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I heard the Baha'i faith is the second biggest faith worldwide.Is that true?

Frank Goad

Well-Known Member
I heard the Baha'i faith is the second biggest faith worldwide.While christianity is the first.Is this true?:)
 

Starlight

Spiritual but not religious, new age and omnist
No

Most followers:

1. Christianity 2.5 billion
2. Islam 1.9 billion
3. Hinduism between 900 million and 1 billion

Bahai has 7.9 million followers
 

Link

Veteran Member
Premium Member
Islam is the second. Bahai faith is very small.

However, that should not make you jump to Islam over Bahai faith. And if Bahai faith was that big, it is not a reason to follow it.

Truth can held by a significant amount of people or a very little and mostly unknown.

You have to build your epistemology and find the ways to know truth.

I believe in Islam on the following grounds.

(1) Philosophical reasons for abstract religion proving that the hard version of the religion being the only candidate. This includes proofs for God and his Oneness, God's books, Messengers, leaders he appoints, in group of Ahlulbayt and clarifying other things including the philosophy of why humans are created and its theodicy (solving the problem of evil).
(2) Experience spiritual link with Mohammad (s) and his family (a)
(3) Quranic linguistic, philosophical, musical toned, and over all eloquence miracles have made a case for me.
(4) Dark magic opposes the Quran and tries to lock key foundation principles it has and keep people from perceiving its true teachings and prevents from the clear recitation of proofs. This is best explained that the dark side does not want people to see the truth (whatever justification they have for "good reasons" is nullified by the fact they use magic and do not lets its truth manifest and argue directly with its philosophy proving them to be the evil ones)
(5) Miracles of the Sunnah of Ahlulbayt (a) and their words and lives
(6) The healing nature of Quran and Ahlulbayt against dark magic
(7) Its complete guidance to our affairs, political and social and spiritual and combining it.
(8) The new Qurans opened by old recitations that are vividly more intense, clear and majestic in signs, proof, and glory, then previous, this opening to new recitations by older recitations, is a sign from God for me.
 
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ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
There are about 8.6 million Baha'i according to the workd religion database.

That makes it one of the smaller religions.

rel_pie.gif


Bahia's are in among the "other" segment.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
I heard the Baha'i faith is the second biggest faith worldwide.While christianity is the first.Is this true?:)
No, that is not true if you are referring to numbers of believers. Islam is the second biggest faith.

However, if you are talking about how 'widespread' the faith is, the Baha'i Faith is the second most widespread religion in the world. The Baha’i Faith has spread to over 250 countries and territories and is almost as widespread as Christianity. Most of this happened during the “formative age” of the Baha’i Faith (1921-1944) FOURTH PERIOD: THE INCEPTION OF THE FORMATIVE AGE OF THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH 1921–1944
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
No

Most followers:

1. Christianity 2.5 billion
2. Islam 1.9 billion
3. Hinduism between 900 million and 1 billion

Bahai has 7.9 million followers
The older religions generally have more followers because they have had more time to gain adherents. Christianity is not as old as Judaism or Hinduism but it has the most followers is because it is a Universalizing religion.

I ran across this website about Ethnic vs. Universalizing Religions several years ago. It explains the difference between these two kinds of religions. A universalizing religion looks for new members and welcomes anyone and everyone who wishes to adopt their belief system. Throughout history, some of these religions such as Christianity and Islam have attempted to convert people to their religion.

By contrast, ethnic religions consist of beliefs that were handed down from generation to generation within an ethnicity and culture and these religions do not try to convert others to their belief system. That is one reason Judaism is relatively small religion, with only about 14 million after over 4000 years. Compare that with Christianity and Islam, who have 2.3 billion and 1.9 billion members, respectively.

The Baha’i Faith is not included on this website but it goes without saying that it is universalizing religion. However, it has not had the time that Christianity and Islam have had in order to gain a large number of adherents.

Ethnic vs. Universalizing Religions: AP Human Geography Crash Course
 

Link

Veteran Member
Premium Member
That is one reason Judaism is relatively small religion, with only about 14 million after over 4000 years. Compare that with Christianity and Islam, who have 2.3 billion and 1.9 billion members, respectively.

I don't know how true this theory can be when large amount of Arabia was Jewish.

Yemen was almost all Jewish or Messianic Jews, before Mohammad (s) came. A significant amount of population of the world was Jewish especially Iraq, and a large amount of the Arabs who were Jews only converted to Islam per Ibn Kathir because of the 12 Imams (a)
Prophecies.

Ibn Kathir (one of @KWED 's favorite "authorative" scholars) says:

We see the following prophecy in the Taurat which is in the hands of the Jews and the Christians: "Indeed Allah, the Exalted, has given Ibrahim (a.s.) the glad tidings of Isma'il, and he has bestowed a favour and multiplied it and placed in his progeny twelve mighty (personalities)."

And he says:

Ibn Taymiyya said: "And these are the same, regarding whom the Prophet (S) has given the glad tidings in the tradition of Jabir bin Samurah and stated their number; indeed this is with regard to the Imams and the Hour will not come till they last. And many of those who accepted Islam from among Jews think they are the same Imams of the Rafidi sect."



My comment: Yathrib was mostly a mix of Jews and majority the Messianic Jews who were called "those who say they are Ansar" in the Quran, because God wanted to say they call themselves that, while significantly different then to trinitarian Christians. The history books say they were Jewish but Quran shows they were Messianic Jews, they believed in Isa (a).

However, Yemen was mostly Jewish or Messianic Jewish (I don't know which and don't think it can be no longer known) and came to Islam not through conquering even during Mohammad (s) time.

But a large amount of Jews stayed, till twelver Shiism became settled, and then came to Islam because of 12 Imams (a) and Prophecies in the Torah about Ismail (a). They didn't believe in the Gospels, but they saw Mohammad (s) and his Twelve Successors (a) are a prophecy in the Torah.

I think Judaism not being popular may have to do with other reasons. Because it was once very popular at least in Arabia. And Jews exist still all over the world including in Iran. So they spread a lot of places.

The truth maybe that Quran convinced most to come to Islam. This what seems to historically have happened.
 

KWED

Scratching head, scratching knee
However, if you are talking about how 'widespread' the faith is, the Baha'i Faith is the second most widespread religion in the world.
Sounds dubious. If there is a Bahai practicing in a country it seems equally likely there will be a Muslim and a Hindu, given their relative sizes.

The Baha’i Faith has spread to over 250 countries and territories
There are only 195 countries.

and is almost as widespread as Christianity.
Given the nature of travel and movement, it is entirely likely that all the major religions are equally as widespread.

Most of this happened during the “formative age” of the Baha’i Faith (1921-1944) FOURTH PERIOD: THE INCEPTION OF THE FORMATIVE AGE OF THE BAHÁ’Í FAITH 1921–1944
Ah, is this something claimed by Bahai propaganda sources?
Do you have any actual, independent references for this claim?
 

KWED

Scratching head, scratching knee
The older religions generally have more followers because they have had more time to gain adherents. Christianity is not as old as Judaism or Hinduism but it has the most followers is because it is a Universalizing religion.

I ran across this website about Ethnic vs. Universalizing Religions several years ago. It explains the difference between these two kinds of religions. A universalizing religion looks for new members and welcomes anyone and everyone who wishes to adopt their belief system. Throughout history, some of these religions such as Christianity and Islam have attempted to convert people to their religion.

By contrast, ethnic religions consist of beliefs that were handed down from generation to generation within an ethnicity and culture and these religions do not try to convert others to their belief system. That is one reason Judaism is relatively small religion, with only about 14 million after over 4000 years. Compare that with Christianity and Islam, who have 2.3 billion and 1.9 billion members, respectively.
Look at the two most widespread religions. Then look at the two religions followed by history's two biggest expansionist empires.
Coincidence? I think not.

The Baha’i Faith is not included on this website but it goes without saying that it is universalizing religion. Ethnic vs. Universalizing Religions: AP Human Geography Crash Course
Hmm. It is interesting that despite your claim that Bahaism is the second most widely practiced religion, not one source dealing with the issue even mentions Bahaism, let alone cites your claimed position.

However, it has not had the time that Christianity and Islam have had in order to gain a large number of adherents.
It will never gain anywhere near those numbers because it doesn't have colonising missionaries benefitting from large empires. Notice how Hinduism, despite being a major religion for Millennia, hasn't expanded much beyond the Subcontinent. No expansionist empire, see?
 

KWED

Scratching head, scratching knee
Ibn Kathir (one of @KWED 's favorite "authorative" scholars) says:
I do not have a "favourite"scholar. I simply use Ibn Kathir because his tafsir is the most widely used by Muslims today, so it can't be accused of being a "minority" or "extremist" view.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
There is a ton of controversy concerning true Bahai numbers. A simple example was the Indian census where 4000 were listed, yet Baha'i claims say 2 million. Another example was near where I live, there was a claimed community, but the town that it was claimed for is a non-existent ghost town with no buildings left. Another challenge is the once counted, always counted factor. So it includes lots of ex-Bahais. So the actual answer is nobody knows.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
An other thread being used to discredit those who follow Baha'i teaching. Baha'i may not be the biggest or most spread religious path to follow, but it holds value to those who walk it's path.

The only thing we can do is to forgive those who use words to harm, and to be strong in the faith.
 

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Baha'i may not be the biggest or most spread religious path to follow, but it holds value to those who walk it's path.
How many followers the Baha'i Faith has is completely irrelevant, as how many people believe in a religion is no indicator of whether it is a true religion of God or not.

In argumentation theory, an argumentum ad populum (Latin for "appeal to the people") is a fallacious argument that concludes that a proposition is true because many or most people believe it: "If many believe so, it is so." Argumentum ad populum - Wikipedia

The converse of this is that if many or most people do not believe it, it cannot be so, and that is fallacious.

Matthew 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

The reason why few people find the narrow gate and even fewer people enter through it because it is narrow, so it is difficult to get through...

It is difficult to get through because one has to be willing to give up all their preconceived ideas, have an open mind, and think for themselves. Most people do not embark upon such a journey. They go through the wide gate, the easy one to get through – their own religious tradition or their own preconceived ideas about God or no god. They follow that broad road that is easiest for them to travel.... and that is why the NEW religion is always rejected by most people for a very long time after it has been revealed.
 

Truthseeker

Non-debating member when I can help myself
I heard the Baha'i faith is the second biggest faith worldwide.While christianity is the first.Is this true?:)
The Baha'i Faith is the second most widespread religion, to be precise. It is thinly spread out however. I see a figure of 7.9 million in this thread, but really the figure varies according to who's counting. Also, to be frank, once you declare yourself, you have to notify your National Spiritual Assembly that you don't believe if you lose your belief, or you are still officially on the rolls, so the Baha'is don't know either who really still believes in Baha'u'llah. It would be a bad presumption to say someone is not a Baha'i because they haven't been active recently. You can't really know that.
 
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