On 29 May, Canadian Baha’i communities will mark the 120th anniversary of the passing of Baha’u’llah. Although He has many titles, including ‘Father of the Poor’, for His generosity to the destitute, Baha’u’llah (an Arabic term meaning ‘The Glory of God’) is the title recognized by Baha’is. It denotes, among other significant features, that He is the latest in a line of divine prophets that includes Jesus, Mohammad, Moses, Krishna, and Buddha.
Baha’u’llah passed away at His home outside of Acre, a fortified city that once served as a notorious prison of the Ottoman Empire. The city, in northern Israel, is now known as Akka. His burial site, adjacent to the home where He lived during His final years, is a shrine considered by Baha’is to be the most sacred spot on earth.
Baha’u’llah and His companions first arrived in Acre in 1868, 15 years after the beginning of their exile from their Persian homeland. Civil and clerical authorities in Persia feared for the loss of their influence over the population due to Baha’u’llah’s power of attraction and progressive teachings, which include references to the inception of a new era in human history. Baha’u’llah was exiled, first to Baghdad by the authority of the Persian government, and then as a prisoner of the Turkish Empire, to Constantinople, Adrianople, and finally to Acre. Although in 1879 the authorities permitted Him to live outside the walls of Acre, Baha’u’llah would remain a prisoner to His final days in 1892, having spent almost 40 years in exile.
Today, the Shrine of Baha’u’llah is surrounded by magnificent gardens that are open to the public. The beauty of the gardens is symbolic of the principle taught by Baha’u’llah: that humanity, with its diversity of races and cultures, is like a beautiful garden – one united family.
Baha’is commemorate the Ascension of Baha’u’llah with devotional programmes and observe it as one of nine holy days during the year.