A Lost History of the Baha'i Faith

Book excerpt: In the mid 1800s, a Persian nobleman in exile claimed to be a new messenger of God. He called himself Baha'u'llah ("The Glory of God") and taught that all nations, races, and religions should come together to build a global civilization of peace and justice for all. Baha'u'llah's progressive teachings have inspired millions of people around the world. But his own family was torn apart by schism and authoritarian interpretations of the religion. Most of his descendants are remembered today as heretics or have been forgotten by Baha'is. This book tells the story of the Baha'i faith through the eyes of some of the children and grandchildren of its founder, and others who knew Baha'u'llah personally. Despite their sincere belief, they were excommunicated and shunned by their own relatives and fellow believers after the prophet's death. They called themselves Unitarian Baha'is and stood for a broad-minded faith based on reason and individual freedom of conscience. Shua Ullah Behai, the eldest grandson of Baha'u'llah, led a Unitarian Baha'i denomination in the United States and compiled an introduction to the Baha'i faith in the 1940s. This historically significant manuscript was preserved by the author's niece and is published for the first time in this annotated volume.