Baháʼí Faith
Starting-point guide, not medical, legal, or spiritual advice. This entry summarizes patterns documented in scholarly and clinical literature. Baháʼí Faith is internally diverse: denomination, sect, lineage, region, generation, and personal practice all vary. Always confirm with the individual and their own faith leader, chaplain, humanist celebrant, or care team.
The Baháʼí Faith teaches that the soul is immortal and continues progressing toward God after death, which is described as a new birth rather than an ending. The Universal House of Justice, the Faith's supreme governing body, has not legislated specifically on euthanasia or withdrawal of life support, leaving such decisions to individual conscience in consultation with competent physicians and, where possible, the patient. Baháʼí burial law, set out in the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, is specific and clinically relevant: burial (never cremation) within an hour's journey of the place of death.
Sourced from the Baháʼí Reference Library (bahai.org) and Lights of Guidance (a published compilation of Universal House of Justice and Guardian correspondence). Not yet verified against the original source, and not yet independently reviewed by a Baháʼí community member or ethicist. Formal institutional bioethics guidance is less centrally published than for some other traditions in this dataset; several positions here reflect the explicit absence of specific legislation rather than a stated position.
Core Beliefs About Death & Afterlife
- The human soul is immortal, not composed of physical elements, and continues progressing toward the presence of God after the body's death; death is described as a birth into a larger life, not an ending.
- God, the Giver of life, alone disposes of it; suicide is forbidden in Baháʼí teaching.
- The Universal House of Justice has not legislated specifically on euthanasia or the withdrawal or withholding of life support in cases where intervention only prolongs a disabling illness; nothing has been found in the Sacred Text addressing these questions directly, so such decisions are left to the conscience of those responsible, including the patient where possible, in consultation with competent physicians.
- Baháʼís are counseled to seek the advice of competent physicians and to make medical decisions through consultation among everyone involved.
Key End-of-Life Rituals & Practices
- Baháʼí burial law (Kitáb-i-Aqdas) requires burial — never cremation — within an hour's journey of the place of death, with no embalming or preservative injections.
- The body is wrapped in a shroud of silk or cotton; a ring bearing a specific inscription may be placed on the hand; the coffin should be of crystal, stone, or hard fine wood; a specific Prayer for the Dead is said before interment.
- These burial provisions carry direct clinical and hospital-discharge-planning implications — timing, embalming, and cremation requests should be confirmed with the family early rather than assumed.
Hospice & Clinical Considerations
- No official Baháʼí position exists on DNR orders or withdrawal of life support; decisions are left to the patient (where possible) and family in consultation with physicians — clinicians should not assume a default position and should ask directly.
- There is no religious objection to pain management or medical treatment generally; Baháʼís are explicitly counseled to seek competent medical care.
- The one-hour burial requirement means time-sensitive coordination with the family after death (rather than standard hospital/morgue timelines) may be important — ask early.
Organ Donation Views
- Organ donation is permitted; Baháʼí teaching holds that after death the soul no longer has a connection to the body, so nothing forbids donating organs for transplantation, and it has been described by the Faith's Guardian as ‘a noble thing to do.’
- The one restriction is the prohibition on cremation, consistent with Baháʼí burial law; the decision to donate is left to individual conscience.
Opioid & Sedation Views
- No specific Baháʼí teaching addresses palliative sedation by name; general principles — seeking competent medical care and consultation-based decision-making — are consistent with accepting pain management and proportionate sedation for symptom control.
Faith & Medical Decisions
Primary sourceThis represents documented guidance. Not yet verified against the original source. The Universal House of Justice has not legislated specifically on several of these questions; several positions below reflect that explicit absence of legislation rather than a stated Church position. Always consult the patient, family, and their Local Spiritual Assembly.
View of death: Death is a new birth — the soul's passage into a larger life and continued progress toward God — not an ending. Suicide is forbidden; God alone disposes of life.
DNR
EXPERT CONSENSUSNo official position — left to conscience and physician consultation
- The Universal House of Justice has not legislated specifically on this matter; decisions are left to the conscience of those responsible, including the patient where possible, in consultation with competent physicians.
- Baháʼís are counseled to seek competent medical advice and make decisions through consultation among everyone involved.
Source: Lights of Guidance (Universal House of Justice correspondence)
Baháʼí burial law (Kitáb-i-Aqdas) requires burial — never cremation — within an hour's journey of the place of death, with no embalming. Confirm timing and cremation/embalming preferences with the family early; this affects discharge and morgue planning.
Source: Baháʼí Reference Library (bahai.org); Lights of Guidance (Universal House of Justice and Guardian correspondence)
Ask Your Chaplain
Every person's faith journey is unique. Ask your chaplain or spiritual care provider: "How can we honor your specific beliefs and practices during your care?"