Estimate from Bahá'í International Community↗ (opens in a new tab).
Overview
Over four decades, thousands of verses, letters and books flowed from the pen of Bahá’u’lláh, amounting to some 100 volumes of sacred writings.1
History and origins
The Báb, who lived from 1819 to 1850, is described as an independent Manifestation of God whose mission was to inaugurate a new cycle in humanity’s spiritual development.2 His writings prepared the way for the coming of Bahá’u’lláh.3
In his will, Bahá’u’lláh appointed his eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who lived from 1844 to 1921, to be the authorised interpreter of his teachings and Head of the Bahá’í Faith after him.4 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s writings, and authoritative texts of his utterances, constitute a central part of Bahá’í scripture.5
References
- “For four decades, thousands of verses, letters and books flowed from His pen, amounting to some 100 volumes of Sacred Writings.” — Bahá'í Reference Library, source page↗ (opens in a new tab)
- “an independent Manifestation of God, whose mission was to inaugurate a new cycle in humanity’s spiritual development” — Bahá'í Reference Library, source page↗ (opens in a new tab)
- “His Writings prepared the way for the coming of Bahá’u’lláh.” — Bahá'í Reference Library, source page↗ (opens in a new tab)
- “Bahá’u’lláh appointed His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1844-1921), to be the authorized interpreter of His teachings and Head of the Bahá’í Faith after Him.” — Bahá'í Reference Library, source page↗ (opens in a new tab)
- “Writings and authoritative texts of His utterances constitute a central part of Bahá’í scripture” — Bahá'í Reference Library, source page↗ (opens in a new tab)
Individual sourced statements
Statements recorded one at a time, each shown with the words it rests on. They sit alongside the account above rather than beneath it.
The Bahá'í International Community states that Bahá'u'lláh taught that the world's religions come from the same source and are successive chapters of one religion.
“Bahá'u'lláh, the latest of these Messengers, explained that the religions of the world come from the same Source and are in essence successive chapters of one religion from God.”
The Bahá’í International Community states that God has sent a series of divine Educators known as Manifestations of God, and that they have included Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus and Muḥammad.
“Throughout history, God has sent to humanity a series of divine Educators—known as Manifestations of God—whose teachings have provided the basis for the advancement of civilization. These Manifestations have included Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muḥammad.”
The Bahá'í Reference Library states that it is the authoritative online source of Bahá'í writings.
“The Bahá’í Reference Library is the authoritative online source of Bahá’í writings.”
Every quotation above was checked against its source on 5 September 2026.
1 further statement is withheld because the supporting quotation could not be confirmed on the source’s last check.
Authority
Bahá'í Faith recognises a central authority.
The Universal House of Justice in Haifa is the recognised head of the Faith.
Subdivisions
The Bahá'í Faith holds unity as doctrine and has no recognised denominations. Do not render a branch list for this tradition.
How these dates are worked out
This is the part that decides whether a date in your rota is right. Every observance below is computed from a published rule rather than copied from anyone’s list, and the rule is what explains why a date moves, why two calendars can disagree, and how far ahead you can safely plan.
Tied to the March equinox
- What sets the date
- The year begins on the day the sun crosses the celestial equator, determined for a specific place rather than for the world.
- Why it falls where it does
- The equinox is a single instant, and whether it falls before or after sunset at the reference location decides which day the year starts on. In a year where the instant and the sunset fall within minutes of each other, the answer cannot be settled by computation alone.
- What that means for planning
- The date is one of two adjacent days and is published in advance by the governing body. Where that published table exists the site follows it rather than its own arithmetic.
Two consecutive lunar days
- What sets the date
- The pair of observances falls on the first and second days of the eighth new moon after Naw-Rúz, with the new moon determined for a specific reference location.
- Why it falls where it does
- Tying the pair to a lunar count rather than to fixed dates means they move by several weeks against the Gregorian calendar, and the reference location matters because a new moon can fall on either side of midnight depending on where you stand.
- What that means for planning
- The two days are always consecutive. They can land anywhere across a wide window in October or November.
Observances in 2026
Sources
No expert review. Accuracy here rests on continuous machine verification of every quotation against its source. Spotted an error? Corrections are answered within five working days.