Infallibility ('Ismah)

Infallibility is the inability to be wrong. Its importance and meaning is debated in epistemology and major religions.

136969

Are all the siblings of any Imam (a) also automatically considered to be from the Masoomeen due to their father being an Imam?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 month ago

Not at all. Only the Imam is Infallible and not all his sons or brothers.

Wassalam.

121496

Sin . Prophets . Dua Mashlul . Infallibility ('Ismah)

In an English translation of Dua Mashlool there is a verse saying Allah (SWT) forgave the sin of David (as). Is this translation correct because the Prophets are righteous and never choose to sin?

It is a wrong translation. All the Prophets are infallible and no Prophet committed any type of sin. Some acts from the prophets are not accepted by some people and called by some as sinful acts but it is in fact never sinful acts according to Allah.

Wassalam.

120962

Prophets . Infallibility ('Ismah) . God (Allah)

If Prophets are sinless then why did Prophet Adam (as) go against Allah's order?

Prophet Adam (AS) never went against Allah's order. We need to take the meanings of Quranic verses from the Prophet (SAWA) and not from others. The blame on Adam and other prophets has come from non Muslims through Israelites to some Muslims. Authentic Hadeeth states that Adam was been advised to avoid that tree but he was never been ordered to avoid it. There is a big difference between the order which is obligatory to be obeyed, and the advice which is recommended to be taken.

We have many books in this regard e.g. Tanzeeh al-Anbiyaa' by al-Shaikh al-Mufeed and Tanzeeh al-Anbiyaa' by al-Shaikh al-Murtadha and many other books.

Wassalam.

106033

Hadith al-Kisa' . Qur'an . Imamah . Infallibility ('Ismah)

I understand that Ayah Tathir establishes the infallibility of the Ahl al-Kisa (AS), but where in the Quran does it say that the other Imams (AS) are infallible as well? If this belief originates from Hadith then where can the evidence be found?

The five Ineffable greatest personalities (The Prophet (SAWA), Imam Ali (AS), Fatima (AS), Imam Hasan (AS) and Imam Husain (AS) have repeatedly said in many authentic Hadeeths that all the nine following Imams are Infallible. Believing in Hadeeth al-Kisa leads definitely to believing that what ever was said by the greatest Five is the absolute truth which is strong evidence that all the twelve Imams are Infallible.

Wassalam.

101600

Al-Abbas ibn Ali . Lady Zaynab bt. 'Ali . Infallibility ('Ismah)

Does Hazrat Abbas (ra) and Seyyeda Zeynab (ra) possess some level of Ismah?

The great status of Sayyeda Zaynab (SA) and Hazrat Abbas (AS) is above our thinking, that is why we can not determine their level of Ismah. It is known to Allah (SWT), the Prophet (SAWA) and Ahlul Bayt (AS).

Wassalam.

93315

Ahl al-Bayt . Infallibility ('Ismah) . Lady Zaynab bt. 'Ali

Are there any infallibles in Shia Islam other than the 14 members of the Ahl al-Bayt (AS), all the Prophets (AS) and lady Maryam (AS)? Is Sayyida Zainab, daughter of Imam Ali (AS), considered infallible as, unlike anyone else, both her parents are Masoom?

All the Prophets are Infallibles with no exception at all.

The status of the fourteen Infallables ( Muhammad , Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, Husain and nine Imams from Imam Husain) is The highest above all noble human beings. No doubt there are very pious personalities like Lady Maryam Bint Imran and Lady Asiya Bint Muzahim who have got a degree of infallibility which is called by some scholars as minor infallibility. Minor infallibility means a high state of piousness in which the person keeps himself away from sins because of continuous remembering Allah (SWT). This type of infallibility is less than the infallibility of the 14 Ma'soomeen (AS).

Lady Zaynab (AS) and Hazrat Abbas (AS) were best of the best pious people but their status is after the status of the 14 Ma'soomeen. Many scholars call their infallibility as acquired infallibility which is a result of highest degrees of Taqwa and piousness.

Wassalam.

92119

Meaning . Infallibility ('Ismah)

Does the term Ma'soom mean sinless, not able to make a mistake, or both?

Mateen Charbonneau, Sheikh Mateen Joshua Charbonneau achieved a certificate from Harvard University in Islamic Studies. He undertook Howza classes under esteemed scholars since 2013 and has been teaching at Imam Mahdi... Answered 2 years ago

In the book Aqaed al-Haqqa by Ayatullah Sayed Ali Sadr we find infallibility categorized into 3 levels:

1. Ismat ul Kubra which is reserved for the 14 Infallibles. They do not commit sins, mistakes or even tark al-awla (choosing the less preferred method). We as Shia however do not believe that any of the prophets, from their birth until their death, committed any sins at all whether big or small. We see that the honorable Shia scholar, Sheikh Mufid stated that the prophets and Imams never committed sins or even left the recommended actions (mustahab) and that they were perfect in every aspect of their lives.

Another point to bring is that the prophets are not infallible by force. Rather, they are infallible by utilizing their intellectual ability to not succumb to sin. They have the ability to sin, but they choose not to sin. They know the effects and evil disgusting nature of sin and are repulsed by it. An example would be, if we saw an old piece of food that was rotten would we eat that food? Of course not! It is repulsive to us because we see its rottenness. This is how the prophets see sin. They see the rottenness in disobeying God, whereas most of mankind is attracted to the sins because they have been made fair-seeming to them.

2. Ismat ul-Ithbaatiya which is for the general prophets where they do not commit sins, but it is possible for them to do tark al-awla (choosing the less preferred method).

3. Ismat ul- Thubutiya which is an acquired level of infallibility by abandoning sins and continuously doing their responsibilities to Allah and are obedient to Him. They are just individuals and are far away from deviation. We find this type of acquired infallibility in some of the progeny of the infallibles such as Zaynab, Abbas and Masuma (as) and others.

83244

Infallibility ('Ismah)

How one can determine who is infallible Imam?

The Infallible Imam has the maximum knowledge which is continuation of the knowledge of the Prophet (SAWA) which is from Allah , and has the absolute obedience of Allah (SWT) in each and every act he does and word he alters. Infallible Imam can never be away from the Twelve Imams mentioned by the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA).

Wassalam.

79250

Prophets . Infallibility ('Ismah)

Did any other Prophets have infallible successors?

Yes, every prophet had a successor who leads his Ummah after the Prophet and all of them are infallible. The Hadeeth لكل نبي وصي is narrated in Shia and Sunni books. Among Sunni scholars who narrated this Hadeeth are Ibn Hanbal in Fadha'l al-Sahabah, Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi in Tathkirat al-Khawaass, Ibn al-Maghaazili in al-Manaaqib, al-Tabaraani in al-Mo'jam al-Kabeer and Ibn Asaakir in Tareekh Dimishq and many others.

Wassalam.

68027

Repentance (Tawbah) . Infallibility ('Ismah) . Prophet Muhammad . Surat al-Nasr

If Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was sinless, why did Allah command him to do Tawbah in Surah Nasr?

All the prophets and their divine successors are infallible and sinless as they are the best examples to be followed by human beings. Allah (SWT) ordered all human beings to obey the prophets and their successors. If God forbid, they do any sinful act, it means that Allah (SWT) is ordering us to commit sin following them, which is impossible.
Sura al-Nasr like many other Surah have been mistranslated. It does mean at all to seek forgiveness for the prophet himself but for the Muslims who enter in the Religion of Allah for their past sins.

Every verse in Quran and every Hadeeth on this matter means that the Prophet is seeking forgiveness for the Believers.

Wassalam.

62068

Infallibility ('Ismah) . Ahl al-Bayt

I understand that our Prophets and Imams were born infallible and the Quran says that Allah (swt) has kept every Rijs away from the Ahlul Bayt. Given that, what is the greatness and reward for the one who is born infallible?

Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 3 years ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. Each person's reward is in accordance with the tests they face in relation to the gifts and abilities they have been given. As such people who are not born infallible will not be judged in the same way that the Infallibles (as) are. But at the same time, they are also not tested with the responsibilities of the Infallibles (as), nor are they rewarded in the same way. Infallibility is a knowledge that keeps a person away from sin and mistakes. It does not remove the free choice and therefore does not negate the applicability of reward for great actions.

May you always be successful

60424

Ahl al-Bayt . Hadith al-Kisa' . Infallibility ('Ismah)

In Hadith-al-Kisa, why did the Prophet (SAW) pray to Allah to keep the Ahlulbayt (AS) away from all Rijs? If they were already Ma'soom, so why did he pray for them?

The Prophet (SAWA) did not pray to Allah to keep Ahlul Bayt (AS) away from Rijs, but he prayed to Allah to keep the Rijs away from Ahlul Bayt (AS).

This is a misunderstanding in the minds of many who do not realize the difference between (A'nhom) عنهم , and (Minhom) منهم or error in the translation.

A'anhom: means to drive the bad away not to be near them.

Minhom : means to drive the bad from them.

Allah (SWT) never said Minhom, but said A'nhom.

انما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس أهل البيت ويطهركم تطهيرا (33:33)

Ahlul Bayt (AS) are The Infallible Divine leaders who are completely purified by Allah (SWT) who stated in Quran that He wants to to keep the bad away from them because they have nothing from the bad at all.

Wassalam.