None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself.

— Islam

Founded in the mid-nineteenth century, the Bahá'í Faith has spread to some 236 nations and territories and is now accepted by more than five million people. The word "Bahá'í" means "follower of Bahá'u'lláh." Bahá'u'lláh, the Founder of the Bahá'í Faith, is the Messenger of God for this day. His name in Arabic means "The Glory of God." His followers believe that Bahá'u'lláh's writings are an expression of the Holy Spirit and are the Word of God. Accelerated Growth

Like Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and other great religions, the Bahá'í Faith began in the East. But the Bahá'í teachings are not Eastern or Western; they are universal, revealed for all the people of the planet. The Bahá'í Faith has spread throughout the world, gaining adherents from every nation, race, culture and class. More than 2,100 tribes, races and ethnic groups are represented in the Bahá'í world community. Bahá'u'lláh's writings are translated into 800 languages.

Idealistic and Practical

A growing number of people are becoming interested in the Bahá'í Faith, not only because it contains profound spiritual teachings, but also because it shows how spiritual principle can be put into action in effective ways. Bahá'u'lláh's message offers logical and reasonable solutions to the myriad issues faced by humanity in the modern age.

God is the Creator

God is the Creator of the universe and is infinitely exalted above creation. Human beings do not have the capacity fully to understand God's unknowable essence.

God is not limited by any of the laws or relationships that we experience in our reality. We can see the signs of God's powers and qualities in creation in the same way that we can see the signs of the thoughts and ideas of a painter in a painting. But the painter, like God, is not limited to or defined solely by his or her creations. Neither is God limited in any way by the qualities of the creation.

Human beings were created to know and love God. Because the Divine reality is too great for our comprehension, God sends Divine Messengers, or Prophets to bring the knowledge of God to the world.

Bahá'u'lláh: Inspired by the Holy Spirit

Bahá'u'lláh is the most recent in a succession of Messengers that includes Moses, Christ, Mohammed and others. Bahá'ís believe Bahá'u'lláh was inspired by the Holy Spirit to reveal the Word of God in many volumes of sacred writings.

A True Religion and not a Sect

The Bahá'í Faith is not a sect or denomination of another religion, nor is it a cult or a social movement. It is not based on a mixture or selection of teachings from past religious revelations. Rather it is founded on new books of divine scripture revealed by Bahá'u'lláh.

(copyright 2003 by the Bahá'ís of the United States)