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Today is Tuesday, September 16, 2025; it is now 11:51 UTC
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September 1: The Ministry of the Custodians was described by the Universal House of Justice as a time when "the entire history of religion shows no comparable record of such strict self-discipline, such absolute loyalty, and such complete self-abnegation by the leaders of a religion, finding themselves suddenly deprived of their divinely inspired guide." On November 7, 1957, the Guardian and Head of the Bahá’í Faith, Shoghi Effendi Rabbani, died unexpectedly in London. The period following the death of Shoghi Effendi and the election of the Universal House of justice was known as the Ministry of the Custodians.
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"Prayer," says ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, "is conversation with God." In order that God may make known His mind and will to human beings, He must speak to us in a language which we can understand, and this He does through the guidance of the Manifestations of God. While the Manifestations are alive They speak face to face with man and convey to them the Message of God, and after Their death Their message continues to reach people's minds through their recorded sayings and writings. But this is not the only way in which God can commune with and inspire those whose hearts are seeking after truth, wherever they are, and whatever their native race or tongue. By this language the Manifestation continues to hold converse with the faithful after His departure from the material world.
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A fundamental principle of the Bahá’í Faith is the harmony of religion and science. The Bahá’í Faith teaches that properly appreciated, science and religion will never conflict, as each are complementary ways of explaining truth, which on any issue must necessarily be singular. The teachings state that whenever conflict arises between religion and science it is due to human error; either through misinterpretation of religious scriptures or the lack of a more complete understanding of science. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that religious teachings which are at variance with science should not be accepted; he explained that religion has to be reasonable since God endowed humankind with reason so that they can discover truth.
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September 4: The Nineteen Day Feasts are regular community gatherings, occurring on the first day of each month of the Bahá’í calendar (and so most often nineteen days apart from each other). The Nineteen Day Feast serves to increase the unity of the community, and spiritually uplift the community members by having a devotional program, where readings and prayers from the Bahá’í holy writings are shared, and a social program where community members can socialize. The third part of a Feast is the administrative portion, which is a critical arena for democratic expression within a Bahá’í Community. Therefore, the administrative portion is limited to Bahá’ís. Bahá’ís from other communities may freely attend, though they may not vote on any recommendations that the community may put forward as recommendations to the Local Spiritual Assembly. Attendance at the Nineteen Day Feast is not obligatory, but is considered and a duty and a privilege for Bahá’ís since it is where they can enter into consultation with the rest of the community.
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The Hands of the Cause of God were a select group of Bahá’ís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Bahá’í Faith on the international level. In all there were fifty Hands of the Cause, four named by Bahá’u’lláh, four by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and forty-two by Shoghi Effendi (including ten posthumously). The title is no longer given out, and there are no longer any living Hands of the Cause, the last surviving Hand being Dr. 'Alí-Muhammad Varqá. The work of the Hands of the Cause is now carried out by the Continental Board of Counsellors and the Auxiliary Boards. The most complete list of the Hands available is from "The Bahá’í World: Vol XIV". The Universal House of Justice has confirmed that this list may not be complete, and that a study of the letters and archives may reveal others named to this station.
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September 6: The Nine Year Plan (1964-1973) was the first of many international plans to be given to the Bahá’í world by the newly-formed Universal House of Justice within the framework of the Divine Plan first elaborated by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This plan, following on the successful conclusion of the Ten Year Crusade initiated by Shoghi Effendi, was first mentioned by the Universal House of Justice in a letter dated May 7, 1963 to the London National Convention. Some of its goals were the publication of a synopsis and codification of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, and a formulation of the Constitution of the Universal House of Justice (more...)
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A fundamental principle of the Bahá’í Faith is the harmony of religion and science. The Bahá’í Faith teaches that properly appreciated, science and religion will never conflict, as each are complementary ways of explaining truth, which on any issue must necessarily be singular. The teachings state that whenever conflict arises between religion and science it is due to human error; either through misinterpretation of religious scriptures or the lack of a more complete understanding of science. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that religious teachings which are at variance with science should not be accepted; he explained that religion has to be reasonable since God endowed humankind with reason so that they can discover truth.
(view edit talk links history)
September 8: The Nineteen Day Feasts are regular community gatherings, occurring on the first day of each month of the Bahá’í calendar (and so most often nineteen days apart from each other). The Nineteen Day Feast serves to increase the unity of the community, and spiritually uplift the community members by having a devotional program, where readings and prayers from the Bahá’í holy writings are shared, and a social program where community members can socialize. The third part of a Feast is the administrative portion, which is a critical arena for democratic expression within a Bahá’í Community. Therefore, the administrative portion is limited to Bahá’ís. Bahá’ís from other communities may freely attend, though they may not vote on any recommendations that the community may put forward as recommendations to the Local Spiritual Assembly. Attendance at the Nineteen Day Feast is not obligatory, but is considered and a duty and a privilege for Bahá’ís since it is where they can enter into consultation with the rest of the community.
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September 9: Progressive revelation is a core teaching in the Bahá’í Faith that suggests religious truth is revealed by God progressively and cyclically over time through a series of divine Messengers, and that the teachings are tailored to suit the needs of the time and place of their appearance. Thus, the Bahá’í teachings recognize the divine origin of several world religions, asserting that God is one and His religion is one, while believing that the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh is the most recent (though not the last), and therefore the most relevant to modern society. This teaching is an interaction of simpler teachings and their implications. The basic concept relates closely to Bahá’í views on God's essential unity, and the nature of prophets, termed Manifestations of God. It also ties into Bahá’í views of the purpose and nature of religion, laws, belief, culture and history. Hence revelation is seen as progressive and continuous and never ceases.
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September 10: The Bahá’í teachings state that there is but one religion which is progressively revealed by God, through prophets/messengers to mankind. As humanity matures and its capacity to understand also grows, and the Bahá’í writings state all Manifestations come from the same God and expound His teachings, Therefore they can be seen in the same light, but at the same times they are separate individuals known by a different name, who fulfills a definite mission, and is entrusted with a particular revelation. Humanity is likened to a child that grows and needs training at various stages. Religion, therefore, is likened to a school, where the pupil (humanity) goes through various courses and various grades. Similarly, religion is the ongoing education of humanity.
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An Auxiliary language in the Bahá’í Faith focuses on a particular teaching; that the world should adopt an international auxiliary language. The aim of this teaching is that the adoption of an international auxiliary language will improve communication and foster unity among peoples and nations. The Bahá’í writings state that the lack of communication between peoples of different languages undermines efforts towards world peace due to misunderstandings of language, and that adopting an international auxiliary language would help reduce the number of misunderstandings, and would facilitate the transition to a global society.
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The Hands of the Cause of God were a select group of Bahá’ís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Bahá’í Faith on the international level. In all there were fifty Hands of the Cause, four named by Bahá’u’lláh, four by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and forty-two by Shoghi Effendi (including ten posthumously). The title is no longer given out, and there are no longer any living Hands of the Cause, the last surviving Hand being Dr. 'Alí-Muhammad Varqá. The work of the Hands of the Cause is now carried out by the Continental Board of Counsellors and the Auxiliary Boards. The most complete list of the Hands available is from "The Bahá’í World: Vol XIV". The Universal House of Justice has confirmed that this list may not be complete, and that a study of the letters and archives may reveal others named to this station.
(view edit talk links history)
An Auxiliary language in the Bahá’í Faith focuses on a particular teaching; that the world should adopt an international auxiliary language. The aim of this teaching is that the adoption of an international auxiliary language will improve communication and foster unity among peoples and nations. The Bahá’í writings state that the lack of communication between peoples of different languages undermines efforts towards world peace due to misunderstandings of language, and that adopting an international auxiliary language would help reduce the number of misunderstandings, and would facilitate the transition to a global society.
(view edit talk links history)
The Nineteen Day Feasts are regular community gatherings, occurring on the first day of each month of the Bahá’í calendar (and so most often nineteen days apart from each other). The Nineteen Day Feast serves to increase the unity of the community, and spiritually uplift the community members by having a devotional program, where readings and prayers from the Bahá’í holy writings are shared, and a social program where community members can socialize. The third part of a Feast is the administrative portion, which is a critical arena for democratic expression within a Bahá’í Community. Therefore, the administrative portion is limited to Bahá’ís. Bahá’ís from other communities may freely attend, though they may not vote on any recommendations that the community may put forward as recommendations to the Local Spiritual Assembly. Attendance at the Nineteen Day Feast is not obligatory, but is considered and a duty and a privilege for Bahá’ís since it is where they can enter into consultation with the rest of the community.
(view edit talk links history)
A fundamental principle of the Bahá’í Faith is the harmony of religion and science. The Bahá’í Faith teaches that properly appreciated, science and religion will never conflict, as each are complementary ways of explaining truth, which on any issue must necessarily be singular. The teachings state that whenever conflict arises between religion and science it is due to human error; either through misinterpretation of religious scriptures or the lack of a more complete understanding of science. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that religious teachings which are at variance with science should not be accepted; he explained that religion has to be reasonable since God endowed humankind with reason so that they can discover truth.
(view edit talk links history)
The Hands of the Cause of God were a select group of Bahá’ís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Bahá’í Faith on the international level. In all there were fifty Hands of the Cause, four named by Bahá’u’lláh, four by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and forty-two by Shoghi Effendi (including ten posthumously). The title is no longer given out, and there are no longer any living Hands of the Cause, the last surviving Hand being Dr. 'Alí-Muhammad Varqá. The work of the Hands of the Cause is now carried out by the Continental Board of Counsellors and the Auxiliary Boards. The most complete list of the Hands available is from "The Bahá’í World: Vol XIV". The Universal House of Justice has confirmed that this list may not be complete, and that a study of the letters and archives may reveal others named to this station.
(view edit talk links history)
A fundamental principle of the Bahá’í Faith is the harmony of religion and science. The Bahá’í Faith teaches that properly appreciated, science and religion will never conflict, as each are complementary ways of explaining truth, which on any issue must necessarily be singular. The teachings state that whenever conflict arises between religion and science it is due to human error; either through misinterpretation of religious scriptures or the lack of a more complete understanding of science. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that religious teachings which are at variance with science should not be accepted; he explained that religion has to be reasonable since God endowed humankind with reason so that they can discover truth.
(view edit talk links history)
A fundamental principle of the Bahá’í Faith is the harmony of religion and science. The Bahá’í Faith teaches that properly appreciated, science and religion will never conflict, as each are complementary ways of explaining truth, which on any issue must necessarily be singular. The teachings state that whenever conflict arises between religion and science it is due to human error; either through misinterpretation of religious scriptures or the lack of a more complete understanding of science. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá explained that religious teachings which are at variance with science should not be accepted; he explained that religion has to be reasonable since God endowed humankind with reason so that they can discover truth.
(view edit talk links history)
September 19: Progressive revelation is a core teaching in the Bahá’í Faith. It means that religious truth is revealed by God progressively and cyclically over time through a series of divine Messengers, and that the teachings are tailored to suit the needs of the time and place of their appearance. Thus, the Bahá’í teachings recognize the divine origin of several world religions, asserting that God is one and His religion is one, while believing that the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh is the most recent (though not the last), and therefore the most relevant to modern society. This teaching is an interaction of simpler teachings and their implications. The basic concept relates closely to Bahá’í views on God's essential unity, and the nature of prophets, termed Manifestations of God. It also ties into Bahá’í views of the purpose and nature of religion, laws, belief, culture and history. Hence revelation is seen as progressive and continuous and never ceases.
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September 20: The Bahá’í Faith emphasizes the unity of humanity transcending all divisions of race, nation, gender, caste, and social class, while celebrating its diversity. Bahá’u’lláh wrote: "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens." ‘Abdu’l-Bahá adds that the "unification of mankind" has now become "the paramount issue and question in the religious and political conditions of the world." For Bahá’ís, the unity of humanity is not a distant prospect, but a present reality. Globalization represents not only the progressively greater manifestation of this principle, but also humankind's progressively greater perception of the bonds which already unite it. The Bahá’í writings affirm the biological, political, and spiritual unity of humankind, while noting that they are not necessarily expected to arise simultaneously.
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September 21: Progressive revelation is a core teaching in the Bahá’í Faith that suggests religious truth is revealed by God progressively and cyclically over time through a series of divine Messengers, and that the teachings are tailored to suit the needs of the time and place of their appearance. Thus, the Bahá’í teachings recognize the divine origin of several world religions, asserting that God is one and His religion is one, while believing that the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh is the most recent (though not the last), and therefore the most relevant to modern society. This teaching is an interaction of simpler teachings and their implications. The basic concept relates closely to Bahá’í views on God's essential unity, and the nature of prophets, termed Manifestations of God. It also ties into Bahá’í views of the purpose and nature of religion, laws, belief, culture and history. Hence revelation is seen as progressive and continuous and never ceases.
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September 22: The Covenant is the spiritual contract binding God and humanity. The Bahá’í Faith recognizes two covenants: first, the greater covenant, between God, represented by the Manifestation of God, on the one hand, and humanity on the other, in which God promises to continue to send guidance to humankind, while humanity, on its part, promises to obey and follow these teachings when they come. Part of this greater covenant is the obligation which each Manifestation of God places upon his followers to accept the next Manifestation. Second, the lesser covenant, which obliges individual Bahá’ís to accept the leadership of Bahá’u’lláh's appointed successors and the administrative institutions of the Faith. Firmness in the covenant is one of the chief Bahá’í religious virtues and includes not just acceptance of the legitimacy of the Bahá’í institution but much more general attitudes of loyalty and whole-hearted commitment to the Bahá’í Faith and community.
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The Hands of the Cause of God were a select group of Bahá’ís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Bahá’í Faith on the international level. In all there were fifty Hands of the Cause, four named by Bahá’u’lláh, four by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and forty-two by Shoghi Effendi (including ten posthumously). The title is no longer given out, and there are no longer any living Hands of the Cause, the last surviving Hand being Dr. 'Alí-Muhammad Varqá. The work of the Hands of the Cause is now carried out by the Continental Board of Counsellors and the Auxiliary Boards. The most complete list of the Hands available is from "The Bahá’í World: Vol XIV". The Universal House of Justice has confirmed that this list may not be complete, and that a study of the letters and archives may reveal others named to this station.
(view edit talk links history)
The Hands of the Cause of God were a select group of Bahá’ís, appointed for life, whose main function was to propagate and protect the Bahá’í Faith on the international level. In all there were fifty Hands of the Cause, four named by Bahá’u’lláh, four by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and forty-two by Shoghi Effendi (including ten posthumously). The title is no longer given out, and there are no longer any living Hands of the Cause, the last surviving Hand being Dr. 'Alí-Muhammad Varqá. The work of the Hands of the Cause is now carried out by the Continental Board of Counsellors and the Auxiliary Boards. The most complete list of the Hands available is from "The Bahá’í World: Vol XIV". The Universal House of Justice has confirmed that this list may not be complete, and that a study of the letters and archives may reveal others named to this station.
(view edit talk links history)
September 25: Progressive revelation is a core teaching in the Bahá’í Faith that states religious truth is revealed by God progressively and cyclically over time through a series of divine Messengers, and that the teachings are tailored to suit the needs of the time and place of their appearance. Thus, the Bahá’í teachings recognize the divine origin of several world religions, asserting that God is one and His religion is one, while believing that the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh is the most recent (though not the last), and therefore the most relevant to modern society. This teaching is an interaction of simpler teachings and their implications. The basic concept relates closely to Bahá’í views on God's essential unity, and the nature of prophets, termed Manifestations of God. It also ties into Bahá’í views of the purpose and nature of religion, laws, belief, culture and history. Hence revelation is seen as progressive and continuous and never ceases.
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The Ten Year Crusade (1953-1963) was a plan launched by Shoghi Effendi, the Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, to facilitate an organized expansion of the Faith. Among the goals of the plan were to begin the teaching and consolidation of the Faith, develop the institutions at the World Centre, consolidate open territories, and open the remaining "chief virgin territories" around the globe. The title 'Knight of Bahá’u’lláh' was given to those Bahá’ís who arose to open new territories to the Faith during the Ten Year Crusade and in 1963 the plan culminated with the first election of the Universal House of Justice.
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"Prayer," says ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, "is conversation with God." In order that God may make known His mind and will to human beings, He must speak to us in a language which we can understand, and this He does through the guidance of the Manifestations of God. While the Manifestations are alive They speak face to face with man and convey to them the Message of God, and after Their death Their message continues to reach people's minds through their recorded sayings and writings. But this is not the only way in which God can commune with and inspire those whose hearts are seeking after truth, wherever they are, and whatever their native race or tongue. By this language the Manifestation continues to hold converse with the faithful after His departure from the material world.
(view edit talk links history)
September 28: Progressive revelation is a core teaching in the Bahá’í Faith that suggests religious truth is revealed by God progressively and cyclically over time through a series of divine Messengers, and that the teachings are tailored to suit the needs of the time and place of their appearance. Thus, the Bahá’í teachings recognize the divine origin of several world religions, asserting that God is one and His religion is one, while believing that the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh is the most recent (though not the last), and therefore the most relevant to modern society. This teaching is an interaction of simpler teachings and their implications. The basic concept relates closely to Bahá’í views on God's essential unity, and the nature of prophets, termed Manifestations of God. It also ties into Bahá’í views of the purpose and nature of religion, laws, belief, culture and history. Hence revelation is seen as progressive and continuous and never ceases.
(view edit talk links history)
September 29: Progressive revelation is a core teaching in the Bahá’í Faith that suggests religious truth is revealed by God progressively and cyclically over time through a series of divine Messengers, and that the teachings are tailored to suit the needs of the time and place of their appearance. Thus, the Bahá’í teachings recognize the divine origin of several world religions, asserting that God is one and His religion is one, while believing that the revelation of Bahá’u’lláh is the most recent (though not the last), and therefore the most relevant to modern society. This teaching is an interaction of simpler teachings and their implications. The basic concept relates closely to Bahá’í views on God's essential unity, and the nature of prophets, termed Manifestations of God. It also ties into Bahá’í views of the purpose and nature of religion, laws, belief, culture and history. Hence revelation is seen as progressive and continuous and never ceases.
(view edit talk links history)
The Nineteen Day Feasts are regular community gatherings, occurring on the first day of each month of the Bahá’í calendar (and so most often nineteen days apart from each other). The Nineteen Day Feast serves to increase the unity of the community, and spiritually uplift the community members by having a devotional program, where readings and prayers from the Bahá’í holy writings are shared, and a social program where community members can socialize. The third part of a Feast is the administrative portion, which is a critical arena for democratic expression within a Bahá’í Community. Therefore, the administrative portion is limited to Bahá’ís. Bahá’ís from other communities may freely attend, though they may not vote on any recommendations that the community may put forward as recommendations to the Local Spiritual Assembly. Attendance at the Nineteen Day Feast is not obligatory, but is considered and a duty and a privilege for Bahá’ís since it is where they can enter into consultation with the rest of the community.
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Today is Tuesday, September 16, 2025; it is now 11:51 UTC
