# data[].attributes.body
Introduction
The roots of the Baha’i faith can be traced back to the Shiite Islam of Persia (modern-day Iran). (Bahāʾī Faith) From the birth of the first leader, Baha’u’lluh in 1817, to today, this religion has gone through universal expansion and persecution (Bahāʾī Faith).

# data[].attributes.body
As we know the Imams disappeared. When there was no sight of the Imam (spiritual leader) returning to the world after the last known Imam died, some followers believed that he was living in another realm beyond this world (Molloy, 494-496). Many believed that he would return and when he did, he would usher in a new era (Molloy, 494-496). As the years past, hopes dwindled, until 1844, when a man named Siyyad Ali Muhammad declared that he was the long-awaited Mahdi (last Imam). He took the religious name of “Bab” meaning “gate” or “door” (Molloy, 494-496). Instead of stating that he was the one who would change everything in the religion, he preached that there would soon be a holy messenger who would convey the full message of Allah and they would be the one who ushered in the golden age of unity and peace (Bahāʾī Faith).

# data[].attributes.body
When the Bab stated that this messenger would bring-forth the full message of Allah, it was a conflict of interest with Orthodox Muslims who strongly believed that Muhammed was the “seal of the prophets” meaning that he was the last and best prophet there would be (Molloy, 494-496). This clash of ideas led to the incarceration of the Bab who was eventually killed by execution in 1850. As we can see, Baha’is have a sore relationship with that of Orthodox Muslims due to the fact that these Muslims reject the idea of a messenger/prophet after Muhammad (Molloy, 494-496). Because of this sore relationship, like the Bab, 20,000 people who believed in Baha’i were killed or jailed (Molloy, 494-496).

# data[].attributes.headline
Mirza Husayn Ali, also known as Baha’u’llah

# data[].attributes.subject
Mirza Husayn Ali, also known as Baha’u’llah

# data[].attributes.body
Following his death, one of the Bab’s followers named Mirza Husayn Ali became the leader of the Babist movement. Eventually called Baha’u’llah (meaning “glory of god”) (Origins of Bahá'í history), Mirza Husayn Ali was nearly killed by government authorities because of his ties to the Babist movement. After narrowly escaping death, he was thrown into a jail in Tehran called the “Black Pit” because it was an underground reservoir used for a prison.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Baha'i strongly support globalization

# data[].attributes.subject
The Baha'i strongly support globalization

# data[].attributes.body
How does the Baha’i religion inform its contemporary worldview? The modern-day Baha’i weltanschauung, six million followers strong, injects its religious beliefs into action on various critical, global political issues. An overarching theme of Baha’i political views, along with its religious standpoints, is global unity. Baha’is feel that people across the world must cooperate with each other to unite as one. In other words, the Baha’i staunchly support globalization and equality for all people.
A quote from Baha’u’llah, the Baha’i prophet, further solidifies the Baha’i people’s staunch support of globalization. The creed reads, “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens.” Baha’is, while accepting that national borders exist in the world, advocate for a united world without regional conflicts and more international cooperation, along with a decrease in nationalism (Key Issues). They also feel that, the spread of democracy represents a critical step in order to achieve a more stable and unified world order (Key Issues). Allowing the citizens of the world to govern the world represents a cornerstone of global unity. While maintaining strong support for the United Nations (Molloy 496), the Baha’i community emphasizes the need to depoliticize the UN’s Security Council. Frequently, the Power Five states think too much about their inner rivalries when deploying their veto power on a resolution and less about the world, in the eyes of Baha’i people (Key Issues). They urge the members of the Security Council to drop their political differences and attempt to assist the world with their tremendous power. The words of the prophet Baha’u’llah emphasize the Baha’i desire for a globalized, cooperative, democratic world that functions for all of humanity.

# data[].attributes.body
The Baha’i perspective on trade reaffirms their positive stance on globalization. For example, international trade agreements must include all nations, not just rich ones, according to the International Baha’i Community, which is centered in Haifa, Israel and has built ornate temples on the majority of the world’s continents (Key Issues). Too often do prosperous nations strike trade deals with exclusively other prosperous nations, leaving poor nations without enough cheap resources, rendering them unable to break their poverty, according to the Baha’i (Key Issues). They feel that, as members of the same world, countries must not discriminate against others because of economics in the sharing of resources. In order for the world to prosper, all nations should trade fairly with each other. From an economic and trade perspective, the Baha’i community desires a society in which globalization fuels the sharing of the world’s resources.

# data[].attributes.headline
The following prophets shaped the Baha'i worldview

# data[].attributes.subject
The following prophets shaped the Baha'i worldview

# data[].attributes.body
Baha’i is a religion of all religions, to some extent. The vast majority of Baha’i beliefs contain ultimate unity as their base. In fact, the Baha’i tradition states that there is one God and that all of the prophets of the monotheistic religions are legitimate, despite stark differences in their teachings. Because there is only one God, Baha’is feel that each prophet emphasized the same ideas of a divine creator in a different way; they feel that the prophet’s culture affected how the religion was taught. Over time, the number of prophets sent by God gradually increased, and so did these teachings. One of the most critical creeds of Baha’i is that there is only one religion; all of the prophets simply taught it differently.

# data[].attributes.headline
Unity represents the cornerstone of Baha'i beliefs

# data[].attributes.subject
Unity represents the cornerstone of Baha'i beliefs

# data[].attributes.body
Baha’is propagate ideals of social justice and unity. They maintain that God sent the prophets to cajole all humans into accepting Baha’i as a universal faith, thereby providing peace to the entire globe. The optimal society created by Baha’i would be completely classless and free of bias, bigotry, and prejudice of any sort (Britannica). Because of the pure classlessness of an optimal society, there are no priests in Baha’i tradition (Britannica). Instead, the religion emphasizes a focus on social ethics (Britannica). Baha’i mandates that all people, regardless of gender, race, or any other differences, be treated completely equally. To an extent, the perfect Baha’i society resembles an optimal Communist community in its classlessness and goals of justice for all, and the desired societal harmony suggests a correlation to Confucianism. Baha’i contains a base in all of the world’s religions and interprets each one as a part of a smaller, consolidated idea, one that all people should follow in order to attain perfection.

# data[].attributes.headline
The Baha'i desire complete equality for women

# data[].attributes.subject
The Baha'i desire complete equality for women

# data[].attributes.body
The unequivocal support of women’s rights surmises the Baha’i belief of unification of the globe. According to Baha’is, the world becomes cut in half, fraught with the ultimate division, when women’s rights are not recognized and enacted (Key Issues), for women represent half of the world’s population. Baha’is believe that people must undergo a personal transformation in order to appreciate and accept women’s rights to the fullest extent (Key Issues). In fact, the International Baha’i Community feels that men and boys must use their masculine power to advocate for women’s rights. In the eyes of Baha’i people, full equality for women is the only way for the world to be united across gender barriers. Baha’i support of women’s rights informs their worldview on globalization because equality is the backbone of unification, and the world cannot be unified without globalization.

# data[].attributes.headline
The soul is the most important part of a person, according to the Baha'i

# data[].attributes.subject
The soul is the most important part of a person, according to the Baha'i

# data[].attributes.body
The soul is the what differentiates humans from all other beings in the world, according the Baha’i. The Baha’i believe that humans are incapable of creating or destroying a soul; humans can similarly neither synthesize nor destruct God, in the eyes of Baha’i scriptures (The Rational Soul). The soul contains all of the distinctly human features of people, such as understanding and imagination. Full comprehension of the soul, like full comprehension of God, is impossible for humans, for the soul lives eternally, transcending life and death, in its quest for perfection (The Human Soul). In order to attain perfection, humans must gradually glean understanding of the concepts of unification with the soul (The Rational Soul). Baha’is call this process “Progressive Revelation” (The Rational Soul). Full comprehension of unity, a nearly impossible feat, results in perfection. Baha’is believe that acquiring understanding is gradual and eternal, which is why the soul lives on endlessly in order to attain perfection (Molloy 495). In other words, revelation does not occur suddenly in Baha’i (Molloy 495); it takes near-infinite amounts of time to fully understand unification and to attain perfection. The concept of the soul in Baha’i is that of slow progress and an eternal toil to attain perfection.

# data[].attributes.body
Works Cited:

"Baha'i Practices." ReligionFacts. N.p., 18 Nov. 2016. Web. 01 June 2017.

"What Bahá'ís Do." Nineteen Day Feast | What Bahá'ís Do. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 June 2017.

"Religions - Bahai: Origins of Bahá'í history." BBC. BBC, 28 Sept. 2009. Web. 01 June 2017.

Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World’s religions: tradition, challenge, and change. New

York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2013. Print.

"Bahāʾī Faith." Britannica School, Encyclopædia Britannica, 23 Aug. 2012. school.eb.com/levels/high/article/Bah%C4%81%CA%BE%C4%AB-Faith/1542#284172.toc. Accessed 1 Jun. 2017.

Images:

http://bahaiblog.net/site/2012/11/the-nineteen-day-feast-and-why-its-important/

https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/91981

https://evanstonbahai.org/activities/prayer-gatherings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf4bbEPMiS8

http://newscult.com/5-ways-meditation-will-make-you-a-happier-you/

http://wichitabahai.org/wordpress/bahai-feast-calendar/

http://babandbaha.com/event/release-of-bahaullah-from-the-black-pit-of-tehran/

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2315721.Bah_World_Faith

https://bahai-library.com/map_localities_world_1963

Tommy's Bibliography

Works Cited:
"Key Issues." Key Issues - Baha'i
International Community -- United Nations Office. N.p., n.d.

Web. 27 May 2017.

Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World’s religions: tradition, challenge, and change. New

York: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2013. Print.

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Baha'i Faith." Encyclopædia Britannica.

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 21 Apr. 2017. Web. 25 May 2017.

"What Bahá'ís Believe." The Life of the Spirit | What Bahá'ís Believe. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May

2017.

"What Bahá'ís Believe." The Rational Soul | What Bahá'ís Believe. N.p., n.d. Web. 25

May 2017.

IMAGES:

https://annarborbahais.org/public/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/One-Light-Many-Lamps-2.jpg.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/4f/ac/76/4fac761a48c409fcc604227ef7cf7705.jpg

http://duluthbahai.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/The-earth-is-but-one-country.jpg

http://bahaiteachings.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/progressive_revelatoin-e-720x720.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/14/93/69/149369faca2e12641a190fa4c99463af.jpg

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/30/e1/3b/30e13b650efe0554b1d25d7a67168764--fly-quotes-advice-quotes.jpg

# data[].attributes.body
Introduction
The people of the Baha’i faith believe in the importance of a strong relationship with God and a strong relationship with others in your community (Baha’i Practices). However, the Baha’is don't maintain this relationship through priesthood, initiation ceremonies, sacraments, or worship rituals (Baha’i Practices). Instead, the Baha’is believe the way to create this relationship is through praying on a daily basis, meditating, attending the House of Worship, adhering to the Baha’i calendar, and attending the Nineteen Day Feast on the first day of each month of the Bahá'í calendar (Baha’i Practices).

# data[].attributes.body
One of the most important ways of keeping a connection with god is through prayer (Baha’i Practices). All Baha’is are spiritually obligated to pray every day (Baha’i Practices).

# data[].attributes.body
All of the sacred literature for prayer and all other practices in the Baha’i faith come from the words and writings of the past leaders (Baha’i Faith). For example, Bahá’u'lláh wrote many different kinds of prayers for different uses (Baha’i Practices). Some of theses uses were intended for healing, spiritual use, facing difficulties, marriage, and in general use (Baha’i Practices).

# data[].attributes.body
While doing prayer was good for a daily basis, Bahá’u'lláh followers are to meditate at the end of each day to reflect on the work done (Baha’i Practices).

# data[].attributes.body
Where these most valued ways of keeping a connection with god take place is in the Houses of Worship dispersed throughout the world (Baha’i Practices). These are basically places to pray, meditate, and to be used for community life (Baha’i Practices). However, these spiritual places are unlike many others as they do not have sermons or rituals (Baha’i Practices), rather they have music, prayer, and read from scriptures of all religions. There are currently seven of these Houses around the world in the following cities: Wilmette, Illinois, USA, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, Kampala, Uganda, Sydney, Australia, Panama City, Panama, Apia, Samoa, and New Delhi, India (Baha’i Practices).

# data[].attributes.body
Another important practice is the Nineteen Day Feast (Nineteen Day Feast). This is a huge feast that occurs once a month for all Baha’is (Nineteen Day Feast). The reason why it is called the nineteen day feast is because Bahá’ís use a calendar made by the Báb where the year is split into 19 months containing 19 days each, and the Bahá'í year begins on the first day of spring, March 21 (Baha’i Practices).

# data[].attributes.body
One major aspect of the Baha’i religious movement is community life which is emphasized in the nineteen day feast (Nineteen Day Feast). The feast always has three ideals which are maintained: social fellowship, administrative consultation, and spiritual devotion (Baha’i Practices). This universal event brings many communities together through a portion of the service committed to consulting community affairs and sharing important news; it’s a collective effort by the entire community (Nineteen Day Feast).  Overall, the Nineteen day feast is said to be the “bedrock of Baha’i community life”.

# data[].attributes.body
While in this penitentiary, Baha’u’llah had experienced several divine revelations. After being released, Baha’u’llah was exiled and he went to many neighboring countries (Molloy, 494-496). After finally settling in a costal city in Israel, he preached and worked on his Babist movement by writing many books depicting beliefs, practices, and religious questions (Origins of Bahá'í history). In addition to writing several scriptures, Baha’u’llah also wrote an infinite amount of letters to many world leaders such as the pope and Queen Victoria (Origins of Bahá'í history).

# data[].attributes.body
After Baha’u’llah’s death in 1892, his son, Abdul Baha took leadership of the religion and brought it to Europe and North America. Translating several scriptures to English, Abdul’s son, Shoghi Effendi, eventually took control launched the 10 year crusade to expand the Baha’i religion. Before his death in 1957, Shoghi Effendi had not appointed a new leader, so the Universal House of Justice, became the new guardian. The Hands of the Cause of God aslong with the other assemblies, worked to finish Shoghi Effendi's Ten Year World Crusade. Today, this religion is called Baha’i because of its meaning which is “follower of Baha’u’llah” and it has become a popular movement because of the early efforts of the leaders to expand it throughout the world (Bahāʾī Faith).