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.”

Why teaching children is important

Teaching children - Bahai
Andriana Ali and Bridget Ukana conducting children’s classes as part of the 1996 Olinga Teaching Project in Ghana. Reprinted with kind permission of the Baha’i International Community.

Baha’u’llah said, in a Tablet (translated from the Persian) [14]: “That which is of paramount importance for the children, that which must precede all else, is to teach them the oneness of God and the laws of God.

“The parents must exert every effort to rear their offspring to be religious, for should the children not attein this greatest of adornments, they will not obey their parents, which in a certain sense means that they will not obey God.

” Indeed, such children will show no consideration to anyone, and will do exactly as they please.” 

Compiled by the Research Department of the Universal House of Justice, A Compilation on Baha’i Education (Haifa: Baha’i World Centre, August 1976) P. 3. Available from http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/c/BE/be-15.html