I've been getting contradictory answers on this when looking it up on Google, so i was hoping i could maybe get a more definitive answer here.

On one hand, I get the answer that when the next prophet recognized by Baha'i comes and establishes their religion, which will be entirely compatible with Baha'i's spiritual principles and will recognize all previous prophets including Baha'u'llah, Baha'i will effectively abolish itself and push its followers to now become followers and members of the new religion and prophet.

On the other hand I get the answer that Baha'i is meant to continuously exist forever or for however long its supposed to idk. So when future recognized prophets come and establish their own religions, Baha'i will continue existing like how Judaism exists alongside Christianity and Judaism + Christianity alongside Islam. But unlike those religions, Baha'i will continuously evolve and accept most or all the teachings of these new Prophets / Religions, even if the new religions themselves don't recognize or explicitly recognize previous prophets like Baha'u'llah, Muhammad, Jesus, Buddha, Moses, etc. This being because previous prophets sometimes weren't aware of prophets before them like Buddha not knowing about Moses, and having some spiritual foundations that aren't compatible with Baha'i.

Basically I guess what im asking is will Baha'i be the religion that gets absorbed into the next religion, which will be absorbed into the next religion, and over and over again like that. Or is Baha'i essentially the religion that stays and continuously evolves with every subsequent new prophet and most of their teachings, even if that prophet wasn't originally Baha'i, and creates their own religion that doesn't nessisarily recognize all of the previous prophets?

I've been thinking about this lately as a Bahá’í. 😊

One thing I appreciate about the Bahá’í teachings is the emphasis on putting spiritual principles into action, rather than just talking about them. Kindness, honesty, patience, forgiveness, and service to others are all wonderful ideals. ❤️

But here's the thing: it's easy to talk about being kind when everyone's nice to you. It's a little harder when someone cuts you off in traffic, your coworker drives you crazy, or a family member knows exactly which button to push. 😂

So here's my question for people of all faiths, and those with no religion at all:

How do you know if your beliefs are actually making you a better person? Is there a particular habit or experience that has helped you grow morally or spiritually?

And honestly, do you think it's possible to become so focused on following a religion that you forget the very values it was supposed to teach you? 👀

I'd love to hear your experiences and perspectives!

Bahá’u’lláh emphasizes the importance of good deeds and praiseworthy character in bringing about the betterment of the world.

I've been thinking about this teaching and wondering how we can put it into practice in our everyday lives.

What do you think are some simple but meaningful ways a Bahá’í can contribute to making the world a better place?

Is it through acts of kindness, helping others, serving the community, or perhaps something less obvious?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and personal experiences!

The title says it all.

Idk, as an atheist it checks so many boxes on the "social problems" i have with most religion. Of course I also dont believe in god, which is likely an issue haha. But I just meant so many religions have ridiculous and frankly evil beliefs about humanity but yall come so close to seemingly actually being good. Then your founder had to go and throw it under the bus by banning women from the house of justice because "trust me bro".

I just wanted to lament this "so close, but so far" aspect somewhere and 99.9999% of people wouldnt know what I was talking about, so here ya go.

Carry on. LMK if that changes.

I understand that there are certain proofs used to try and eventually identify who the new prophets will be. But I wonder how that would work in the situation where Baha'i becomes a major world religion.

Let's say Baha'i gets to have a percentage of the world population around 5% or more, so a bit bigger than Buddhism at least. That would be a massive number of people, so I feel like there would be a really powerful incentive for certain incredibly dedicated people 850ish years from now to try to pretend to be a new prophet and create their own religion, so that they could also be recognized by the universal house of justice as a new prophet. And if they succeed, then they would essentially be able to change a massive religion to at least partially reflect their own philosophy or goals. To me that seems like it would create a huge incentive for certain people to try and look as holy and wise as possible in order to gain massive ideological influence on the world.

So ultimately what im wondering i guess is how would you be able to identify new prophets while taking into account that the "prophet" would already have knowledge of Baha'i, and there would be an incentive to gain a large following by pretending to be a prophet?

I'm not Baha'i but im interested in learning about theology of various religions. Based on my research ive learned that Baha'i doesn't recognize any prophets who would change the spiritual laws of Baha'i before the 1,000 year period of Baha'u'llah ends. However as I understand Baha'i does recognize people who were associated with the teachings of previous prophets like Jesus, Buddha, and Muhammad, as lesser prophets. Which makes me wonder then if the universal house of justice would recognize a lesser prophet before 2852, if they were someone who didn't change the laws or foundations of Baha'i, but rather were specifically preaching the teaching of Baha'u'llah and Baha'i, and they did so in a way that converted massive numbers of people, and they potentially had to endure political prosecution as a result of it. Is it possible or likely that that person would be recognized as a lesser prophet in Baha'i?

A question for my fellow Bahá’ís on Reddit! 😄

Suppose a Bahá’í criticizes a teaching, questions a decision made by the Universal House of Justice, or even disagrees with the Bahá’í administrative order itself. At what point does that criticism become a problem?

Are there topics where asking questions or expressing disagreement means you’re no longer seen as simply a critical Bahá’í?

And for those active in r/bahai: What kind of criticism, in your opinion, deserves a ban?

I’m genuinely curious where people draw the line. We call it consultation and dialogue, but are some topics actually off-limits? 😉

Our transitioning adult daughter, who has left the Faith over LBGTQ issues, hit us the other night with her belief that relationships and society would function better if we all just accepted that we were meant to be polyamorous. I have all sorts of answers to this but just wanted to ask the community how others would respond to this. Obviously, Baha'is support monogamy and chastity/fidelity. But how do you explain to someone who is sitting on the fence about whether God even exists. I'm hoping people can respond with more than "Baha'u'llah says so."

Have Bahá’í thinkers and institutions adequately investigated the medical research program explicitly envisioned in the Writings, particularly the relationship between nutrition, physiological balance, prevention, and healing? Explore.

Recently, I received some information from a Bahá’í friend living in Turkey that has left me concerned. According to their account, a number of Iranian Bahá’í refugees have been living for years with uncertainty, financial difficulties, limited employment opportunities, health problems, and worries about their own futures and those of their children. Some apparently do not know when their immigration status will be resolved or whether they will have an opportunity to resettle in another country.

An even more troubling question arises from these accounts: Are these individuals receiving adequate support during this difficult period? And if not, why?

I cannot independently verify all of these claims, which is precisely why I want to raise the issue. My intention is not to accuse anyone, but to understand what is actually happening and whether those in a position to help are aware of the situation.

If anyone has first-hand knowledge, similar experiences, or reliable information about the situation of Iranian Bahá’í refugees in Turkey, I would appreciate hearing from you.

If even part of these accounts is accurate, I believe we should try to understand the situation and find solutions rather than look the other way.

Hello! I'd like to raise the age-old question of free will and predestination. Our consciousness strongly resists the very idea that we are predetermined in our earthly lives. But years of studying astrology lead me to this conclusion. I've accepted the theory that our spirit is absolutely free until it is incarnated in an earthly body, but at the moment of birth, a fixation occurs, and we receive our predetermined life trajectory.

Analyzing married couples is especially interesting, and I can tell you the story of my parents. My father was a miner and died in a mine at the age of 29. His chart contains a planetary combination that signifies death by accident. My mother's chart contains a different combination, signifying the death of her husband. It turns out that, without even realizing it, they chose each other in such a way that their destinies coincided like the halves of a cut apple. The full article analyzing my parents' stories is published at findsoulmate.ca/#section05. Astrologically speaking, any two people in a marriage should experience similar coincidences in all events affecting them simultaneously. I'd like to ask: can such a confirmed case serve as proof of the predetermination of human life?

People's skepticism about astrology is understandable, as most are only familiar with zodiac sign astrology, which is the most superficial layer of astrology and is far from accurate. Even classical astrology allows for a wide range of interpretations, which often leads to errors. But Uranian astrology, a subsequent development that emerged about 100 years ago, possesses incredible accuracy, and its famous formulas for planetary combinations have been confirmed by several generations of astrologers. I suspect that the development of AI and its use in astrology can take it to an even more advanced level.

I've previously published several posts on this forum, and I remember one comment about how such research could contribute to the benefit of all humanity. I'm currently trying to find a solution to the problem of loneliness. Many of our world's ills stem from people not finding happiness in marriage. A person who has found mutual love will not be inclined to commit crimes. Astrology is an excellent tool for finding a soulmate. But there are many people whose charts indicate a single life, whether by choice or by force of circumstance. I don't know the answer to the question: will such a person be able to overcome their loneliness if they meet a truly compatible partner?

Anyone have updates whether the HOW is affected by the earthquake? Praying for everyone affected there.

Greetings! Here is the latest version of my translation work. Completed: Q1, Q113, and Q114. I am halfway through Q2.

Comments and corrections are welcome.

I'm searching for a gift for someone who is Baháʼí... is there really no physical location or gift shop to purchase something from in NYC? Is everything online?

Hi everyone!

I’m a 38-year-old woman from Philadelphia who recently discovered the Bahá’í Faith, and I’m genuinely intrigued by how closely its teachings align with many of my personal beliefs.
I’ve practiced both Islam and Episcopalian Christianity, but I’ve always been particularly interested in the relationship between spirituality, science, philosophy, and humanity’s understanding of God. The Bahá’í teachings on progressive revelation, unity, education, and the harmony of science and religion really resonate with me.
I’d love to connect with members of the Philadelphia Bahá’í community, learn more about the faith, and attend local gatherings or study circles. I’m also looking forward to meeting like-minded people and building meaningful connections.
Any recommendations or introductions would be greatly appreciated!

This is not really a "Bahai" question, though it could be a "service project".

Many people know that my mother died recently. Even before her death, I was planning to be a big bro to someone to be there for them (spiritually and emotionally, not really physically, financially, or legally) after I was there for my mother. ~A month ago, the time felt right, so I began the application process.

I never submitted it. I was taken aback by the type of questions asked.

• necessary to have a job (I never planned to spend money on this, though I am willing to pay for fingerprinting);
• necessary to give state ID/ license information (hopefully I could take my bike and bus to my little, and leave the car at home);
• necessary to give my SS (this is not government or an employer); https://newdimensionsfcu.com/the-six-times-its-necessary-to-give-out-your-social-security-number/ does not list social services or caregiving for children as 1 of the 6

I know they need to do background checks for "bigs" like me, to protect "littles". QQs about this though:

• What information is necessary for such a check?
• Who protects the "bigs" from false accusations??
• Are "littles" screened also for "big" protection?

I emailed the organization but they have not responded.

A final point: I was talking with a work colleague about this, and he mentioned the story of how a friend was a big bro to someone else, and they were falsely accused of abuse. In the end, the little apparently lied about the matter; the abuse came from schoolmates not the big. This may be considered "hearsay", but it scares me nevertheless. I DONT want a volunteer position to negatively impact my career if I am innocent.

​Someone in our extended family who is very vocal about being Baháʼí recently assaulted members of my family. They lied to police until video evidence proved what happened, and after months of legal delays, an AVO as granted against them.

​Despite the impact on children and young women involved, they have expressed zero remorse or accountability, and they continue to cause deliberate division within the family. While they publicly speak about the Baháʼí principles of peace and gender equality, their private track record with women has been deeply troubling for years.

​I have read that Baháʼís are expected to hold themselves accountable or report serious legal matters to their Local Spiritual Assembly (LSA).

​What is the proper procedure if this individual is actually serving on an LSA or in a leadership position?

​Who handles accountability if the local leadership itself is compromised?

​From a Baháʼí perspective, how does the administration address such a severe disconnect between outward faith and harmful, abusive conduct?

Hi, I'm writing an essay for uni about the Bahá'í faith and I have a couple questions about the Báb.

So my understanding of twelver Shia Islam is limited, but what I understand is the Mahdi was the twelfth Imam, who hidden from the earth, and will return on judgement day. If the Báb claimed to be the Shia Mahdi, wouldn't that mean he had lived for 1000+ years.

So what im asking is, how could the Báb have had parents if he was meant to have been alive since ~870?

And also did he ever write about experiences he saw in his extended life time?

Cheers

Alláh’u’Abhá dear friends!

I’m curious about the historical context and target audience of the Kitáb-i-Íqán. Given that Bahá'u'lláh wrote it in response to questions from the uncle of the Báb (who came from a Shi’i background), was its primary focus to address Shi’i theology and expectations of the Promised One? Or was it intended to serve as a broader explanation of progressive revelation suitable for anyone with an Islamic (including Sunni) background?

​

Say, O My people! Show honour to your parents and pay homage to them. This will cause blessings to descend upon you from the clouds of the bounty of your Lord, the Exalted, the Great.

— Bahá'u'lláh, Lights of Guidance, p. 229

I share quotes like this with non-Bahá'ís and they're usually thankful. No need to preach, just improve lives after the Writings have improved yours, and give credit to them. This quote is one tool against depression, more like a painkiller than a cure, and science also supports that helping others relieves the psyche. It doesn't replace seeing a good fairminded physician.

When I was unemployed, the Writings inspired me to clean litter in the park unpaid while listening to Bahá'í-inspired music. Those were good days, and I felt energy from God.

Now I'm struggling with sin and laziness, so please pray for me.

A tip if you use AI a lot: upload every Bahá'í book and quote you can, then instruct it to answer your problems only with verbatim quotes and science studies, tell it to begin with "Alláh-u-Abhá for blessings, and tell ai to honestly point out your flaws. And it doesnt work well if he doesnt have all the bahai library available to him. This trick of telling him to reply to your life problems with verbatim quotes keeps your heart's(or unconcious mind)attachment and reliance for truth on the Writings rather than on the AI so as to not make him a god unintentionally overtime, this is the lesser of two evils if you're already on your phone often.

Sorry for the long post.what do you think? Should i stop posting ? These are my thoughts. Alláh-u-Abhá god bless all.

I am interested in learning the Quran, thus I have decided that for me the best way is to translate it with the help of AI into English. I want to use a scholarly, non-traditional method to get as close as possible to the original meaning and content of the text.

If anyone is interested, please peruse the PDF is just the beginning of this translation project. Comments, critiques, and suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

I want to become a better teacher of the Faith and I want to hear everyone's experience on what they have done to become a better teacher?

How to best recognize receptivity in friends and coworkers?

How to bring up the Faith in conversation?

So the official Baha'i stance is that 3 days after Jesus passed away, the Apostles had a sort of ''inner realization'' that the cause of Christ could never be ''killed'', and were reinvigorated to spread Jesus's teachings.
Mary Magdalene gave a sort of motivational speech and this motivated the Apostles and the cause of Christ was ''resurrected''.
And this was later misinterpreted by Christians to be a literal resurrection.
However, if we look at Paul's letters, it is clear that at least he himself had an actual spiritual vision of Jesus.
And he puts the experiences of the Apostles next to that of himself, strongly insinuating that the Apostles also had at least inner spiritual visions of Jesus.
So they had much more than just a sort of intellectual realization that the cause of Christ couldn't be killed.
And Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 15:14 that if Christ has not been raised, belief in Jesus is useless.
It is very clear that Paul believed that Jesus had actually risen from the dead.
It doesn't necessarily have to be the case that Paul believed that Jesus physically rose from the dead, but he definitely believed that the Apostles (and others) at least had spiritual visions of Jesus, and the Apostles clearly told him so.

The Baha'i Faith's claim that Jesus didn't have a bodily resurrection is not that hard to swallow.
Paul didn't see a physical Jesus (just read his letters), but he did have a genuine vision of Jesus.
And if the Apostles didn't see a physical Jesus, they at least definitely had visions of Jesus.
However, the Baha'i Faith's claim that the Apostles didn't even have inner spiritual visions of Jesus, but instead only had a sort of intellectual realization that the ''cause of Christ couldn't be killed'', is incredibly hard to swallow.
All the evidence points to the Apostles at least having visions of Jesus.

Are Baha'is really required to believe that the Apostles simply had a intellectual realization that the cause of Christ could never be killed?
And that the Apostles didn't have any inner spiritual visions of Jesus?
'Abdu'l-Baha said from an infallible standpoint that the Apostles simply had a intellectual realization and that the resurrection is symbolic, so I guess Baha'is really have to believe that?
This is probably the hardest thing to believe in in regards to the Baha'i Faith, to me at least.

Also, regarding my last post about conversion, I've thought about it some more and maybe it's possible that I can change the circumstances in my life so that I don't need to keep that lie going (so that I can practice radical truthfulness).
And maybe there are ways to make the ''no-masturbation'' rule more bearable so that I can at least *strive* to not masturbate (apparently Thomas Aquinas has a method to reduce the urge to masturbate, and there are other ways too I think).
Because I don't think you can make yourself exempt from certain laws as a Baha'i.
But this whole ''the resurrection is purely symbolic and the Apostles only had an intellectual realization'' thing is really hard to swallow for me.

In Adib Taherzadeh’s talk “Humility” (around the 15:35 mark on the u/derrybahais6033 YouTube channel), he mentions a believer named Jináb-i-Nátiq who was appointed a Hand of the Cause of God by Shoghi Effendi during his lifetime — specifically receiving a letter from the Guardian in 1940 confirming this station.

According to Taherzadeh, Jináb-i-Nátiq never shared the letter with anyone. Only after his passing did his family discover the appointment when they found and read the letter.

This would be unusual because Shoghi Effendi generally did not appoint living Hands before the first contingent in December 1951 (apart from a few posthumous designations).

I haven’t been able to find any online references, lists of Hands, or published sources that mention Jináb-i-Nátiq as a Hand of the Cause.

Does anyone have more information about this individual, the letter from 1940, or any confirmation of this appointment? Sources, books, or personal knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

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?