 The Bahá 'í Faith was founded by Bahá 'u'lláh in 19th @-@ century Persia . Bahá 'u'lláh was exiled for his teachings from Persia to the Ottoman Empire and died while officially still a prisoner . After Bahá 'u'lláh 's death , under the leadership of his son , `Abdu 'l @-@ Bahá , the religion spread from its Persian and Ottoman roots , and gained a footing in Europe and America , and was consolidated in Iran , where it suffers intense persecution . After the death of `Abdu 'l @-@ Bahá , the leadership of the Bahá 'í community entered a new phase , evolving from a single individual to an administrative order with both elected bodies and appointed individuals . There are probably more than 5 million Bahá 'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories . 
