Question: What is the ruling on the Baha’i ideas and beliefs? What is the difference between them and other Muslims?

Answer: Praise be to Allah. Baabism and Baha’ism are a movement that originated from a Shi’ah sect called the Shaykhiyyah in 1260 AH/ 1844 CE, under the protection of Russian, Jewish and English colonialism, with the aim of corrupting Islamic belief and dividing the Muslims and diverting them from their basic aims.

Origins and leading figures:

1 - Baabism was founded by al-Mirza ‘Ali Muhammad Rida al-Shiraazi who learned Shi’ah and Sufi knowledge from childhood. In 1260 AH/1844 CE alShiraazi announced that he was the door (al-baab) which led to divine truth. He was encouraged in that by one of the Russian spies. Then after that he claimed to be a messenger like Moosa, ‘Eesa and Muhammad (blessings and peace be upon them all), and he even claimed to be better than them. In 1266 AH he claimed that the divine was incarnated in him, and he was sentenced to death.

2 - Qurrat al-‘Ayn. She was a very eloquent woman who joined al-Shiraazi in learning the Shaykhi branch of Shi’i knowledge. She was permissive and immoral, and her husband divorced her and her children disowned her. She held a conference with the Baabi leaders in Dasht, Iran, in which she announced the annulment of Islamic sharee’ah. She was executed in 1268 AH/1852 CE. Baha’ism Before al-Shiraazi was killed, he appointed al-Mirza Yahya ‘Ali, who was known as Sabh Azl, as his successor, but this was contested by his brother Husayn alBaha’. After conflicts between them in which each of them tried to kill the other, Sabh Azl was expelled to Cyprus, where he died in 1912 CE. Husayn al-Baha’ was expelled to ‘Akka (Acre) in Palestine, where he was killed by some of his brother’s followers in 1892 CE and was buried there.

Beliefs, ideas and rituals of the Baha’is:

1 - Belief that Allah is incarnated in some of His creation, and that Allah was incarnated in al-Baab and al-Baha’.

2 - Belief in the transmigration of souls, and that reward and punishment happen to the soul only.

3 - Belief that all religions are valid, and that the Torah and Gospel have not been altered. They believe that all religion must be united in one, which is Baha’ism.

4 - The Baha’is believe that the book al-Aqdas which was written by al-Baha’ Husayn abrogates all the divinely revealed books, including the Holy Qur’aan.

5 - They believe that Buddha, Confucius, Brahman, Zaradasht and other sages of India, China and Persia were Prophets.

6 - They believe- like the Jews and the Christians- that the Messiah was crucified.

7 - They do not believe in the miracles of the Prophets or in the angels and jinn, and they do not believe in Paradise and Hell.

8 - They forbid their women to wear hijab, and they regard mut’ah (temporary marriage) as permissible, and they promote the sharing of women and wealth. It is very clear that this is a religion that strives to destroy moral values and spread permissiveness and immorality.

9 - They say that the religion of the Baab abrogates the sharee’ah of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

10 - They interpret the Day of Resurrection as referring to the appearance of alBaha’. Their direction of prayer is the Bahjah in ‘Akka in Palestine, where the grave of al-Baha’ is located, instead of al-Masjid al-Haraam.

11 - They pray three times a day, and each prayer has three rak’ahs, morning, noon and evening. They do wudoo’ with rose water, and if there is none available they regard it as sufficient to say the Basmalah - in the name of Allah, the Most Pure, the Most Pure) five times.

12 - They do not regard it as permissible to pray in congregation except when offering the funeral prayer for the deceased. This makes clear the extent of their efforts to divide the Muslims, as they forbid prayer in congregation.

13 - The Baha’is regard the number nineteen as sacred, and they have nineteen months in their year, each month having nineteen days.

14 - The Baha’is fast during one of the Baha’i months, which is called al-‘Ala, which lasts from 2-21 March. This is the last of the Baha’i months. During this month they refrain from eating from sunrise until sunset. Their fasting month is followed by the festival of Nawrooz (Persian New Year).

15 - The Baha’is regard jihad and the carrying of weapons and waging war against kaafir enemies as haraam, in service to the interests of the colonialists, as we shall see below. This confirms what is said about them, that they are a movement that was created by the colonialists, and they are still supporting it up till now.

16 - They do not believe that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the final Prophet; they claim that the Revelation continued after his death.

17 - They regard pilgrimage to Makkah as invalid, so they go on pilgrimage to the place where al-Baha’ is buried in Akka, in Palestine.

18 - They do not believe in doing ghusl from janaabah or purification from impure things, because they believe that whoever believes in Baha’ism is pure.

19 - Instead of zakaah they have a kind of tax at a rate of 19% of one’s capital, to be paid once.

These are the Baha’is, and these are some of their beliefs, a mixture of some monotheistic beliefs and idolatrous ideas which al-Baha’ mixed in a strange way and called it revelation and a holy book. What is wrong with the minds of those who followed him?