Apostles of Bahá'u'lláh
The Apostles of Baha'u'llah were 19 early Baha'i, who received the title of Apostle of Baha'u'llah from Shoghi Effendi. This Bahai had in the early history of the Baha'i religion major role in the spread of the Bahai religion outside of the cultural centers Persia and the Ottoman Empire. Their significance for the Baha'i religion is similar to those of Jacob's sons, in Judaism, the apostles in Christianity, the companions of Muhammad in Islam and the Letters of the Living in Babism.