The Baha'i Faith: A Beginner's Guide (Oneworld Beginner’s Guides)

Cover......Page 1
Series......Page 3
Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Introduction......Page 8
How can we be happy?......Page 14
The futility of our quest for wealth (quotation)......Page 15
The true seeker and the search (quotation)......Page 17
The valley of knowledge (quotation)......Page 21
What are we and what is our purpose?......Page 24
Justice......Page 25
Love......Page 26
Trustworthiness and truthfulness......Page 27
Purity and chastity......Page 28
Purity and chastity (quotation)......Page 29
Actions not words......Page 30
A summary of virtue (quotation)......Page 31
Service......Page 32
Can we reach these goals?......Page 33
True freedom (quotation)......Page 35
Physical and spiritual health......Page 36
Prayer for healing (quotation)......Page 38
Marriage......Page 39
Children and family life......Page 41
Education......Page 44
The importance of education (quotation)......Page 45
Prayers of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for children (quotations)......Page 48
3 – Society......Page 49
Freedom from prejudice......Page 50
‘Abdu’l-Bahá on racism (quotation)......Page 51
The advancement of women......Page 53
The unity of humankind......Page 73
The need for a global consciousness (quotation)......Page 76
Unity in diversity (quotation)......Page 79
World order......Page 80
Social and economic development......Page 84
Nineteen Day Feast......Page 89
The Local and National Spiritual Assemblies......Page 90
Duties of the members of Spiritual Assemblies (quotation)......Page 91
The Universal House of Justice......Page 93
The Bahá’í administrative institutions......Page 94
The Bahá’í World Centre......Page 95
Months of the Bahá’í year......Page 96
The House of Worship (Mashriqu’l-Adhkár)......Page 97
Principles of Bahá’í administration......Page 98
Mere plans are not sufficient (quotation)......Page 99
The Covenant......Page 101
Consultation......Page 102
’Abdu’l-Bahá on consultation (quotation)......Page 103
The rights of minorities......Page 105
Bahá’í elections......Page 106
6 – Bahá’í laws......Page 108
Prayer, reading of scripture and meditation......Page 109
Prayer (quotations)......Page 110
Meditation (quotation)......Page 112
Marriage and divorce......Page 114
Death and burial......Page 116
Abolitions and prohibitions......Page 117
The nature of the highest reality (God)......Page 118
The divine educator, the Manifestation of God......Page 123
True religion......Page 126
The divine phisician (quotation)......Page 131
The goal of human life (salvation)......Page 133
The state of contentment (quotation)......Page 137
The cause and purpose of suffering......Page 138
The meaning of suffering (quotation)......Page 139
Life after death......Page 141
The soul after death (quotation)......Page 143
Prayer of intercession for the dead (quotation)......Page 147
The Báb......Page 148
Bahá’u’lláh......Page 152
Extracts from Bahá’u’lláh tablets to the kings and religious leaders (quotations)......Page 155
Pen-portrait of Bahá’u’lláh (quotation)......Page 159
‘Abdu’l-Bahá......Page 161
Shoghi Effendi......Page 162
The Universal House of Justice......Page 164
The expansion of the Bahá’í community......Page 166
Growth in the institutions of the Bahá’í faith......Page 168
Social and economic development projects......Page 171
The Bahá’í community as a model......Page 173
The individual......Page 179
The family......Page 180
Society......Page 181
Global concerns......Page 182
The Bahá’í community......Page 183
Theological teachings......Page 184
The Bahá’í world today......Page 186
Bibliography......Page 187
Further reading......Page 190
Further information......Page 193
Index......Page 194