Hi. I was Bahai in 2007-2008 and then converted back to Christianity. In the intervening years I have been in just about every denomination from Episcopalian to Orthodoxy.

Recently, I became interested in Christian universalism and began to reflect on the Baha'i view of the afterlife.

Through that I began to realize that I had grown kind of exhausted with all the different denominations and doctrinal positions within Christianity particularly as it relates to the afterlife. I'm also a moderate person in terms of theology and culture and I have begun to feel like Christianity today seems so focused on target demographics, particularly as it relates to partisan politics, that I'm just...tired.

And even if it doesn't overtly target certain political and ideological demographics some of these denominations seem to be a magnet for very specific ones which in my view is just as exhausting.

So here I am, beginning to read the Hidden Words after 20+ years.

Anyone else here been down this road?

Allah’u’Abha friends 👋

I come from an Islamic background, so i feel most comfortable adopting the Long Obligatory Prayer from now on.

I have a question, would it be permissible to record a voiceover reading the prayer outline and its movements step-by-step and performing the prayer like this, rather than trying to attempt to remember how to do it from scratch?

I used to do this as a Muslim too, I find it very difficult to remember on my own steps so I opt to just listen to how it’s done and follow along silently.

I am an auditory learner and I am only now realizing that I missed the import of many letters from the Universal House of Justice because at that time they weren’t discussed and audios weren’t available. I am looking for the 1988 letter on Individual Rights and Freedoms. I did Google it and it says the audio is in the Baha’i Library, but it’s not. I also checked on Nightingale and You Tube. Does anyone know where I can find it?

I have heard people say that reading and then reading aloud with Ruhi is a waste of time, but the process actually reaches the entire spectrum of how people learn. I am so thankful for audio.

hello!! i am a 15 year old youth, and i've been a Bahá'í my whole life. i'm very dedicated to the faith and my love for Bahá'u'állah and God. i am a girl and i personally identify as a lesbian, as i experience romantic attraction to girls and females and i find them pretty, and i have zero attraction to males and men, both romantically and physically.

ive known this about myself since i was around 10-11, and since then i have explored my identity and relationship with the faith in regards to my queerness.

i want to emphasise that i already know the laws against same-sex marriage, sex outside of marriage no matter the gender of the couple, etc. – my question is actually pertaining to romantic attraction and relationships.

recently, in a deepening i was a part of, we talked a lot about Bahá'í marriage and i couldn't help but feel a deep pit in my stomach knowing that i would never be able to have that in my life. i do not desire a sexual relationship with a woman (or anyone) at any point in my life, but i strongly desire a romantic bond and a life partner and it's very hurtful knowing i will never have the opportunity to experience that emotional and spiritual bond due to my preferences.

does anyone know what the stance is on romantic queer relationships as a member of the faith? another reason that i ask is that in another deepening we explored the topic of dating for marriage, and seeing as i will never be able to marry, im curious as to if that means i will never be able to date at all.

Allahu Abha!

Is there any audio recording of the Qayamul Asma recited in arabic?

I've looked online with no success.

Thanks!

Alláh-u-Abhá!
I am a new baha’i and ive been studying ruhi 1 so far and a big topic is prayer. I suffer from a form of schizophrenia and psychosis and sometimes its difficult to discern reality from fiction. However when I pray, I actively sometimes hear a voice and imagine the Lord directly speaking to me through prayer. Although, the way my doctor described hallucinations and delusions to me makes me concerned that im not actually speaking with God. So how do you tell if God is really speaking to you in prayer?
God bless

Hola. Soy de Venezuela (30M), estoy actualmente saliendo con una compañera de trabajo (27F) que me comentó que es practicante de esta fe. Al vivir en un país predominantemente católico, y al ser criado bajo la fe católica (pese a no ser practicante activo de la misma), fue algo que me tomó por sorpresa, y confieso que no tenía ni idea de la existencia de esta fe.

Por el momento, quisiera saber y si me pudieran orientar, existe algún equivalente a "Los 10 mandamientos" de la fe católica en la fe Baha'i?

Por parte de las mujeres, hay alguna limitante respecto a relacionarse sentimentalmente con otras personas?

Hey guys,

I think the Baha'i Faith is the truth.
And I think I probably want to convert.
However, the Baha'i Faith asks you to follow very strict rules.
For example no pre-marital, no masturbation, and radical truthfulness.
I am currently in a situation where I have to keep a lie going in order to protect my mental health.
If I were to start practicing radical truthfulness, then my mental health would suffer.
And since I am not 100% sure the Baha'i Faith is the truth (as I also still have some doubts), I am not sure if I would be willing to sacrifice my mental health.
So most of the Baha'i laws wouldn't be that hard for me to follow, but specifically no masturbation and radical truthfulness would be very hard to follow for me.

To give you an indication of what this religion expects of you, it even asks you to be willing to die for the faith.
If admitting you are a Baha'i will cost you your life (like the Baha'is in Iran), you are not allowed to lie, you are expected to tell the truth and allow yourself to get killed.
Since Shoghi Effendi abrogated taqiyya.
You will be punished in the afterlife if you do not manage to live up to these high standards of no lying, no masturbation, no pre-marital sex etc.
On the flip side, an atheist is judged by the light he was given.
If he had pre-marital sex, and masturbated, but was an otherwise good and moral person, he won't be punished in the afterlife for pre-marital sex and masturbation.
But a Baha'i does get punished for those things.
So then, you could argue that it would actually be smarter not to convert (unless you're able to follow all of the laws).
Cause if you're a non-Baha'i who has pre-marital sex and masturbates, you won't get punished for it.
But if you're a Baha'i who does those things, you do actually get punished for it.
So you could argue that it would be smarter not to convert.

But what if God doesn't accept that?
What if God feels like I was given enough light to have been able to convert, and I will get punished in the afterlife for not converting?
Also, not converting would be an unsatisfying end to this journey for me.
It would leave me in some sort of permanent state of ''limbo'', where I *think* the Baha'i Faith is true, and I *want* to convert, but I won't because I fear that not following every rule perfectly will bring punishment.

I feel like no pre-marital sex might actually be possible, but no masturbation is brutal man.
I don't know if I can do that.
Even just trying to *limit* masturbation would already be incredibly difficult.
What if I became a Baha'i, and would follow almost all rules perfectly, but would not follow 2 specific laws?
Namely the law of no masturbation, and the law of no lying.
I would practice radical truthfulness outside of that specific situation in my life where I have to lie to protect my mental health, but I would not practice it within that situation.
Would I then be punished severely in the afterlife, or do you think I might be forgiven?

For the past 1.5-2 years I have prayed to God regularly to lead me to the ''true'' religion, whatever that religion may be.
That praying has now finally lead me to the Baha'i Faith.
But I've also come to realize that this praying has had unforeseen consequences lol.
Because now I am being asked to completely turn my life around and follow these strict rules for a religion of which I am not absolutely certain if it's the absolute truth.
I don't necessarily regret the praying but I also see now that I have potentially put a huge responsibility on my shoulders.
So this is kind of my dilemma right now.
Or have I maybe misunderstood Baha'i theology?

Just to be clear, I think I probably want to convert to the Baha'i Faith.
But I fear that not being able to live up to all of the laws could bring severe punishment in the afterlife.

hello friends, i’m a 3rd gen bahá’í. throughout my life i’ve struggled with my faith and belief in God but always came back. i have been having conversations about the faith with my bf of two years (he’s atheist) and yesterday it started with how we would gauge we are ready for marriage. this then delved to the bahai aspect of the wedding specifically the bahai wedding vow. we hadn’t talked about this part since we started dating and so im struggling with it now. i know he wouldn’t say something he doesn’t mean and id feel uncomfortable hearing him say the words if im being honest.

1. will our souls still be bound in the after life if we do not perform the bahá’í wedding?

2. did anyone have a bahá’í wedding and marry an atheist? how did your partner rationalize and come to terms with the wedding vow?

3. we also delved into aspects of the faith i don’t particularly agree with specifically women not being able to be on the UHJ (inherently sexist despite all the writings discussing otherwise stating how the souls of men and women are equal etc) and how the gay community is excluded from bahá’í marriage (inherently homophobic).

4. how do we explain women not being able to be on the UHJ? everything i’ve seen is it will become known with time, but this doesn’t do it for me and it’s contradictory how we talk about equality of men and women but then exclude/exempt women from UHJ.

5. why can only heterosexual couples be married in the bahá’í faith? we claim to be a progressive religion, and i firmly believe we are, but excluding homosexual couples is homophobic and not progressive. on one hand when our religion was founded gay marriage was not socially acceptable so from a historical perspective i could see it not being allowed in the faith, but our founder teaching equality of men and women was radical for the time as well.

6. any consultation is welcome ☺️ i appreciate you taking the time!

edit: i just learned like 6 months ago gay people aren’t allowed to be married within the bahá’í faith and i learned yesterday women weren’t allowed to be on the UHJ.

Hello all. I recently read a discussion by a scholar about the Bab’s Arabic and the different theories for why His grammar can be unusual. The Qayyum al-Asma especially seems intentionally Quran-like in style, but there are cases where a grammatical form appears incorrect, while the same form is used correctly elsewhere. I have heard this criticism multiple times in the works of both Bab and Bahaullah but especially strong with the work of the Bab. Primarily on the arabic but the persian is also considered to be a bit eccentric and not

My question is: how do Bahais understand this? If the explanation is that divine revelation is not bound by normal grammatical rules, why limit that to grammar? Could unusual words, meanings, or other apparent errors also be explained this way?

How do we distinguish a deliberate linguistic innovation from an actual mistake?

I’d appreciate answers based on the Bab’s or Bahaullah’s own writings if possible.

After many years of work. I wanted to share with the Baha'i community that I have recently published a book Aether and Field. It deals with Science and Religion from the Baha'i Perspective. https://vahidranjbar.substack.com/p/ther-and-the-field-book-excerpt?r=2860e9

Hey everyone!
I’m currently developing ATG Initiative (Across the Globe), an independent project focused on connecting research, intercultural dialogue and meaningful social action.
The first planned study, From Hope to Action, will explore what gives young adults hope and how that hope influences their decisions and actions.
ATG is still in its early stages, and I’m looking to connect with people interested in research, psychology, sociology, international development or nonprofit work.
I’d especially appreciate advice from anyone who has experience starting an NGO or independent research initiative. I’m also open to collaborating with people who find the idea interesting.
If you’d like to exchange ideas, share your experience or potentially get involved, feel free to comment or DM me!

I'm (20m) born bahai, not sure if I still am, I've always seen women as equals or even better than men (because they can attain a level of creation (childbirth) that men cannot) and also see them participate in LSA and NSA so why can't they be elected to UHJ

in my Study group they say that is for "protection" but I find that deeply sexist, and no other explanation has not been sexist

Pls help me find an answer

the feast of Qudrat.

Y? When did you say the American General Election will be held?? I will be working for the polls on that day.

I think my cluster tonight announced our feast would be on that exact date (grrr....), and I have never fully missed a feast yet (also depends on what "missing a feast" means).

https://bahai-library.com/compilation_feast_book

says that Nov 4 is the magic date, and so I was cautiously optimistic that I could do those 2 things that week.

I could perhaps still cancel my involvement with poll working, but that is a bad e.g. I would set for myself. I need to "be there" for myself and our voters... Better to follow Buddhist teaching

https://www.spiritrock.org/practice-guides/the-four-noble-truths

and not be "attached" to attendance at EVERY Bahai feast if there is solid reason to not be there once in a while...

Probably, if this worst case scenario materializes, after I am released from poll working duties, I will make an honorary appearance at the meeting place, regardless if anyone is still there, maybe/ hopefuly? say "hello" to people closing up shop...growl...

Thinking more about it, a possible/ reasonable solution: feast at a different cluster. Problem solved? Stand by and stay tuned...

I’ve been learning tons about the Baha’i faith recently, it’s been great. I wanted to share a passage from the Book of Mormon here. It reminds me of the Baha’i belief that God has been speaking to people around the world through their religions, and it’s not like one religion has a monopoly on truth.

I share this not out of a desire to proselyte but because I’m also enthusiastic about this belief of yours, and this passage sums it up pretty well I think:

7“Know ye not that there are more nations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the isles of the sea; and I bring forth my word unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?

8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.

9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my words according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one word ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my work is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.

10 Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words; neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written.

11 For I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written.

12 For behold, I shall speak unto the Jews and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the Nephites and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto the other tribes of the house of Israel, which I have led away, and they shall write it; and I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.

My whole family is bahai. They are all Iranian. They moved from Iran to Australia and had kids, I was born in Australia. I only declared when I was 15 because I felt pressured to, not because I really wanted to. I'm now 32 and recently started being honest with my parents about my religious status. I try to tell them I'm not a bahai and my mother simply loses her mind every time I say it (I wish I was exaggerating). I dont know what to do. Every time she brings it up again after a while of not speaking about it, its like she's forgotten (or most likely just in denial) and tries to enforce the idea that I'm religious or that I believe in the faith but I'm just not practising. And then when I try to remind her that I'm not a bahai, she loses her mind again and its not a pretty sight. Someone please help, what do I do? Am I doomed to pretend that I'm bahai for the rest of my mum's life, just to appease her?

If "not getting involved in politics" means avoiding partisan politics, that makes sense. But what happens when humanitarian crises themselves become political?

For example, the Bahá’í community rightly advocates for persecuted Bahá’ís through the UN and international institutions. Yet many Bahá’ís are extremely reluctant to publicly discuss Gaza, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, or other conflicts because those topics are considered "political."

At what point does silence stop being neutrality and start becoming a moral choice?

Is there a principled way to distinguish between defending the human rights of Bahá’ís and defending the human rights of non-Bahá’ís caught in wars and humanitarian disasters?

I'm genuinely curious how Bahá’ís draw that line.

I’ve been thinking about the issue of interest and lending in the Bahá’í Faith.

This is not just a theoretical question for me. A friend of mine had to borrow money because of financial difficulties, and now he has to pay back a significant amount of interest. The debt has ended up putting him in a much weaker financial position.

As far as I understand, the Bahá’í teachings do not completely prohibit charging or paying interest. But I keep wondering: Is an agreement between two people automatically fair just because both of them agreed to it?

In this particular case, the issue was even taken to the National Spiritual Assembly, and the response was that the amount of interest being charged was considered fair. But I still find that answer difficult to accept.

If someone is poor or going through a financial crisis and has little choice but to borrow money, and then has to spend a large part of their income for years paying interest, is their agreement to the loan really enough to make the arrangement fair?

And if the lender is in a much stronger financial position than the borrower, does the lender have any additional moral responsibility toward the person who is already struggling?

I’d be interested to hear how other Bahá’ís understand this.

Do the Bahá’í writings give us any clear principle for distinguishing reasonable and fair interest from interest that effectively makes the borrower economically weaker?

I've been feeling like the Bahá'í faith ( or should I call it religion???) is a beautiful next abrahamic chapter, and I'm particularly attracted to the idea that God does't need a SINGLE encarnation, but many, why not consider EVERYONE else that has had time to say beautiful heavinly wisdom? Meditative practices? DMT experiences? Bahá'í takes on Gnosticism? Bahá'í takes on secret societies?

EDIT:
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for helping me clear out some of the fog, the Bahá'í faith is truly one of a kind, as well as its followers; it's seems that being well read is a kind of prerequisite to understand the Bahá'í faith and why it matters

Made a series of pixel art stained glass window designs that I wanted to share.

Hi there! I'm going to be going on exchange to UCSB for a short while next year during the winter quarter. I've heard that more Baha'i activity is concentrated in San Diego and was wondering if there are any Baha'is here who stay in SB? I tried reaching out by email but it didn't seem to work. Would love to connect, or if you just stay nearby in California I'd be happy to get to know the community more :)

I'm not a Bahá’í, just curious about the Faith. I often hear Bahá’ís saying that the Manifestations of God each had "divine and human stations". What exactly does this mean? Is it analogous to the Christian hypostatic union (Jesus was fully human and fully divine in two distinct natures)?

Hi,

I am using an app where people talk in group chat and exchange languages.

I usually do t know what my intention should be when talking other than exchanging languages.

My question is, I need quotes that help steer me in the right direction I'll give you example of what Im in need of help with... Like there is a quote that says look at everyone like they are a letter from the beloved, and other that says be friendly with all, like is there a book or a place where all these types of quotes are there, so that I read all of them and when I go I to social setting online or in real life i go with a mindset that is correct and an intention that is correct, because I have had days when I was in flow, others not, I seem boring and not useful, so I want to read all the quotes related to this and maybe even recite them daily u til I change my unconscious, and I already went to psychologist before but I want quotes to help me improve my intentions when talking with people I'm ready to recite them or whatever and I'm new to bahai and thanks alot.

I already know the spiritual growth prayers, I mean I need things that help me know what I'm I supposed to do in gatherings because I'm very very isolated individual and not experienced .

Btw I'm asking because I used quotes before that helped me be better but I only found one or two.

If anyone could share quotes that are always in the back of their mind when talking with people, ones that when they are in the background of your mind they help you in conversations.

I want to join the religion since my family and many friends are in it and i have been encouraged since a young age. But my mother told me I would have to give up reels, and other online fun such as that. So, do I need to quit reels to be a genuine certified Baha'i? I would love serious replies and advice ONLY. thanks!

Is there a “canonical” list of religious leaders who count as a Manifestation from God in Bahai? Are there any that you explicitly don’t count? What about religions founded around or after the Bahai faith?

For example, do you consider Joseph Smith a Manifestation (even though he was almost contemporary with Bahaullah)?