Infallibility of the messengers and imams. Why God's representatives need to be sinless

1. ISMAH-INFALLIBILTY
Ismah (infallibility) is the Islamic concept that those who are appointed by Allah (swt)
to guide others must be sinless and must never disobey Allah (swt)
We believe that all actions
and words of Prophets and the
Ahlulbayt
ARE FREE of sin (Infallible)
ALL PREVIOUS PROPHETS
RASULALLAH (SAW)
SAYYIDA FATIMA (AS)
TWELVE IMAMS (AS)
PROTECTED
WITH ISMAH
(INFALLIBILITY)

2. ISMAH means a protection or a covering.
A person who is blessed with ISMAH is called
A Masum
female: Masuma
plural: Masumeen.
Masum: means to be protected from sinning by Allah (SWT).
This does not mean that they do not have the ability to sin.
They are still human and they still have free will and are
able to sin.
However, they have been given a special gift to see the
reality of sins and so they avoid them completely

3. HOW DOES ISMAH WORK?
A Masum knows how much sins can harm
the soul and thus avoids sins
A Masum is aware of Allah’s presence at
all times and refrains from sinning
WHY

4. “On a cold winter day Imam al-Sadiq (as) and his students were sitting
around a fire pit. One of the students asked the Imam how it is
possible for the Imams to be sinless?
To prove to the student, Imam al-Sadiq (a.s) picked up a piece of
burning charcoal with a pair of tongs and offered it to the student to
put in his mouth!
The student was shocked saying that this coal would burn his mouth.
Imam then said; ‘our knowledge about sins is similar to your
knowledge about this burning coal'.
The prophets saw the reality and ugliness of sins, and that knowledge prevented them from
performing those sins.

5. WHY DO WE NEED PROPHETS AND IMAMS TO BE MASUM?
To Protect the revelation of the
verses of Quran from being
altered or changed.

6. Allah(swt)
would not
ask us to
follow role
models that
would make
mistakes!

7. Can A Masum Nabi, or Imām sin by mistake?
ALLAH (swt) know that and makes sure that it
never happens and protects them from
such mistakes.
If a Nabi or Imam makes
mistakes or evencommits sins
even by accident, how would
we
know what to follow and
what to ignore?
There
would be
confusion!

8. MISTAKES CAN LEAD TO PEOPLE NOT
TRUSTING A RELIGIOUS LEADER
He is
making
many
mistake
s
Can I
pray
behind
him?
OOPS! I made
some mistakes.
What should I
do?

9. I HAVE SOME
QUESTIONS ON
SALAAT, CAN YOU HELP
ME?
I DON’T
KNOW.
SHOULD I
ASK ALI TO
ANSWER
THEM

10. In the Messenger of Allāh there is certainly for you a
good example (to follow), for those who look forward
to Allāh and the Last Day, and remember Allāh much.
33:21
If a Nabi or Imam sometimes made mistakes or
committed sins even by accident, how would we
know what to follow and what to ignore?
RASULALLAH (SAW) AND HIS AHLULBAYT (AS)
ARE ALL THE BEST GUIDES AND ROLE
MODELS FOR US.

12. And when his Lord tested Ibrahim with certain words, and he fulfilled
them, He said, ‘I am making you the Imām of mankind.’ Said he, ‘And
from among my descendants?’ He said, ‘My promise does not extend to the unjust.’
Surah al-Baqarah, 2:124
When Allah (swt) told Nabi Ibrahim (as) that He was
appointing him an Imam, Nabi Ibrāhim (as) asked if
his descendants will also be made Imams. Allah (swt)
replied that the wrongdoers from his descendants
will never be given this honor.
This promise does not include the unjust, and since a sin
is considered injustice, a person who is not divinely
protected and commits sins cannot be appointed an
imam.

13. What if Rasulallah and Imams were not
Masum?
People would have difficulty in trusting
whatever the Prophet or Imams would
say. People would be confused in what
could be true and what could be false.
If the Ahlulbayt were not Masum, then it would be
extremely difficult for people to believe in the message.
The Ahlulbayt could not be perefct role models as
people would not know what actions to follow
because they would be making errors

14. People would rather drink from a pure and
clean source of water and not one which is
dirty. Same way people would trust knowledge
from someone who is purified and clean

15. DID NABI ADAM COMMIT A SIN WHEN SHAYTAN MISLED
HIM TO EAT FRUIT FROM THE TREE ?
Adam (as) did not
commit any sin.
Allah(swt) advised Nabi
Adam(as) to avoid that
tree but it was never
an order to him to
do so.
And he (shaytan) swore to
them, “I am truly your sincere
advisor.”(Sura 7, verse 21)
Nabi Adam (as) was in the
Garden before coming to
earth. Shaytān misled
him by swearing in the
name of Allāh (swt).
Nabi Adam (as) was the
first human being. He
had never heard anyone
say a lie and he never
imagined anyone could
swear falsely in Allāh’s
(swt) Name.
The Garden , where this happened was not
the place for test and trial. It is only on this
earth is where human beings have to go
through test by obeying the commands of
Allah. The concept of sinning in case of human
beings is connected to this worldly life.