The infallibility of the Prophets

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Basic Tenets of Faith: Belief (Part 1)
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Belief in the Messengers

42216: The infallibility of the Prophets

Question: 

I would like to ask a question about `aqeedah. Is it part of our `aqeedah to believe that the Prophets committed sins and were not infallible?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The Prophets are the best of mankind, and the most noble of creation before Allaah. Allaah chose them to convey the call of Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah to mankind, and Allaah has made them the intermediaries between Him and His creation in conveying His Laws. They were commanded to convey the message from Allaah, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"They are those whom We gave the Book, AlHukm (understanding of the religious laws), and Prophethood. But if these disbelieve therein (the Book, AlHukm and Prophethood), then, indeed We have entrusted it to a people (such as the Companions of Prophet Muhammad) who are not disbelievers therein" [al-An'aam 6:89]

The Prophets' task was to convey the message from Allaah even though they were human, hence the issue of infallibility may be examined from two angles:

1 _ Infallibility in conveying the message

2 _ Infallibility from human error

Firstly: With regard to the first issue, the Prophets were infallible in conveying the message from Allaah. They did not conceal anything that Allaah had revealed to them, and they did not add anything from themselves. Allaah said to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):

"O Messenger (Muhammad)! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. Allaah will protect you from mankind" [al-Maa'idah 5:67]

"And if he (Muhammad) had forged a false saying concerning Us (Allaah),

We surely would have seized him by his right hand (or with power and might),

And then We certainly would have cut off his life artery (aorta),

And none of you could have withheld Us from (punishing) him"

[al-Haaqqah 69:44-47]

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And he (Muhammad) withholds not a knowledge of the Unseen" [al-Takweer 81:24]

Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sa'di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on this verse: He is not stingy with that which Allaah has revealed to him, concealing some of it. Rather he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) the most trustworthy of the inhabitants of heaven and the people of earth, the one who conveys the message of his Lord, the faithful conveyor (of the message). He does not withhold any part of it, from rich or poor, from ruler or subject, from male or female, from city-dweller or Bedouin. Hence Allaah sent him to an illiterate and ignorant nation, and he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not die until they had become knowledgeable scholars, steeped in knowledge…"

So with regard to conveying the religion of his Lord, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not make any mistakes at all, whether major or minor, rather he was infallible and under the constant protection of Allaah.

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