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How can we reconcile the concept of free will with the Imams' infallibility status? It is important to note that the term "infallibility" comes from the Arabic root "عصم" which means to prevent or restrain something.[1] In this context, infallibility refers to a divine grace that prevents a person from sinning against God. The terms "choice" and "option" refer to the act of making a selection or decision. When someone has a choice, it means they are able to make a decision. It should be acknowledged that the two powers of choice and status granted by God do not contradict each other. The status granted by God is a result of knowing God, having certainty, and being aware of the consequences of committing sins. For example, even though a person has the power of choice, they would never consider consuming impurities and filth due to their awareness of the consequences. Similarly, an Imam, because of his certainty about the reality of sin, would not entertain the act of committing prohibitions in his mind, even though he has the power of choice and the ability to commit such actions. In addition, the Imam is immersed in the knowledge of God in the sense that he is sincerely devoted to the love of God. Therefore, even if he could choose, he would never do something that would displease God. Prophets and Imams, like all humans, have obligations. Without freedom of choice, there would be no sense of duty, as an obligated individual has the option to both act and refrain from acting.[2] Thus, reason sees no conflict between the status of infallibility and the power to choose. The Quran mentions the infallibility of the Prophet Muhammad (s) and his household. "Indeed, Allah wishes to remove all impurity from you, O members of the [Prophet's] family, and to purify you completely."[3] This verse implies that the Prophet and his household are infallible. However, this does not contradict their ability to make choices, as God has stated in the Quran that the Prophet is only a human being like everyone else.[4] Infallibility is a divine gift that God has bestowed upon the Prophet and his household, and it does not restrict their free will. According to a narration from Imam Kazim (a), it is stated that only the infallible can be an Imam among us.[5] Imam Sadiq (a) explains that by infallible, it means that Allah has prohibited him from committing any sins.[6] In explaining this narration about what kind of power infallibility (ismah) is, and whether it is contradictory to human free will or not, it should be said that according to a narrative, the essence of infallibility lies in the absence of greed, envy, anger, and desire of self. The Imam is not greedy, envious, or angry and It is not fitting for him to follow lust and desire, or to prefer the world over the hereafter, since God Almighty has made the hereafter as beloved to him as the world is to us, and with the same assurance and belief that we look at the world with, the Imam looks at the hereafter. Is it possible for someone to abandon a beautiful face in favor of an ugly one, or to lose sweet and delicious food for the sake of bitter sustenance, or to choose a rough and coarse garment over a soft one, or to sell a permanent and lasting comfort for a transient and perishable world?[7] From this narration, it is understood that infallibility is achieved through knowledge, and the Imam, with the knowledge he possesses, chooses to avoid sin. In explaining this knowledge, it is stated in a narration: "I have not seen anything except that I saw God before it, and after it, and along with it"[8]. This narration also indicates that it's due to this knowledge that the Imam doesn't even contemplate sin. Therefore, infallibility is divine grace in knowledge and understanding, due to which it is inconceivable for the infallible to turn towards sin, just as it is inconceivable for a person to turn to eat filth, even though this does not contradict their ability to choose. Shia scholars have also highlighted this point in their discussions: 1. Sheikh Mufid said that infallibility is not the lack of power to sin or the compulsion to do good deeds but rather it is a grace from God.[9] 2. Allama Hilli said that the infallibles are protected from committing sins, but they have the ability to sin. This is necessary because if they did not have the ability to sin, they would not be eligible for reward or deserving of commendation. In fact, they would be outside the realm of obligations, and reward and punishment would not make sense to them. However, this view contradicts the consensus of Muslims and Islamic texts.[10] 3. Allama Tabataba'i said that this knowledge, meaning the power of infallibility, does not change human nature which chooses its voluntary actions, nor does it shift it to the realm of compulsion and necessity.... thus, the infallible person turns away from sin by himself, through his own choice and will.[11] Therefore, in light of the verses of the Quran, the narrations of the Imams (a), and the statements of the scholars as described; it must be said there is no conflict or contradiction between infallibility and human free will. [1] . Al-Mufradaat fi Gharib al-Qur'an; al-Raghib al-Isfahani, Vol: 1, pp: 569, 570 / Lisan al-Arab; ibn Manzoor, Vol: 12, P: 403 / al-Sahah Taj al-Lughah wa Sahah al-Arabiyya; al-Jawhari, Abu Nasr, Vol: 5, P: 1986 / Taj al-Aroos; al-Zubaidi, Murtaza, Vol: 33, P: 98. [2] . Bihar al-Anwar; al-Allama al-Majlisi, Vol: 17, P: 94. [3] . Al-Ahzab: 33 " إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا" [4] . Al-Fussilat: 6 "قل إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ" [5] . Ma'ani al-Akhbar; Sheikh al-Saduq, Vol: 1, P: 132. [6] . Ibid. [7] . Al-Khisal; Sheikh al-Saduq, Vol: 1, P: 215. [8] . Rasa'il wa Maqalat; al-Subhani, Sheikh Jafar, Vol: 8, P: 423. [9] . Tas'hih I'tiqadat al-Imamiyyah; Sheikh al-Mufid, Vol: 1, P: 128 / al-Nukat al-I'tiqadiyya; Sheikh al-Mufid, Vol: 1, P: 37. [10] . Kashf al-Murad fi Sharh Tajrid al-I'tiqad; Allama al-Hilli, Vol: 1, P: 365. [11] . Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an; Allama al-Tabatabai, Vol: 11, P: 163

What is the evidence for the infallibility of the Imams (A.S)? The infallibility of the Imams (A.S) is agreed upon by all scholars of the Shia faith. They believe that the Imams are immune from all sins, major and minor.[1] To prove the infallibility of the Imams, they provide various evidences, some of which include: rational reasoning: The existence of an Imam to guide and lead people towards human perfection and to protect the religion from distortion necessitates that the Imam himself remains free from errors and slips. Otherwise, if someone who is supposed to guide others needs guidance himself, it would contradict the purpose and wisdom of Allah.[2] Quranic reasoning: The verse of purification (Ayah al-Tathir) states, "Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity from you, O people of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification."[3] This verse indicates the divine intention to remove impurities from the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S), signifying their infallibility.[4] According to Shia[5] and Sunni[6] narrations, the verse of purification refers to the People of the Cloak (Ahl al-Kesa), who are mentioned as five individuals. According to other narrations, the Imams after Imam Hussein (A.S) are also considered part of the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S).[7] The verse of Ibrahim's test mentions that "when his Lord tested Abraham with certain words and he fulfilled them, He said: I am making you the Imam of mankind. Abraham said: And from among my descendants? He said, My pledge does not extend to the unjust."[8] This absolute statement of injustice implies that anyone who commits even a single act of injustice cannot be an Imam. Shia scholars understand the term "pledge" in this verse to refer to the Imamate, thus asserting that Imamate does not reach a person who is not infallible.[9] The verse of obedience (Ulil Amr): "O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you"[10] In this verse, it is obligatory to obey Allah, the Prophet, and those in authority "Ulil Amr". If the person being obeyed is free from errors and shortcomings, we can obey him. But what if the person being obeyed is suffering from errors and needs guidance? How can his obedience be obligatory!? If obeying someone who may make a mistake and command indecency is necessary, it will be against this Quranic verse that says: "Indeed, Allah does not order indecencies"[11]. Therefore, the obedient person must have the infallibility.[12] It should be noted that Shia scholars consider the Imams (A.S) to be the "Ulil Amr".[13] Hadiths reasoning: To prove the infallibility of the Imams (A.S), various narrations have been cited: The Noble Prophet (S.W) said about the infallibility of the twelve Imams: «أَنَا وَ عَلِيٌّ وَ اَلْحَسَنُ وَ اَلْحُسَيْنُ وَ تِسْعَةٌ مِنْ وُلْدِ اَلْحُسَيْنِ مُطَهَّرُونَ مَعْصُومُونَ.»"I, Ali, Hasan, Hussein, and nine from the offspring of Hussein are pure and infallible."[14] Imam Sadiq (A.S) in describing the characteristics of Imam, says: «مَعصوما مِنَ الزَّلاّتِ، مَصونا عَنِ الفَواحِشِ کُلِّها» "Innocent from slips and errors, protected from all indecencies"[15] And in another narration he says: «نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ مَعْصُومُونَ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ‌ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى بِطَاعَتِنَا وَ نَهَى عَنْ مَعْصِيَتِنَا» " we are those who are infallible, Allah Almighty has told people to obey our orders and has forbidden them to disobey us."[16] The Hadith Thaqalayn:[17] To demonstrate the infallibility of the Imams (A.S), Shia scholars have also referenced other traditions such as the hadith thaqalayn. In this hadith, the Holy Prophet (S.W) states that the Qur'an and the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S) are inseparable, emphasizing that whoever holds fast to the Ahl al-Bayt (A.S) and the Qur'an will never stray from the right path. This assertion underscores the infallibility of Ahl al-Bayt (A.S); for if they were fallible, following them would lead to misguidance.[18] It is well established that the infallibility of the Imams (A.S) is considered an absolute belief in Shia Imamia with no room for doubt. [1] . Bihar al-Anwar: Al-'Allama al-Majlisi; vol. 25, p: 209. [2] . Kashf al-Murad fi Sharh Tajrid al-I’tiqad: Al-'Allama al-Hilli; p: 364 / Al-Iqtisad al-Hadi ila Tariq al-Rashad: Sheikh al-Tusi; p: 189 / Al-Muhadarat Fi Al-Ilahiaat: Al-Sobhani, Sheikh Ja’far; p: 354. [3] . Al-Ahzab: 33, إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا"" [4] . Al-Shafi fi al-Imamah: Sayyid al-Sharif al-Murtadha, Vol. 3, p. 134 / Bihar al-Anwar: Al-'Allama al-Majlisi Vol. 35, p: 225 / Ghayat al-Maram wa Hujjat al-Khusam fi Ta’ayyun al-Imam: al-Bahrani, Sayyid Hashim Vol. 3, p: 193 / Manshur Jawid: Subhani, Sheikh Ja’far Vol. 4, p: 352. [5] . Bihar al-Anwar: al-'Allama al-Majlisi Vol. 35, p: 206 / Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Quran: Al-'Allama al-Tabatabai Vol. 16, p: 312. [6] . Sahih Muslim: Muslim Nishapuri; Vol. 4, p. 1883, / Sunan Tirmidhi: Tirmidhi, Vol. 5, Pp. 351, 352, and 663 / Sayyid Hashim Bahrani has reported in his book Ghayat al-Maram, 41 narrations from the Ahl al-Sunnah in this regard. Ghayat al-Maram: Bahrani, Vol. 3, Pp. 173-192. [7] . For more information refer to " Who are the “Ahlulbayt” in the verse " إِنَّما يُريدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَ يُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهيراً"? [8] . Al-Baqara: 124, " وَإِذِ ابْتَلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا قَالَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ" [9] . Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Quran: Al-'Allama al-Tabatabai Vol. 1, P: 274 / Tafsir al-Tibyan: Sheikh al-Tusi Vol. 1, P: 449 / Dalail al-Sidq li Nahj al-Haqq: Mozaffar, Sheikh Muhammad Hasan, Vol. 4, P: 220. [10] . Al-Nnisa: 59, يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ"" [11] . Al-Araf: 28, " "إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاء [12] . Dalail al-Sidq li Nahj al-Haqq: Mozaffar, Sheikh Muhammad Hasan; Vol. 4, P: 221 / Manar al-Huda fi al-Nass 'ala Imamat al-Ithna Ashar (AS): Sheikh Ali al-Bahrani, P: 113. [13] . Tafsir al-Tibyan: Sheikh al-Tusi Vol. 3, P: 236 / Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Quran: Sheikh al-Tabrasi Vol. 3, P: 100 / Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah: Sheikh al-Saduq Vol. 1, P: 253 / Al-Kafi: Sheikh al-Kulayni Vol. 1, P: 286 / Ghayat al-Maram: Bahrani, Sayyid Hashim; Vol. 3, P: 109. [14] . Uyun Akhbar al-Rida (AS): Sheikh al-Saduq Vol. 2, P: 65 / Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni’mah: Sheikh al-Saduq Vol. 1, P: 280. [15] . Al-Kafi: Kulayni, Muhammad ibn Ya’qub; Vol. 1, Page 204. [16] . Ibid, P: 269 [17] . Ma’ani Al-Akhbar: Al-Sheikh Al-Saduq; vol: 1, p: 90 / Al-Kafi: Al-Sheikh Al-Kulayni; vol: 1, p: 287 / Kamal Al-Din Wa Tamam Al-Ni’mah: Al-Sheikh Al-Saduq; vol: 1, p: 64 / Al-Muharrar Al-Wajiz Fi Tafsir Al-Kitab Al-Aziz: Ibn Atiyyah; vol: 5, p: 230 / Al-Jami’ Al-Sahih (Sahih Muslim), Muslim Ibn Al-Hajjaj : Muhammad Fuad Abdul Baqi, vol: 4, p: 1873, H 36 / Al-Jami’ Al-Sahih (Sunan Al-Tirmidhi), Al-Tirmidhi Al-Sulami, Muhammad Ibn Isa : Ahmad Muhammad Shakir and others, vol: 5, p: 662, Bab (Manaqib Ahl Bayt Al-Nabi), H 3786 / Musnad Ahmad: Ahmad Ibn Hanbal; vol: 17, p: 170. [18] . Al-Kafi fi al-Fiqh: al-Halabi, Abu al-Salah; P: 97 / al-Masa’il al-Jarudiyya: Sheikh al-Mufid; P: 42 / Abhi al-Midad fi Sharh Mawtamar Ulema Baghdad, Ibn Atiyya; Vol. 1, P: 131 / Manar al-Huda: Bahrani; Page 617.