Progressive revelation

The Latest in the Series of Divine Educators

At the center of the Bahá’í Faith is the figure of Bahá’u’lláh, whom followers turn to for strength and guidance. His life during the 19th century, extending from modern-day Iran to Israel, in many ways mirrors the trials endured and the victories achieved by the Founders of the world’s major religions. Yet the laws and teachings that Bahá’u’lláh revealed are particularly well suited to the challenges that individuals and society as a whole face in this modern age.

Essential Themes and Beliefs

Progressive Revelation – Throughout history, God has sent to humanity a series of divine Educators—known as Manifestations of God—whose teachings have provided the basis for the advancement of civilization. These Manifestations have included Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad. Bahá’u’lláh, the latest of these Messengers, explained that the religions of the world come from the same Source and are in essence successive chapters of one religion from God.

Bahá’í beliefs address such essential themes as the oneness of God and religion, the oneness of humanity and freedom from prejudice, the inherent nobility of the human being, the progressive revelation of religious truth, the development of spiritual qualities, the integration of worship and service, the fundamental equality of the sexes, the harmony between religion and science, the centrality of justice to all human endeavors, the importance of education, and the dynamics of the relationships that are to bind together individuals, communities, and institutions as humanity advances towards its collective maturity.

A Life of Inspiration, of Trial, Exile, and Revelation

Bahá’u’lláh was born in 1817 into an aristocratic family in Persia. Early in His life, He rejected the fortunes that awaited Him, stating, “I have never aspired after worldly leadership. My sole purpose hath been to hand down unto men that which I was bidden to deliver by God…”

In 1863, He declared that He had a new, divinely inspired message, one that would lay the foundation of prosperity for mankind. This foundation was gradually expressed in thousands of His verses, letters, and books, all of which provide a framework for the development of a global civilization that accounts for both spiritual and material dimensions of human life. They include social and ethical teachings, prayers, laws and ordinances, mystical writings, and proclamations of His message to the most powerful rulers of the time.

Until His passing in 1892, Bahá’u’lláh suffered four decades of imprisonment, torture, and exile for proclaiming His message. His lot, therefore, was not unlike His Divine predecessors, who all suffered in one way or another for proclaiming their revolutionary message. Indeed, Bahá’u’lláh claimed to be the latest in the series of Divine Messengers who have appeared throughout history, including Abraham, Zoroaster, Krishna, Buddha, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.

Learn more on Bahai.org