The Abrahamic faith that seeks to end all religious prejudice

Ideas & Philosophy · Published 27 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While most people recognize Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, a fourth Abrahamic faith exists with millions of followers worldwide. The Bahá’í Faith emerged from 19th-century Iran, built on the radical conviction that every major religion is actually teaching the same truth from different perspectives.

The Bahá’í Faith originated in the mid-19th century, beginning as an Islamic movement in Iran. Originating from the Bābí faith, this religion was established in 1844 by Shīrāz's Mīrzā ʿAlī Moḥammad. Mīrzā ʿAlī Moḥammad, who took the title the Bāb (meaning "Gateway"), proclaimed a spiritual doctrine about the coming of a new messenger who would overturn old customs and usher in a new era. These early beliefs were rooted in Twelver Shiʿi Islam, specifically the belief in the return of the 12th imam.

The faith was publicly declared in Iraq by Mīrzā Ḥosayn ʿAlī Nūrī, known as Bahāʾu’llāh (meaning "Glory of God"). Bahāʾu’llāh is considered a manifestation of God, as is his forerunner, the Bāb. The core of the faith is the belief in a progressive divine plan for the education of humanity. Rather than seeing different religions as competing truths, Bahá’īs believe that all founders of the world’s great religions were agents of this same plan, teaching an identical truth despite their outward differences.

Modern Bahá’í practice is defined by the pursuit of the unity of humanity and the abolition of racial, class, and religious prejudices. Distinctive for lacking a priesthood, the religion avoids using ritualistic forms during worship. Instead, the bulk of its teachings focuses on social ethics. Today, it is the fourth or fifth most commonly practiced Abrahamic religion, with communities established in nearly every country on Earth.

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