The Bahá’í Faith traces its origin to 1844 and the announcement by a young man, Siyyid‘ Alí-Muhammad, in Shiraz, Persia (now Iran), that He had been sent by God to prepare humanity for a new age and the imminent appearance of another Divine Educator even greater than Himself.

Siyyid‘ Alí-Muhammad took the title of the Báb (meaning “Gate” in Arabic) and said the one whose coming He foretold would be the Universal Manifestation of God sent to inaugurate an age of peace and enlightenment as promised in all the world’s religions.

Bahá’ís consider the Báb to be both an independent Messenger of God and the forerunner of Bahá’u’lláh (“the Glory of God” in Arabic), who is the founder of the Bahá’í Faith.   The Bab is in many ways similar to John the Baptist, who told about a coming of one who would be greater than himself.

Bahá’u’lláh, whose name was Mírzá Husayn‘Alí, was born into a noble family in Tehran on 12 November 1817. In His mid-20s, He declined a life of privilege and became one of the leading disciples of the Báb.

In 1852, in the course of the persecution of the Bábís, He was arrested, beaten, and thrown into an infamous dungeon in Tehran. After four months, He was released and banished from His native land – the beginning of 40 years of exile and imprisonment.

During the 40 years of His exile, Bahá’u’lláh revealed a series of books, scriptures, and letters that today form the core of the Holy Writings of the Bahá’í Faith. Comprising the equivalent of some 100 volumes, the writings of Bahá’u’lláh describe the nature of God and the purpose of human existence, give new religious laws, and outline a vision for creating a peaceful and prosperous global society.

In His will, Bahá’u’lláh named His eldest son, ‘Abbás Effendi (1844-1921), as the head of the Bahá’í Faith and authorized interpreter of His teachings. ‘Abbás Effendi, known to Bahá’ís as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá(“Servant of Bahá”), became well-known in the Haifa-Acre area for his charitable works. He also traveled through Europe and North America to encourage nascent Bahá’í communities and to proclaim Bahá’u’lláh’s teachings to the general public. The writings of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá are considered part of the sacred scriptures of the Bahá’íFaith.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá passed away in 1921. In his will he had designated his grandson Shoghi Effendi (1897-1957) as his successor, with the title of Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith. During the ministry of Shoghi Effendi, the religion spread around the world, and its local and national administrative institutions were established. With the passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957, the line of hereditary leaders of the Bahá’í Faith came to an end.

Following provisions established by Bahá’u’lláh, in 1963 the Universal House of Justice was elected to direct the affairs of the worldwide Bahá’í community. The nine members of the Universal House of Justice are elected every five years by the members of the Bahá’í national administrative bodies around the world.