Bahá’ís believe that human beings are fundamentally spiritual in nature. The soul is linked to the body during our comparatively brief material life, but is released at death and enters a spiritual realm.

Just as we develop physical attributes and capacities in this life, we will need spiritual capacities in our new existence. Because of this inevitable transition, it is of the utmost importance that we spend time and energy developing our spiritual qualities and capacities. While there are many different opinions and perspectives on what constitutes a spiritual quality, the Bahá’í writings address this question specifically. Essentially, spiritual qualities are those traits and motivations that positively affect personal character and lead to the betterment of communities and society at large. These include: justice, kindness, honesty, truthfulness, compassion, generosity, courage, forbearance, selflessness and patience, to name a few. These capacities are developed through a combination of prayer and action.

At the same time, we cannot ignore the very pressing and practical issues that face us in our everyday lives. We must also devote ourselves to building careers, setting up households and taking care of a seemingly endless number of small tasks that require our attention. Even in these pursuits, there are many opportunities to develop spiritual qualities, if we take the time to look for them. From the Bahá’í perspective, spiritual and material development go hand in hand. Material problems present opportunities for the development of spiritual qualities. The development of spiritual qualities make material problems easier to handle, if not solve.

The Bahá’í conception of human beings is that they are, in essence, spiritual in nature. The physical body is temporary, while the soul is eternal. The soul is connected to the body for a time, but it is in no way dependent on the body for its existence. A metaphor offered by the Bahá’í writings likens the soul to a bird and the body to a cage. The destruction of the cage does not harm the bird. On the contrary, the bird is released, its capacities are fully realized and it finds itself free.

When our body dies, our soul moves to a spiritual plane of existence. Bahá’u’lláh describes the life of the soul after death in these terms:

“Know thou of a truth that the soul, after its separation from the body, will continue to progress until it attaineth the presence of God, in a state and condition which neither the revolution of ages and centuries, nor the changes and chances of this world, can alter. It will endure as long as the Kingdom of God, His sovereignty, His dominion and power will endure. It will manifest the signs of God and His attributes, and will reveal His loving kindness and bounty. The movement of My Pen is stilled when it attempteth to befittingly describe the loftiness and glory of so exalted a station. The honor with which the Hand of Mercy will invest the soul is such as no tongue can adequately reveal, nor any other earthly agency describe. …If any man be told that which hath been ordained for such a soul in the worlds of God, the Lord of the throne on high and of earth below, his whole being will instantly blaze out in his great longing to attain that most exalted, that sanctified and resplendent station….”

From the Bahá’í perspective, heaven and hell do not exist as specific locations to which the soul is consigned. Rather, heaven is described as nearness to God and hell as remoteness from Him. The Bahá’í conception of the soul is that it develops eternally from its creation onwards. Initially, the soul is pure, but imperfect. As we develop, the soul gradually acquires spiritual qualities and perfections. These qualities include: patience, truthfulness, faithfulness, selflessness, compassion, kindness and forbearance, among many others.

The spiritual path, then, is about increasingly aligning ourselves with the will of God. The Bahá’í writings certainly speak of a judgment process in which the individual is called to account for their deeds in this life. But the end result of this process is not eternal salvation or damnation, but rather a continuation of an ongoing process of spiritual growth, by which we become gradually more perfect and closer to our Creator.

The Bahá’í writings clearly state that the family is the basic building block of society. It is in this structure that children first learn about love, cooperation, responsibility and service to others. A positive, stable and loving family environment benefits all those exposed to it, and provides a space in which children can practice and develop social skills and spiritual qualities which they can then apply to betterment of the larger world.

Creating a better family life is no small task and requires constant attention on the part of all of the family members. In the Bahá’í experience, this is accomplished over time through the application of such principles as the equality of men and women, the control and reduction of anger and argumentation, and the practice of consultation. Also important is an individual focus on the development of personal character and qualities such as patience, love, kindness and justice, as well as the practice of prayer. The expectation is that, as we align ourselves to the principles and practices of the Bahá’í Faith, there will be a commensurate improvement in family life.

The Bahá’í writings make it clear that sexual expression should take place exclusively within the promises and commitments of marriage. Premarital and extramarital sexual relationships are considered inappropriate as they can lead to a number of physical and emotional complications, as well as disrupt and weaken family relationships. The prohibition, particularly on adultery, is easily understood in the context of the Bahá’í emphasis on the family as the foundation of society. In general, anything that strengthens and reinforces the family is positively viewed in the Bahá’í Faith. Anything that tears it down or causes strife and disunity is discouraged or forbidden. Adultery clearly falls into this latter category.

While premarital sex is taken for granted and even celebrated in western culture, it is considered inappropriate and unwise from the Bahá’í point of view. A number of difficulties can result from premarital sex, including the obvious issues of unwanted pregnancy and disease. Additionally, in a sexually permissive society, people can easily engage in sexual activity before they are emotionally prepared to do so, can begin to view other people in physical and sexual terms alone, and can develop a very casual attitude about sex in general. These experiences and attitudes often exert a complicating and destabilizing effect on marriage

It should be noted that no one in the Bahá’í Faith is under the illusion that this standard of purity and self-control is an easy one to meet. As with other patterns and practices, we are challenged to increasingly align our behavior with the will of God. The objective is to recognize the truth of the standard and, as with so many other areas of our lives, move towards it through a combination of prayer, discipline and effort.

Backbiting is the practice of attacking someone’s character or speaking negatively about them while they are not present. While it is both common and accepted in many cultures around the world, it is condemned in the Bahá’í Faith. Bahá’u’lláh instructs us that the individual should, “…regard backbiting as grievous error, and keep himself aloof from its dominion, inasmuch as backbiting quencheth the light of the heart, and extinguisheth the life of the soul.”

Bahá’u’lláh also prohibits calumny and fault-finding and distinguishes them from backbiting. Calumny differs from backbiting in that it is an attack on another person’s character regardless of whether or not the person is aware of the attack. As a result, it is a more comprehensive concept than backbiting, covering all slander and attacks on character. Fault-finding is the foundation of both calumny and backbiting, and is condemned by Bahá’u’lláh. In one of His earliest works, the Hidden Words, He wrote:

“O Son of Being!

How couldst thou forget thine own faults and busy thyself with the faults of others? Whoso doeth this is accursed of Me.”

The language used here is very strong, as the word accursed means doomed or damnable. It is important to note that the act of busying thyself with the faults of others does not necessarily mean actively speaking to others about those faults. A quiet preoccupation with other people’s flaws would seem to fall within this prohibition. Avoiding backbiting, calumny and fault-finding are very challenging, particularly for people raised in cultures of criticism. Nonetheless, these behaviors have a corrosive effect on personal relationships and erode the foundations of unity. They should be consciously avoided for their destructive effects on both the soul of the individual and the spiritual health of the larger community.

For a good portion of human history, work has been viewed, principally, as necessary for survival or as a means to make a living. Some view the process as rewarding and enjoyable, while others see it as an unpleasant, but necessary, reality. The Baha’i writings allow for a completely different approach – that work, particularly when conducted in the spirit of service, is a form of worship. Bahá’u’lláh states:

“It is made incumbent on every one of you to engage in some occupation, such as arts, trades, and the like. We have made this—your occupation—identical with the worship of God, the True One.”

This is not to say that all work is, necessarily, worship. It is fairly easy to think of situations in which the motivations for work are completely self-centered and run counter to well-being of others, and the Bahá’í writings are careful to make this distinction:

“In the Bahá’í Cause arts, sciences and all crafts are (counted as) worship…. Briefly, all effort and exertion put forth by man from the fullness of his heart is worship, if it is prompted by the highest motives and the will to do service to humanity. This is worship: to serve mankind and to minister to the needs of the people.”

In the Bahá’í Faith, engagement in an occupation, service to others and the worship of God are not separate and distinct activities that occur in separate spaces. All of these things can and should occur simultaneously.

Materialism has taken many different forms ranging from an outright disbelief in God, to the view that He is a disinterested observer of human events, to the idea that He necessarily rewards those He loves with material benefits and comforts. The Baha’i Faith rejects all of these views and stands in strong opposition to the many variations of materialist thesis.

While our personal affairs and the affairs of the world at large certainly need our care and attention, it is not enough to devote ourselves exclusively to our material needs. Human beings occupy a material form for only a brief time. In the longer view, the development of spiritual qualities and perfections is much more important, because those attributes are critical to our well-being in the eternal spiritual realms we will inhabit after death. From the Bahá’í perspective, the primary purpose of this life is acquire spiritual qualities, to develop a knowledge and love of God and to assist and serve other people in an effort make their lives better. The acquisition of personal wealth and comforts are of distant, secondary importance.

The consumption of alcohol and drugs for recreational purposes is forbidden in the Baha’i Faith. Baha’u’llah states that, “It is inadmissible that man, who hath been endowed with reason, should consume that which stealeth it away.” These substances have clear and obvious negative effects on the mind and body of the user, as well as on the emotional health of friends and loved-ones. The use of intoxicating substances destabilizes families and interferes with career development. It can be a source of impoverishment and often prevents individuals from fully developing their capacities.

In addition, the Baha’i writings make it clear that there are grave spiritual consequences associated with drug use. Regarding opium, the Baha’i writings state, “…it is foul and accursed. God protect us from the punishment He (God) inflicteth on the user.” They go on to say that its use, “…layeth in ruins the very foundation of what it is to be human, and which causeth the user to be dispossessed for ever and ever.”

While the Baha’i writings refer specifically to opium and hashish, these and other passages have been authoritatively interpreted as including the wide range of recreational drugs currently in use throughout the world. From the Baha’i perspective, these substances exert a highly destructive influence on both the material and spiritual well-being of individuals and the society at large, and should be strongly avoided.

At the heart of the Baha’i decision-making and problem-solving process is the concept of consultation. Baha’u’llah asserts, “Consultation bestoweth greater awareness and transmuteth conjecture into certitude. It is a shining light, which in a dark world, leadeth the way and guideth.” When an issue or problem presents itself, the individuals engaged should discuss the matter openly and honestly while avoiding accusatory and argumentative tones. Underlying the Baha’i perspective on consultation are four key principles.

There should be love, fellowship, respect and harmony among the people consulting. If these characteristics are absent, the consultation will not yield constructive results.
The individuals involved in the consultation should ask for the aid and assistance of God.
The individuals must be interested discovering truth rather than furthering their own agendas. Ideas and suggestions should be offered freely, and candid and polite discussion should take place. The process of consultation does not tolerate self-promotion, hidden agendas, power plays or displays of ego. Those individuals who share ideas or perspectives must detach themselves from their suggestions, as the outcome of the consultation may differ substantially from any and all of the ideas shared by the individual members of the group.
If a unanimous decision cannot be arrived at, the majority view prevails. Everyone in the group must accept and support the majority decision. It is not permissible to later criticize or cast doubt on the decision reached.

These principles are expected and followed in the deliberations of the Baha’i administrative institutions. While the process may not be as formal and structured when individuals engage in consultation in their private lives, the same ideas still apply.