Bahá’u’lláh

Entrance to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláhBorn in 1817, Bahá’u’lláh was a member of one of the great patrician families of Persia. His family could trace its lineage to the ruling dynasties of Persia’s imperial past and was endowed with wealth and vast estates. Turning His back on the position at court which these advantages offered Him, Bahá’u’lláh became known for His generosity and kindliness, which made Him deeply loved among His countrymen.

This privileged position did not long survive Bahá’u’lláh’s announcement of support for the message of the Báb . Engulfed in the waves of violence unleashed upon the Bábís after the Báb’s execution, Bahá’u’lláh not only suffered the loss of all His worldly endowments but was subjected to imprisonment, torture, and a series of banishments. The first was to Baghdad where, in 1863, He announced Himself as the One promised by the Báb. From Baghdad, Bahá’u’lláh was sent to Constantinople, to Adrianople, and finally to ‘Akká, in the Holy Land, where He arrived as a prisoner in 1868.

The face of him on whom I gazed I can never forget, though I cannot describe it. Those piercing eyes seemed to read one’s very soul; power and authority sat on that ample brow... No need to ask in whose presence I stood, as I bowed myself before one who is the object of a devotion and love which kings might envy and emperors sigh for in vain!

Bahá’u’lláh was thus described by the well-known Cambridge University Orientalist Edward Granville Browne in 1890. Bahá’u’lláh had, at that time, been a prisoner and exile for almost 40 years, and His teachings were shrouded in obscurity; today He is recognized by millions of followers around the world as the Manifestation of God, or Divine Teacher, for this age. According to Bahá’í belief, Manifestations of God, including Moses, Abraham, Christ, Muhammad, Krishna, and Buddha, have appeared at intervals throughout history to found the world’s great religious systems. They have been sent by a loving Creator to enable us to know and to worship Him and to bring human civilization to ever higher levels of achievement.

Describing the relationship between the Manifestations of God and Their Creator, Bahá’u’lláh uses the analogy of the mirror: God is as the Sun, and the Manifestations are as Mirrors that reflect that divine light -- but they are in no way to be considered as identical to that Sun:

These sanctified Mirrors... are, one and all, the Exponents on earth of Him Who is the central Orb of the universe, its Essence and ultimate Purpose. From Him proceed their knowledge and power; from Him is derived their sovereignty. The beauty of their countenance is but a reflection of His image, and their revelation a sign of His deathless glory.¹

Detail of the gate to the Shrine of Bahá’u’lláhBahá’u’lláh’s central message for humanity in this day is one of unity and justice. “The best beloved of all things in My sight is justice,”² and “The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens”³ are two oft-quoted passages of His. He also states that “The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established.”⁴ This is the prescription of God, the divine and all-knowing Physician, for our ailing world.

Throughout the long years of exile He endured, Bahá’u’lláh revealed divinely inspired passages equivalent to over 100 volumes. This revelation comprises mystical writings, social and ethical teachings, laws and ordinances, and a fearless proclamation of His message to the kings and rulers of the world, including Napoleon III, Queen Victoria, Pope Pius IX, the Shah of Persia, Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany, and the Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria.

The conception of human nature found in Bahá’u’lláh’s revelation is one of dignity and essential nobility. In one passage, He writes, with the voice of God, “O Son of Spirit! Noble have I created thee, yet thou hast abased thyself. Rise then unto that for which thou wast created.”⁵ Elsewhere He states, “Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”⁶ Every person, He asserts, is capable of recognizing God; all that is needed is a degree of detachment:

When the channel of the human soul is cleansed of all worldly and impeding attachments, it will unfailingly perceive the breath of the Beloved across immeasurable distances, and will, led by its perfume, attain and enter the City of Certitude...

That city is none other than the Word of God revealed in every age and dispensation... All the guidance, the blessings, the learning, the understanding, the faith, and certitude, conferred upon all that is in heaven and on earth, are hidden and treasured within these Cities.⁷

Bahá’u’lláh’s Son, `Abdu’l-Bahá, who was appointed by Him as His successor, describes the mission of His Father in these words:

He bore these ordeals, suffered these calamities and difficulties in order that a manifestation of selflessness and service might become apparent in the world of humanity; that the Most Great Peace should become a reality; that human souls might appear as the angels of heaven; that heavenly miracles would be wrought among men; that human faith should be strengthened and perfected; that the precious, priceless bestowal of God--the human mind--might be developed to its fullest capacity in the temple of the body; and that man might become the reflection and likeness of God, even as it hath been revealed in the Bible, “Let us make man in our image.”

Briefly, the Blessed Perfection [Bahá’u’lláh] bore all these ordeals and calamities in order that our hearts might become enkindled and radiant, our spirits be glorified, our faults become virtues, our ignorance be transformed into knowledge; in order that we might attain the real fruits of humanity and acquire heavenly graces; in order that, although pilgrims upon earth, we should travel the road of the heavenly Kingdom; and, although needy and poor, we might receive the treasures of eternal life. For this has He borne these difficulties and sorrows.⁸

Bahá’u’lláh passed away at Bahjí, just north of ‘Akká, and is buried there. His teachings had already begun to spread beyond the confines of the Middle East, and His Shrine is today the focal point of the world community which these teachings have brought into being.

* Adapted from Bahá’í Topics, an information resource produced by the Bahá’í International Community.