2015: The standing and position of the Bahá’í community in the world today

• More than 5 million Bahá’ís reside in virtually every country and territory around the world, in well over 100,000 localities.
• Three National Assemblies have been re-formed in recent years in the Muslim world: those of Egypt, Indonesia and Iraq.
• There are 182 National Spiritual Assemblies operating around the world. Over 40 percent of the membership of these national councils are women.
• National Spiritual Assemblies in countries with extended areas of jurisdiction have all established Regional Bahá’í Councils.
• The number of Continental Counselors has reached 81, with 990 Auxiliary Board members serving under them.
• The number of countries where Bahá’í marriage certificates are recognized has reached 60.
• Bahá’í literature is available in 802 languages.
• Over 27,000 classes for the spiritual and moral education of children and junior youth, open to children of Bahá’ís and those belonging to other denominations or groups, are conducted by Bahá’í communities on a regular basis.
• More than 600 Bahá’í elementary schools, mostly in rural areas where formal schools do not exist, are operating throughout the world.
• Seven continental Bahá’í Houses of Worship have been established in virtually all the continents of the globe—all open for prayers and readings for the spiritual upliftment of Bahá’ís and interested friends. The eighth and last continental Temple is being built in Santiago, Chile.
• Plans for the construction of two national and five local Bahá’í Houses of Worship have been set in motion.
• Countless devotional gatherings all over the world are held regularly in Bahá’í centers and in Bahá’í homes. These are open to the believers and to the public as well.
• In all such meetings, whether in Bahá’í Temples or in informal devotional gatherings, Bahá’í prayers and readings are offered as well as appropriate extracts of scriptures of other revealed religions.

(Data prepared by the Statistics Department of the Bahá’í World Center and provided to Mr. Nakhjavani for his article on: “Theninth cycle of the Bahá’í calendar and its relationship to the teaching work”)

The Shrine of Baha'u'llah in the time of 'Abdu'l-Baha

The Shrine of Baha'u'llah in the time of 'Abdu'l-Baha

circa 1968: Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga in Colombia

Hand of the Cause Enoch Olinga with some Baha'is in Colombia, circa 1968

Tribulations sustained by Baha’u’llah until His arrival in Baghdad – a summary by Shoghi effendi

Was it not He Who, at the early age of twenty-seven, spontaneously arose to champion, in the capacity of a mere follower, the nascent Cause of the Báb? Was He not the One Who by assuming the actual leadership of a proscribed and harrassed sect exposed Himself, and His kindred, and His possessions, and His rank, and His reputation to the grave perils, the bloody assaults, the general spoliation and furious defamations of both government and people? Was it not He—the Bearer of a Revelation, Whose day “every Prophet hath announced,” for which “the soul of every Divine Messenger hath thirsted,” and in which “God hath proved the hearts of the entire company of His Messengers and Prophets”—was not the Bearer of such a Revelation, at the instigation of Shí’ih ecclesiastics and by order of the Sháh himself forced, for no less than four months, to breathe, in utter darkness, whilst in the company of the vilest criminals and freighted down with galling chains, the pestilential air of the vermin-infested subterranean dungeon of Tihrán—a place which, as He Himself subsequently declared, was mysteriously converted into the very scene of the annunciation made to Him by God of His Prophethood?

The first public persecution

Mullá Sádiq-i-Khurásání, impelled by the injunction of the Báb in the Khasá’il-i-Sab‘ih to alter the sacrosanct formula of the adhán,[call to prayer] sounded it in its amended form before a scandalized congregation in Shíráz, and was instantly arrested, reviled, stripped of his garments, and scourged with a thousand lashes. The villainous Husayn Khán, the Nizámu’d-Dawlih, the governor of Fárs, who had read the challenge thrown out in the Qayyúmu’l-Asmá, having ordered that Mullá Sádiq together with Quddús and another believer be summarily and publicly punished, caused their beards to be burned, their noses pierced, and threaded with halters; then, having been led through the streets in this disgraceful condition, they were expelled from the city. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

The speed of the revelation of divine verses by the Báb

…Mullá ‘Alíy-i-Bastamí, one of the Letters of the Living, “the first to leave the House of God (Shíráz) and the first to suffer for His sake…had audaciously asserted that from the pen of his new-found Master within the space of forty-eight hours, verses had streamed that equalled in number those of the Qur’án, which it took its Author twenty-three years to reveal… 

- Shoghi Effendi  (‘God Passes By’)

1941: First Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of San Jose, Costa Rica

Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of San Jose, Costa Rica, 1941 (The Baha'i World 1940-1944)

Naw-Ruz 1974: The Third Global Plan is launched by the Universal House of Justice

“The Five Year Plan to which this community is now summoned is the opening campaign of these critical years. It is the third global plan embarked upon by the Army of Light in its implementation of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's Divine Plan, that world-encompassing programme disclosed in His perspicuous Tablets and described by the Guardian of the Cause of God as the Charter for the propagation of the Faith throughout the world.” 

- The Universal House of Justice  (from a message to the Baha’is of the world, Naw-Ruz, 1974)

The other two global Plans were the Ten Year Crusade, 1953 to 1963, and the Nine Year Plan, 1964 to 1973.

Ridvan 1943: India's First Baha'i Youth Conference

First Baha'i Youth Conference of India, Ridvan 1943 (The Baha'i World 1940-1944)

April 1974: 115 National Spiritual Assemblies throughout the planet

The victories of that crusade implanted the banner of Bahá'u'lláh throughout the planet and the following Nine Year Plan reinforced and extended the bastions of the Faith and raised the number of National Spiritual Assemblies -- the supporting pillars of the Universal House of Justice -- to one hundred and thirteen, a number increased to one hundred and fifteen by the formation at this Ridvan of the National Spiritual Assemblies of Hong Kong and South East Arabia. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (from a message tothe Baha’is of the world, Naw-Ruz, 1974)

May 1963: Hands of the Cause decided that Auxiliary Board members should be free of administrative responsibilities – The Universal House of Justice approved

The Hands of the Cause at their London Conclave last May decided that Auxiliary Board members should be free of administrative responsibilities in order to devote their full energies to their work as Board members. Those Board members serving on National Assemblies were therefore requested to decide, before Ridvan 1964, in which capacity they could best serve the Cause…

… Should Board members still be elected on National Assemblies after the above explanation, it should rest with each Board member to decide which of the two functions he feels best suited to perform. The Universal House of Justice, therefore, approves the request made by the Hands of the Cause to their Board members that they choose between the two functions. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (from a letter to all National Spiritual Assemblies dated 25 November 1963; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986)

1934: First Annual Convention of the Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand

The first Annual Convention of the Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand was held at Sydney, May 15, 16, 17 and 18, 1934. Details of this meeting, so significant in the unfoldment of the Baha'i world order, are made available in reports issued by the National Spiritual Assembly formed by that Convention:

"A little more than a decade after the landing in Sydney of those two indefatigable Baha'i pioneers, Mr. and Mrs. Hyde Dunn, has seen the outward and visible consummation of their labors in the formation of a National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Commonwealth of Australia and the Dominion of New Zealand. This was the outstanding achievement of the Cause in these southern lands in 1934, and itself bears witness to the sincerity, enthusiasm and faith of the believers.

1934: First Annual Convention of the Baha'is of Iran

The first Annual Convention of the Baha'is of Iran was held at Tihran during eight days commencing April 26, 1934. As in North America, ninety-five delegates had been assigned proportionately to the national community, and of these eighty-one were present at the first session, eighty-four at the later sessions. On account of the vast Baha'i population of Iran, the ninety-five delegates were elected proportionately by the believers through twenty administrative divisions rather than through their separate local Baha'i communities.

The members of the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Iran were: Valiyu'llah Varqa, Shu'a'u'llah 'Ala'i, Dr. Yunis Afrukhtih, Jinab-i-Fadil-i-Maizindarani, Amin-Amin, Ahmad Yazdani, 'Ali-Akbar Furutan, 'Inayatu'llah Ahmadpur, and Mahmud Badi'i. The Baha'i affairs of Iran had previously been directed and coordinated nationally by the former "Central Assembly" at Tihran. 

(Adapted from ‘The Baha’i World 1934-1936’)

June 1963: One Pilgrim House was established at the Baha’i Gardens on Mount Carmel for both Eastern and Western pilgrims

After careful consideration of the alternatives the House of Justice has decided that the time has come to take the significant step, anticipated by our beloved Guardian, of housing all pilgrims in one place. It was found possible, by slight alterations, to accommodate all pilgrims, without lessening the number, in the former Eastern Pilgrim House and its adjacent buildings. We have therefore established one Pilgrim House, at the Bahá'í Gardens on Mount Carmel. 

- The Universal House of Justice  (from a message dated 16 June 1963; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

June 1941: First Canadian Teaching Conference

First Canadian Summer Conference held in Montreal in the garden of Maxwell home, June 1, 1941 (Baha'i News, January 1942)

January 1, 1942: North America Baha'i Teaching Map - showing unsettled areas

North America Baha'i Teaching Map - showing unsettled areas as of January 1, 1942 (Baha'i News, January 1942)

Ishqabad Baha’i Temple – a brief history by the Universal House of Justice

A colorized model based on historical research – (not authenticated)

The Bahá'í centre in 'Ishqabad was founded in the days of Bahá'u'lláh. Already during His lifetime preliminary steps had been adopted by the friends of that community to build, in accordance with the provisions of the Most Holy Book, a Mashriqu'l- Adhkar.

However, the project had to be postponed until 1902, at the end of the first decade of the Ministry of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, when He initiated its construction, called on the friends in the East to offer their contributions towards the fulfilment of this goal, and personally encouraged and directed its development at every stage. The Báb's cousin, the venerable Haji Mirza Muhammad-Taqi, the Vakilu'd-Dawlih, offered his total wealth towards this meritorious enterprise, established his residence in that city, and personally supervised its construction.

The laying of the cornerstone of this edifice at a ceremony attended by the delegate of the Czar -- the Governor-general of Turkistan -- and the initial steps taken to raise this first House of Worship of the Bahá'í World, inspired the friends in America, who, in 1903, eager to demonstrate the quality of their faith, petitioned 'Abdu'l-Bahá for permission to erect the first Mashriqu'l-Adhkar of the West.

April 1962: Fourteen Moroccan Bahá'í men were arrested

In April 1962 fourteen Moroccan Bahá'í men were arrested in Nador. On 31 October 1962, after more than six months of imprisonment, they were tried before the Criminal Court of Nador on charges of rebellion and disorder, attacks on public security, constitution of an association of criminals, and attacks on religious faith. On 10 December 1962 they were found guilty and sentenced. Their cases were then appealed to the Supreme Court of Morocco, which overruled the lower court's verdict and released the men. A world-wide campaign to publicize the plight of the Bahá'í prisoners focused public opinion, favourable to the Bahá'ís, on the Moroccan authorities. 

(Editorial explanatory footnotes concerning a message from the Universal House of Justice dated 17 October 1963; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986)

The twelve National Spiritual Assemblies entrusted with the execution of the Ten Year Plan (1953-1963)

1. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States

2. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the British Isles

3. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Germany and Austria

4. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Egypt and Sudan

5. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of 'Iraq

6. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of India, Pakistan and Burma

7. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Persia

8. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Australia and New Zealand

9. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Canada

10. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Central America

11. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of South America

12. National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of Italy and Switzerland

- Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy Land  (‘The Baha’i Faith 1844-1963, Information, Statistical and Comparative’, compiled by the Hands of the Cause residing in the Holy Land)

Countries Opened to the Baha’i Faith – during the Ministries of the Báb and Baha’u’llah

Period of the Báb’s Ministry (1844-1853)

'Iraq and Persia

Period of Baha’u’llah’s Ministry (1853- 1892)

Adhirbayjan, Armenia, Burma, Egypt, Georgia, India, Israel, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and Turkmenistan. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (Data compiled by Shoghi Effendi, ‘The Baha’i Faith 1844-1952, Information Statistical and Comparative)

June 1973: Establishment of the International Teaching Centre in Holy Land

5 June 1973

To all National Spiritual Assemblies

ANNOUNCE ESTABLISHMENT HOLY LAND LONG ANTICIPATED INTERNATIONAL TEACHING CENTRE DESTINED EVOLVE INTO ONE THOSE WORLD-SHAKING WORLD- EMBRACING WORLD-DIRECTING ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTIONS ORDAINED BY BAHÁ'U'LLÁH ANTICIPATED BY 'ABDU'L-BAHÁ ELUCIDATED BY SHOGHI EFFENDI. MEMBERSHIP THIS NASCENT INSTITUTION COMPRISES ALL HANDS CAUSE GOD AND INITIALLY THREE COUNSELLORS WHO WITH HANDS PRESENT HOLY LAND WILL CONSTITUTE NUCLEUS ITS VITAL OPERATIONS. CALLING UPON HOOPER DUNBAR FLORENCE MAYBERRY 'AZIZ YAZDI PROCEED HOLY LAND ASSUME THIS HIGHLY MERITORIOUS SERVICE. OFFERING PRAYERS HEARTFELT GRATITUDE SACRED THRESHOLD THIS FURTHER EVIDENCE ORGANIC EVOLUTION ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER BAHÁ'U'LLÁH.

With loving Bahá'í greetings,

The Universal House of Justice

(Messages from the Universal House of Justice, Messages 1963 to 1986)

(Elucidation of the Duties of the International Center)

1944: Venezuela's First Baha'i Study Group

First Baha'i Study Group of Caracas, Venezuela, 1944. (The Baha'i World 1940-1944)

Activities supported by the International Funds of the Faith during 1963-1973

During the Nine Year Plan (1964-1973) “sixty percent of the international funds of the Faith is used to assist the work of National Spiritual Assemblies, to promote the teaching work and to defend the Cause against attacks in many parts of the world. Without such help from the Bahá'í world community many National Assemblies would be paralyzed in their efforts of expansion and deepening.” 

(The Universal House of Justice, from Ridvan 1973 message of the Universal House of Justice)

April 1973: Baha’is resided in 69,500 localities worldwide

The number of localities worldwide where Baha’is reside increased by 54,000 during the Nine Year Plan (April 1964 to April 1973). As of April 1973 Bahá'ís resided in 69,500 localities. 

(Adapted from the Ridvan 1973 message of the Universal House of Justice)

August 26-31, 1968: Commemoration of Baha’u’llah’s arrival to Holy Land

During the period of the Nine Year Plan a number of important and interesting events, not directly associated with it, have taken place. First and foremost was the commemoration, in the precincts of the Qiblih of the Bahá'í world, of the centenary of the arrival at the prison city of 'Akká, as foretold in former Scriptures, of the Promised One of all ages. 

(The Universal House of Justice, from Ridvan 1973 message; Messages from the Universal House of Justice, 1968-1973)