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The Oneness of Religion

The principle of the unity of religion is at the center of Bahá'í teachings. Bahá'u'lláh states that humanity is engaged in a collective process of growth similar to the growth process of an individual: just as a person begins life as a helpless infant and attains maturity in successive stages, so humankind began its collective social life in a primitive state, which progressively becomes more mature. In the case of the individual, it is clear that his or her development takes place as a result of the education he or she receives from parents, teachers, and society in general. And likewise with humankind's collective evolution, in which God's messengers play a crucial role.

In one of His major works, the Kitáb-i-Iqán (the Book of Certitude), Bahá'u'lláh explained that God, the Creator, has intervened and will continue to intervene in human history by means of chosen messengers. These Messengers, Whom Bahá'u'lláh called "Manifestations of God," are mainly the founders of revealed religions, such as Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Zoroaster, Jesus, Muhammad, and so forth. It is the spirit released by the coming of these manifestations, together with the influence of their teachings and the social systems established by their followers that enable humankind to progress in its collective evolution. Simply put: the Manifestations of God are the chief educators of humanity. With regard to the various religious systems that have appeared, Bahá'u'lláh said:

"These principles and laws, these firmly-established and mighty systems, have proceeded from one Source and are the rays of one Light. That they differ one from another is to be attributed to the varying requirements of the ages in which they were promulgated"                   `Bahá'u'lláh, Gleanings, pp. 161-2.

So the Bahá'í principle of the unity of religion means that all of the great religious founders (the Manifestations) have come from the same God, and that all of the religious systems established by them are part of the same plan directed by God.

In reality, there is only one religion, the religion of God. This one religion is continually evolving. Each particular religious system represents a stage in the evolution of the whole. The Bahá'í Faith represents the current stage in the evolution of religion. To emphasize the idea that all of the teachings and actions of the Manifestation are directed by God and do not originate from natural, human sources, Bahá'u'lláh used the term "revelation" to describe the phenomenon that occurs each time a Manifestation appears. In particular, the writings of the Manifestation are a mirror of the Word of God. Because these writings remain after the earthly life of the Manifestation is finished, they are an important part of the phenomenon of revelation. So much so, that the term "revelation" is sometimes used in a restricted sense to refer to the writings and words of the Manifestation.

Religious history is seen as a succession of revelations from God, and the term "progressive revelation" is used to describe this process.

"[The Baha'i Faith] ... abrogates none of the religions that have preceded it, nor does it attempt, in the slightest degree, to distort their features or to belittle their value. It disclaims any intention of dwarfing any of the Prophets of the past, or of whittling down the eternal verity of their teachings. It can, in no wise, conflict with the spirit that animates their claims, nor does it seek to undermine the basis of any man's allegiance to their cause. Its declared, its primary purpose is to enable every adherent of these Faiths to obtain a fuller understanding of the religion with which he stands identified, and to acquire a clearer apprehension of its purpose. It is neither eclectic in the presentation of its truths, nor arrogant in the affirmation of its claims. Its teachings revolve around the fundamental principle that religious truth is not absolute but relative, that Divine Revelation is progressive, not final. Unequivocally and without the least reservation it proclaims all established religions to be divine in origin, identical in their aims, complementary in their functions, continuous in their purpose, indispensable in their value to mankind.
(Shoghi Effendi, in World Order of Baha'u'llah, pages 57-58)

From the days of Adam until today, the religions of God have been made manifest, one following the other, and each one of them fulfilled its due function, revived mankind, and provided education and enlightenment. They freed the people from the darkness of the world of nature and ushered them into the brightness of the Kingdom. As each succeeding Faith and Law became revealed it remained for some centuries a richly fruitful tree and to it was committed the happiness of humankind.
(Selections from the Writings of `Abdu'l-Baha, page 51)"



Bahá'u'lláh wrote that the process of revelation will not stop with His revelation, and that another manifestation will come after Him, though not before "the expiration of one thousand years". According to the Bahá'í writings, the process of revelation will continue indefinitely into the future and humankind will see the coming of many more Manifestations.

To express the Bahá'í concept of religion more clearly, we can compare it with some other ways in which religion has been regarded. On one hand there is the view that the various religious systems result from human striving after truth. From this perpective, the Founders of religions do not reveal God to us, but are rather philosophers or thinkers, human beings who may have progressed farther than others in the discovery of truth. This notion excludes the idea of a basic unity of religion since the various religious systems are seen as representing different opinions and beliefs pointing to a 'reality' which is not real. If they agree on some points, this is because human beings are alike. If they disagree, it is because humans misunderstand and make mistakes.

Many orthodox adherents of various religious traditions, on the other hand, argue that the Prophet or Founder of their particular tradition represents a true revelation of God to humanity, and that the other religious Founders are false prophets, or at least essentially inferior to the Founder of the tradition in question. For example, many Jews believe that Moses was a true Messenger of God, but that Jesus was not. Similarly, many Christians believe in Jesus' revelation, but consider that Muhammad was a false prophet, and hold that Moses was inferior in status to Christ.

The Bahá'í principle of the oneness of religion differs from both these perspectives. Bahá'u'lláh attributed the differences in some teachings of the great religions not to any human fallibility of the Founders, but rather to the different requirements of the ages in which the revelations occurred. In addition, He maintained that there has been a great deal of error introduced into religion through the corruption of texts, the addition of extraneous ideas, and reading metaphorical and poetic language in a literal way. Moreover, Bahá'ís consider that no one of the Founders is superior to another. Shoghi Effendi has summarized this view in the following words: .

"The fundamental principle enunciated by Bahá'u'lláh, the followers of His Faith firmly believe, is that religious truth is not absolute but relative, 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, that their aims and purposes are one and the same, that their teachings are but facets of one truth, that their functions are complementary, that they differ only in the nonessential aspects of their doctrines, and that their missions represent successive stages in the spiritual evolution of human society."   
           Shoghi Effendi, "The Faith of Bahá'u'lláh" in World Order, Vol. 7, No. 2 (1972-73), p. 7.


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