Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892)
Founder of the Bahá'í Faith
A view of the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh near Acre, Israel.
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Born in 1817, Bahá'u'lláh was a
member of one of the great patrician families of Persia. The
family could trace its lineage to the ruling dynasties of
Persia's imperial past, and was endowed with wealth and vast
estates. Turning His back on the position at court which
these advantages offered Him, Bahá'u'lláh became known for
His generosity and kindliness which made Him deeply loved
among His countrymen.
This privileged position did not long survive
Bahá'u'lláh's announcement of support for the message of the
Báb
. Engulfed in the waves of violence unleashed upon the Bábís
after the Báb's execution Bahá'u'lláh suffered not only the
loss of all His worldly endowments but was subjected to
imprisonment, torture, and a series of banishments. The
first was to Baghdad where, in 1863, He announced Himself as
the One promised by the Báb. From Baghdad, Bahá'u'lláh was
sent to Constantinople, to Adrianople, and finally to Acre,
in the Holy Land, where He arrived as a prisoner in 1868.
Bahá'u'lláh's prison cell, Acre, Israel.
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From Adrianople and later from Acre, Bahá'u'lláh addressed a
series of letters to the rulers of His day that are among
the most remarkable documents in religious history. They
proclaimed the coming unification of humanity and the
emergence of a world civilization.
The kings, emperors, and presidents of the nineteenth
century were called upon to reconcile their differences,
curtail their armaments, and devote their energies to the
establishment of universal peace.
Bahá'u'lláh passed away at Bahjí, just north of Acre, and
is buried there. His teachings had already begun to spread
beyond the confines of the Middle East, and His Shrine is
today the focal point of the world community which these
teachings have brought into being.
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Bahá'u'lláh: Manifestation of God