Pilgrimage
The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh. Currently, pilgrimage for Baha'is consists of visiting the Holy Places associated with the Founders of their Faith in Israel. These are situated in Northern Israel in the cities of Haifa and Akka (Also know as Acre) and their surroundings. The Shrine of Baha'u'llah, which is the Holiest Spot on earth for Baha'is, is located in Bahji, just outside Akka. The Shrine of the Báb, Bahá'u'lláh's Forerunner, is in Haifa on the slopes of Mount Carmel.
The Shrine of The Bab.
Both administrative and spiritual centres of the Faith are in the twin cities mentioned above. Bahá'u'lláh Himself, in the Tablet of Carmel, His charter for the World Centre of the Faith outlined Mount Carmel as where God will sail His Ark. He, on a visit to Haifa pointed to the spot where the remains of the Báb should be buried. The supreme institution of the Bahá'i Faith is the Universal House of Justice. Its seat is in close proximity to the Shrine of the Báb. This institution is the governing body of the Bahá'i World. It consists of nine members who are elected every five years at an international convention by representatives from around the world.
The seat of The Universal House of Justice. For every group of pilgrims, the Universal House of Justice gives a reception. In this, they welcomed us and each member individually shook hands with us. In the Bahá'i Faith, members of institutions are called upon to exercise humility in not considering themselves above others and called upon to high standards of rectitude of conduct in their daily lives.
Baha'is from all over the globe, serve as volunteers at the Bahá'i World Centre. This, they view as a great blessing.
The Bahá'i Holy Places, are surrounded by beautiful and majestic gardens. These serve as a preparation for entering the Shrines. The highest standards of cleanliness and orderliness are maintained in these gardens creating an outer expression of the desired inner state of purity, harmony and tranquility.
We leave you with a quotation from the Bahá'i Writings about the Holy Land:
"…the Holy Land, the world seat of this system, where its heart pulsates, where the dust of its Founders reposes, where the processes disclosing its purposes, energising its life and shaping its destiny all originate…"
© Mr Erfan Yeganeh-Arani. Close this Window	If you have found this page from a search engine and would like to see the rest of our site please click here.
>