What is the oneness of humanity?
All of the teachings of the Baha’i Faith revolve around one central principle: that all of humanity was created as a single unit, like a family. Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith, infused this principle into all of the spiritual concepts and social activities of the faith.
The oneness of humanity sounds simple, but has profound implications when we explore the countless dimensions and layers of oneness.
A Few Spiritual Components
- Every human being was created in the spirit of God’s utmost love.
- God gave each person a soul, which has no gender, race, ethnicity or social class.
- When it comes to the diversity of the human race, we can “discern with the eye of oneness His glorious handiwork” and see the beauty in one another.
- Divisions, hierarchies and inequities based on ethnicity, gender or social class are entirely manmade.
- It is up to all of us to remold our relationships, conscious of our oneness.
“All human creatures are the servants of God. All are submerged in the sea of His mercy. The Creator of all is one God; the Provider, the Giver, the Protector of all is one God. He is kind to all; why should we be unkind? All live beneath the shadow of His love; why should we hate each other?”
The Baha’i Sacred Writings
A Few Social Components
- The world of humanity is a single unit – like a family.
- Attitudes of prejudice, superiority and paternalism are contrary to our oneness.
- All forms of systemic exploitation – like racism, sexism and classism – are contrary to oneness.
- Developing a deep-seated consciousness of the oneness of humanity is the only hope for remedying the vast problems of a fractured world.
“…regard ye not one another as strangers. Illumine and hallow your hearts; let them not be profaned by the thorns of hate or the thistles of malice. Ye dwell in one world, and have been created through the operation of one Will.”
The Baha’i Sacred Writings
Ponder in
YOUR HEART
The oneness of humanity, in all its dimensions, is laid out in the teachings of Baha’u’llah, Founder of the Baha’i Faith. Baha’is believe Baha’u’llah is the Divine Educator for this era, fulfilling the promise that God will never leave humanity alone or without guidance.
We invite you now, to discover some of the blessings enshrined in Baha’u’llah’s words. Ponder them in your heart; let them stir your soul. How do they connect you to yourself and others around you?
Achieving consistency between belief and action is no small task. But, we can all practice oneness through acts of unity, small and large, and by building relationships of love, inclusion and reciprocity. As these small acts scale up, we can create patterns of community life that affirm our oneness.
