealed to humanity through his messengers.^[14][15]

As our knowledge of things, even of created and limited things, is knowledge of their qualities and not of their essence, how is it possible to comprehend in its essence the Divine Reality, which is unlimited? ... Knowing God, therefore, means the comprehension and the knowledge of His attributes, and not of His Reality. This knowledge of the attributes is also proportioned to the capacity and power of man; it is not absolute.^[16][17]

The Baháʼí writings abound with names and attributes of God through which human beings are able to have a degree of understanding of him as one, personal yet unknowable supreme reality; however, the teachings nevertheless reject conceptions of him as being anthropomorphic, pantheistic or incarnationist.^[10] The Baháʼí teachings state that one draw closer to God through prayer, meditation, study of the holy writings, and service.^[7]

The Baháʼí writings teach that humanity is one, with all people being equal in the sight of God. The Baháʼí Faith emphasizes that the unity of humanity transcends all divisions of race, nation, gender, caste, and social class, at the same time celebrating its diversity.^[4] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá states that the unification of mankind has now become "the paramount issue and question in the religious and political conditions of the world."^[7] The Baháʼí writings affirm the biological, political, and spiritual unity of mankind, Baháʼu'lláh stating:

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.^[18][19]

The Baháʼí writings stress that the whole human race is one unified unit, one distinct species,^[20] Baháʼu'lláh stating, "We created you all from the same dust".^[21] The Baháʼí writings further stress that differences between various races, nations, and ethnic groups are either superficial (e.g. skin colour) or are the result of differences in background or education..^[22] One of the principal Baháʼí teachings is the elimination of all forms of prejudice, including racial, gender, economic and social. .^[23]

The Baháʼí teachings state that while ethnic and cultural diversity will continue to exist, humanity's first allegiance will be with the human race rather than any subsidiary group such as race, nation, or ethnic group. There will be an end not only to war, but also to inter-group rivalry.

While the Baháʼí writings stress the importance of world unity and that of its peoples, unity is not equated with uniformity, the writings affirming the value of cultural, national and individual diversity through the principle of "Unity in diversity," and stating that whilst recognizing the unity of mankind, cultural diversity should be celebrated.^[4] Unity in diversity is commonly explained in the Baháʼí writings through the analogy of flowers in a garden in which the different coloured flowers enhance the beauty of the garden.^[24]

It [the Faith] does not ignore, nor does it attempt to suppress, the diversity of ethnic origins, of climate, of history, of language and tradition, of thought and habit, that differentiate the peoples and nations of the world... Its watchword is unity in diversity...^[25][26]

Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion
Religions
Buddhism Hinduism Native American Zoroastrianism
v t e

The Baháʼí teachings state that there is one religion which God reveals  progressively to mankind through his prophets/messengers as humanity matures and its capacity to understand grows.^[4][7] Baháʼí writings affirm that outward differences between the religions are due to the exigencies of the time and place in which each religion was revealed.^[7] Baháʼu'lláh claimed to be the most recent of God’s messengers, but not the last, in a series of divine educators which include, amongst others, Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad.^[4][7]

The Baháʼí writings state that the essential nature of God’s messengers is twofold, being at once human and divine. They are divine in that they all come from the same god and expound his teachings. However, whilst they can be viewed in the same light they are also separate individuals known by different names, each fulfilling a definite mission and entrusted with a specific revelation.^[6]  In many of his writings Baháʼu'lláh states that denying any of the messengers of God is equivalent not only to denying all his messengers, but also God himself. Regarding the relationships between these educators, which Baháʼís refer to as Manifestations of God Baháʼu'lláh writes:

God hath ordained the knowledge of these sanctified Beings to be identical with the knowledge of His own Self. Whoso recognizeth them hath recognized God. Whoso hearkeneth to their call, hath hearkened to the Voice of God, and whoso testifieth to the truth of their Revelation, hath testified to the truth of God Himself. Whoso turneth away from them, hath turned away from God, and whoso disbelieveth in them, hath disbelieved in God ... They are the Manifestations of God amidst men, the evidences of His Truth, and the signs of His glory.^[27][28]

Baháʼís believe God to be generally regular and periodic in revealing his will to mankind through messengers/prophets, which are named Manifestations of God. Each messenger in turn establishes a covenant and founds a religion. This process of revelation, according to the Baháʼí writings, is also never ceasing,^[29] which is contrary to many other belief systems that believe in a finality of their prophet/messenger. The general theme of the successive and continuous religions founded by Manifestations of God is that there is an evolutionary tendency, and that each Manifestation of God brings a larger measure of revelation (or religion) to humankind than the previous one.^[30] The differences in the revelation brought by the Manifestations of God is stated to be not inherent in the characteristics of the Manifestation of God, but instead attributed to the various worldly, societal and human factors;^[30] these differences are in accordance with the "conditions" and "varying requirements of the age" and the "spiritual capacity" of humanity.^[30] These differences are seen to be needed since human society has slowly and gradually evolved through higher stages of unification from the family to tribes and then nations.^[30]

Thus religious truth is seen to be relative to its recipients and not absolute; while the messengers proclaimed eternal moral and spiritual truths that are renewed by each messenger, they also changed their message to reflect the particular spiritual and material evolution of humanity at the time of the appearance of the messenger.^[29] In the Baháʼí view, since humanity's spiritual capacity and receptivity has increased over time, the extent to which these spiritual truths are expounded changes.^[30]

Baháʼu'lláh explained that the appearance of successive messengers was like the annual coming of Spring, which brings new life to the world which has come to neglect the teachings of the previous messenger.^[29] He also used an analogy of the world as the human body, and revelation as a robe of "justice and wisdom".

Baháʼu'lláh mentioned in the Kitáb-i-Íqán that God will renew the "City of God" about every thousand years, and specifically mentioned that a new Manifestation of God would not appear within 1000 years of Baháʼu'lláh's message.^[31]

The earliest forms of religion are seen, in many of the Baháʼí Writings, to be like early school.^[32] In this view humanity, like a child, has been maturing with a greater ability to grasp complex ideas as it grows in years and passes school. Each time a divine messenger appears, the message was given at levels appropriate to humanity's degree of maturation.^[32] In this view each different religion may have had truth explained differently according to the needs of the recipients of the teaching.

Covenant in the Baháʼí Faith refers to two separate binding agreements between God and man.^[33] There is a distinction between a Greater Covenant which is made between every messenger from God and his followers concerning the next dispensation, and a Lesser Covenant that concerns successorship of authority within the religion after the messenger dies.^[33]

The greater covenant refers to the covenant made between each messenger from God, which the literature of the Baháʼí Faith name Manifestations of God, and his followers regarding the coming of the next Manifestation from God.^[33] According to Baháʼu'lláh God has promised that he will send a succession of messengers that will instruct humankind.^[34] In Baháʼí belief, this covenant is seen to be expressed in prophecy in the religious scripture of each religion, and each Manifestation of God, such as Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb, and Baháʼu'lláh, prophesied the next Manifestation. In return, the followers of each religion are seen to have a duty to investigate the claims of the following Manifestations.^[33]

The lesser covenant is a covenant that concerns the recognition of the messenger, acceptance and application of his teachings and laws made regarding the successorship of authority within the religion.^[33] In Baháʼí belief the manner in which the Covenant of Baháʼu'lláh was clearly put forth is seen as being a fundamental defining feature of the religion and a powerful protector of the unity of the Baháʼí Faith and its adherents.^[33]

Texts and scriptures of the Baháʼí Faith
From Baháʼu'lláh
Days of Remembrance Epistle to the Son of the Wolf The Four Valleys Gems of Divine Mysteries Gleanings Kitáb-i-Aqdas Kitáb-i-Íqán Kitáb-i-Badíʻ The Hidden Words The Seven Valleys Summons of the Lord of Hosts Tabernacle of Unity Tablets of Baháʼu'lláh List of writings of Baháʼu'lláh
From the Báb
Persian Bayán Arabic Bayán Writings of the Báb
From ʻAbdu'l-Bahá
Paris Talks The Secret of Divine Civilization Some Answered Questions Tablets of the Divine Plan Tablet to Dr. Forel Tablet to The Hague Will and Testament
From Shoghi Effendi
God Passes By Advent of Divine Justice Promised Day is Come
v t e

The following principles are frequently listed as a quick summary of the Baháʼí teachings. They are derived from transcripts of speeches given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá during his tour of Europe and North America in 1912.^[2] The list is not authoritative and a variety of such lists circulate.^[35][36]

The Baháʼí Faith affirms gender equality; that men and women are equal. Baháʼu'lláh noted that there was no distinction in the spiritual stations of men and women.^[37] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá wrote that both men and women possess the same potential for virtues and intelligence, and compared the two genders and the progress of civilization to the two wings of a bird where each wing is needed to provide flight.^[38] In this sense, the equality of the sexes is seen as Baháʼís as a spiritual and moral standard that is essential for the unification of the planet and the unfoldment of world order, and in the importance of implementing the principle in individual, family, and community life.

While the Baháʼí teachings assert the full spiritual and social equality of women to men, there are some aspects of gender distinctiveness or gender differentiation in certain areas of life.^[37] Men and women are seen as having different strength and abilities that enable them to better fill different roles. Thus there are certain teachings that give preference to men in some limited circumstances and some that give preference to women. One of these aspects relate to biological fact of potential motherhood for women, and thus the Baháʼí teaching that girls should be given priority in education as they potentially would be the children's first educator.^[39] In terms of Baháʼí administration, all positions except for membership on the Universal House of Justice are open to men and women. No specific reason has been given for this exception, but ʻAbdu'l-Bahá has stated that there is a wisdom for it, which would eventually become clear.^[39] Regardless rates of women serving at national levels of governance in the religion exceed those in general society: in 2010 the world average for female members of parliaments was 19%,^[40] while the world average of women serving on national assemblies had reached rates of 39%.^[41]

The harmony of science and religion is a central tenet of the Baháʼí teachings.^[42] The principle states that that truth is one, and therefore true science and true religion must be in harmony, thus rejecting the view that science and religion are in conflict.^[43] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá asserted that science without religion leads to materialism, and religion without science leads to superstition;^[43] he also affirmed that reasoning powers are required to understand the truths of religion.^[42] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá condemned civilizations based solely on materialistic beliefs which he said would bring about moral problems.^[42]

The theme of education in the Baháʼí Faith is given quite prominent emphasis. Its literature gives a principle of universal, or compulsory education.^[44] The Baháʼí teachings focus on promoting a moral and spiritual education, in addition to the arts, trades, sciences and professions. Baháʼu'lláh wrote that the spiritual capacities of each individual could not be achieved without spiritual education, and thus children needed to have spiritual/religious education from an early stage. He also stressed the importance of secular education in that one's work and vocation is socially important. The Baháʼí teachings state it is the obligation of the parents to provide for the education of their children, and that special importance should be given to the education of girls.^[44]

As part of the focus on the unity of humankind,^[45] the Baháʼí teachings see improved communication between peoples throughout the world as a vital part of world unity and peace.^[46] The Baháʼí teachings see the current multiplicity of languages as a major impediment to unity, since the existence of so many languages cuts the free flow of information and makes it difficult for the average individual to obtain a universal perspective on world events.^[47]

Baháʼu'lláh taught that the lack of a common language is a major barrier to world unity since the lack of communication between peoples of different languages undermines efforts toward world peace due to misunderstandings of language; he urged that humanity should choose an auxiliary language that would be taught in schools in addition to one's own native language, so that people could understand one another.^[48] He stated that until an auxiliary language is adopted, complete unity between the various parts of the world would continue to be unrealized.^[49]

Baháʼu'lláh stressed, however, that the auxiliary language should not suppress existing natural languages, and that the concept of unity in diversity must be applied to languages.^[47] The Baháʼí teachings state that cultural heterogeneity is compatible with unity, and that at the present time in the history of humankind, the Baháʼí teaching of unity requires the embracing of cultural diversity since humanity is enriched by the various cultures throughout the world.^[45] The Baháʼí teachings also state that having an international auxiliary language would remove the pressure from the natural aggrandizement of majority language groups and thus preserve minority languages, since each person would keep their own mother-tongue, and thus minority cultures.^[47]

The teachings of the Baháʼí Faith state that it is necessary to eliminate the extremes of wealth and poverty.^[50] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá noted both poverty and extreme wealth disallowed for a compassionate society, as poverty demoralized people and extreme wealth overburdened people.^[51] Baháʼu'lláh wrote that rich should take care of the poor, as the poor are a divine trust.^[50] The Baháʼí teachings state of multiple ways of addressing the extremes of wealth and poverty including institutional means, such as Huqúqu'lláh, as well as creating a sense of mutual concern.^[51]

While the Baháʼí teachings promote the elimination of extremes of wealth and poverty they do not promote communism and instead legitimize individual property.^[51] ʻAbdu'l-Bahá further noted that wealth by itself was not evil, and could be used for good.^[50]

Baháʼu'lláh taught that every individual must investigate truth for themselves, not blindly following the beliefs of others or relying upon superstition and tradition as sources of knowledge. This principle is a fundamental obligation.^[52] The Baháʼí writings state that, to truly investigate truth, we must abandon our prejudices and that, since the essential Truth underlying reality is one, independent investigation will also be a powerful step towards the oneness of humanity.^[53]

The Baha'i teachings state that humans are unique among all other forms of life ^[54] in the fact that we possess a "rational soul".^[55] Therefore, we must foster this capacity for reason. Abdu'l Baha writes that "God has given us rational minds for this purpose, to penetrate all things, to find truth".^[56] Alongside reason, the Baha'i teachings also state that faith is an attribute of the human soul. While it is sometimes assumed that there is an opposition between heart and mind or faith and reason, for Baha'is, faith is not an irrational blindness to fact. Shoghi Effendi asserts that Baháʼu'lláh "does not ask us to follow Him blindly" and encourages Baháʼís to "Read His [Baha'u'llah's] words, consider His teachings, and measure their value in the light of contemporary problems".^[57] The word faith, for Baha'is indicates a sense of "conscious knowledge" and conviction that is expressed in "the practice of good deeds".^[58] Faith must also involve sincerely and wholeheartedly serving the public interest.^[59] Thus in the Baha'i Faith, as one writer puts it, "reason is necessary but not sufficient".^[60] Both faith and reason are required to attain reality and truth.

Baháʼís are encouraged to meditate and reflect daily on the Baháʼí writings^[61] in what has been termed "an eternal or unending process" of seeking the truth.^[62] This journey can have a mystical element in which the seeker after truth is driven by their attraction to the beauty of God, as highlighted in Baha'u'llah's mystical writings, such as 'The Seven Valleys'.^[63]

At the age of fifteen, children brought up in a Baháʼí family are enjoined to investigate different spiritual traditions and are free to choose whether or not they want to remain a Baháʼí. Bahá'ís are forbidden from communicating with Covenant-breakers and discouraged from reading their literature. Additionally, when Bahá'ís publish independent scholarship, the Bahá'í administration requires them to submit their writing for "Baháʼí review,"^[64] wherein Baháʼís submit their material for vetting before it is published to ensure credibility from the administration's understanding, a practice which has been criticized by Juan Cole.^[65]

The Bahá'í writings contain many references to spiritual qualities and values that individuals should strive to develop. The elements of good character include, among others, trustworthiness,^[66] truthfulness,^[67] faithfulness, sincerity, purity of motivation, service, justice, moderation, cleanliness, dignity and avoiding backbiting, balanced by reason and knowledge.^[68][69]

God is described in the Baháʼí writings a single, personal, inaccessible, omniscient, omnipresent, imperishable, and almighty God who is the creator of all things in the universe.^[70] The existence of God and the universe is thought to be eternal, without a beginning or end.^[71] The Baháʼí teachings state that God is too great for humans to fully comprehend, or to create a complete and accurate image of, by themselves. Therefore, human understanding of God is achieved through his revelations via his Manifestations.^[72][73] In the Baháʼí religion God is often referred to by titles and attributes (e.g. the All-Powerful, or the All-Loving), and there is a substantial emphasis on monotheism. The Baháʼí teachings state that the attributes which are applied to God are used to translate Godliness into human terms and also to help individuals concentrate on their own attributes in worshipping God to develop their potentialities on their spiritual path.^[72][73] According to the Baháʼí teachings the human purpose is to learn to know and love God through such methods as prayer, reflection and being of service to humankind.^[72]

The Baháʼí writings state that human beings have a "rational soul", and that this provides the species with a unique capacity to recognize God's station and humanity's relationship with its creator. Every human is seen to have a duty to recognize God through his messengers, and to conform to their teachings.^[74] Through recognition and obedience, service to humanity and regular prayer and spiritual practice, the Baháʼí writings state that the soul becomes closer to God, the spiritual ideal in Baháʼí belief. When a human dies, the soul passes into the next world, where its spiritual development in the physical world becomes a basis for judgment and advancement in the spiritual world. Baháʼís' believe in the eternal life of the soul rather than reincarnation. Heaven and Hell are taught to be spiritual states of nearness or distance from God that describe relationships in this world and the next, and not physical places of reward and punishment achieved after death.^[75]

"Baháʼí administration" or "Baháʼí administrative order" is the administrative system of the religion which directly rests on the teachings of the religion penned by its central figures – especially Baháʼu'lláh and ʻAbdu'l-Bahá.^[76] It is split into two parts, the elected and the appointed. The supreme governing institution of the Baháʼí Faith is the Universal House of Justice, situated in Haifa, Israel.^{[citation needed]}

The Baháʼí administration has four charter scriptural documents,^[77]

• Kitáb-i-Aqdas
• Tablets of the Divine Plan
• Tablet of Carmel
• Will and Testament of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá

Key to the function of Baháʼí organization is the principle of consultation. This refers to the method of non-adversarial discussion and decision-making which is described in the Baháʼí writings, and which is used in all levels of Baháʼí administration. Consultation strives to move beyond a decision making process that accepts the majority view, to one that aims to discover truth through universal participation and disciplined cooperation.

• Baháʼí laws
• Baháʼí literature
• Criticism of the Baháʼí Faith
• Outline of the Baháʼí Faith
• Ruhi Institute
• Socio-economic development (Baháʼí)

• ʻAbdu'l-Bahá (2014). Some Answered Questions (Newly revised ed.). Haifa, Israel: Baháʼí World Centre. ISBN 978-0-8774-3374-3.
• Baháʼu'lláh (1976). Gleanings from the Writings of Baháʼu'lláh. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-8774-3187-6.
• The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States (2006). "Baháʼí scripture". bahai.us. Archived from the original on 2006-08-05. Retrieved 2006-08-03.
• Kluge, Ian (2008). "Postmodernism and the Bahá'í Writings". Lights of Irfan: 118.
• Saiedi, Nader (2008). Gate of the Heart: Understanding the Writings of the Báb. Canada: Wilfrid Laurier University Press. ISBN 978-1-5545-8056-9. Archived from the original on 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
• Baha'i World Centre (March 10, 2008). "Percentage of National Spiritual Assembly members who are women, 1953-2007". Statistics. Baháʼí Library Online. Archived from the original on 2010-10-06. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
• Schaefer, Udo (1992). "Challenges to Bahá'í Studies". Baháʼí Studies Review. 2:!.
• Schaefer, Udo (2006). "Some Aspects of Bahá'í Ethics". The 20th Hasan M. Balyuzi Memorial Lecture: 4.
• Cole, Juan (30 December 2012) [15 December 1988]. "BAHAISM i. The Faith". Encyclopædia Iranica. Vol. III/4. New York: Columbia University. pp. 438–446. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
• "Women in National Parliaments". Inter-Parliamentary Union. 30 June 2010. Archived from the original on 2007-03-30. Retrieved 2010-08-16.
• Juan R. I. Cole (May 1999) [June 1998]. "The Baha'i Faith in America as Panopticon, 1963-1997". The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 37 (2): 234–248. ISSN 0021-8294. OCLC 7789869572. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
• Effendi, Shoghi (1944). God Passes By. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-8774-3020-9.
• Effendi, Shoghi (1938). The World Order of Baháʼu'lláh - Selected Letters. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-8774-3231-7.

• Effendi, Shoghi (2021). "Compilation on Scholarship". Archived from the original on 2021-08-01. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
• Baha, Abdu'l (2021). The Secret of Divine Civilization. US Bahá’í Publishing Trust. p. 96. Archived from the original on 2021-05-12. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
• Bausani, Alessandro (2007). "Bahais". Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Archived from the original on 7 May 2007. Retrieved 2007-05-03.
• Lambden, Stephen (1982). "Dr. MacEoin's "Problems of Scholarship...": Some Thoughts". Bahá'í Studies Bulletin. 1 (3): 69–80. Archived from the original on 2022-05-22. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
• Chamberlain, Isabel Fraser (1918). Abdul Baha on Divine Philosophy. Tudor Press. Archived from the original on 2021-03-04. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
• Moojan Momen (2007). "Marginality and Apostasy in the Bahá'í Community". Religion. 37 (3): 187–209. doi:10.1016/j.religion.2007.06.008. ISSN 0048-721X. OCLC 4926459513. S2CID 55630282. Archived from the original on October 6, 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
• Adamson, Hugh (2007). Historical Dictionary of the Baháʼí Faith. Oxford, UK: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-3353-1.
• Britannica (1988). "The Baháʼí Faith". Britannica Book of the Year. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica. ISBN 0-8522-9486-7.
• Britannica (1992). "The Baháʼí Faith". In Daume, Daphne; Watson, Louise (eds.). Britannica Book of the Year. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica. ISBN 0-8522-9486-7.
• Britannica (2005). "Baháʼí Faith". Britannica Micropaedia. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica. ISBN 1-5933-9236-2.
• Cole, Juan (1989). "Bahai Faith". Encyclopædia Iranica.
• Cole, Juan (1982). "The Concept of Manifestation in the Baháʼí Writings". Baháʼí Studies. monograph 9: 1–38.
• Danesh, John; Fazel, Seena (2004). Search for Values: Ethics in Baha'i Thought (Studies in the Babi and Baha'i Religions). Kalimat Press. ISBN 1-8906-8832-0.
• Fisher, Mary Pat (1996). Living Religions: An Encyclopaedia of the World's Faiths. I B Tauris & Co Lt. ISBN 1-8606-4148-2.
• Esslemont, J.E. (1980). Baháʼu'lláh and the New Era (5th ed.). Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-8774-3160-4.
• Gandhimohan, M. V. (2000). "Baháʼí teachings". Mahatma Gandhi and the Baháʼís: Striving towards a Nonviolent Civilization. New Delhi: Baháʼí Publishing Trust of India.
• Hatcher, William; Martin, Douglas (1985). The Baháʼí Faith. San Francisco: Harper & Row. ISBN 1-9318-4706-1.
• Hatcher, William (April 1980). "The Science of Religion" (PDF). Baháʼí Studies. 2. Association for Baháʼí. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-18.
• Hatcher, W.S.; Martin, J.D. (1998). The Baháʼí Faith: The Emerging Global Religion. Wilmette, Illinois, USA: Baháʼí Publishing Trust. ISBN 0-8774-3264-3 – via Google Books.
• Hatcher, John S. (2005). "Unveiling the Hurí of Love". Journal of Baháʼí Studies. 15 (1): 1–38.
• Hutter, Manfred (2005). "Bahā'īs". In Ed. Lindsay Jones (ed.). Encyclopedia of Religion. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA. ISBN 0-0286-5733-0.
• Klebel, Wolfgang (2016). "The Language of the Heart: From Dream Language towards Understanding the Language of the Heart". Lights of Irfan. 17: 65–110.
• Kluge, Ian (2013). Iraj Ayman (ed.). "Reason and the Bahá'í Writings". Lights of 'Irfán. 14. Wilmette, IL: Haj Mehdi Armand Colloquium: Haj Mehdi Arjmand Memorial Fund: 163–232. ISBN 978-3-9424-2618-3. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
• Lepard, Brian D. (2003). Rethinking Humanitarian Intervention: A Fresh Legal Approach Based on Fundamental Ethical Principles in International Law and World Religions. Pennsylvania State University Press. ISBN 0-2710-2313-9.
• Lundberg, Zaid (1996). Baha'i Apocalypticism: The Concept of Progressive Revelation. Department of History of Religion at the Faculty of Theology, Lund University. Retrieved 2006-11-25.
• Masumian, Farnaz (1995). Life After Death: A study of the afterlife in world religions. Oxford: Oneworld Publications. ISBN 1-8516-8074-8.
• McMullen, Michael D. (2000). The Baha'i: The Religious Construction of a Global Identity. Atlanta, Georgia: Rutgers University Press. ISBN 0-8135-2836-4.
• Meyjes, Gregory Paul (2006). "Language and world order in Baha'i perspective". In Omoniyi, Tope; Fishman, Joshua A. (eds.). Explorations in the Sociology of Language and Religion. John Benjamins Publishing Co. pp. 26–41. ISBN 9-0272-2710-1.
• Momen, Moojan (1 December 2012). The Baha'i Faith: A Beginner's Guide. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-7807-4131-4.
• Smith, Peter (2000). A Concise Encyclopedia of the Baháʼí Faith. Oxford, UK: Oneworld Press. ISBN 1-8516-8184-1.
• Smith, Peter (2008). An Introduction to the Baha'i Faith. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-5218-6251-6.
• Stockman, Robert (2000). "The Baha'i Faith". In Beversluis, Joel (ed.). Sourcebook of the World's Religions. New World Library. ISBN 1-5773-1121-3.

Primary sources

• Hyde Paine, Mabel (compiler) (2006). The Divine Art of Living, by The Báb, Bahá'u'lláh, and Abdu'l-Bahá,. Bahá’í Publishing Wilmette, Illinois.

Secondary sources

• Schaefer, Udo (2007). Baháʼí Ethics in Light of Scripture, Volume 1 - Doctrinal Fundamentals. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 978-0-8539-8505-1.
• Schaefer, Udo (2009). Baháʼí Ethics in Light of Scripture, Volume 2 - Virtues and Divine Commandments. Oxford, UK: George Ronald. ISBN 978-0-8539-8518-1.

• Bahai.org: What Baháʼís Believe
• Compilations of Baháʼí writings about various subjects
• The Loom of Reality, thematic compilations of quotations from the Bahá’í Writings and beyond