One of the teachings claimed by the Baha’i leaders as innovative is the issue of livelihood balance. Abdul Baha believes that Bahaullah has presented the solutions of economic issues in a sort that no previous religious books of prophets have spoken about this important issue of human being. He has presented the principle of public livelihood balance as the innovative teaching of Bahaullah to the world to save humanity out of discrimination and eradicating poverty.
The criticism of the principle of public livelihood balance:
۱- Contrary to Baha’ism claim concerning this principle to be innovative, the concept of livelihood balance has been stated by various religions and schools and the divine religions have invited people to establish justice in all dimensions of life including livelihood. For instance; particularly concerning livelihood, two general principle have been pointed out in Islam for establishing social justice: God has ordered human beings to sustain:
“وَ اَنْفِقُوا فِی سَبیلِ الله”(البقره/۱۹۵)
Spend your wealth for the cause of Allah and…” (Al-Baqareh/ 195)
And on the other side, the holy Quran orders Muslims to pay alms to help the poor in compulsory manner. So that, Baha’ism has imitated this teaching and claimed for being new. As Hussein Ali Baha has said: “Concerning alms, we have ordered to act as stated by the holy Quran.” (Ishraq Khawari, the treasury of limitations and commandments, Tehran: The national institute of the faith press, Bita, chapter 12, p. 149). So, is it a new issue for God to send down a new prophet for it?!
To explain this principle forged by Bahaullah, Abdul Baha is claiming for rules to be approved for all human beings to live comfortably. While no wise human being and community reject the existence of rule in the community because it knows intrinsically that rules are necessary to be enacted for discipline and fulfillment of aims.
One of the other important barrier for the fulfilment of people’s livelihood balance is plundering countries’ resources by the Colonialism and the dominance of inefficient governments on people. However, we a\can observe that the Baha’i leaders haven’t presented any strategy for the fulfilment of livelihood balance and haven’t created any safe border theologically for these two barriers.
Or where the Baha’i leaders have prevented people to oppose even the unqualified statesmen as they have said:
“ان الحریه تنتهی عواقبها الی الفتنه التی لا تخمد نارها”
(Hussein Ali Nouri, the Aqdas, the electronic copy, p. 116, paragraph 123)
The role of the principle of general livelihood balance by the Baha’ism leaders:
It should be paid attention that implementing law is compulsory and Abdul Baha says in this regard that: “Spending money to the poor by the wealthy must be satisfactorily done not compulsorily. If it is compulsory, it won’t be useful. (Ishraq Khawari, the heavenly message, pp. 134-135 narrated by Abdul Baha).
There is a clear contradiction in Abdul Baha’s speech!
