AbdulBahá

Abdu'l-Bahá, also transliterated as Abdul-Baha and often referred to simply as Abdu'l-Bahá (1844–1921), was the eldest son of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í Faith. Born in Tehran, Iran, he endured early persecution of Bahá’ís and was subjected to exile and imprisonment alongside his family as Bahá’í authorities were banished across the Middle East. Following Bahá’u’lláh’s passing in 1892, Abdu'l-Bahá assumed leadership of the Bahá’í Faith, guiding its communities and promoting a message of unity, justice, and humane progress.

During his tenure as head of the Faith, Abdu'l-Bahá stressed the oneness of humanity, universal education, the elimination of prejudice, and the reconciliation of science and religion. He oversaw the development of Bahá’í administrative practices and laid foundations that would later support the global Bahá’í community. His writings and teachings emphasized humanitarian values, social reform, and the harmony of religious truth with modern knowledge.

A defining episode of his life was the Western Tour of 1911–1913, in which he traveled to Europe and North America, delivering public talks and meeting leaders and communities. Among his well-known discourses are the talks compiled into Paris Talks, which articulated Bahá’í perspectives on peace, religion, and society. He also issued guidance on the rights of women, the poor, and marginalized groups, reinforcing the Bahá’í commitment to social justice.

Abdu'l-Bahá died on November 28, 1921, in Haifa, in present-day Israel, and is interred on Mount Carmel. In his will and testament, he appointed his appointed successor, Shoghi Effendi, as Guardian of the Bahá’í Faith, shaping the institutional development of the Bahá’í world.