Baha'i

The principle of the unity of religion is at the center of Bahá’í teachings. Bahá’ís believe that Divine Revelation is a continuous and progressive process, that all the great religions of the world are divine in origin, that their basic principles are in complete harmony and that their aims and purposes are one and the same. Often Bahá’ís refer to this continuous process as “Progressive Revelation.” To find out more about Progressive Revelation we invite you to join us tonight, Friday November 14 at 7:30pm for a discussion and light refreshments. For more information or directions, please contact the Bahá’ís of Arlington

“Consider the sun. Were it to say now, “I am the sun of yesterday,” it would speak the truth. And should it, bearing the sequence of time in mind, claim to be other than that sun, it still would speak the truth. In like manner, if it be said that all the days are but one and the same, it is correct and true. And if it be said, with respect to their particular names and designations, that they differ, that again is true. For though they are the same, yet one doth recognize in each a separate designation, a specific attribute, a particular character. Conceive accordingly the distinction, variation, and unity characteristic of the various Manifestations of holiness, that thou mayest comprehend the allusions made by the creator of all names and attributes to the mysteries of distinction and unity, and discover the answer to thy question as to why that everlasting Beauty should have, at sundry times, called Himself by different names and titles.”
~ Baha’u'llah

On the 12^th of November 1817 in Tehran, Iran a young child was born. His given name was Hysayn Ali, but He became known as Bahá’u’lláh, a title that means “the Glory of God” in Arabic. Bahá’u’lláh came from long and illustrious lineage, and His father, Mirza Buzurg-i-Nuri was a wealthy government minister. When his father passed away, Bahá’u’lláh was asked to follow in his footsteps, but He declined the high-ranking position and instead lead a life where he was a haven and a refuge for the poor and needy and a kind father to the orphans. These heavenly qualities manifested by Him from childhood made Him the object of adoration and love among people who heard His name and came in touch with His vibrant personality.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, said the following concerning his Father’s childhood: “… Bahá’u’lláh, belonged to the nobility of Persia. From earliest childhood He was distinguished among His relatives and friends.… In wisdom, intelligence and as a source of new knowledge, He was advanced beyond His age and superior to His surroundings. All who knew Him were astonished at His precocity.”

In 1863 Bahá’u’lláh announced that He was the Promised One that all mankind had been waiting for. To find out more about the life of Bahá’u’lláh we invite you to join us for a celebration of His birth. The Arlington Bahá’í community will be celebrating the Birth of Bahá’u’lláh on Tuesday, November 11 at 7:30 p.m at the Alexandria Bahá’í Center located at 5400B Eisenhower Ave. Please contact us for more information or call (703) 548-0929.

The Bahá’í community of Arlington, VA is joining with the Bahá’í community of Washington D.C. to celebrate the recognition by UNESCO of the Bahá’í Shrines in Northern Israel as World Heritage sites. These holy sites were determined as possessing “outstanding universal value,” and join a list of internationally recognized sites. For more information please see a previous post.

The celebration will take place at the Kay Spiritual Center at American University on Monday, November 10, 2008, from 7:30pm—10:00pm

Please join us in our festivities as we enjoy music, refreshments, and a presentation on the significance of these sites and their UNESCO recognition. If you have questions or to RSVP please e-mail heritage.DC@gmail.com.

Bahá’u'lláh has stated: “Consider the Dispensation of Jesus Christ. Behold, how all the learned men of that generation, though eagerly anticipating the coming of the Promised One, have nevertheless denied Him.”

In the Bahá’í Faith, Jesus Christ is revered as a Manifestation of God, and anyone who embraces the Baha’i Faith - regardless of their religious background — also recognizes the universal redemptive significance of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection.

To find out more about the Bahá’í Faith and Christianity, we invite you to join the Arlington Bahá’í Community on Friday November 7, 2008 at 7:30pm for a lively discussion and light refreshments. For more information or directions, please contact the Bahá’ís of Arlington.

“O PEOPLES of the earth! Verily the resplendent Light of God hath appeared in your midst, invested with this unerring Book, that ye may be guided aright to the ways of peace and, by the leave of God, step out of the darkness into the light and onto this far-extended Path of Truth.” ~ The Báb

Are you interested in learning about the mystical connections between the twin revelations of The Báb and Bahá’u'lláh? If so, please join us this evening at 7:30pm for lively discussion
with inspirational stories of the life of The Báb, and how He and Bahá’u'lláh were so closely connected as One. For more information or directions, please contact the Bahá’ís of Arlington.