A List of Resources on the Bahá’í Faith

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Each 1-min to 2-min 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.

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.

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.

Travian Mitchell of Durham, North Carolina gains spiritual comfort and community through Bahá’í study circles.

Lovely digital tracks (or whole albums) of memorable, singable quotes from the Ruhi books.

Watch YouTube English dubbed below:

An Expansive Prospect looks at four places in the world, capturing the efforts of individuals, communities, and institutions as they strive together to release the society-building power of the Bahá’í Teachings in ever-greater measures.

Watch YouTube English dubbed below:

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.

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.

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, “Glimpses into the Spirit of Gender Equality”, 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.

The aim of the Bahá’í International Community (BIC) in creating this film is to showcase the spirit of diverse initiatives that have steadily contributed to cultural transformation at the local level in creating more equitable societies. It seeks to instill a sense of hope and optimism as the international community reflects on the advances made since the 1995 Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and to reinvigorate commitment to action in realizing the vital requirement of gender equality.

Watch YouTube English below:

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.

Watch YouTube English below:

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."

Watch YouTube multi-language CC below:

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.

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.

Watch YouTube English below:

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.

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.

A video storytelling series that illustrates how love is being translated into action to address questions of race and culture in the United States. This collection of video stories provides authentic examples of how individuals, communities and institutions are weaving together a rich tapestry of community life in neighborhoods across America.

“The oneness of humanity is far more than a slogan or an abstract and unattainable ideal. It has profound implications for both personal behavior and for the way society is organized― challenging many current assumptions and revolutionizing our conceptions of the relationships that should exist between the individual, society, and its institutions.”

With this bold reminder of the power of the teachings of Baha’u’llah to influence our world toward greater unity and love, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States has given America a call to action:

“Awareness of the spiritual reality of human beings carries with it the moral requirement that all be given every opportunity to fulfill their potential and to contribute to the advancement of civilization. To this end, we have a twofold mission: to develop within our own community a pattern of life that increasingly reflects the spirit of the Bahá’í teachings, and to engage with others in a deliberate and collaborative effort to eradicate the ills afflicting our nation. A rich tapestry of community life that increasingly reflects the sublime teachings of the Blessed Beauty will not emerge of its own accord. The evils of racism, materialism, and moral decadence will be eradicated only by a love that is translated into action―such actions as deliberately going out of our way to befriend all, appreciating the indispensable contributions of all, and joining hands with all in the creation of a new world.”

Read the entire statement from February 2017 at bahai.us/beliefs/pivotal-time-in-america/

Watch YouTube English below:

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.

For more info, check out this interview with the film's producer.

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.

Watch below:

Bahari is not a Baha'i – but as a filmmaker he has covered the persecution of Baha'is in Iran since his 2014 film “To Light a Candle”. He was a reporter for Newsweek from 1998 to 2011, largely working in Tehran; in 2009, after reporting on the Iran presidential election crisis, Bahari was jailed for 118 days in solitary confinement in Tehran’s Evin Prison. He was released after a successful international campaign. His book “Then They Came for Me” told the story of his incarceration and in 2014 was adapted as the feature film “Rosewater” by Jon Stewart.

This seven minute animation tells the story of how Abdu’l‑Bahá predicted the First World War during His travels to the West, and how He managed to protect the population of Palestine from starvation during the conflict. Abdu’l‑Bahá was loved and respected by the people, and was often called "the father of the poor".

... a short animation that brings to life how Abdu'l-Baha touched the lives of certain notable individuals. We get a glimpse of what the Lebanese poet, writer, and artist Khalil Gibran said about Abdu'l-Baha after they met in New York, how the Japanese poet Yone Nogushi described Abdu'l-Baha's teachings, and also how Abdu'l-Baha's unbounded love influenced Lady Blomfield, a humanitarian and child rights activist from Great Britain.

For more info, check out this interview with the filmmaker.

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.

Conflict has been part of our lives from the beginning of history; it is still the main source of stories for books and films, the key element of interest for the masses nowadays. Some people have come to assume that humans are naturally violent and self-oriented, competitive and greedy and that those traits are part of our collective DNA.

This short animation questions those assumptions, brings forth many myths that have become intrinsically part of our lives, and presents some new perspectives on how can we rebuild our communities in the 21st century.

For more info, check out this interview with the filmmaker.

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?

For more info, check out this interview with some of the creators.

... 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.

For more info, check out this interview with one of the film's creators.

For more info, check out this interview with the filmmaker.

For more info, check out this interview with the filmmaker.

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.

Mercy’s Blessing is a story of selfless love and sacrifice in the midst of social injustice. It highlights the power of the human spirit, the power of choice, and the capacity of young people—especially boys and men—to act courageously, despite great odds in upholding equality and justice.