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Sacred Space Baha’i, Take a Virtual Tour
The Baha’is house of worship is open to all located at 100 Linden Ave in Wilmette, Illinois. Get in touch by phone: 847-835-2300
Breathe, Reflect, Connect
Every one of us has a soul that longs to connect with its Creator and to contribute to a better world. The Baha’i House of Worship stands as a testament to these purposes, offering a quiet and safe space to go inward and revitalize your sense of purpose in the world. Take a virtual tour!
Official Website of the United States Baha’is
Official Website of the Worldwide
Baha’i Community
Wilmette, Illinois House of Worship
Baha’i Prayers
Reference Library of Authoritative Writings, Prayers, Talks, and Guidance
Baha’is and friends connect with personal stories, inspiration, arts, and media about the Baha’i Faith, its ideals, and its transformational impact.
An educational institution that draws upon the principles of the Bahá’í Faith to inspire sustained social change for the common good. Courses are designed to explore individual and collective transformation by empowering students to advance a more just and peaceful society.
Baha’i Terminology
Baha’i: Means “Follower of Glory” or ”Follower of the Light.” A Baha’i is a follower of the Baha’i Faith.
Prophet, Manifestation, Messenger: All interchangeable terms. Designation as a founder of a religious dispensation.
Progressive Revelation: A Baha’i belief that major religions succeed one another, each bringing a greater measure of divine truth to humanity.
Bahá’u’lláh (1817 – 1892): Means “The Glory of God” in Arabic. He is the Prophet and Founder of the Baha’i Faith.
The Báb (1819 – 1850): Means The “Gate.” Also, a Manifestaion of God and the Founder of the Bábi Faith. He announced the coming of Bahá’u’lláh and the Baha’i Faith.
Abdu’l-Bahá (1844 – 1921): Means “Servant of Bahá.” Eldest son and appointed Successor of Bahá’u’lláh. Not a prophet, but an infallible interpreter of his Father’s writings. Considered the perfect example of how to live a Baha’i life.
Shoghi Effendi (1897 – 1957): Great-grandson of Bahá’u’lláh. Not a Prophet. Appointed by Abdu’l-Bahá as head of the Baha’i Faith to guide its worldwide expansion and its affairs until the election of the Universal House of Justice in 1963. He was University of Oxford educated.
Universal House of Justice (first elected in 1963 – present): The supreme governing and legislative body of the Baha’i Faith. Membership consists of nine elected individuals who may come from any part of the world. Voted for by secret ballot. Located in Haifa, Israel.
National Spiritual Assemblies: The nine-member administrative body tasked with overseeing the affairs of the Bahá’í community of a particular country. Like Local Spiritual Assemblies, all National Spiritual Assemblies have nine members and are elected annually. North America’s National Spiritual Assembly is located in Evanston.
Local Spiritual Assemblies: The nine-member governing body of the Bahá’ís in a locality elected annually by secret ballot by all the local adult Bahá’ís in that locality. Highland Park Baha’is have their own Local Spiritual Assembly.
Clusters: Groupings of local Baha’i communities. Typically, a Cluster will share information, combine activities, and reflect on progress. As of 2022, there were 22,000 Clusters worldwide.
Bahá’ís believe the crucial need facing humanity is to find a unifying world vision. To learn more visit Bahai.org
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