Birthday of Bahá'u'lláh

On November 12, 1817, Bahá'u'lláh (meaning "The Glory of God" in Arabic), the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, was born in Tehrán, the capital of Persia. Bahá'ís believe Bahá'u'lláh is the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond recorded time and that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad. His father, Mírzá Buzurg, was a distinguished nobleman who held a high-ranking position in the court of the Persian King. Though he did not attend regular school and only received some instruction at home, from an early age Bahá'u'lláh showed signs of greatness and displayed extraordinary knowledge and wisdom. As a young man, He was offered a high position in the court of the King, but refused it because he wished instead to dedicate His time to helping the oppressed, the sick and the poor, and to champion the cause of justice.

The central theme of Bahá'u'lláh's message for humanity in this day is the oneness of the human race and the unification of a global society. This unification involves breaking down traditional barriers of race, class, creed, and nation and that will, in time, give birth to a universal civilization. Bahá'u'lláh calls us to arise to serve:

   "O wayfarer in the path of God! Take thou thy portion of the ocean of His grace, and deprive not thyself of the things that lie hidden in its depths. Be thou of them that have partaken of its treasures. A dewdrop out of this ocean would, if shed upon all that are in the heavens and on the earth, suffice to enrich them with the bounty of God, the Almighty, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. With the hands of renunciation draw forth from its life-giving waters, and sprinkle therewith all created things, that they may be cleansed from all man-made limitations and may approach the mighty seat of God, this hallowed and resplendent Spot.

   Be not grieved if thou performest it thyself alone. Let God be all-sufficient for thee. Commune intimately with His Spirit, and be thou of the thankful. Proclaim the Cause of thy Lord unto all who are in the heavens and on the earth. Should any man respond to thy call, lay bare before him the pearls of the wisdom of the Lord, thy God, which His Spirit hath sent down unto thee, and be thou of them that truly believe. And should any one reject thine offer, turn thou away from him, and put thy trust and confidence in the Lord, thy God, the Lord of all worlds.

   By the righteousness of God! Whoso openeth his lips in this Day and maketh mention of the name of his Lord, the hosts of Divine inspiration shall descend upon him from the heaven of My name, the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. On him shall also descend the Concourse on high, each bearing aloft a chalice of pure light. Thus hath it been foreordained in the realm of God’s Revelation, by the behest of Him Who is the All-Glorious, the Most Powerful." 

-Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh