Progressive revelation is a core teaching in the Baháʼí Faith that suggests that religious truth is revealed by God progressively and cyclically over time through a series of divine Messengers, and that the teachings are tailored to suit the needs of the time and place of their appearance.
This process of revelation, according to the Baháʼí writings, is also never ceasing,[1] which is contrary to many other belief systems that believe in a finality of their prophet/messenger.
[4] The differences in the revelation brought by the Manifestations of God is stated to be not inherent in the characteristics of the Manifestation of God, but instead attributed to the various worldly, societal and human factors;[4] these differences are in accordance with the "conditions" and "varying requirements of the age" and the "spiritual capacity" of humanity.
[4] These differences are seen to be needed since human society has slowly and gradually evolved through higher stages of unification from the family to tribes and then nations.
[7][8] Muhammad, Jesus, Moses, and Zoroaster were all named by Baháʼu'lláh as being among the establishers of religion, termed Manifestations of God, as well as himself, and his forerunner the Báb.
Baháʼu'lláh also expressly or implicitly referred to Adam, Noah, Saleh, Húd, and an unnamed prophet of the Sabians as messengers of God.
[13][14] In this cycle, Baháʼí belief is that Manifestations of God continued to advance human civilization at regular intervals through progressive revelation.
[20] In this view humanity, like a child, has been maturing while gaining a greater ability to grasp complex ideas as it grows in years and progresses in school.
Be anxiously concerned with the needs of the age ye live in, and centre your deliberations on its exigencies and requirements.
[21]Baháʼís believe that religious teachings are of two varieties: essential spiritual truth, and ephemeral social constructs.
The usual list Baháʼís commonly refer to include Krishna, Buddha, Zoroaster (Zarathustra), Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, the Báb, and Baháʼu'lláh.