THE EVIDENCE FOR THE INFALLIBITY OF THE IMAMS (A)

[Taqavi]

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.

 

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[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.