List of converts to the Baháʼí Faith explained

This is a list of converts to the Baha'i Faith organised by former religion.

Converted from Abrahamic religions

From Islam

Most of the early followers of Baháʼu'lláh came from an Islamic background.

• Mírzá Abu'l-Faḍl (1844–1914) – foremost Baháʼí scholar who helped spread the Baháʼí Faith in Egypt, Turkmenistan, and the United States.^[1]
• Mishkín-Qalam (1826–1912) – prominent Baháʼí and one of the nineteen Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh, as well as a famous calligrapher of 19th-century Persia.^[2]
• Táhirih (1814 or 1817 – August 16–27, 1852) – Persian poet and theologian of the Bábí faith in Iran.^[3]
• Nabíl-i-Aʻzam (1831–1892) – Baháʼí historian and one of the nineteen Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh^[4]
• Hají Ákhúnd (1842–1910) – eminent follower of Baháʼu'lláh. He was appointed a Hand of the Cause, and identified as one of the nineteen Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh.^[5]
• Ibn-i-Abhar (died 1917) – appointed a Hand of the Cause, and identified as one of the nineteen Apostles of Baháʼu'lláh.^[6]
• Mírzá Mahmúd (died 1927/1928) – eminent follower of Baháʼu'lláh, the founder of the Baháʼí Faith.^[7]
• Núrayn-i-Nayyirayn – two brothers who were beheaded in the city of Isfahan in 1879.^[8]
• Somaya Ramadan^[9] (born 1951) – 2001 winner of the Naguib Mahfouz Medal for Literature.
• Hasan M. Balyuzi (1908–1980) – a descendant of relatives of the Báb, he was nevertheless a Muslim until he joined the religion following developing a friendship with Shoghi Effendi circa 1925, and eventually was named a Hand of the Cause of God.^[10]

From Judaism

• Lidia Zamenhof (1904–1942) – Polish writer, translator, active promoter of Esperanto (daughter of L. L. Zamenhof, the creator of Esperanto), killed by Germans during the Holocaust.
• John Ferraby (1914–1973) – British, Baháʼí Hand of the Cause
• Flora Purim (born 1942) – Brazilian jazz singer
• Ethel Jenner Rosenberg (1858–1930) – painter, the first English Baháʼí, secretary and publisher of Baháʼí books.
• Steve Sarowitz (born 1965/1966) – American billionaire businessman, the founder of Paylocity.

From Christianity

• Russell Garcia^[11] (1916–2011) – motion picture composer
• Khalil Greene^[12] (born 1979) – shortstop for the Texas Rangers
• David Krummenacker^[13] (born 1975) – Track & Field indoor World Champion in 800m in 2003, NCAA Champion (Georgia Tech) 1997, 1998
• Jacqueline Left Hand Bull^[14] (born 1943) – American Indian Health care policy administrator (from Catholicism)^[15]
• Queen Marie of Romania^[16] (1875–1938) – final Queen of Romania as the wife of Ferdinand I of Romania.
• Jesse O. McCarthy^[17] (1867–1937) Toronto municipal politician and social reformer. Previously a Methodist.
• Luke McPharlin^[18] (born 1981) – Australian footballer for the Fremantle Dockers
• Julia Lynch Olin (1882–1961) – American author and Baháʼí who co-founded the New History Society in New York City.
• Enoch Olinga (1926–1979) – born to an Anglican earned the title Hand of the Cause of God.
• Mason Remey^[19] (1874–1974) – prominent American Baháʼí.

Converted from unknown religions

• Arvid Nelson – American comic book writer, best known for Rex Mundi ^[20]
• Zhang Xin (born 1965) – Chinese businesswoman.^[21]
• David Kelly (1944–2003) – former employee of the British Ministry of Defence and a United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq who was an authority on biological warfare.^[22]

See also

• List of Baháʼís

Further reading

• Book: Mehrdad Amanat. Jewish Identities in Iran: Resistance and Conversion to Islam and the Baha'i. 29 August 2013. I.B.Tauris. 978-1-78076-777-2.
• Book: Dominic Parviz Brookshaw. Seena B. Fazel. THE BAHA'IS OF IRAN: Socio-Historical Studies. 2 October 2012. Routledge. 978-1-134-25000-4.
• Book: Anthony Lee. The Baha'i Faith in Africa: Establishing a New Religious Movement, 1952-1962.. 28 October 2011. BRILL. 978-90-04-20684-7.
• Book: Johnson, Todd M. . Brian J. Grim . The World's Religions in Figures: An Introduction to International Religious Demography . Global Religious Populations, 1910–2010 . John Wiley & Sons. 26 March 2013. 59–62. https://books.google.com/books?id=CkFVF8nFiqkC&pg=PA59. 10.1002/9781118555767.ch1. 9781118555767.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Abu'l-Faḍl Gulpaygani, Mirza . Moojan . Momen . February 19, 2007 . March 4, 2002 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080513090142/http://www.northill.demon.co.uk/relstud/abulfadl.htm . 13 May 2008 .
2. Book: Balyuzi, Hasan . Hasan M. Balyuzi . 1985 . Eminent Baháʼís in the time of Baháʼu'lláh . The Camelot Press Ltd, Southampton . 0853981523 . 270–271.
3. Book: ʻAbdu'l-Bahá . ʻAbdu'l-Bahá . 1915 . 1997 . Memorials of the Faithful . Softcover . Baháʼí Publishing Trust . Wilmette, Illinois, USA . 0877432422 .
4. Book: Balyuzi, Hasan . Hasan M. Balyuzi . 1985 . Eminent Baháʼís in the time of Baháʼu'lláh . 268–270 . The Camelot Press Ltd, Southampton . 0853981523.
5. Book: Balyuzi, Hasan . Hasan M. Balyuzi . 1985 . Eminent Baháʼís in the time of Baháʼu'lláh . The Camelot Press Ltd, Southampton . 0853981523 . 265–266.
6. Book: Balyuzi, Hasan . Hasan M. Balyuzi . 1985 . Eminent Baháʼís in the time of Baháʼu'lláh . The Camelot Press Ltd, Southampton . 0853981523 . 245–256.
7. Book: Balyuzi, Hasan . Hasan M. Balyuzi . 1985 . Eminent Baháʼís in the time of Baháʼu'lláh . The Camelot Press Ltd, Southampton . 0853981523 . 290–310.
8. Book: Balyuzi, Hasan . Hasan M. Balyuzi . 1985 . Eminent Baháʼís in the time of Baháʼu'lláh . The Camelot Press Ltd, Southampton . 0853981523 . 335–350.
9. News: Lucy Provan . Bahaʼis in Egypt - The 25 January revolution gave everyone hope for change, and the Bahaʼi hope for acceptance. . Daily News Egypt . Egypt . October 14, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141216233230/http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2012/10/14/bahais-in-egypt/. 16 December 2014 . May 4, 2016 .
10. https://bahai-library.com/francis_balyuzi_biography Hasan M. Balyuzi, Hand of the Cause of God - the Treasure of All Humanity
11. http://www.colemanzone.com/Time_Machine_Project/r_garcia.htm Russell Garcia
12. Dolbee, Sandi,"Passion for game, faith drives Padres' Greene", The San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 September 2004. Accessed 10 August 2007.
13. http://www.bahaiworldnews.org/story/236 Running the race of his life
14. News: Garriganm . Mary . Left Hand Bull to lead nation's Baha'is . Rapid City Journal . May 28, 2007 . December 20, 2014.
15. http://www.bahaipodcast.com/archives.asp?pYrID=2010 Jacqueline Left Hand Bull
16. Hassall . Graham . Fazel, Seena . 100 Years of the Baha'i Faith in Europe . Baháʼí Studies Review . 8 . 3 . 35–44 . 26 April 2007 .
17. Book: van den Hoonaard . Will C. . THE ORIGINS OF THE BAHA'I COMMUNITY OF CANADA, 1898-1948 . 1996 . Wilfred Laurier University Press . Waterloo, Ontario . 0889202729 . 102–103 .
18. http://www.australianrules.com.au/2004stories/mcpharlin.html A player and more
19. Remey, 1960 p. 2
20. Web site: Edward . Carey . Nelson talks Rex Mundi and Religion . . September 17, 2008 . 2009-05-30.
21. http://www.macaudailytimes.com.mo/macau/8901-SOHO-not-interested-Macaus-casinos.html Macau Daily Times: SOHO not interested in Macau's casinos
22. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3076869.stm "Profile: Dr David Kelly"