Bahá'í faith history.
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The Baha'i Faith grew out of the Babi Faith, a religion founded in Persia (now Iran) in 1844 by Siyyid 'Ali Muhammad, also called the Bab (Gate). The members of the Babi Faith suffered great persecution at the hands of the authorities and the clergy. Torture and imprisonment were common and many lost their lives. The Bab predicted that a great prophet would soon appear. He won many followers, but the Persian government executed him in 1850 for His teachings. Mirza Husayn-Ali, 1817-1892, became the leader of the Faith and was known as Bahá'u'lláh (Glory of God). During 1852 he was held prisoner in the "Black Pit", Teheran's notorious subterranean dungeon. It was during this time that Bahá'u'lláh received His revelation from God, which He describes in these words: "the breezes of the All-Glorious were wafted over Me, and taught Me the knowledge of all that hath been." Throughout His life Bahá'u'lláh spent forty years as a prisoner. His only crime was that He revealed and taught the Word of God. He was exiled to Baghdad, then to Constantinople, and Adrianope, then finally the prison city of Akka which he called the 'Most Great Prison'. All attempts to halt the spread of this religion by the enemies of the Faith failed. Even through the years of imprisonment, Bahá'u'lláh was able to promote His Faith.

'Abdu'l-Bahá (1844-1921). Copyright 2002, Baha'i International Community

Bahá'u'lláh passed away in 1892 He declared in His Will and Testament that 'Abdu'l-Baha, His eldest son should become His successor. 'Abdu'l-Baha sent news of Bahá'u'lláh's passing to the Sultán of the Ottoman Empire in a telegram. It started with the words "The sun of Bahá has set". At that time 'Abdu'l-Baha was himself a prisoner but was released in 1908. 'Abdu'l-Baha spent his entire life promoting the Faith. A major feature of his work was the nurturing of the Baha'i administrative institutions, as called on to do under the terms of Bahá'u'lláh's Convenant. He also travelled to Europe and North America to spread the Word of God. He also wrote many books and letters to help guide the followers of the Faith. When 'Abdu'l-Baha passed away in 1921 he appointed Shoghi Effendi his eldest grandson as the new Guardian of the Faith. From the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Bahá Shoghi Effendi had been educated in the American University of Beirut and subsequently continued his eduction at Oxford University in England. He laboured night and day for the progress of the Faith. Sometime after the passing of Shoghi Effendi, the Universal House of Justice was elected by the Bahá'ís of the world. The central authority of the Bahá'í Faith rests now with The Universal House of Justice.

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