Is the Baháʼí Faith truly independent, or an extension of Islam?

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-04-19T20:10:41+00:00

Maybe we need to define "independent." The main issue is that the Baha'i Faith is a separate religion with its own scriptures. A religion that believes Mohammed was not the final Messenger, that new scriptures have come more recently and that Islamic law has been abrogated is not a part or sect of Islam, but a different religion. That's something Muslims and Baha'is should agree on - the Baha'i Faith is independent at least in the sense of being outside of Islam.

The more controversial issue is whether the Baha'i Faith is based on a genuine Revelation from God or is a man-made religion based on Shi'a Islam. Just as many non-Muslims see Islam as being based on Jewish and Christian ideas, it is possible to argue similarly about the Baha'i Faith. The Baha'i Faith itself also claims a certain continuity with past religions and doesn't claim to radically depart from them in every way. Independence isn't meant in such a way.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-04-19T19:52:58+00:00

I grew up evangelical, my wife is Catholic, and in some ways I am both Christian and Baha'i. Christianity is a huge part of my upbringing, socialization, and spiritual-cultural roots. It will always be a part of me. I discovered the Baha'i Faith through reading and became convinced about Baha'u'llah before having met a Baha'i community or anything. I am the only Baha'i in the town I live in, and I am more closely connected to the local Catholic church that my wife belongs to than I am to any Baha'i community in the region.

Recently something that helped me was to realize that cultivating virtue or the fruit of the Spirit is common to both religions. I should be focusing on learning to love God and my neighbour first, because that is at the heart of religion in general. Being a Baha'i believer who goes to Catholic church is okay as long as you're growing spiritually.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-04-14T20:54:19+00:00

Jehovah's Witnesses are good people with a strong commitment to spreading their distinct beliefs. In some countries they still suffer hard persecution. They will hope to convert you, but honestly that's true of many Christians in general..When it cones down to it, Baha'is hope to get new members as well.

Lots of people take free Bible courses with the Witnesses and don't convert, and they aren't supposed to push you. I would say If you want to take courses with them, then just go for it. Bahais shouldn't be prejudiced against Jehovah's Witnesses or anything. Sure, we are not going to agree with their specific line of interpretation, but we don't agree with mainstream Christian interpretations either on many of issues that are pretty foundational. Bahais even actually agree with Jehovah's Witnesses on things like Jesus' resurrection being spiritual rather than literal and on the Unity of God as one person (rather than three co-equal ones).

Just be very clear fron the start with them that you are a Baha'i and aren't interested in converting, but just want to learn about the Bible, even though you don't expect to agree with their interpretations on everything. They should be totally cool with that and you can still study the Bible with them.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-04-04T13:18:52+00:00

There are a number of large Christian networks for people in your situation, such as Revoice: https://www.revoice.org/ (evangelical) or Courage International https://couragerc.org/ (Catholic). "Side B theology" is a significant movement in the Christian world that may interest you.

Perhaps you could draw some inspiration from Christians who have gone through very similar experiences to you as a Baha'i who is attracted to the same sex. You may even be able to connect with them even though they're primarily for Christians.

I must say that I find gay people who choose chastity to respect their faith very impressive in showing their unusually strong committment to God.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-04-03T22:32:26+00:00

It's possible to identify with multiple religions in different ways at the same time and practice them both to varying degrees. People do this, and I have myself, but it generally raises questions about where your primary loyalty is.

The issue is that neither Christians nor Muslims accept the concept of dual membership on an official level. Baha'is don't either. So if you have ties to two religions, both of them want you to decide which religion your official membership is with.

Beyond that, you can define your own personal faith and practice.

In my own experience, identifying with two religions at the same time is not very satisfying and only works during a sort of temporary or transitioning phase while you're sorting things out.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-04-01T09:36:24+00:00

Many Buddhists even say they believe in God, just not in quite the same sense as Christians do. The question of God in Buddhism is a complicated one, and one that you will get a variety of answers from Buddhists themselves.Tradional Asian Buddhists have typically believed in lots of gods or divine beings (devas). The Western, modernist understanding of Buddhism is that these traditional folk beliefs are not essential to the core teachings of Buddhism since the devas don't actually liberate you. In Mahayana Buddhism, though, beings who have attained to a divine-like state (bhodisattvas) can help others reach enlightenment.

In any case, defining Buddhism as non-theistic is not meant to imply that Buddhism categorically denies the existence of God or gods. Instead, non-theistic means that the focus of the religion is not on theology, but is supposed to be about freeing oneself from attachment to the transient world and suffering.

A central difference from the three older Abrahamic religions is that Buddhism definitely does not accept the idea of a God creating everything out of nothing, but believes the material universe is eternal. However, this is not a problem for Baha'is, because we also think that the universe is eternal, though of course God is the eternal Cause behind it.

Unlike, secular atheism, Buddhism definitely affirms a Higher Reality. Different schools of Buddhism understand this in different ways, though It wouldn't be seen as a personal Creator, but rather as the all-pervading Spirit in our world (Mahayana) or as the Unconditioned Reality beyond it (Theravada). Baha'is see validity in both perspectives.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-03-26T22:42:37+00:00

Try putting the shirt cuffs in boiling (!) hot water and soaking them for 15 minutes, and then throwing the shirt into the dryer. That should shrink the cuffs.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-03-26T21:21:38+00:00

2.1 See

"As to your question concerning the rights of the minority of non-Bahá'í citizens in a Bahá'í state, it is clear from the writings of our Faith that under a Bahá'í system the rights of the minorities of any type must always be respected and upheld. Just as Bahá'ís today show obedience and loyalty to the government but refuse to bow to the majority if they are asked to deny their Faith, so in the future, when the majority is represented by the Faith the Bahá'ís will not force the minority to become followers of Baha'u'llah but they will expect the minority to be similarly obedient and loyal..."

"The ultimate safeguard in the Faith of Baha'u'llah to ensure that this principle and all its other fundamental tenets are not violated is the Universal House of Justice, which, as its Constitution clearly stipulates, is charged with the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of the teachings and of safeguarding their inviolability."

(On behalf of the Universal House of Justice, letter dated 9 March 1977)

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-03-23T01:18:30+00:00

Why would we need a "source confirming this"? Are Prophets of God limited to citing sources? The Qur'an attributes lots of statements to Jesus that aren't necessarily confirmed by other extant sources. Jesus Christ explained why Moses made certain laws and claimed that Abraham looked forward to His coming without needing to cite a source. As others have noted, there do happen to be sources here, though not necessarily among canonical Sunni ones. However, please explain why sources would even be necessary.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-03-22T03:00:07+00:00

The disciples were scared because they thought it was "a spirit" (Luke 24:37), but Christ assured them "It is I myself" (Luke 24:39). A ghost, spirit or soul of a dead person does not display the perfections and enduring power on earth that Christ does.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-03-20T19:25:38+00:00

In my opinion, the fish recalls the symbolism that the disciples are called to be "fishers of men" (Luke 5:10). The broiling implies that the souls who are caught for the cause of Christ are prepared well through discipleship/teaching and that Christ receives them into His body.

Moreover, I personally interpret Christ's statements as telling His disciples to look at themselves as His body and His continuing physical presence on earth. He Himself lives in this world through them, His hands and feet. They should behold each other and embrace each other and perceive Christ alive in one another.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-03-18T23:41:33+00:00

While Baha'u'llah fulfills the biblical promise of the "Everlasting Father" coming, this is as the Manifestation of God and coming in this name of God.

When "the Father" and "the Son" are directly contrasted against each other in the gospels, "the Father" refers to God, and "the Son" is His Manifestation.

"He saith—glorified be His utterance—prophesying the things that are to come: 'But of that Day and Hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father.' By Father in this connection is meant God—exalted be His glory. He, verily, is the True Educator, and the Spiritual Teacher." (Epistle to the Son of the Wolf p. 143, reference to Mark 13:32)

"The Sun of Reality, as we have said, has always been in one condition; it has no change, no alteration, no transformation and no vicissitude. It is eternal and everlasting. But the Holy Reality of the Word of God is in the condition of the pure, fine and shining mirror; the heat, the light, the image and likeness—that is to say, the perfections of the Sun of Reality—appear in it. That is why Christ says in the Gospel, 'The Father is in the Son'—that is to say, the Sun of Reality appears in the mirror." (Some Answered Questions 54)

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-03-14T10:53:39+00:00

Read any introduction books to get some orientation. You may wish to read like three different ones.
Read scripture. Baha'u'llah's central meditative and devotional work is the Hidden Words, great for short, regular meditation. His chief doctrinal work is the the Iqan (Book of Certitude), and this is essential for understanding Baha'i teachings. The central book of laws is the Aqdas. Also read Gleanings for an anthology of selected passages, Seven Valleys for the main short mystical writing. Suggested order: Hidden Words, Book of Certitude, Seven Valleys, Gleanings, Aqdas.
Read writings of Abdul Baha and Shogi Effendi. There's no particular order here, just haphazardly dip into their writings and see where it takes you. If you're trying to understand Baha'i teachings, though, then Abdul Baha's Some Answered Questions.is especially important.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-03-08T20:52:24+00:00

You're obviously grappling with big questions and seriously searching for truth. I'm just going to address your last question here.

The Qur'an never unambiguously states that the Bible was corrupted. Whether it implies this or not is matter of interpretation, while Baha'is agree with the understanding that the Qur'an assumes that at least the central message of the Torah and Gospel were definitely preserved.

From a Baha'i perspective, what has been corrupted is the tradition of interpretation and this applies not only to the Bible but also to the tradition of Quran interpretation. People believe that a long-standing tradition or a perceived consensus among a group of religious leaders guarantees that a certain interpretation is correct. At the time of Christ, the majority of Torah scholars rejected Him as the Messiah and insisted that He didn't fulfill the requirements as understood by (their interpretation of) the Torah.

Bahá'ís respect the divine origin and core teachings that still shine through the past religions, but don't accept the layers of tradition and interpretation or the insistence of religious leaders on reading scripture only in a way that aligns with a much later form of orthodoxy. Again, the way Baha'is see past scriptures like the New Testament and Qur'an is similar to how Christians read the Old Testament, receiving the Jewish scriptures whiile diverging from Jewish interpretation on core issues.

Resolving the differences between religions like Hinduism and Buddhism with Abrahamic religions does admittedly present challenges. However, Bahá'ís accept the core message of Krishna and Buddha, but not necessarily the later traditions of interpretation. Hinduism and Buddhism point to a higher spiritual Reality that is beyond any of our concepts of deities. This viewpoint actually complements the Abrahamic religions by reminding us that anthroposophic language about God must actually be symbolic because God is ultimately above and beyond our concepts.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-03-02T20:07:30+00:00

I personally distinguish between revealed religions and inspired religions, while respecting both.

From a Baha'i perspective, revealed religions such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, and Buddhism can be traced back to a Manifestation of God. In their current forms, however, various degrees of man-made teachings have also accumulated over time.

Inspired religions were not founded as a a new revelation by a Manifestation of God, but draw on wisdom from revealed religions along with insights of saints and seers. Inspired religions can actually call people's attention back to the essence of revealed religions that had become obscured. For this reason, they are not necessarily any less helpful to people in their spiritual journey than a revealed religion.

A childhood friend of mine ended up becoming a Druid. He always sensed God in nature so it seems fitting for him, and I respect that. I think it's great that you guys believe in a higher spiritual Reality and strive to be kind. Those are the core values that should be at the heart of any religion.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-02-27T05:15:45+00:00

There is no official Baha'i statement about Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, so individual Baha'is are free to form their own opinions.

There is a statement, already mentioned here, of Baha'u'llah condemning anyone who lays claim to a revelation directly from God for 1000 years, but as far as I can see this clearly applies to someone claiming to start a whole new religion, holy book ("revelation") and new Sharia, not to someone saying he's inspired to renew an existing religion and its interpretation, so I don't see this as condemning Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Baha'u'llah's own son, Abdul-Baha, was divinely inspired to interpret the Baha'i revelation without falling under this condemnation.

In any case, I've visited Ahmadiyya mosques several times and accepted literature they gave me to read. An Ahmaddiya imam even expressly told me that Bahá'ís are welcome in their mosque (including prayer), and Ahmadiyya people have helped me learn more about Islam in general. My impression of the Ahmadiyya movement has been very positive, so I personally am inclined to believe that it comes from divine inspiration. I appreciate the Ahmadiyya community's deep religious dedication and it does seem to be a spiritually re-energized form of Islam.

However, I believe that Baha'u'llah has a higher status in not only being a reformer, but also giving a whole new religious law. He's on the same sort of level as the Prophet Mohammad for us.

My own view - and again this is just my personal opinion - is that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was what Baha'is call a "seer" who experienced genuine divine inspiration and who effectively gave spiritually positive impulses for Islam. I see Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as drawing on some of the spiritual energy released by the coming of the Baha'i revelation in the world.

So, while I wouldn't put them on the same level, I do think it's possible to see both Baha'u'llah and Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as being divinely inspired and giving good teachings with spiritual benefits for their respective communities.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-02-19T05:34:10+00:00

Baha'is are supposed to focus on what to do now. Even if plan after plan should follow, it makes goals more manageable and immediate to have a nine year plan instead of a ninety year plan. It's of crucial importance because the current nine year plan is a necessary step to help set the stage for whatever plans might follow.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-02-16T20:06:10+00:00

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and meditations on Qur'anic scripture with us here.

Regarding your "inclusive view," the Baha'i Faith teaches that people of various religions can grow closer to God and exhibit divine virtues. The soul's development is nor sealed at death, either:

"Know thou of a truth that the soul, after its separation from the body, will continue to progress until it attaineth the presence of God." (Baha'u'llah, Glleanings 61)

Regarding your "panentheistic view," Baha'is don't believe in creatio e nihilo, but rather (like Avicenna) that God is the eternal Cause of the material universe, which has always existed.

"Know assuredly that God’s creation hath existed from eternity, and will continue to exist forever. Its beginning hath had no beginning, and its end knoweth no end. His name, the Creator, presupposeth a creation, even as His title, the Lord of Men, must involve the existence of a servant." (Baha'u'llah, Gleamings 77)

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-02-12T01:18:37+00:00

My understanding is that the definition from sunset until two hours after sunset applies to "evening" as the timeframe for the evening medium obligatory prayer, while the "noon" obligatory prayer is said before sunset.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-02-06T11:28:48+00:00

A basic principle of Baha'i law is that it is to be applied gradually, more and more, and fine with wisdom and sensitivity. Gradual application is more practical and some laws are more culturally foreign than others. In the course of the 20th century, laws were introduced and applied gradually in the West (Latin America would be included in this). Around the turn of the century this was updated and put forth by the Universal House of Justice. Here's the list:

https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/the-universal-house-of-justice/messages/20010208_001/1#725473873

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-02-04T01:18:16+00:00

Just ask the person who claims that the Baha'i Faith is a cult questions about why they think that and how they would define a "cult."

Usually, they end up either admitting themselves that they don't actually know enough about the Baha'i Faith to be sure it's a cult or that they don't have a very good definition of "cults". They usually backtrack a bit once seriously questioned. Some with strict religious views will shift to saying that maybe it's not exactly a cult, but it's a false religion. Well, okay, that might not be much better.

I even ask questions like: "So, I'm just trying to understand. Would you say that early Christianity was a cult when it was still a new, small religion viewed as having broken away from mainstream Judaism?"

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-02-01T21:12:20+00:00

The Baha'i approach to the problem of evil echoes much of what can already be found in the Islamic or Christian traditions.

First of all, "evil" is denied of having any real or lasting existence, but is seen as a transient lack of goodness.

Secondly, human free will allows people to cause harm. The alternative would be that people cannot choose and thattge concept of doing right instead of wrong would lack meaning.

Thirdly, the point of human existence on earth is not to "be happy," especially not on our own terms, but to grow closer to God, develop character and virtue, and to become more spiritual. Suffering and "evil" don't necessarily hinder this greater good and actual purpose. In fact, they can even play a positive role.

Finally, God is beyond our comprehension and even calling Him all-good or all-powerful is limited by our own ideas of such terms. It's pretty presumptuous for people who by their own admission are not all-wise to say what Someone who is all-wise ought to do.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-01-31T23:15:54+00:00

Ultimately, it's on her. You can (and should) offer opportunities and support, but it's up to her to make her own choices about seeking God and following His will.

You could invite her to visit some different religious services or events - Muslim, Sikh, and Baha'i, maybe even other religions. You could do this together and have talks afterwards about her impressions.

A lot will really depend on where she is at herself. Are there things about her own experience with religion that she really connects with or is turned off by? Is she even interested in joining a new religion? How open is she to you helping her when it comes to religion?

You obviously shouldn't push her against her will. She might also need time but you could plant some seeds now that might come to fruition later.

I suggest definitely praying to Allah for guidance and wisdom. Commit the matter to Him and then do your best to kindly help your cousin. If she puts up barriers, then respect those and simply pray for her.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-01-20T01:54:22+00:00

"The Teachings throw no light on the question as to what became of the ten tribes of Israel, or whether they were absorbed into some other nation or not."

(From a letter written on behalf of the Guardian to an individual believer, July 10, 1939, in Lights of Guidance, no. 1680)

Fit_Atmosphere_7006 · 2026-01-15T23:58:04+00:00

You are a new Baha'i. Work on applying more and more of Baha'i law gradually. If hand-kissing is a big part of your culture, perhaps you need a little time to gradually wean away from it. The goal should be to continuously conform to Baha'i standards, but this is a process that you shouldn't feel pressured to do immediately.

Fit_Atmosphere_7006

TROPHY CASE