Infallibility of Imams: Difference between revisions

The infallibility ('isma) of the Imams refers to their immunity from any [[sins]] and mistakes. While 'isma literally means protection, Muslim theologians and philosophers have provided various definitions of the term, including the following.

*'''Theologians' definition:''' 'Adliyya (i.e., [[Imami]] and [[Mu'tazilite]]) theologians have defined infallibility in terms of [[Principle of Lutf|lutf]] (grace). According to this view, infallibility is a grace bestowed upon the servant by God, enabling the servant to refrain from wrongdoing or sin. In contrast, [[Ash'arites]] have defined infallibility as God's act of not creating sins within the infallible individual.

*'''Philosophers' definition:''' Muslim philosophers define infallibility as a psychological disposition that prevents an individual from committing sins. This definition is said to be grounded in philosophical principles regarding the [[Unity of acts (tawhid al-af'al)|unity of acts]], according to which human actions, by mediation of their soul with free will, are ultimately attributed to God.

In terms of Arabic morphology, 'isma is a gerund derived from the root '-ṣ-m, which literally means protection. While the term itself does not appear in the Quran, its cognates are used 13 times in the Quran in a literal sense.

Imami scholars believe that the [[Imams of the Shia (a)]], like the [[prophets]], are infallible and immune from any major or minor sins, whether intentional or unintentional, as well as from any errors or mistakes. In their view, the Imams (a) are infallible throughout their entire lives, both before and after assuming the Imamate. [[Al-Fayyad al-Lahiji]] asserts that, in addition to immunity from sins and mistakes, the Imams must also be free from physical, psychological, rational, and genealogical flaws. He holds that the Imam must not suffer from chronic or repulsive physical diseases, such as leprosy or muteness, or personal flaws like stinginess, miserliness, or violence, nor from mental conditions such as madness, ignorance, or forgetfulness. He also emphasizes the importance of being free from genealogical flaws, arguing that these deficiencies would dissuade people from following the Imams (a), which contradicts the [[Muftarad al-Ta'a|obligation to obey them]].

[[Al-Shaykh al-Mufid]] holds that it is rationally possible for the Imam to unintentionally omit a [[recommended]] practice, but he maintains that the Imams (a) never actually omitted any recommended actions in their lives.

[[Abdollah Jawadi Amuli]] divides infallibility into two types: practical and intellectual, and he believes that the Imams (a) possessed both. In his view, just as the conduct of the Imams aligns with the truth, their knowledge is also veridical, stemming from a source where no error or forgetfulness is possible. He holds that anyone who attains the level of intellectual infallibility is immune to satanic temptations, and [[Satan]] cannot influence their thoughts.

#Infallibility in ordinary life matters, both individual and social

In his view, the Shiite Imams (a) possess all these degrees of intellectual infallibility.

* Lāhījī, Mullā ʿAbd al-Razzāq. Gawhar-i murād. Tehran: Nashr-i Sāya, 1383 Sh.