Bahá’ís of Saint Joseph, Michigan, USA

Early History

In May of 1844, a young Persian by the name of Siyyid ‘Ali Muhammad declared He was the promised Qá’im of Shí’ah Islam. He assumed the title of the Báb (Gate). The Báb’s mission was twofold: He first announced to the people of His native land His own station as an independent Messenger, and He also prepared the way for the coming of another Manifestation (messenger) of God, a Prophet who would announce His station soon after the Báb.

The next six years marked a dramatic increase in both the number of persons who became followers of the Báb and in the energy spent by the Shí’ah clergy of Iran to stamp out this new religion. Eventually 20,000 Bábí’s would be put to death for their beliefs. The Báb Himself was imprisoned, and He was executed on July 9, 1850.

Many Bábí’s were also imprisoned. Among them was Husayn-’Alí, entitled Bahá’u’lláh (The Glory of God) by the Báb. Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned for several months in 1853 in Tehran and then exiled to the city of Baghdad in Iraq. In 1863, He announced to the world His station as the One for Whom the Báb had prepared the way. The majority of the Bábí’s accepted Bahá’u’lláh’s claim and became known as Bahá’í’s (the followers of Bahá).

Shortly after His declaration, Bahá’u’lláh was again banished, even further from His native land: from Baghdad to Constantinople, and then to Adrianople. Finally in 1867, Bahá’u’lláh was exiled for the last time. He was sent to the prison city of ‘Akká (Acre) in Palestine. He would stay in and around ‘Akká until the end of His life in 1892.

Before Bahá’u’lláh passed away, He appointed His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, to be the center of His Covenant and the interpreter of His writings. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the leader of the Baha'i Faith until his own passing in 1921. Although he is not considered to be a Manifestation of God like the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s decisions are believed to have been divinely guided and his writings (along with the Báb’s and Bahá’u’lláh's) are considered a part of the Bahá’í sacred scripture. After being released from the prison in ‘Akká, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá made several journeys to the West, including a trip to America in 1912.

Recent History and Current Status

‘Abdu’l-Bahá stated in his Will and Testament that leadership of the Bahá’í community was to be passed on to his eldest grandson, Shoghi Effendi, who became known as “The Guardian”. After ‘Abdu’l-Bahá died, Shoghi Effendi led the Bahá’í Faith until his passing in 1957. It was under Shoghi Effendi’s leadership that the Bahá’í Faith spread to all corners of the world. Today there are Bahá’í’s in over 233 countries and territories and Bahá’í literature has been translated into over 700 different languages.

Consistent with the Bahá’í principle of independent investigation of truth, according to which no individual Bahá’í may offer an interpretation of the Bahá’í Writings by which others are bound, there is no clergy in the Bahá’í Faith. Bahá’í institutions govern the administrative affairs of the Faith. In each locality, nine-member boards known as Local Spiritual Assemblies are elected annually. At the national level are National Spiritual Assemblies, also consisting of nine members, elected annually by representatives of the Bahá’í’s in each country. At the international level is the Universal House of Justice centered in Haifa, Israel (across the bay from the prison city of ‘Akká, where Bahá’u’lláh and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were imprisoned). The Universal House of Justice consists of nine men and is elected every five years by members of the National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the world. The Universal House of Justice has final responsibility for overseeing the international Bahá’í community.