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Baháʼí News – The Baháʼí Faith is founded on the fundamental principle of the unity of humankind, and explicitly and clearly calls for world peace and the abolition of war. Baháʼís believe that wars are the product of national, religious, and racial prejudices, ignorance, and the failure of humans to realize their inherent unity. Baháʼuʼlláh, the Founder of the Baháʼí Faith, asserts that peace is not merely the absence of war, but a positive state of harmony, justice, and cooperation among all peoples of the earth.
The Baháʼí Faith calls for the establishment of a lasting world peace through the building of a global system based on principles of justice, equality, and consultation. This system includes the creation of a supreme international tribunal for resolving disputes, the disarmament of nations from lethal weapons, the unification of languages and currencies, and the education of all children. War is considered morally reprehensible and contrary to the teachings of religions that call for love and brotherhood.
Baháʼí Faith’s Expectations for World War III
The Baháʼí Faith has not explicitly predicted a “World War III” in the literal sense of the word, i.e., a comprehensive military conflict between great powers in the same manner as World Wars I and II. Instead, Baháʼí writings refer to a period of intense global turmoil and increasing chaos as part of humanity’s evolutionary process towards a Greater Peace. This period is seen as a “global tribulation” or “great ordeal” necessary to purge the world of the prejudices and illusions that prevent the realization of unity.
`Abdu’l-Bahá, the authorized interpreter of Baháʼuʼlláh’s teachings, spoke of “world agitation” and “tests” that humanity would face. These tribulations, though painful, are considered necessary to push humanity towards recognizing its urgent need for unity and peace. The Baháʼí understanding does not focus on predicting a specific war, but rather on the radical transformation that will occur in human society through these disturbances, which will ultimately lead to the realization of the Greater Peace promised by Baháʼuʼlláh.
Excerpts from the Writings of `Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi on War
`Abdu’l-Bahá (in various writings):
- “The foundation of all Divine Religions is the love of humanity and accord, harmony, and unity among the hearts of people. War is destructive to this foundation.”
- “Wars must cease, and the Most Great Peace must prevail. The whole world must become one home, and all peoples brothers and sisters.”
- “War is the destruction of human edifice, and conflict tears apart the bonds of kinship. The world must unite, and wars must disappear.”
Shoghi Effendi (Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith, in his letters):
- “The world has reached a critical stage in its evolution. The present sufferings it endures are but necessary symptoms of a profound transitional process, a process that requires the human race to leave its adolescence and enter an era of collective maturity. The peace prophesied by Baháʼuʼlláh cannot be achieved until this process culminates in a comprehensive confrontation with all elements of disunity.”
- “The escalating tensions in the world herald the advent of a great transitional stage, which will demonstrate to humanity that it cannot survive without establishing a unified world order, that the fissures separating it must be bridged, and that unity is the only way to salvation.”
The Baháʼí Faith’s Stance on Iran and the History of the Relationship
The Baháʼí Faith is deeply and historically connected to Iran, as it is the birthplace of Baháʼuʼlláh and the cradle of this religion, which emerged in the mid-19th century. Although the teachings of the Baháʼí Faith advocate obedience to government and loyalty to one’s homeland, Baháʼís in Iran have been and continue to be subjected to systematic and methodical persecution since the religion’s inception. This persecution stems primarily from certain religious and political interpretations that view the Baháʼí Faith as heresy and a threat.
Baháʼís have been deprived of their basic rights as citizens, such as the right to higher education, public sector employment, freedom of worship, and dignified burial. Their properties have been confiscated, their holy places destroyed, and large numbers of them imprisoned and others executed. Despite this persecution, Baháʼís in Iran adhere to their principles of not engaging in any subversive or anti-government political activity, and strive to serve their community by promoting ethics and cooperation. They continue to advocate for justice and equality and hope that conditions will change to allow them to practice their faith freely in their homeland.
Baháʼuʼlláh’s Promises for Iran
Despite the persecution faced by Baháʼís in Iran, the writings of Baháʼuʼlláh contain prophetic promises of reform and spiritual and material revival for Iran in the future. These promises are seen as transcending the current circumstances of oppression and suffering.
Among the most prominent of these promises:
- Spiritual and Material Revival: Baháʼuʼlláh spoke of a great transformation that would occur in Iran, where “the lights of justice” and “the sun of equity” would shine upon it. These promises are understood to refer to a period of spiritual awakening, social progress, and economic prosperity that will encompass the country when it accepts the principles of unity and peace.
- Great Station among Nations: Baháʼuʼlláh indicated that Iran would occupy a prominent and esteemed position among the nations of the world, and that it would become a source of inspiration and a model of progress and justice if it embraced the Divine Message.
- Emergence from Darkness into Light: Some of His texts are interpreted as prophecies of Iran’s emergence from a period of darkness and turmoil into an era of light and prosperity, through the adoption of global principles of peace and justice.
Baháʼís believe that these promises will ultimately be fulfilled as part of the divine plan for humanity’s progress, and that the current persecution is a temporary phase preceding a new dawn for Iran and the world.
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Article Author:
Bahia Bekkali
Journalist and Writer Founder, ABN Bahá’í News
Contact: bahiabekkali@abnnews.net
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