The name "Bahá'u'lláh" is translated into English as " Glory of God" and this was the title assumed by Mirza Husayn Ali who was born on November 12, 1817 in Tehran, Persia (now Iran)

It would be correct to refer to Bahá'u'lláh as this great man who lived in 19th century Persia.  It also would be correct to consider Him to be the founder of a world-wide independent religion.  However, more importantly, Bahá'u'lláh is a Supreme Manifestation of God ---- it is the intention of this essay to begin to explore what that means with the hope of answering the question, "Who IS Bahá'u'lláh?"

Before we can discuss the Bahá'í conception of a "Manifestation of God", it is necessary to present the Bahá'í teachings about God Himself.

God is an unknowable Essence that is beyond our capacity to understand.  To understand God and to truly know Him is simply beyond the ken of our limited, rational minds which are focused on time and space.  Bahá'u'lláh tells us that God is  exalted beyond every human attribute, that He has no corporeal existence, and that ascent and descent, egress and regress, separation and union, and proximity and remoteness have no relationship to  God:
 

The door of the knowledge of the Ancient of Being hath ever been, and will continue for ever to be, closed in face of men.  No man's understanding shall ever gain access unto His holy court.                         - Bahá'u'lláh

He is, and hath ever been, veiled in the ancient eternity of His Essence, and will remain in His Reality everlastingly hidden from the sight of men.                               - Bahá'u'lláh

The Manifestations of God have a dual station.  On the one hand, they exist physically in a human body just as other men.  On the other hand, their souls are not human, but are imbued with the Holy Spirit.  By turning towards the Manifestations of God, we connect ourselves to God in the only way that we can possibly approach Him.  Without our ability to know the Manifestation of God, we never could comprehend anything about God.

In one sense, the Manifestations of God are one Person.  We may call them by different names, but this is like calling each day's sun a new name as it rises from the horizon.  In reality, yesterday's sun is the same as today's sun.

Bahá'u'lláh (on the Manifestations of God):
 

• "these Birds of the Celestial Throne... are all sent down from the heaven of the Will of God"
• "they all arise to proclaim His irresistible Faith"
• "they are to be "regarded as one soul and the same person"
• "they all abide in the same tabernacle"
• "they all "soar in the same heaven"
• "they are all "seated upon the same throne"
• "they all "utter the same speech"
• "they all "proclaim the same Faith"

• Abraham
• Moses
• Jesus Christ
• Muhammad
• Buddha
• Krishna
• Zoroaster
• Báb
• Bahá'u'lláh

The concept of progressive revelation means there is really only one Religion, and one Book of God.  Each religious tradition of the past is something like a chapter in that Book.  As humanity matures, each successive Manifestation reveals more truths about the spiritual world and humanity's place in it.  At the same time, as conditions of life change and mature, the appropriate social laws and customs for the time are established by the Manifestation of God.  That does not mean that the earlier Manifestations were less worthy than the today's Manifestation.  In fact, they all are equal.  As the mouthpieces of God, they can only teach humanity what it is capable of understanding.  Thus, their Message is carefully tailored to the capacity of humanity at the time they appear.

It is important to understand, however, that the Manifestations of God are not merely human beings.  They are also not God Himself.  It would be impossible for an unknowable spiritual Being to take human form.  The moment He became human, then He would cease to be God.

The Manifestations of God have a unique station.  They are: the Word of God -- the Creator -- the Holy Spirit.

"In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.  All things are made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own and his own received him not."     (John 1:1-11)

"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth."  John 1:14

"No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."   John 1:18

Naught is seen in My temple but the Temple of God, and in My beauty but His Beauty, and in My being but His Being, and in My self but His Self and in My movement but His Movement, and in My acquiescence but His Acquiescence, and in My pen but His Pen, the Mighty, the All-Praised.  There hath not been in My soul but the Truth, and in Myself naught could be seen but God. - Bahá'u'lláh

"Through the movement of Our pen of glory We have, at the bidding of the omnipotent Ordainer, breathed a new life into every human frame and instilled into every word a fresh potency.  All created things proclaim the evidences of this world-wide regeneration.  This is the most great, the most joyful tidings imparted by the pen of this wronged One to mankind.  Every single letter proceeding from Our mouth is endowed with such regenerative power as to enable it to bring into existence a new creation...."   - Bahá'u'lláh

Within the treasury of Our Wisdom, there lies unrevealed a knowledge, one word of which, if we chose to divulge it to mankind, would cause every human being to recognize the Manifestation of God and to acknowledge His omniscience, would enable every one to discover the secrets of all the sciences, and to attain so high a station as to find himself wholly independent of all past and future learning. Other knowledges We do as well possess, and not a single letter of which We can disclose, nor do We find humanity able to hear even the barest reference to their meaning.  Thus have We informed you of the knowledge of God, the All Knowing, the All-Wise. - Bahá'u'lláh

Conclusion

We only have scratched the surface of answering the question: Who is Bahá'u'lláh?  Ultimately, each seeker must determine this answer for himself or herself.

You are encouraged to read the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh and open your heart to the spiritual truths contained in them.  Then consider His claim to be the Supreme Manifestation of God for this Day, the embodiment of the Holy Spirit, the eternal Word of God, and our personal savior and creator.  If you believe that He is the Manifestation of God for this age, then you must ask yourself the next question....

 What does He want you to do (as an individual)?