Who founded the Bahai faith?

Just as Christianity emerged from Judaism, the Bahai faith emerged from Islam. It is now an independent religion on its own. Its founder, Bahaullah, is regarded as a messenger of God, just as Moses, Abraham, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammad and Zoroaster (the founder of the Parsi faith) were.

Do Bahais believe in saints?

Bahais believe saints to be no different from other humans. They place God on the highest level, then the Messengaers of God, and then humans. Thus, reformers, mystics or saints, are not elevated to the status of God-men.

Teachings of Baha'u'llah

Abandonment of Prejudice

The Bahai faith makes it clear that all men are created equal, and should be respected and treated as equals. It believes that there should be unity, not uniformity. Unity is not necessarily achieved by "suppression of differences", but by an understanding and respect for these differences. The reason there is so much conflict in the name of religion is not due to differences, but due to our immature attitude and intolerance for those following a different path.

Advancing the Status of Women

The faith strongly believes that men and women are equal in the eyes of God, and should be treated equally by society. According to the faith, women should enjoy equal opportunities as men, in order for any culture to progress. Bahai activists have laid down their lives fighting for their beliefs, which include the abolishment of the veil system.

Unity of Religion - One God

The faith believes there is only one religion, the religion of God, and that there is only one God. Christ, Mohammed, Moses, were all messengers of the same God. It believes that all religions have the same origin, and that their teachings were based on the same truth. Their differences only represent different stages in the evolution of humanity.

Equitable Distribution of Wealth

It is the law of the land: A majority of the economic resources lie in the hands of a few privileged people, while a majority of people go without. The Bahai faith recommends that the rich use the economic resources at their disposal to help the poor. Economic and natural resources should be used for the good of all mankind, and not just to benefit a few.

Empowerment by Knowledge

Bahais strongly believe in promoting a solid education foundation. A society advances due to acquisition of knowledge.

Good Deeds as Prayer

The Bahai faith moves beyond prayers and rituals and fasting; it focuses on the actual performance of good deeds as a form of prayer.

Independence in Search for Truth

The Bahai community discourages blind faith, and encourages its followers to seek the truth using their own powers of reasoning. It believes that if you blindly follow someone or something, you will then become intolerant of those not sharing your beliefs. Simply put, God gave humans reasoning powers, and if they don't use them, they will be neglecting their duties.

Promotion of Global Peace

Baha'u'llah outlined steps that he believed would lead to international peace. It proposed the formation of an international authority, and an international court. There is no place for violence in the Bahai faith.

Unity of Religion and Science

Through the ages there have always been clashes between religion and science. However, the Bahai faith does not believe that one has to disregard science in order to be a follower of this faith. There is no place for superstition or ignorance in this faith. In fact, the Bahai faith encourages the pursuance of science, and believes that science and religion are in fact complimentary.

For more information about the Baha'i faith, visit their website at http://www.bahaindia.org/.