The essence of God is unknowable. The limited understanding of the human mind cannot contain this infinite mystery.

According to the Bahá'í teachings, God, the Creator, has brought the universe into being and continually sustains it. He1 lovingly guides all His creatures. As Bahá'u'lláh wrote:

There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God.

Humanity is one family because we have all been created by the one God. Although we may have different concepts of God's nature, although we may pray to Him in different languages and call Him by different names—Allah or Yahweh, God or Brahma—nevertheless, we are speaking about the same unique Being.

This exalted Being is far beyond human understanding, for it is obviously impossible for the creature to understand its Creator. Bahá'u'lláh stated about God:

He hath from everlasting been immeasurably exalted above the understanding of His creatures and sanctified from the conceptions of His servants.

Although we cannot possibly understand the ultimate reality of God, within our human limitations we can know something about the attributes (or qualities) of God by observing the marvels and the laws of nature. Furthermore, the best qualities of human beings reflect the attributes of God, so in a sense we can see God in other people and within ourselves.

Above all, the most powerful way to learn about God is to deeply study and meditate upon the teachings of His Messengers, such as Moses, Buddha, Christ, Muhammad and Bahá'u'lláh.

The purpose of religion is to draw humanity closer to God, by encouraging people to practise virtues such as justice, kindness, truthfulness, and the like. Bahá'u'lláh emphasized the importance of belief in God for the well-being of individuals and society. Two examples of His statements on this subject are as follows:

The vitality of men's belief in God is dying out in every land; nothing short of His wholesome medicine can ever restore it. The corrosion of ungodliness is eating into the vitals of human society; what else but the Elixir of His potent Revelation can cleanse and revive it?

Religion is verily the chief instrument for the establishment of order in the world and of tranquillity amongst its peoples.

For the person who has doubts about the existence of God, the Bahá'í Writings put forward various rational arguments in favour of belief in God. For example, 'Abdu'l-Báhá commented extensively on this subject in His book Some Answered Questions, and in His "Tablet to August Forel". These publications can be obtained from Bahá'í bookshops and libraries.

Although intellectual arguments can be helpful towards developing a sense of faith in God, they are not convincing enough by themselves to give a person complete confidence and certitude. The Bahá'í Writings state that a condition of certainty can alone be attained "through the help of the Holy Spirit". This divine help can be sought through prayer and by meditating on the inspiring words of the Holy Books of all religions.

Quotations in context

Click on the links below to search for quotations from this page, in the Bahá'í reference library.

• There can be no doubt whatever that the peoples of the world, of whatever race or religion, derive their inspiration from one heavenly Source, and are the subjects of one God.
• He hath from everlasting been immeasurably exalted above the understanding of His creatures and sanctified from the conceptions of His servants.
• The vitality of men's belief in God is dying out in every land; nothing short of His wholesome medicine can ever restore it. The corrosion of ungodliness is eating into the vitals of human society; what else but the Elixir of His potent Revelation can cleanse and revive it?
• Religion is verily the chief instrument for the establishment of order in the world and of tranquillity amongst its peoples.