2nd May 2026
Baha’i
The most important Baha’i festival. In these 12 days, in the garden outside Baghdad after which the festival is named, Baha’u’llah declared himself the Promised One, prophesied by the Bab. The first, ninth and twelfth days are especially significant and are holy days, when no work is done. It is during this period that Baha’is elect all their governing bodies.
29th April 2026
Baha’i
The most important Baha’i festival. In these 12 days, in the garden outside Baghdad after which the festival is named, Baha’u’llah declared himself the Promised One, prophesied by the Bab. The first, ninth and twelfth days are especially significant and are holy days, when no work is done. It is during this period that Baha’is elect all their governing bodies.
2nd to 20th March 2026
Baha’i
The Baha’i Fast falls during the month of Ala–the last month of the Baha’i calendar. During these 19 days, Baha’is abstain from food and drink between sunrise and sunset. While this abstention from food and drink is a test of one’s will and discipline, the Fast is not just about abstaining from food. The Fast is, primarily, a spiritual practice.
25th February – 1st March 2026
Baha’i and other faiths
Ayyam-i-Ha are intercalary days in the Baha’i calendar, celebrated as a period of joy, generosity, and service before the annual fast. They are observed during the four or five days that fall between the last two months of their calendar.
28th November 2026
Bahai
Abdu’l-Baha was the eldest son of Baha’u’llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha’i Faith. Born in Persia in 1844 and named Abbas, Abdu’l-Baha was the eldest son of Baha’u’llah, and from the age of eight, He shared His Father’s exile and imprisonment. Throughout His life, He demonstrated praiseworthy qualities and was known for His loving kindness, selfless spirit of service, and generosity, especially towards those in need. Baha’u’llah referred to Him as “the Master”, “the Mystery of God” and “a shelter for all mankind”, however, Abdu’l-Baha preferred to be called “Abdu’l-Baha”, meaning “the Servant of Baha”, in reference to His servitude to Baha’u’llah and His teachings.
In Baha’u’llah’s will and testament, He instructed all to turn to Abdu’l-Baha as the authorized interpreter of the Baha’i Writings and also as the perfect exemplar of the Baha’i Faith’s spirit and teachings.
When finally released from prison, Abdu’l-Baha traveled to Egypt, Europe, and North America, to promote the Baha’i teachings, giving numerous public talks and interviews, and meeting with people from all walks of life.
When Abdu’l-Baha passed away at the age of 77 on 28 November 1921, in the Holy Land, His funeral was attended by 10,000 mourners of numerous religious backgrounds. In spontaneous tributes to an admired personality, He was eulogized as One who led humanity to the “Way of Truth,” as a “pillar of peace” and the embodiment of “glory and greatness.”
26th November 2026
Bahai
Every year in late November Baha’is around the world honor unity on the Day of the Covenant. This special Baha’i Holy Day recognizes and celebrates the appointment of Abdu’l-Baha as the Center of Baha’u’llah’s Covenant, that unbroken, unified line of guidance which safeguards the Baha’i Faith from division and disunity.
So Baha’is celebrate the unity of their Faith—and the essential unity of all Faiths—on the Day of the Covenant. They also recognize, on this special day, the wider covenant that exists between God and humanity, which expresses itself in the singular purpose, common principles, and prophetic connections that link every Faith. This eternal covenant between God and humanity calls on each human being to recognize and accept all of the founders of the world’s great Faiths, acknowledging the system of divine education Baha’is call progressive revelation.
The Baha’i teachings say that God reveals religious and mystical truth through a systematic succession of prophets and messengers throughout history. Baha’is see those great teachers, the founders of the world’s major Faiths, as bringing different stages in one continuous spiritual educational system for all humanity.
Those messengers of God, history tells us, each made a promise to their followers that they would return to lead humanity to God again. This greater eternal Covenant, which calls on every person of faith to recognize and accept the next prophet of God, forms the basis of the successive system of divine education called progressive revelation.
Baha’is see the unity of religion as an organic, unbroken chain of God’s messengers, who all taught the same essential Faith. This great Covenant – God’s promise never to leave His creation bereft of guidance – has held true throughout every time and civilization.
The aim behind this series is to encourage people to share their own worldview story. The series recognises that our own worldview journey is personal and will be shaped by our own individual background, family, and cultural influences.
Our ability to understand and respect stories like these can lead to a greater understanding of how people arrive at their current beliefs and practices, as well as showing how our worldviews can change over time. The pieces add layers of understanding about what people believe and how they live their lives. They also help us to recognise and reflect on our own personal knowledge.
This new series complements an animation entitled ‘Nobody Stands Nowhere’ produced by the Theos Think Tank which aims to unpack the idea of worldview and invites the viewer to consider how their own unique view of the world might co–exist with other, sometimes quite different, vantage points held by those around them.
Over the last few years we have collated responses to questions about Religion and Worldviews from different perspectives. This resource provides personal answers to questions from lived experience and were written directly by believers. The links below take you to the individual resources:
General note:
In English, Bahá’i writings refer to Almighty God as ‘He’, as there is no respectful neutral word, unlike in the original Arabic and Persian. Wherever a Manifestation is referred to as ‘He’, or with possessive pronouns referring to the Manifestations, capitalization is used as a mark of respect. This is common throughout the Bahá’i writings.