 Bahá 'í beliefs are sometimes described as syncretic combinations of earlier religious beliefs . Bahá 'ís , however , assert that their religion is a distinct tradition with its own scriptures , teachings , laws , and history . While the religion was initially seen as a sect of Islam , most religious specialists now see it as an independent religion , with its religious background in Shi 'a Islam being seen as analogous to the Jewish context in which Christianity was established . Muslim institutions and clergy , both Sunni and Shia , consider Bahá 'ís to be deserters or apostates from Islam , which has led to Bahá 'ís being persecuted . Bahá 'ís describe their faith as an independent world religion , differing from the other traditions in its relative age and in the appropriateness of Bahá 'u'lláh 's teachings to the modern context . Bahá 'u'lláh is believed to have fulfilled the messianic expectations of these precursor faiths . 
