Baháʼí Faith in Iran

The Baháʼí Faith is a world religion that was founded in the 19th century Middle East. Its founders and the majority of its early followers were of Iranian heritage, and it is widely regarded as the second-largest religion in Iran after Islam. Though most Baháʼís in Iran are of a Muslim background, the 19th century conversions of sizeable numbers of individuals from Judaism and Zoroastrianism in the country are also well documented.

The early history of the Baháʼí Faith in Iran covers the lives of these founders, their families, and their earliest prominent followers known by honorific designations such as the Letters of the Living and the Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh.

Since its inception the Baháʼí Faith has promoted democratically elected councils; the promotion of modern education as a priority within families (with emphasis on female education) and specific encouragement of women's equality with men. Iranian Baháʼís have created schools, agricultural cooperatives, and medical clinics across the country for themselves and others. Iran is also where the greatest persecution of Baháʼís has taken place—including the denial of education, arbitrary arrest, and killing. Iran's long history of state-sponsored persecution against Bábís and Baháʼís is well documented. The website "Archives of Baháʼí Persecution in Iran" has compiled thousands of documents, reports, testimonials, photos, and videos revealing proof of efforts to suppress and eliminate Baháʼís, particularly since the Iranian revolution of 1979.

From the nineteenth century onward, Bahá'ís in Iran sought to translate the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh and 'Abdu'l-Bahá into practical service that benefited not only their own community but also contributed to Iran's wider social development and modernization, despite recurring persecution and legal and social restrictions. Through elected consultative councils—later formalized as spiritual assemblies—they promoted collective decision-making, accountability, and broad participation, offering an alternative to both autocratic rule and clerical hierarchy while also shaping early approaches to constitutional and democratic ideas. Their initiatives addressed concrete needs such as education, health, and social welfare, including the establishment of modern schools and programs that expanded access to girls' education, public hygiene measures, vocational training, and charitable and economic enterprises that served the broader population. Iranian Bahá'ís also contributed significantly to the worldwide spread of the Faith through travel, pioneering, and participation in international teaching plans, providing volunteers and resources that helped establish and strengthen Bahá'í communities across the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.