The Bah Faith is a relatively new religion teaching the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Bahu'llh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the Middle East, where it has faced ongoing persecution since its inception. The religion is estimated to have 58 million adherents, known as Bahs, spread throughout most of the world's countries and territories.The religion has three central figures: the Bb (18191850), considered a herald who taught his followers that God would soon send a prophet similar to Jesus or Muhammad, and was executed by Iranian authorities in 1850; Bahu'llh (18171892), who claimed to be that prophet in 1863 and faced exile and imprisonment for most of his life; and his son, Abdu'l-Bah (18441921), who was released from confinement in 1908 and made teaching trips to Europe and the United States. After Abdu'l-Bah's death in 1921, the leadership of the religion fell to his grandson Shoghi Effendi (18971957). Bahs annually elect local, regional, and national Spiritual Assemblies that govern the religion's affairs, and every five years an election is held for the Universal House of Justice, the nine-member supreme governing institution of the worldwide Bah community that is located in Haifa, Israel, near the Shrine of the Bb.

According to Bah teachings, the religion is revealed in an orderly and progressive way by a single God through Manifestations of God, who are the founders of major world religions throughout history; Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammad are noted as the most recent of these before the Bb and Bahu'llh. Bahs regard the world's major religions as fundamentally unified in purpose, though varied in social practices and interpretations. The Bah Faith stresses the unity of all people, explicitly rejecting racism, sexism, and nationalism. At the heart of Bah teachings is the goal of a unified world order that ensures the prosperity of all nations, races, creeds, and classes.Letters which were written by Bahu'llh and sent to various people, including some heads of state, have been collected and assembled into a canon of Bah scripture. This collection of scripture includes works by his son Abdu'l-Bah, and the Bb, who is regarded as Bahu'llh's forerunner. Prominent among the works of Bah literature are the Kitb-i-Aqdas, the Kitb-i-qn, Some Answered Questions, and The Dawn-Breakers.

The Báb, born Sayyed ʻAlí Muḥammad Shírází (; Persian: سيد علی ‌محمد شیرازی; October 20, 1819 – July 9, 1850) was the founder of Bábism, and one of the central figures of the Baháʼí Faith.

The Báb was a merchant from Shiraz in Qajar Iran who, in 1844 at the age of 25, claimed to be a messenger of God. He took the title Báb (; Arabic: باب), meaning "Gate" or "Door", a reference to the deputy of the promised Twelver Mahdi or al-Qá'im. He faced opposition from the Persian government, which eventually executed him and thousands of his followers, known as Bábís.

The Báb composed numerous letters and books in which he stated his claims and defined his teachings. He introduced the idea of He whom God shall make manifest, a messianic figure who would bring a greater message than his own. His ideas had roots in Shaykhism and possibly Hurufism and his writings were characterized by their extensive use of symbolism including the use of much numerical calculations. Abdu'l Baha summarises the Báb's impact: "Alone, He undertook a task that can scarcely be conceived... This illustrious Being arose with such power as to shake the foundations of the religious laws, customs, manners, morals, and habits of Persia, and instituted a new law, faith, and religion."To Baháʼís, the Báb fills a similar role as Elijah or John the Baptist in Christianity: a predecessor or forerunner who paved the way for their religion. Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith, was a follower of the Báb and claimed in 1863 to be the fulfillment of the Báb's prophecy, 13 years after the Báb's death.