The Baha’i community of Acre

After the death of Baha’u’llah, the founder of Baha’i, his son Abbas Effendi became the leader according to his father's will. According to the will, his half-brother Muhammad Ali was supposed to succeed him. However, the Baha’is split due to enmity between the two brothers. One group turned to the West and gradually separated itself completely from Islam; while the traditional group was trying to maintain its separation within the boundaries of basic Baha'i teachings and beliefs. In this article, we specifically focus on the more traditional faction, based in Acre, which today represents a kind of religious trend. Many members of the Baha’i family, and many of his closest associates, supported Muhammad Ali. Abdu'l-Bahá apparently had the support of minor Baha'is in Acre and the majority of Baha'is outside Acre, but within a short time he succeeded in becoming the leader of the mainstream Baha’i movement. Abdu'l-Bahá, the leader of the Baha'is, was clearly in close contact with the British during the last years of Turkish rule in Palestine. The of table the contents: Introduction 1- Appointment of Subh-i-Azal and fraternal hostility 2- The Struggle and Separation of the Baha' Sons :Historical Background 3- The Social Structure of the Baha'i Community of Acre 4- The Relationship of the Baha'is of Acre to the Haifa Center, the State of Israel and Islam 5- Discussion