God, the Creator of the universe, is all-knowing, all-loving and all-merciful. Just as the physical sun shines on the world, so the light of God is shed upon all Creation. It is impossible for any mortal mind to truly understand the reality of God. However broad or imaginative our concept of God may be, it will always be circumscribed by the limitations of the human mind.

Throughout the ages, God has sent Divine Messengers known as Manifestations of God—among them Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus Christ, Muhammad, and, in more recent times, the Báb and Bahá’u’lláh—to cultivate humanity’s spiritual, intellectual and moral capacities. Following the coming of a Manifestation of God extraordinary progress occurs in the world. Reaching to the roots of human motivation, His teachings awaken in whole populations capacities to contribute to the advancement of civilization to an extent never before possible.

Today, we find ourselves at the threshold of the coming of age of the human race. Passing through different stages, we have collectively traversed our infancy and childhood. Around the world, human society is being reshaped, and the ultimate trend is clear: we are witnessing nothing less than the organization of human society as a planetary civilization.

“Witness the wondrous evidences of God’s handiwork, and reflect upon its range and character.”

— Bahá’u’lláh

Exploring this topic

This collection of pages explores the relationship between God and humanity, the Manifestations of God, and the role of religion in human progress.

• An Unknowable God

• Manifestations of God

• The Purpose of Religion

• The Coming of Age of Humanity

• Quotations – An introductory selection of extracts from the Bahá’í writings on the theme of God’s relationship with humanity.

• Articles and Resources – A selection of readings, essays, and resources offering further thoughts on this subject.