As per the writings the Shoghi Effendi, great-grandson of Baha'u'llah and first and only Guardian of the Baha'i Faith, the five-pointed star is the official, although not the most common, symbol of the Baha'i Faith. It is sometimes referred to as the haykal, which is Arabic for "temple" or "body." The Bab commonly used it to represent the human body, with the head on top, arms stretched out, and legs underneath.
Baha'u'llah's writings generally use the symbol to represent the body of the Manifestations of God, of which he is one, as well as the divine messages the Manifestations are charged with transmitting to humanity. The ringstone symbol includes two five-pointed stars, representing the Bab and Baha'u'llah, who ushered in the new dispensation of the Baha'i Faith.
The five-pointed star is also utilized by a number of other belief systems. For more information, please see the pentagram.
The haykal has sometimes been used as a template for Baha'i calligraphy.
