Bahá'ís present their "Covenant" as something unique to their religion. They present it as an undisputable documented contract of inheritance, a will and testament, that is protected by God so that any violaters against it will be rendered impotent by it. The Bahá'í Faith's history is full of fragmentation, and the course the Bahá'í Faith has taken quick surprise turns on a number of occasions.

Bahá'í Faith is itself a product of Covenant Breaking

First Covenant Breaking

The act that brought the Bahá'í Faith itself into existence was in defiance of such a covenant. The Báb's successor, was actually Mirza Yahya and Not Bahá'u'lláh. Bahá'ís produced evidence that Bahá'u'lláh was the Báb's intended successor, but did not deny that the Báb appointed Mirza Yahya.

Second Covenant Breaking

Bahá'u'lláh appointed his eldest son Abdu'l-Bahá as his successor and after him his younger son Mohammed Ali. After the death of Abdu'l-Bahá although Mohammed Ali was alive still many followed , Shoghi effendi the grandson of Abdu'l-Bahá. Not following Mohammed Ali was Covenant Breaking of Bahá'u'lláh's writing.

Third Covenant Breaking

Later, the third Bahá'í leader, Shoghi Effendi, died childless. Having failed to produce a will, and having failed to leave any clear indication of a successor, Shoghi left the Bahá'í world in a precarious situation. What he did was in apparent violation of the Bahá'í Covenant. The Bahá'ís whose allegiance lies with the heterodox organisation, those loyal to the Universal House of Justice currently seated in Haifa, Israel, maintain that those who are true to the Covenant will be empowered by the Covenant.

Bahá'í history shows us a different picture. At many times, the Bahá'ís who eventually prevailed were nearly vanquished. The Bahá'ís loyal to Universal House of Justice claims that they are are dominant group, but even that domination seems impotent and obscure, lacking the influence to even familiarize the world with the word Bahá'í in this information age.

Bahá'í history is mottled with inheritance disputes. In defense of their Covenant, Bahá'ís regard the darker periods as divine tests, arguing that egos are often tested by opportunities for power.

What Bahá'ís do not acknowledge is the fact that their history is just as fragmented as other religions, with breaks occurring from its first years to the years following the death of Shoghi Effendi.

At present The Bahá'ís are fragmented in following sects.
1. People of Bayan or Bayanis
2. Essence Of the Baha'i Faith
3. Unitarian Baha'is
4. Free Baha'is
5. Reform Baha'is
6. New History Society
7. Those who Believe In Continuation Of Guardianship
8. Orthodox Baha'is (followers of Joel B. Marangella)
9. Bahá'ís Under the Provisions of the Covenant (Jensen group, Missoula, MT)
10.Baha'is Loyal to the Guardian (followers of Jacques Soghomonian)
11.Tarbiyat Baha'is (followers of Rex King et al)
12.Heterodox Bahá'ís
13.5 Elders

Read More: Battle of the Covenant