Bahais to honor anniversary of founder's birth
Advertiser Staff
The Bahai Faith will celebrate the 186th anniversary of the birth of the religion's founder, Baha'u'llah, at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Honolulu Bahai Center, 2165 10th Ave. in Palolo.
Born Mirza Husayn Ali, on Nov. 12, 1817, Baha'u'llah was the eldest son of Mirza Abbas of Nur, a minister of state in what was then Persia. His family was descended from the ancient Sassanid kings of Persia, but he did not attend school. However, as a youth, he became renowned for wisdom and knowledge and at age 22, when his father died, he took over his extensive family estates.
Five years later, he heard the teachings of a young descendant of Muhammad, called the Bab (Arabic for Gate) preaching of a universal religion and became a believer. He was persecuted, but followers came with him to Constantinople, where in a garden (called Ridvan) outside the city of Baghdad, he camped with his family for 12 days.
Here, Baha'u'llah announced he was the promised one foretold by the Bab and assumed the name Baha'u'llah ("the glory of God"). His followers became known as Bahais.
He went on to write a series of letters to the crowned heads of Europe, the pope, the shah of Iran and the government of the United States to establish a true religion, just government and international peace. He later was imprisoned in Acca and died a prisoner at Bahji in 1892.
Bahais believe he was the latest in a series of divine messengers sent by God and his coming ushers in the age of fulfillment mentioned in prophecies. Baha'u'llah taught that God will continue to send messengers about once every 1,000 years.
Today, Bahais are in 236 countries and are established in 127,381 areas worldwide; there are about 1,600 Bahais in Hawai'i.
As part of the celebration, Dr. Randal Wada, an associate researcher at the Cancer Research Center of Hawai'i and a member of the Bahai Faith, will discuss "Baha'u'llah's Teachings and the Cure for Cancer: Faith at the Molecular Level."
Wada is on the graduate faculty in the department of cell and molecular biology at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i and is an associate professor of pediatrics. He is also founder and medical director of the Hawaii Cord Blood Bank,. and serves as medical director of the Hawai'i Bone Marrow Donor Registry, both of which are affiliated with the National Marrow Donor Program.
Tuesday's free program will feature music and refreshments.
Information: 738-5683.
