Welcome to the Bahá'í Community of Barnet
"So powerful is the light of unity that it can illuminate the whole earth."
From the Bahá'í Writings
Oneness of Humanity
All of the teachings of the Bahá’í Faith revolve around one central principle: that all of humanity was created as a single unit, like a family. Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’i Faith, infused this principle into all of the spiritual concepts and social activities of the faith.
“…regard ye not one another as strangers. Illumine and hallow your hearts; let them not be profaned by the thorns of hate or the thistles of malice. Ye dwell in one world, and have been created through the operation of one Will.”
Devotional Life
Service and worship are at the heart of the pattern of community life that Bahá’ís around the world are trying to bring into being. They are two distinct, yet inseparable elements that propel the life of the community forward. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes that, “Success and prosperity depend upon service to and worship of God”.
Praise be to God, thy heart is engaged in the commemoration of God, thy soul is gladdened by the glad tidings of God and thou art absorbed in prayer. The state of prayer is the best of conditions…
The Equality of Women and Men
Equality of the sexes is, for Baha'is, a spiritual and moral standard essential for the unification of the planet and the unfoldment of world order. Without the qualities, talents, and skills of both women and men, full economic and social development of the planet becomes impossible.
“The world of humanity has two wings—one is women and the other men,” wrote ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, “Not until both wings are equally developed can the bird fly. Should one wing remain weak, flight is impossible.”
Social Action and Community Development
Bahá’ís throughout the world—both individually and collectively—strive to become involved in the life of society, working shoulder to shoulder with divers groups to contribute to the advancement of material and spiritual civilization.
“Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and centre your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.”
Harmony of Science and Religion
The harmony of science and religion is one of the fundamental principles of the Bahá’í Faith.
“Religion is the outer expression of the divine reality. Therefore, it must be living, vitalized, moving and progressive. Science is the first emanation from God toward man. All created things embody the potentiality of material perfection, but the power of intellectual investigation and scientific acquisition is a higher virtue specialized to man alone. Other beings and organisms are deprived of this potentiality and attainment.”
