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Baha’is are dedicated to creating an ever-advancing civilization, in a just, sustainable, and peaceful world.

10/03/2026

There is no shortage of tragedy in the world. Genocides, racism, gender-based violence, the persecution of minorities -- the list is long. For many people, witnessing injustice ignites a burning desire to act, to speak, to demand better.
The Baha’i Writings make clear that advocacy on behalf of the oppressed is not only permitted; it is expected. Abdu’l-Baha writes, “Strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers. Turn towards God, and seek always to do that which is right and noble. Enrich the poor, raise the fallen, comfort the sorrowful, bring healing to the sick, reassure the fearful, rescue the oppressed, bring hope to the hopeless, shelter the destitute!
Baha’u’llah wrote that “all men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization.” The statement implies that we are not here simply to patch what is broken, but to participate in the construction of something better. Speaking out about human rights abuses, naming them, documenting them, ensuring they are seen and understood, is part of it. We are not merely treating symptoms of a broken world; we are laying foundations for a just one.
Human rights advocacy can begin in our own neighborhoods and communities. We can volunteer with grassroots organizations, organize donation drives, collect school supplies, raise funds for humanitarian relief efforts, create spaces for meaningful conversations, accompany those who feel isolated, mentor young people, and help build communities where every person is treated with dignity and respect.
The Baha’i Writings call us to act: to defend the vulnerable, uplift the oppressed, and help build a society rooted in justice and unity. Whether through advocacy, service, or simple acts of solidarity, each of us can play a role in responding to suffering in a way that brings people together.

The views expressed in this article reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.
Excerpts from “How I Advocate for Human Rights Without Becoming Political” by Nava Khorram Ahmad

09/26/2026

Baha’is aspire to lead noble, kind and loving lives. What does it really mean to be a Baha’i? Abdu’l-Baha explained the definition of a Baha’i in a talk given in 1912: “Let your actions cry aloud to the world that you are indeed Baha’is, for it is actions that speak to the world and are the cause of the progress of humanity. If we are true Baha’is speech is not needed. Our actions will help the world, will spread civilization, will help the progress of science, and cause the arts to develop. Without action nothing in the material world can be accomplished, neither can words unaided advance a man in the spiritual Kingdom. It is not through lip-service only that the elect of God have attained to holiness, but by patient lives of active service they have brought light into the world. Therefore strive that your actions day by day may be beautiful prayers. Turn towards God, and seek always to do that which is right and noble. Enrich the poor, raise the fallen, comfort the sorrowful, bring healing to the sick, reassure the fearful, rescue the oppressed, bring hope to the hopeless, shelter the destitute! This is the work of a true Baha’i.”
The act of striving for spirituality defines us as human. Like all people, we try, we sometimes fail, we try again, and as a result we grow spiritually. Our souls develop, deepen and mature, and we progress from selfishness to selflessness, from a focus on our narrow individual concerns to the concerns of the planet and the human race as a whole. When we attempt to lead “patient lives of active service,” the process gradually remakes those who exert themselves into aware, loving and other-directed people who can bring light into the world.

The views expressed in this article reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.
BahaiTeachings.org is the original publisher of this article. Excerpts from "Strive that Your Actions May Be Beautiful Prayers" by David Langness.

09/18/2026

Just as a fever is a symptom of disease in the body, racism is a symptom of disease in society. Suppressing the symptom does not cure the disease, but curing the disease eliminates the symptom. The Baha'i International Community is convinced that the disease from which society currently suffers is failure to recognize the principle of the oneness of humanity, and racism is but a symptom. If we wish to eliminate racism entirely, we must establish the unshakable conviction of the oneness of the human race.
Racism is one of the most baneful and persistent evils in society. Racial discrimination is baneful because it violates the dignity of human beings. Racism is poisonous because it cripples its victims, corrupts its perpetrators, and blights human progress. We believe that racism persists because it is deeply rooted in outdated attitudes and erroneous beliefs. Racism will be eliminated only when the peoples of the world are convinced of the oneness of humankind and proceed to reconstruct their lives and their societies on that basis.
The recognition of the oneness of mankind would require the abandonment of all doctrines of superiority, many of which persist implicitly. More importantly, by establishing the foundation for true cooperation, the recognition of this principle would raise civilization to a new level.
Baha'is have over a century of experience in building communities committed to the principle of the oneness of mankind. Our program for the realization of racial unity is at once social, spiritual and organic. The Baha'i system of community organization employs practical measures to encourage the participation of minorities. The principle of racial equality is taught, and individuals are encouraged to identify and overcome old patterns of behavior. A concerted effort on the part of ordinary people has brought about a unique form of racial integration in Baha'i communities in every part of the world.

Excerpts from a statement by the Baha’i International Community to the UN Commission on Human Rights.

09/12/2026

Baha’is believe in the inherent unity of all religions. Baha’u’llah taught that the prophets of God bring the same basic ethical and spiritual teachings in every age. Their social laws vary from age to age, because the needs of each time are different.
Baha’u’llah wrote, all religions are one: “Know thou assuredly that the essence of all the Prophets of God is one and the same. Their unity is absolute.”
Baha’u’llah explained that the same God sent prophets to different peoples at different times to help them progress both spiritually and materially – and that all peoples and cultures had been the recipients of these holy messages over time.
Religions, the Baha’i teachings say, require renewal. While their spiritual teachings are everlasting, over time their social teachings lose relevance and become outdated, their interpretations of theology grow deficient, and many of their followers’ actions fail to accord with God’s teachings.
The Baha’i teachings say there is only one God and, therefore, one ongoing educational process. That process proceeds throughout history, with each new spiritual revelation following the former one, renewing religion regularly. Baha’is call this process “progressive revelation,” because it educates humanity sequentially over time. This central Baha’i teaching links all the founders of the world’s great Faiths in one chain of being, one single system of belief.
Baha’is believe that Baha’u’llah, brought a new revelation from God to humanity for this day.
Baha’u’llah wrote that his revelation marks the beginning of a new era, the day foretold in all the scriptures of the past, the day when the Promised One of all religions would appear, characterized in the Bible as the time when there will be one fold and one shepherd.

The views expressed in this article reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.
BahaiTeachings.org is the original publisher. Excerpts from “A New Revelation has Dawned’ by Richard Meier and “All Religions Are One: Baha’u’llah”

09/05/2026

Racism is one of the most baneful and persistent evils in society. Racial discrimination violates the dignity of human beings. And yet it persists. Racism cripples its victims, corrupts its perpetrators, and blights human progress. And yet it persists. Racism persists because it is deeply rooted in outdated attitudes and erroneous beliefs.
Racism will be eliminated only when the peoples of the world are convinced of the oneness of humankind and proceed to reconstruct their lives and their societies on that basis.
The recognition of the oneness of mankind would require the abandonment of all doctrines of superiority, many of which still persist implicitly. No nation can claim to be entirely free of racist tendencies; therefore, we can approach this problem as a shared human problem.
In “The Promise of World Peace” the Universal House of Justice wrote, “Racism retards the unfoldment of the boundless potentialities of its victims, corrupts its perpetrators, and blights human progress. Recognition of the oneness of mankind, implemented by appropriate legal measures, must be universally upheld if this problem is to be overcome.”
“Bahá’u’lláh has proclaimed the oneness of the world of humanity. He has declared that difference of race and color is like the variegated beauty of flowers in a garden. If you enter a garden, you will see yellow, white, blue, red flowers in profusion and beauty -- each radiant within itself and although different from the others, lending its own charm to them. Racial difference in the human kingdom is similar. If all the flowers in a garden were of the same color, the effect would be monotonous and wearying to the eye. Therefore, Bahá’u’lláh hath said that the various races of humankind lend a composite harmony and beauty of color to the whole. Let all associate, therefore, in this great human garden even as flowers grow and blend together side by side without discord or disagreement between them.” (Abdu’l-Baha)

08/29/2026

God, the Creator of the universe, is all-knowing, all-loving and all-merciful. It is impossible for any mortal mind to truly understand God. Whatever is created can never comprehend or describe its creator. A table, for example, is incapable of understanding the craftsman who made it, even though his skills and attributes may be reflected in his creation.
However broad or imaginative our concept of God may be, it will always be circumscribed by the limitations of the human mind. “That which we imagine, is not the Reality of God; He, the Unknowable, the Unthinkable, is far beyond the highest conception of man.”
Each kingdom of nature is incapable of understanding the level of existence higher than itself. A rock cannot imagine the growing power of a plant; a tree is unable to understand the powers of sight, hearing, smell or movement possessed by an animal; and an animal will never attain the consciousness that distinguishes a human being. Similarly, human minds will never be able to grasp God fully.
What we can know about the unknowable God has been taught to us by the succession of Founders of the great world religions. Baha’u’llah teaches us that the signs of the existence of God are everywhere. The beauty, richness, and diversity of the natural world are all expressions of the attributes of God.
To assist us in knowing and worshipping God, the teachings of the Manifestations provide countless descriptions of spiritual attributes that we ourselves must develop, for example, wisdom and justice, truthfulness and courtesy, faithfulness and compassion. Such qualities are developed by thinking and acting in the light of divine guidance.

The views expressed in this article reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

08/22/2026

Truthfulness and trustworthiness involve much more than not telling lies; they embody the overarching capacity to discern, value, and uphold truth itself. Without these spiritual qualities, neither individual nor social progress is possible. Justice is vital to the establishment of unity and harmony at all levels of society, as it provides the standard by which individual conduct and collective effort are judged. A requirement for living a life of service to humanity, then, is constant effort to develop truthfulness, trustworthiness, and justice, ensuring that they are ever-present in thought and action.
Baha’u’llah taught, “Trustworthiness is the greatest portal leading unto the tranquility and security of the people.”
Abdu’l-Baha said, “Truthfulness is the foundation of all human virtues. Without truthfulness progress and success, in all the worlds of God, are impossible for any soul. When this holy attribute is established in man, all the divine qualities will also be acquired.”
Abdu’l-Baha also said, “Truthfulness, uprightness and integrity are the attributes of the righteous and the hallmarks of the pure. Truthfulness is the goodliest of qualities as it comprehendeth all other virtues. A truthful person will be protected from all moral afflictions, will shrink from every evil deed, and be preserved from every wicked act, inasmuch as all vices and misdeeds are the very antithesis of truthfulness, and a truthful man will hold them all in utter abhorrence.”

The views expressed in this article reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

08/15/2026

Baha’u’llah wrote, "Religion is the greatest of all means for the establishment of order in the world and for the peaceful contentment of all that dwell therein. The weakening of the pillars of religion hath strengthened the hands of the ignorant and made them bold and arrogant. Verily I say, whatsoever hath lowered the lofty station of religion hath increased the waywardness of the wicked, and the result cannot be but anarchy."
Elsewhere Baha’u’llah stated, "Religion is a radiant light and an impregnable stronghold for the protection and welfare of the peoples of the world, for the fear of God impelleth man to hold fast to that which is good, and shun all evil. Should the lamp of religion be obscured, chaos and confusion will ensue, and the lights of fairness, of justice, of tranquility and peace cease to shine."
Shoghi Effendi warned, “The recrudescence of religious intolerance, of racial animosity, and of patriotic arrogance; the increasing evidences of selfishness, of suspicion, of fear and of fraud; the spread of terrorism, of lawlessness, of drunkenness and of crime; the unquenchable thirst for, and the feverish pursuit after, earthly vanities, riches, and pleasures… lead back the human race to barbarism, chaos, and ultimate extinction -- these appear as the outstanding characteristics of a decadent society, a society that must either be reborn or perish.”

08/08/2026

Baha’u’llah calls upon each of us to “Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity... Be a treasure to the poor, an admonisher to the rich, an answerer to the cry of the needy, a preserver of the sanctity of thy pledge. Be fair in thy judgment, and guarded in thy speech. Be unjust to no man, and show all meekness to all men... Be a home for the stranger, a balm to the suffering, a tower of strength for the fugitive. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring...”
Baha’is advocate for the human rights of every person. The idea of human rights can be found in the teachings of all the religions of the past. All of them call on us to recognize that we are members of one human family, and to come to the rescue of the oppressed and the downtrodden.
The growing income and wealth inequality adds one more element to the various forms of suffering and human injustice. This includes the oppression of women by a patriarchal society, the exploitation of national resources, and the abject poverty in which millions live.
We must all distinguish ourselves with individual acts of generosity to the needy. Those with power should recognize that a society is neither just nor sustainable with such extremes of wealth and poverty and must make it the highest priority to care for the most vulnerable.
As consciousness of the inherent oneness of humanity is raised and understanding of the spiritual nature of human beings is fostered, the peoples of the world will be empowered to address the challenge of injustice.

The views expressed here reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.

08/01/2026

The Baha’i Faith teaches that animals should be treated with kindness. Bahá'u'lláh listed kindness to animals as one of the qualities which must be acquired by anyone searching for God. In other words, spiritual development requires that we love and respect all of our fellow-creatures human or otherwise.
The attitude enjoined by Baha'u'llah towards animals reflects His teachings towards the rest of the creation. "Burden not an animal with more than it can bear. We, truly, have prohibited such treatment.”
Abdu’l-Baha said, "It is not only their fellow human beings that the beloved of God must treat with mercy and compassion, rather must they show forth the utmost loving-kindness to every living creature. Man believeth that physical sensations are confined to human beings, wherefore is he unjust to the animals, and cruel.... And indeed, ye do worse to harm an animal, for man hath a language. But the hapless beast is mute, able neither to express its hurt nor take its case to the authorities.... Therefore, is it essential that ye show forth the utmost consideration to the animal, and that ye be even kinder to him than to your fellow man."
Many passages in the Baha’i writings mention kindness to animals. This one from Abdu’l-Baha captures the essence of them: “To animals the utmost kindness must be shown, the more the better. Tenderness and loving-kindness are basic principles of God’s heavenly Kingdom.”
An ethical approach towards animals must start with the education of children. Abdu’l-Baha taught, "Train your children from their earliest days to be infinitely tender and loving to animals. If an animal be sick, let the children try to heal it, if it be hungry, let them feed it, if thirsty, let them quench its thirst, if weary, let them see that it rests."

The views expressed in this article reflect individual perspectives and do not represent the official views of the Baha'i Faith.
Excerpts from “The Baha'i Attitude Towards Animals" by Arthur Lyon Dahl.

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