Baha"i

Numbers: About 6 million people claim affiliation with Baha'i and its predecessor, Babism.

Main tenets: Baha'is believe in the unity of all humankind, and therefore the unity of all religions. This means that Baha'i adherents believe that all religions teach the same truth. They therefore reject prejudice--racial, political, or otherwise--and stress ethical teachings such as world peace, education, and sexual equality. Although they believe that God is completely unknowable, they hold that God's presence and works are evident in the creation of the world and the existence of the prophets, among other things. Important Baha'i prophets include Adam, the Jewish prophets, Jesus, and Muhammed, all of whom have been succeeded by Baha'ullah, the founder of Baha'i.

Founder: Baha'i was founded in Iran in the mid-nineteenth century by Mirza Husayn Ali (1817-1892). Better known as Baha'ullah, he believed that he was the prophet foretold by the Bab, a religious leader who was a direct descendent of the prophet Muhammad. Baha'ullah was persecuted and banished several times during his life, and he died as a prisoner in Palestine. After his death, one of his two sons set out on missionary journeys to Egypt, Europe, and America, establishing branches of the community.

Main sacred text: Among his many writings, Baha'ullah's Kitab al-Aqdas ("The Most Holy Book"), which contains detailed instructions for Baha'i life, is perhaps the closest to scriptures for Baha'is. However, there is no formal public ritual or priesthood. Local congregations hold informal devotional sessions.

Historical roots: Baha'i is an outgrowth of a religious movement known as Babism. Babism stemmed from the Twelver Shi'a sect of Islam, which holds that the twelfth of a series of great imams vanished from sight but is still alive and will return to institute an era of justice and peace.

Headquarters: Currently located in Haifa, Israel, near the graves of Baha'ullah and his predecessor, the Bab.

The Confluence of Sacred Times

| Written by Rabbi Arthur Waskow ... in October 2005 Both the Muslim and Jewish calendars are based on lunar "moonths," but the two traditions treat these months in different ways. Seven times in a 19-year cycle, the Jewish calendar adds an additional lunar "leap month" to bring the calendar back into the rhythm of a solar year. Counting from the month of spring, in which Passover occurs, the seventh month in the Jewish calendar is Tishrei - a sabbatical month in which every phase of the moon is honored through a unique festival: Rosh Hashanah at the new moon, Yom Kippur on the tenth day, Sukkot at the full moon, and Sh'mini Atzeret/ Simchat Torah at the waning of the moon. As a result of the constant solar readjustment, Tishrei always occurs in the fall. Since the Muslim calendar is purely lunar, the sacred month of Ramadan moves round the year from season to season. It occasionally, but rarely, coincides with the Jewish sacred month of Tishrei. In the years 2005, 2006, and 2007 of the Western calendar, the two months do coincide. (During 2008, the Jewish calendar adds its "leap month," and the paths of Ramadan and Tishrei then diverge for many years.) In 2005, Tishrei and Ramadan begin with the new moon on October 3-4. Other sacred times also coincide with those days. October 4 is the saint's day of St. Francis of Assisi, known as a proponent of peace and lovingkindness toward all human cultures and all life-forms on earth. October 2 is the birthday of Mohandas Gandhi. And because it is the first Sunday in October, October 2 is also, for Protestant Christians, Worldwide Communion Sunday. Yom Kippur falls on October 13. Since every day of ramadan is a fast day, that day both Jews and Muslims will be fasting. And October 13 is for Hindus Vijayadashami (the tenth day of victory). It comes after Navarathri (nine nights) where many fast, and others have religious observances of various sorts. Although the religious story is filled with images of war and victory (on the 10th day), it is often described as a spiritual struggle similar to jihad (in its proper meaning). Also for Buddhists, October 13 falls within a period of reflection or retreat called Vassa (rainy season). (It is sometimes called the Buddhist "Lent.") Oct. 18 is the full moon day on which this season ends, and is called Pavarana day in the Theravada tradition. At a moment in history when the world is experiencing an upsurge in religious hostility and war, when the blood-streaked strands in the fabrics of many religious traditions seem to win more attention than the peaceful teachings at the heart of all of them, the confluence of these dates seems a gift from God: Can we draw upon this gift to act in ways that honors the best in all our traditions and that reconnects them all with that Unity that calls us toward making peace, seeking justice, healing the earth?