309
See also: The promise of a new age 178–81 ■ The Prophet and the origins of Islam 252–53 ■ The emergence of Shi‘a Islam
270–71 ■ Cao Ðài aims to unify all faiths 316 ■ A faith open to all beliefs 321
MODERN RELIGIONS
I
n Shi‘a Islam, most followers
believe that the Mahdi, the
descendant of Muhammad
who will come to restore the religion
of God, is Muhammad al-Mahdi,
the Twelfth Imam, who lived on
earth until 941. His return to bring
peace and justice to the world is a
cornerstone of the branch of Shi‘a
known as the Twelvers (p.271). This
belief was especially prevalent in
19th-century Persia, where Shi‘a
Islam had for centuries been the
state religion. It was here, in 1844,
that Siyyid ‘Ali Muhammad Shirazi
(1819–50) declared that he was
the Bab (Gate), and had come
to establish a faith in readiness
for the coming of “He whom God
shall make manifest.”
The Islamic authorities
persecuted his followers, known
as Babis, for their beliefs. Among
them was Mirza Husayn ‘Ali Nuri,
who came to believe he was the one
whose coming had been predicted
by the Bab. He adopted the title
Baha’u’llah (Glory of God) in 1863,
proclaiming that he was a messenger
of God, the latest in a line of such
messengers including Moses,
Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad.
Throughout history, he explained,
religions have been established by
these messengers, with each one in
turn bringing the religious truth
in a manner that was well-suited
to the time and place. Each
messenger has also prophesied the
coming of another messenger, in a
progressive revelation, a continual
unfolding of the message of God.The nature of the message
In his writings, Baha’u’llah explains
that God has two reasons for
sending these prophets to the
world: “The first is to liberate the
children of men from the darkness
of ignorance, and guide them to
the light of true understanding.
The second is to ensure the peace
and tranquillity of mankind, and
provide all the means by which
they can be established.”
Baha’u’llah’s own mission,
as the messenger prophesied by
previous prophets, was to bring a
message that was relevant to the
modern world, one of worldwidepeace, unity, and justice. Central
to his message was the concept
of unity of religion, acceptance of
the validity of all the world’s major
religions, and respect for their
prophets as messengers of God.
With this teaching he hoped to
avoid what had before now become
a source of religious conflict, while
promoting the unity of humankind
and rejecting inequality, prejudice,
and oppression. ■All peoples and
nations are of one
family, the children of
one Father, and should
be to one another as
brothers and sisters
Baha’u’llahBaha’u’llah The founder of the Baha’i faith
was born Mirza Husayn ‘Ali Nuri
in Tehran, Persia, in 1817, but is
better known by his adopted title
of Baha’u’llah (“Glory of God”). He
was brought up as a Muslim, but
became one of the first followers
of the Bab, Siyyid ‘Ali Muhammad
Shirazi. In the 1850s, he came to
believe that he was the fulfillment
of the Bab's prophecies. He was
imprisoned for his heretical
beliefs, then banished to Baghdad
and later to Constantinople
(modern Istanbul), where, in 1863,
he declared himself as Baha’u’llah,
God’s latest messenger on earth.Most of the Babis believed his
claims, and, as his followers,
became known as Baha’is. In
1868, Baha’u’llah again fell foul
of the Ottoman authorities,
and was sent to a penal colony
in ‘Akka, in Palestine. He was
gradually permitted greater
freedom, but nevertheless
remained a prisoner in ‘Akka
until his death in 1892.
Followers of the Baha’i
faith consider it more respectful
to depict Baha’u’llah not with
an image, but with a stylized
version of his name in Arabic
calligraphy, as shown left.