ABSTRACT
This chapter offers an overview of the Bahá’í Faith’s Central Figures—the Báb (1819–1850), Bahá’u’lláh (1817–1892), and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (1844–1921). It also describes the institutions of the Bahá’í Administrative Order that succeeded them and led the Faith: the Guardianship (occupied by Shoghi Effendi from 1921 to 1957) and the Universal House of Justice (1963 to the present). The claims, authority, and functions of these figures and institutions are explored, and their history and achievements are summarized. Also discussed is the Bahá’í concept of the Covenant, the arrangements for the succession of authority, and the means for the maintenance of the unity and integrity of the Bahá’í Faith.
