The Báb
Siyyid ʻAlí Muhammad, the Báb, who heralded "Him Whom God shall make manifest." His major books have no authorized English translation; the only public-domain access is through Browne and Nicolas.
The writings of the Báb5
Qayyúmuʼl-Asmáʼ (1844 — "the Qurʼán of the Bábís")The Persian Bayán (the book of laws)The Arabic Bayánno authorized English translationDalá’il-i-Sabʻih (the Seven Proofs)Selections from the Writings of the Báb
Baháʼuʼlláh
Mírzá Husayn-ʻAlí, Baháʼuʼlláh. His central works are all in print in authorized English — every one under active copyright, freely readable via the Bahá’í Reference Library.
The central books8
Kitáb-i-Aqdas (the "Most Holy Book," ~1873)Kitáb-i-Íqán (the "Book of Certitude," 1861)The Hidden Words (1858)The Seven Valleys & the Four ValleysGleanings from the Writings of BaháʼuʼlláhEpistle to the Son of the Wolf (1891)Gems of Divine Mysteries · Summons of the Lord of HostsPrayers and Meditations
ʻAbduʼl-Bahá
ʻAbbás Effendi, ʻAbduʼl-Bahá — son, successor, and authorized interpreter. His "A Traveller’s Narrative" is the one Bahá’í primary text with a clean public-domain English translation (Browne, 1891).
The interpretive writings7
A Traveller’s Narrative (Maqála-yi-Shakhsí Sayyáh, ~1886)Some Answered Questions (1904–06)The Secret of Divine Civilization (1875)Tablets of the Divine Plan (1916–17)Paris Talks · The Promulgation of Universal PeaceThe Will and Testament (1921)Tablet to Auguste Forel (1921)
Shoghi Effendi & the House of Justice
Shoghi Effendi (d.1957), "the Guardian," authored the interpretive histories and translated most of the canon; the Universal House of Justice (1963– ) is the infallible legislature.
The Guardian & the UHJ5
God Passes By (1944 — the definitive history)The World Order of Baháʼuʼlláh (1938)The Advent of Divine Justice (1939)The Dawn-Breakers (Nabíl’s Narrative, tr. 1932)The Universal House of Justice — letters & Constitution
The public-domain shelf
What is actually free to use now: the Victorian academic corpus of E.G. Browne, Nicolas’s French, and the original-language scripture.
Freely usable today5
Browne — The New History of the Báb (Táríkh-i-Jadíd, 1893)Browne — Materials for the Study of the Bábí Religion (1918)Nicolas — Le Béyan Persan · Le Béyan Arabe (1905–14)The original Arabic & Persian textsThe Bahá’í Reference Library (bahai.org)