Bahá'ís believe that the Manifestations of God are divine educators who reveal the same God's guidance and share one spiritual purpose: educating humanity and fostering its unity. Their teachings differ according to historical circumstances, not because they originate from competing gods.
What Does Their Unity Mean?
In Bahá'í belief, God is ultimately beyond human comprehension. Manifestations make God's attributes and will known to humanity, like mirrors reflecting the same sun. They are not understood as incarnations of God's essence.
Bahá'ís recognize figures including Abraham, Krishna, Moses, the Buddha, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh as Manifestations. Their unity does not erase their distinct identities or historical missions.
Progressive revelation means that God reveals guidance through successive Manifestations as humanity's capacities and needs develop. Bahá'ís regard Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith, as the most recent Manifestation, not the final one.
| Aspect | Bahá'í understanding |
|---|---|
| Divine source | All Manifestations reveal guidance from the same God. |
| Spiritual purpose | Their teachings develop spiritual qualities, including love, justice and compassion. |
| Historical differences | Social laws and religious practices vary to address different circumstances. |
| Relationship between revelations | Each revelation forms part of an unfolding process of divine education. |
The misconception that this means “all religions are identical” should be avoided. Bahá'ís affirm a shared divine foundation while acknowledging differences in teachings, institutions and historical development. This is a Bahá'í interpretation of religious unity, not a claim that every religion understands itself this way.
Belief, Practice and IB Application
This belief encourages Bahá'ís to associate respectfully with followers of other religions and work towards human unity. Acknowledging earlier Manifestations also accompanies following Bahá'u'lláh's teachings for the present age.
For IB World Religions SL Part 1, link this doctrine to “How do we get there?” In an Explain response, show why a common divine source supports respect across religions, while distinguishing spiritual unity from identical religious laws.