# **Essentials** **[YouTube: A 2-minute Introduction to the Bahá’í Faith](https://youtu.be/wHpOy7vgqtI)** [2015] **[YouTube: What is the Bahá’í Faith? A 14-minute Introduction by Rainn Wilson](https://youtu.be/zLSaDVG4yBE)** [2019] **[Bahai.org](https://bahai.org)** Official website of the Bahá’í International Community. **[BahaiPrayers.io](https://bahaiprayers.io)** **[Bahá’í World News Service](https://news.bahai.org)** Official news source of the worldwide Bahá’í Community. **[The Bahá’í Faith YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/TheBah%C3%A1%E2%80%99%C3%ADFaith)** Official YT of the Bahá’í International Community. **[Bahai.us](https://bahai.us)** Official website of the Bahá’ís of the United States. **[BahaiTeachings.org](https://bahaiteachings.org)** and **[BahaiBlog.net](https://bahaiblog.net)** Both are hubs for news, articles, talks, interviews, and podcasts. **[RaceUnity.us - Race Unity in America: an Oral History](https://www.raceunity.us/)** (or **[YouTube playlist](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzfBGIo-blNqPqOFM-mEolxJMP94Bxrjh)**) > _Bahá’ís in the US have for a century worked to end racism and promote race unity. RaceUnity.us is an oral video history of that story, started by non-Bahá’í journalist Maziar Bahari. The project looks at successes and challenges Bahá’ís face — and what they're doing now to address this vital issue._ --- # **Books** **[Bahai.org/library - The Bahá’í Reference Library](https://bahai.org/library)** The authoritative online source of the Bahá’í writings. Searchable; good user-interface. **[BahaieBooks.org - Bahá’í eBooks Publications](https://bahaiebooks.org)** Completely free authorized versions of Bahá’í eBooks for Kindle (mobi or ePub) and other readers (ePub). Don't buy unauthorized eBook reproductions from Amazon, ever. **[Bahá'í Writings on Souls, Death, and True Life](http://b19.org/bahai/souls.html)** A compliation put together by the maintainer of this page. **[Bahaibookstore.com](https://www.bahaibookstore.com)** > _Bahá’í Distribution Service is an arm of the Bahá’í Publishing Trust (nonprofit business which functions under the aegis of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States) and serves members of the Bahá’í community, as well as public both domestic and overseas, through our two online stores – BahaiBookstore.com and BahaiMusicStore.com – where our customers can today choose from thousands of print and eBook titles (including many free) in various world languages, as well as digital media in a variety of formats._ --- # **Music Videos** **[Bahá’í Blog Studio Sessions](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLePDtgwcyKAScvchcLzY-XZTmP2tdN-EY)** Beautifully-produced videos from around the world of Bahá’ís and their friends putting the Bahá’í Writings to music. --- # **Photos** **[media.bahai.org - Bahá’í Media Bank](https://media.bahai.org)** Provides awesome high-quality photos for non-commercial purposes. --- # **Study Circles, JYSEP, Children's Classes** **[Ruhi.org - The Ruhi Institute](https://www.ruhi.org)** Responsible for the programs currently used in Bahá’í children's classes, the junior youth spiritual empowerment program, and the main sequence of courses for adults (commonly referred to as "study circles"). Books and songs are available as free downloads. **[Printable Quotations from Ruhi Book 1](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j8w5iZoNek7O2wyqF3fQ9D_i9MEzI8UMRP9eD2yU6F8/edit?usp=sharing)** Compiled by the maintainer of this page: a printable checklist with all of the quotations from Ruhi Institute Book 1: Reflections on the Life of the Spirit. **[YouTube: The Bahá’í World View](https://youtu.be/vqg-qcadglU)** [2015] A 10-minute introduction that looks at what the Bahá’í Faith is and what Bahá’ís have been doing in their communities. **[YouTube playlist: The Junior Youth Spiritual Empowerment Program](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI2MCtLnHm7r2VDIvTIyhM2cVgOoV0M6J)** [2012-2017] > _Falling between the ages of 12 and 15 and representing a transition from childhood to youth, young adolescents — referred to as “junior youth” — experience rapid physical, intellectual, and emotional changes. Their spiritual powers expand. A new level of awareness fosters in them an increased interest in profound questions and in their talents and abilities. During this short and critical three-year period, ideas about the individual and society that may very well shape the rest of their lives are formed. However, delight at these new powers is often combined with feelings of worry, discomfort, and doubt that may produce contradictions in behavior. Directing their new abilities towards selfless service to humanity is therefore needed at this age._ **[YouTube: Study Circles](https://youtu.be/KUbxNsPY1nY)** [2018] > _Travian Mitchell of Durham, North Carolina gains spiritual comfort and community through Bahá’í study circles._ **[Bandcamp: MANA's musical arrangements of quotes and prayers from Ruhi Study Circles](https://manapacifica.bandcamp.com/music)** Lovely digital tracks (or whole albums) of memorable, singable quotes from the Ruhi books. **[YouTube playlist: BahaiTeachings.org - The Virtues Basket series](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzfBGIo-blNoOlJnA6z6S5ieageaB0MI8)** Each one to two minute video in this playlist explores the meaning of a particular virtue (like kindness) and how kids and adults can apply said virtue in their life. Very cool. --- # **History in Stories** _Items in this section should be more accessible to young kiddos._ **[YouTube: Breaking the Chains: The Story of the Girls Schools in Iran](https://youtu.be/Buow34lQiEs)** [2020] Animated short tells the historical role Bahá’ís played in bringing education to girls in Iran in the early 1900s. > _Only 5% of the population of Iran had access to basic writing skills and knowledge of sciences was kept exclusively to men, and breaking a cycle of thousands of years of oppression was no small feat. That's when Tahirih and ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá come into the story._ **[Bandcamp: Storytelling by Sarah Perceval](https://sarahperceval.bandcamp.com/)** Awesome CDs (or digital tracks/albums) of well-produced storytelling w/musical accompaniment. **[Podcast: Ambassador to Humanity](https://bahaiteachings.org/podcasts/ambassador-to-humanity/)** (or **[YouTube playlist](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzfBGIo-blNpfmJV-4p-D5AA-r5GWn5Ry)**) [2022] > _This series of nine podcasts, produced especially for the centenary of the passing of Abdu’l-Baha, recounts the life and work of this unique figure in human history, celebrating his life, his legacy, and his enduring influence on humanity. It includes eyewitness accounts from those who encountered Abdu’l-Baha and commentary from those who have studied his life and example._ --- # **Official Documentaries** _Note from Ryan: this section includes movie-quality feature-length documentary productions which I believe were commissioned by the [Bahá’í International Community](https://bic.org), the [Bahá’í World Centre](http://bwc.org), or [The Universal House of Justice](https://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org)._ ### Glimpses of a Hundred Years of Endeavour [2022] Watch: **[bahai.org/glimpses](https://bahai.org/glimpses)** or **[YouTube playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcQIEJkmscnD80mrh6l4SCAF88fpZtSEM)** A film commissioned by the Universal House of Justice provides glimpses of the Bahá’í community’s efforts over the past century to contribute to the oneness of humanity. > _“In 1921, at the time of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a relatively small Bahá’í community, though grieving, looked to the future with faith and courage, focused on the instructions that had been left by Him, the Centre of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had provided clear guidance for how the Bahá’í community was to grow, develop and increasingly serve humanity. Since that time, the followers of Bahá’u’lláh have been striving, with unimaginable sacrifice, to implement that guidance, reaching the farthest corners of the globe. This film provides glimpses into a hundred years of endeavour and learning, carried out by a burgeoning Bahá’í community, and outlines the journey that has led to the community’s current efforts to contribute to the emergence of a world based on the principle of the oneness of humanity.”_ ### Exemplar [2021] Watch: **[bahai.org/exemplar](https://bahai.org/exemplar)** or **[YouTube playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcQIEJkmscnAsQslNPfqiFNuIfg4g9YHu)** A film commissioned by the Universal House of Justice to mark the centenary commemoration of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. > _One hundred years ago, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the son of Bahá’u’lláh and the perfect example of His teachings, passed from this world._ > Exemplar _follows the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and the profound effect He had on people both past and present. A sense of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s unique function as a shelter, a shield, a stronghold for all humanity is captured in vignettes of some of the souls whose lives were transformed for the betterment of society through their association with Him. The film reflects a few of the universal principles embodied, both in word and deed, by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá — principles that animate a global movement of individuals, communities and institutions striving to emulate His example in service to humanity._ ### Glimpses into the Spirit of Gender Equality [2021] Watch: **[glimpses.bic.org](https://glimpses.bic.org)** or **[YouTube #1](https://youtu.be/lqOeUNMEpAI)** or **[YouTube #2](https://youtu.be/Hc3fz9PL8Bc)** Explores how Bahá’í communities have seen the principles of gender equality outlined in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action begin to take form in neighborhoods and villages around the world. > _“Since 1995 much has been learned about the enabling conditions that foster gender equality. Whatever setbacks and obstacles may appear over the next 25 years, the awakening of the majority of the peoples of the world to the truth that women and men are equal will never be lost.”_ > _The film ... touches on the lives of individuals from diverse communities around the world, including Colombia, India, Malaysia, the United States, and Zambia and their experiences in applying the principle of gender equality to their lives, contributing to the goals articulated in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action._ ### A Rich Tapestry [2020] Watch: **[YouTube playlist](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI2MCtLnHm7qcaXDRO-KLoor_6LxPFCMr)** > _A video storytelling series that illustrates how love is being translated into action to address questions of race and culture in the United States._ ### Dawn of the Light [2019] Watch: **[bahai.org/dawn-of-the-light](https://bahai.org/dawn-of-the-light)** or **[YouTube playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcQIEJkmscnDvRdvc3N2Lug6FmcUskpcV)** Follows the story of eight people from around the world as they describe their spiritual journeys to discovering the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh. > _Two hundred years ago, the Báb appeared, inaugurating a new Dispensation and preparing humanity for the light of Bahá’u’lláh’s Revelation. Dawn of the Light portrays several individuals from different continents as they relate their own personal search after truth and meaning. They share their discovery that God has sent two Divine Manifestations — the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh — Whose teachings are revolutionizing human thought and behavior, changing darkness into light. The film shows glimpses of how this same discovery is inspiring the efforts of many across the globe to serve humanity and to contribute to building a new pattern of life._ ### A Widening Embrace [2018] Watch: **[bahai.org/widening-embrace](https://bahai.org/widening-embrace)** or **[YouTube playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcQIEJkmscnDsCS83ndbh01z-lnFS75uw)** About community-building efforts of the Bahá’í world, as seen through the eyes of local populations. > _Across the globe, followers of Bahá’u’lláh and their friends are striving in earnest to contribute to the well-being of their communities and the advancement of society. A Widening Embrace captures some experiences and insights from a selection of neighborhoods and villages, in rural and urban settings. Here, a process of building vibrant communities is unfolding through individual and collective action propelled by a commitment to learning, in the words of Bahá’u’lláh, how to "translate that which hath been written into reality and action."_ ### Light to the World [2017] Watch: **[bahai.org/light-to-the-world](https://bahai.org/light-to-the-world)** or **[YouTube](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLI2MCtLnHm7qb1H0IIVnS0uIYpBSv84nn)** Shares personal reflections from around the world about aspects of the life and teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and illustrates how His Teachings are transforming the lives of individuals and communities. > _There is a story unfolding. It is a story of humanity’s progress through history, propelled by the teachings of Messengers of God Who have guided humanity through its stages of development, and now to the dawn of its maturity. Two hundred years ago, such a prophetic Figure appeared: Bahá’u’lláh. He brought teachings for this age that represent an end to division and otherness, through which – at long last – the oneness of humankind can be realized. Discover more through accounts of people from diverse nations whose lives have been transformed by the light that Bahá’u’lláh brought to the world._ ### To Serve Humanity [2014] Watch: **[YouTube playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLcQIEJkmscnDqvocAiB7SRaPjWWY4G-yY)** > _In February 2013, the Universal House of Justice announced a series of youth conferences to be held around the world. Thousands of young people from villages and neighborhoods spanning every continent gathered to consult on the ways in which their generation can contribute to the spiritual and material well-being of their communities. This series of short films (combined into one video) captures the insights and conversation among participants as they explore some of the themes that are central to the process of community building. The words of ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá, “God is the helper of those souls whose aim is to serve humanity and whose efforts and endeavors are devoted to the good and betterment of all mankind”, inspire the hearts of many youth, who are collectively striving to translate their aspirations into reality._ ### Frontiers of Learning [2013] Watch: **[bahai.org/frontiers](https://bahai.org/frontiers)** or **[YouTube playlist](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLePDtgwcyKASTxvX_w2HR0k2NSZ-HzpEt)** > _Young and old, in cities and villages around the world, are taking part in a process of community building based on concepts enshrined in the Bahá’í Teachings. This uplifting film produced by the Bahá’í World Centre, captures the insights and experiences of children, junior youth, youth, and adults — in Canada, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and India — whose efforts to build vibrant communities are at the frontiers of learning._ ### Arising to Serve [2009] Watch: **[bahai.org/arising](https://bahai.org/arising)** Glimpses from 41 Regional conferences > _In October 2008, the Universal House of Justice announced 41 regional conferences to be held throughout the world over a period of four months. The response to the invitation was magnificent. Nearly 80,000 Bahá’ís and their friends from more than 170 countries attended._ > _This film is a unique historical and inspirational record of those precious moments when the participants gathered to share what they had learned in their community-building activities, to plan for the work ahead and to celebrate their achievements, arising to serve their fellow citizens of the world._ --- # **Other Documentaries** _Docs listed here were not commissioned by [BIC](https://bic.org), [BWC](http://bwc.org), or [The Universal House of Justice](https://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org)._ ### Hope from Iran (trilogy) [2020] Watch: **[YouTube playlist](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLePDtgwcyKAQwCyQX7CgviKFOMFu-fyKw)** > Hope from Iran: _producer/director Flavio Azm Rassekh attempts to show that although hopelessness has become a major theme in society today, through the stories of four very different individuals, there is still hope, which was born in Persia 200 years ago and it has spread to over 120 thousand localities around the globe. For Iranians, hope will come from nowhere else in the world but from the heart of the country._ > Hope from Iran 2: _follow-up film to its predecessor ... takes on a slightly different angle by exploring the lives of four very talented women who have been touched, not only by the Bahá’í Faith, but in particular by the life and example of a famous Persian poetess and Bahá’í heroin known as Tahirih._ > Hope from Iran 3: _the final film of the ... trilogy ... focuses on the unique story of two Iranian Bahá’ís who left Iran right after the Islamic Revolution to start a new life abroad. Their stories have a deep connection with the current situation in Iran today, and in the end, it all comes back together in a full circle._ ### The Gate: Dawn of the Bahá’í Faith [2018] Watch: **[YouTube](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW2ryet3LMNTaGzq2ljqdpoP_Z3703zNU)** or **[Amazon](https://amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B07HM6QKCD/)** or DVD/Blu-Ray from **[thegatefilm.com](https://thegatefilm.com)** A captivating film about The Báb created in close collaboration with the [National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States](https://bahai.us/) and with the blessing of [The Universal House of Justice](https://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org). > _As the world suffers from the divisive forces of strife and intolerance, a new Faith advocates the oneness of humanity’s major religions as a path toward world peace. The Gate: Dawn of the Bahá’í Faith is the groundbreaking documentary that tells the amazing, true story of the Prophet Herald known as The Báb, His message and the origins of a new era in world religion. Directed by Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Bob Hercules (Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise; Forgiving Dr. Mengele) and executive produced by Chicago-based entrepreneur and philanthropist Steve Sarowitz, The Gate combines dramatic reenactments with interviews of renowned historians, religious scholars and experts in the Bahá’í Faith to celebrate the brief, exciting life of a Prophet and the indelible impact His message continues to have on the world today._ --- # **Short Films** _Shorts from Bahá’í filmmakers._ ### Another World [2021] Watch: **[YouTube](https://youtu.be/7T6R33WOjK0)** A short animated film crafted between June and December 2020. > _As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world in the Spring of 2020, my four-year-old son was fascinated by disaster stories, such as the sinking of the Titanic. One night, as he slept, and as folks bravely marched for racial healing and social justice across North America, I thought about the way children are coming of age at a time when humanity is also struggling to come to maturity. What have they known of the world we are leaving behind, and what will we all build in the months and years ahead?_ ### In This Day [2020] Watch: **[YouTube](https://youtu.be/g0kWu4F28Fo)** A short film about prayer and overcoming tests and difficulties. > _... a poignant and visually stunning short film put together by a team of young adults in New York City (USA). It was made in honour of the bicentenary of the Birth of the Báb but its subject and its themes of serving others, the importance of prayer, and of facing tests and difficulties are applicable anytime._ ### Mercy's Blessing [2017] Watch: **[Vimeo](https://vimeo.com/ondemand/mercysblessing/)** > _Story: In a rural village in the heart of Africa, a teenage boy has a dream: to raise his younger sister and himself out of poverty. But when a twist of fate shatters his hopes, everything seems lost and he is faced with the ultimate choice._ --- # **Something wrong?** _My name is Ryan Sawhill Aroha. I'm a Bahá’í. I created and maintain this page._ _Note:_ + _Descriptive text in quote blocks was not written by me._ + _Additional non-quoted descriptive comments and section headings written by me are of course accurate to the best of my knowledge, but none of it has been vetted by anyone else._ + _If you see any mistakes or omissions or have ideas for things to add, please [contact me](../)._ _Last updated:_ 2023/03/08