The Baha'is say: In addition to materialistic requirements, human beings are in need of spiritual ones which can be granted just by prophet; so renewing religions is necessary because each period of time has its demand and it is necessary for God to make people exploit His grace based on exigency times.
This teaching of Hussein Ali Nouri's one sis that the existence world needs the enchantment of holy spirit; that is humane world is constantly in need of divine grace or the enchantment of holy Spirit in order for the humane accomplishments to be demonstrated. In this regard Abbas Effendi says:
"The 12th teaching of the Excellency Bahaullah is that humane world can't progress by the intellectual and materialistic power; but in order for human being to be progressed superficially and spiritually in will be necessary for the holy Spirit enchantments and inspirations to be possessed and the divine power; that is, the holy Spirit must highlight in order for remarkable achievements to be gained because human body needs the materialistic powers; but human spirit requires the holy spirit inspirations.
If holy Spirit graces didn’t exist, human world would be kept silent and the human souls would be dead.[1]"
The Baha'is claim for the current world civilization to be in lack of the divine inspirations and to be suffered from it. In this way, "The sciences and techniques of this era have become similar to a lifeless body which is going to be collapsed because it has been deprived of the divine spirit.
Because the superstitious customs and beliefs which are related to ancient religions have been merged and mixed with fancy desires, they have made the world people be away form the spiritual rudiments. They have been frightened and condemned by a civilization whose base has been based on the materialistic standards and been deprived of the holy spirit enchantments and inspirations.[2]"
As a matter of fact, this teaching is a struggle to justify Bab and Bahaullah's prophethood claims. They claimed for Babism and being imam of the Time and manifestation of Islam abolishment and forging a new religious law.
To answer this teaching, it should be anted that posing grace issue is done just for proving Bab's claim and Baha's one. The reason for this is existent in Baha'ism works.
Mirza Hussein Ali writes in the book Aqdas:
"و نفسی الحق قد انتهت الظهورات الی هذا الظهور الاعظم و من یدعی بعده انه کذاب مفتر"
"I swear by my right that all manifestations ended in this greater one and everybody who claims for the new one after such manifestation, he/she will be a liar.[3]"
"من یدعی امراً قبل اتمام الف سنه کامله انه کذّابٍ مفترٍ"
"Before finishing 1000 years, if a person claims for a subject, he/she will be a liar.[4]"
Abdul Baha has explained the word one thousand and written:
"…but concerning the blessed verse which says:
"من یدعی امراً قبل اتمام الف سنه کامله..."
The beginning of one thousand is the emergence of the Blessed Beauty whose each day is one thousand years
"انّ کلّ یوم عند ربک کالف سنهه و کل سنه ثلاثمائه و خمسه و ستون الف سنه..."
As long as the Blessed Beauty's works, books, teachings and lights are existent in the world, there won't be any emergence and issuance[5]. He also express in the book Makatib: "Because this blind entity's extension is great and these two things' eloquence, extension and continuity are eternal[6]; so its extension is at least 500,000 years.[7]
How is it possible?! He suspects the eternality of Islam; but he doesn’t believe in the principle of the constant continuity of divine grace because of Baha'ism believing in the next emergences[8]?!
According to this principle; in the present ear, the divine grace is being displayed just through the Baha'is administrative organizations and institution and "the current leaders and people in charge of the Baha'ism universal organization are infallible and inspired by the divine inspirations.[9]"
On the other hand, the current leaders of the Baha'is (the 9-people board in the universal house of justice located at Heyfa, Israel) are infallible and they are issuing commandments without any mistakes or errors. No Baha'i person is allowed to oppose!!![10]
The criticism of the principle of the world to be in need of the holy Spirit inspirations:
There isn’t any new matter in this principle like other previous ones because Islam has pointed it out in most verses of the holy Quran and the holy imam's traditions explicitly as the last religion.
The holy Quran has pointed put the divine inspirations which are as follows:
"الا بذکر الله تطمئن القلوب"
"Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest"[11]
"...وان من شیء الایسبح بحمده و لکن لا نفقهون تسبیحهم..."
"and there is not a thing but hymneth his praise; but ye understand not their praise…"[12]
"ربنا الذی اعطی کل شی خلقه ثم هدی"
"Our Lord is He who gave unto everything its nature, then guided it aright."[13]
"الا الی الله تصیرالامور"
"Do not all things reach Allah at last"[14]
"الا ربک منتهی ها"
"unto thy Lord belongeth (knowledge of) the term thereof[15]"
"و ان من شیء الا عنده خزائنه و ماننزله الا بقدرٍ معلوم"
And there is not a thing but with Us are the stores thereof. And We send it not down save in appointed measure.[16]"
It is stated in the holy Imams' traditions:
"طوبی لمن عشق العباده و عانقها"
"Lucky a person who loves worshipping and hugs it."[17]
As you paid attention, this principle of the Baha'ism beliefs had been stated in the last divine religion, Islam, and the holy Imams' narrations hundreds of Years before the establishment of this cult; so it isn’t new or modern. Even centuries before Islam this issue was posed by other prophets and it was of the challenges between prophets and the tyrants.
[1] Affandi, Abbas, Giving speech in Philadelphia, June, 1912, the sermons, Vol. 2, p. 150.
[2] The Universal House of Justice Message dated Isfand, 1344.
[3] Mirza Hussein Ali's powers, p. 237.
[4] The Aqdas, p. 35.
[5] Rahiq Makhtoum, Vol. 1, p. 3220.
[6] Makatib, Vol. 2, p. 68.
[7] Ibid, p. 76.
[8] Seyyed Muhammad Baqer Najafi, the Baha'is, Masha'r publishing house, Qom, 1380, p. 421-423.
[9] Nouri, Hussein Ali, Ishraqat, p. 79.
[10] Dehqan, Qolam Ali, the pillars of modern discipline, p. 189. He is one of valid authors of Baha'is.
[11] Ra'd chapter, verse, 28.
[12] Al-Asra chapter, verse: 44.
[13] Taha chapter, verse: 50.
[14] Showra chapter, verse: 53.
[15] Nazea't chapter, verse: 44.
[16] Hejr chapter, verse: 21.
[17] Kafi priniciples, Vol. 2, p. 83.