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The Baháʼí Faith (often written 'Bahai' without accents) is an independent world religion founded in the mid-19th century by Baháʼu'lláh. Its central teachings are the oneness of God, the oneness of religion, and the oneness of humanity — that the great religions of the world come from the same divine source and are chapters of one unfolding story. Baháʼís live in virtually every country and work toward a peaceful, united global society.

See also: About the Baháʼí Daily Calendar · Read the Baháʼí writings

Baháʼu'lláh (1817–1892), whose name means 'the Glory of God' and is often transliterated 'Bahaullah', is the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. Born in Persia to a noble family, He declared His mission in Baghdad in 1863 and spent the rest of His life as a prisoner and exile of the Ottoman Empire, eventually confined in the fortress-city of ʻAkká in what is now Israel. He revealed more than one hundred volumes of writings — laws, prayers, meditations, and letters to the kings and rulers of His day — calling humanity to unity.

See also: Writings of Baháʼu'lláh · Holy Days commemorating Baháʼu'lláh

The Baháʼí Faith originated in Persia (modern-day Iran) in 1844 with the declaration of the Báb, its forerunner. Baháʼu'lláh, whom the Báb foretold, declared His own mission in Baghdad in 1863. The Bahai World Centre is now located in Haifa, Israel, at the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel.

The Bahai Faith dates its beginning to 23 May 1844, when the Báb declared His mission in the city of Shiraz. That makes it a little over 180 years old — the youngest of the independent world religions.

See also: Declaration of the Báb

No. The Baháʼí Faith is an independent world religion, not a denomination of Christianity or Islam. Baháʼís honor Jesus Christ as a Manifestation of God — a divine Messenger in the same line as Abraham, Moses, Krishna, the Buddha, Muhammad, the Báb, and Baháʼu'lláh — and accept the divine origin of the Bible, but they follow the teachings and laws revealed by Baháʼu'lláh for this age.

Yes. Baháʼís believe Jesus Christ was a Manifestation of God — one of a succession of divine Educators sent to guide humanity, each renewing the essential spiritual teachings of the previous ones. The Baháʼí writings speak of Christ with the deepest reverence, affirm His station, His virgin birth, and His resurrection in a spiritual sense, and teach that His return has been fulfilled in the appearance of Baháʼu'lláh.

There are an estimated 5 to 8 million Baháʼís worldwide, living in more than 200 countries and territories. This makes the Baháʼí Faith one of the most geographically widespread independent religions on Earth after Christianity.