Celebrating the Birth of Baha’u’llah

Members of the Thames Valley Bahá’ís joined Bahá’ís around the globe to celebrate the anniversary of the Birth of Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith.

Shoghi Effendi was the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith from 1921 to 1957 until he died. 12 November marks the date in 1817 when Baha’u’llah was born into a noble family in Tehran, the capital of Iran (then called Persia). He is known within the Bahá’í Faith as a Manifestation of God (along with Moses, Abraham, Christ, Muhammad, Krishna and Buddha).

A website featuring photographs to help viewers experience the life of Baha’u’llah is run by the Baha’i International Community to mark the anniversary. Some photographs have not been published before, and many have only had limited distribution. The address of the site is www.bahaullah.org

Thames Valley Community member, Shawn Khorassani, said: “The Birth of Baha’u’llah is a key date for Bahá’ís. Baha’u’llah means ‘Glory of God’. He is the founder of the Baha’i Faith. We joined other Bahá’ís around the globe to celebrate the anniversary of the his Birth.

“Anybody interested in learning more should look at the website – it’s appropriate for a range of audiences, not only Baha’is and those who have a deep interest in the Baha’i Faith, but also people who, from an academic or historical perspective, want to see what kind of photographic documentation exists for such a unique figure as Baha’u’llah.”

Was 26 November special for you?

The Day of the Covenant (November 26) had special significance for Bahá’ís everywhere. It was the festival which commemorated Bahá’u’lláh’s appointment of his eldest son ‘Abdu’l-Baha, as the Centre of his Covenant.

Bahá’ís observe 11 holy days each year which are commemorated with community gatherings for prayer, reflection, and fellowship. The Day of the Covenant was such a day. Learn more here: http://info.bahai.org/covenant-of-bahaullah.html