History of Bahai Faith

Mirza Ali Mohomed, who was known as 'Bab' or the 'Gateway of God', proclaimed his religion in Iran in 1854. At the age of thirty, by order of the Shah, he was shot dead at Tabriz. His successor, Mirza Husainalli, rekindled the religion and he became known as Bahaullah or God's manifested form, Many a whimsical pretext was professed about him.

A great deal of harm has been wrought by the teachings of the great religions about the advent of a future Soshyosh, a Messiah or a Mahadi. At least fifty faked and pretentious prophets and God's messengers have beguiled mankind from time to time. Some have succeeded in establishing new sects, but more have failed to do so.

Bahaism

Bahaullah

Time and again, without request or reason, messengers claiming to bring the latest and final message from divine sources, have been narrating the same story that all the old religions have got entwined in the web of superstition and have lost their pristine purity. The new religion that they have brought is unadulterated. It is as clear as crystal and as pure as nectar.

Astute Bahais are saying the same thing today. They affirm that no religion exists that can meet the demands of the twentieth century. The unparalleled religion of Bahaullah alone is capable of fulfilling mankind's needs today and will remain so permanently. These good people forget that followed and practised by educated and illiterate adherents of diverse mentalities and passing through the vicissitude of time, the plight of Bahaism will be the same.

Heralds of all religions have always said that they are the last and that no prophet will come after them. But ere their bones mingle with the dust, a new and even more powerful messenger arises and will continue to come.

Bahaullah came and he has gone. Innumerable such Bahaullahs will come and go, generation after generation.

The history of the religions of the world teaches the same lesson

The Navjote of a converted Zoroastrian Bahai

With the downfall of the Sasanian Empire our vast population suffered all kinds of attacks and has now dwindled to a mere hundred and twenty five thousand. The major portion of the present Muslim population of Iran comprises of converted Zoroastrians. Conversion into Islam has, to a large extent, ceased since the last hundred years. Instead, since about seventy-five years, a similar threat has arisen from an entirely different direction. Every year, in Iran, as well as in India, an increasing number of Iranian co-religionists are being converted into the new Bahai religion that was born in Iran in the last century.

Even today Bahais are organizing feasts on a grand scale and extending a gracious invitation to our credulous Zoroastrians with the purpose of attracting them to the Bahai religion. With many such devices the Zoroastrians are being converted. At this end the conversion of our Iranian co-religionists is conducted chiefly in Bombay and Poona and recently in Karachi. Destitute co-religionists coming from Iran are immediately approached by converted Iranian-Zoroastrian Bahais, are employed in their shops, are helped in setting up separate shops of their own, or are given employment in other ways and are later converted to Bahaism.

Due to our indifference and carelessness such Iranian Bahais have, up to date, blatantly and freely taken advantage of our communal schools, hospitals, maternity homes, rest houses, sanatoriums, charitable chawls, and innumerable such institutions and benefitted by our various funds. Thousands of Iranian-Zoroastrians of Iran and India have already been converted to Bahaism and the number is ever on the increase. The most distressing fact is that in our country it is not the Muslim Bahais who convert our co-religionists but our own one-time Iranian-Zoroastrians themselves.

Since the last five years the community has become aware of this calamity that is staring it in the face and the Trustees of the Parsi Panchayat of Bombay and Karachi have published in the press that henceforth the benefit of communal institutions and funds will not be extended to these non-Zoroastrian Jooddin Bahais.

In Karachi a recently converted Iranian youth repented his error and honestly appealed to be taken back into the Zoroastrian religion. In the presence of an assembly of prominent people I performed the Navjote ceremony of that youth. Similarly, constant efforts should be made wherever possible to reinstate into their ancient faith converts who have gone astray.