Volunteers serving at the Bahá’í World Centre in
Haifa, Israel.
People of every nationality, race, ethnic group,
and religious background around the world
have declared their belief in the Bahá’í Faith.
• Whether at the local, regional, national, or
international level, Bahá’í elections follow a similar
process that seeks to choose spiritually minded leaders
from the entire body of believers in the area. Shown
here is a Bahá’í election in process in Panama.
Baha'is and their friends in Solano, north of
Manila in the Philippines, pose for a photograph
at a gathering in 2007 at the local Baha'i centre.
O SON OF SPIRIT!
My first counsel is this: Possess a
pure, kindly and radiant heart, that
thine may be a sovereignty ancient,
imperishable and everlasting.
- Bahá’u’lláh
O SON OF BEING!
If thine heart be set upon this
eternal, imperishable
dominion, and this ancient,
everlasting life, forsake this
mortal and fleeting
sovereignty.
- Bahá’u’lláh
The eldest son of
Bahá’u’lláh,
‘Abdu’l-Bahá was
appointed by his
Father to lead the
Bahá’í Faith after
His passing. Known
as “the Master,”
‘Abdu’l-Bahá
played a crucial
role in ensuring
that the Bahá’í
Faith would not
fragment into
different sects.
Virtues are the essence of the human
spirit and the content of our character
acceptance
caring
cleanliness
commitment
compassion
confidence
consideration
contentment
cooperation
courage
courtesy
creativity
detachment
determination
devotion
diligence
discernment
enthusiasm
excellence
faith
flexibility
forgiveness
friendliness
generosity
gentleness
grace
gratitude
honesty
humility
idealism
integrity
joyfulness
justice
kindness
love
loyalty
moderation
orderliness
patience
peacefulness
perseverance
prayerfulness
purity
purposefulness
reliability
respect
responsibility
reverence
righteousness
sacrifice
self-discipline
service
steadfastness
tactfulness
thankfulness
tolerance
trust
trustworthiness
truthfulness
unity
wisdom
wonder
etc
One common
activity in Bahá’í
communities is
moral and spiritual
education classes
for children.
Shown here is a
children’s class in
Phnom Penh,
Cambodia.
A 2002 tutor training for the Ruhi
Institute in New Zealand.
A 2002 tutor training for the
Ruhi Institute in New Zealand.
Bahá’í devotional meeting in
Canada.
Bahá’í devotional meeting in Canada
"A place of visitation”...At a graveside in Sofia, Bulgaria,
Baha'is pray for the progress of the soul of the departed one.
Burial Laws in the Bahá’í Faith(1)
• The body must not be embalmed
• No cremation
• The body is the “Temple of the Soul” and therefore
it is treated with dignity and respect.
• The body is washed with great care, and often
wrapped in cotton or silk
• The body is placed in a coffin, usually of hardwood.
Burial Laws in the Bahá’í Faith(2)
• A ring is usually placed on the finger with the inscription: “I
came from God and return unto Him, detached from all
save Him, holding fast to His Name, the Merciful, the
Compassionate.”
• The deceased person is not transported more than one
hour’s travelling distance from the place of death.
• The body is interred with radiance and serenity in a nearby
place.
• There is only one obligatory prayer for the departed, which
is recited by one individual on behalf of all present prior to
the interment.
The soul is a sign of God: it is linked to the body but not
part of it. God has bestowed on man the capacity to
reflect all His names and attributes. Through spiritual
education, the treasures hidden within us can be
revealed. The soul returns to God to continue its
spiritual journey after physical life ends. In the next
world, the holy souls become acquainted with all the
spiritual mysteries and behold the beauty of God. In the
next world, we will recognize our loved ones and enjoy
companionship, and we will remember the life we had
in this material world.