BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTRE — The Universal House of Justice has called for a new Bahá’í House of Worship to be constructed in the Philippines, advancing the vision of temples that will radiate spiritual vitality and serve as the focal point of community life.
This news follows announcements in April 2023 and October 2024 naming six additional sites where Houses of Worship are to be established—Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, Malawi, Nepal, and Zambia. Together these developments highlight the global Bahá’í community’s effort to cultivate spaces that encourage profound reflection on humanity’s higher purpose and inspire collective action for the common good.
The Bahá’í writings refer to the House of Worship as a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár, meaning “Dawning-place of the Praise of God.” These Bahá’í temples embody a new conception of spaces for worship. While they serve as sanctuaries for prayer and meditation, they are also centers where the harmony between worship and service to humanity finds practical expression.
Houses of Worship in various parts of the world are emerging as a result of the acceleration of the development of Bahá’í communities. In such communities a flourishing devotional spirit and prayer gatherings foster social harmony. These gatherings, together with educational programs that build capacity to contribute to the well-being of humanity, create a dynamic interplay between worship and service to society.
As this rhythm of worship and service becomes woven into the fabric of community life, a profound transformation unfolds: individuals who once passed each other as strangers begin to walk together as friends on a shared spiritual path. Through the experience of collective prayer and reflection, hearts are drawn together, and bonds of genuine friendship form across longstanding social barriers. What begins as a simple gathering for prayer transforms into a space where souls connect in their shared search for meaning and purpose, where the hopes and challenges of the community become the concern of all.
Over time as this capacity for service continues to expand, eventually a new and distinctive stage is achieved with the emergence of a House of Worship. These sacred edifices then become focal points for even greater levels of activity that give rise to social, humanitarian, and educational development, contributing to the well-being of surrounding populations.
