The Shia Belief that Their Imams Are Infallible (Ma’sum ‘an al-Khata’)
“Is this issue agreed upon or disputed?
We present its resolution from the statements of Shia scholars themselves:
The Shia scholar Majlisi says:
“Know that the Imamiyyah Shia are agreed that their Imams are protected from every minor and major sin. No sin is committed by them, neither intentionally nor through forgetfulness, nor through error in interpretation. Nor does any sin occur from them through being made to forget by Allah Ta’ala.”
The Shia scholar Allamah Majlisi says:
“Indeed, there is a consensus among our companions that the prophets and the Imams, peace and blessings of Allah be upon them, are infallible from every minor and major sin, both intentional and due to forgetfulness, before receiving prophethood and imamate and after as well. Rather, they are infallible from their birth until they meet Allah Ta’ala. In this matter, only Shaykh Saduq Muhammad bin Babawayh and his teacher Ibn al-Walid, may Allah sanctify their souls, differ. They permitted that Allah makes a prophet or Imam forget something. However, they did not permit the forgetfulness caused by Satan. And perhaps their disagreement does not harm the consensus, because both are well-known Shia of known lineage.”
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The belief of the Twelver Shia is that those whom they hold the doctrine of imamate for are protected from sin, error, sahw (inadvertence) and forgetfulness. The contemporary Shia scholar Muhammad Ridha al-Muzaffar says:
“Our belief is that the Imam is like the Prophet. It is obligatory that he be protected, outwardly and inwardly, from childhood until death, from all vices and abominations, whether intentionally or inadvertently. It is also obligatory that he be protected from sahw, error and forgetfulness.”
This claim is one of two things: either this claim will be true, or it will be false.
Information about it can only be obtained if the life circumstances of those regarding whom the belief of infallibility is held are known.
For this purpose, we begin the discussion with Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and we say:
Ten Positions of Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) in Contradiction to the Claim of the Imamiyyah:
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away, the Companions made Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) caliph and imam. At that time Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was also present among the Companions. What did he do?
He did the following:
➊ He pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).
➋ He prayed behind him for his whole life.
➌ He married a woman taken captive in the time of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). According to the Shia, every action of Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) was invalid. Then his wars against the apostates were also invalid. The captives taken in those wars became unlawful, and it was not permissible to take them. Yet despite this, Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) took the captive woman of Banu Hanifa, and from her was born Muhammad, who is called Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyyah.
➍ Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) acknowledged the caliphate of the three caliphs (may Allah be pleased with them).
➎ Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) pledged allegiance to Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and prayed behind him for his whole life.
➏ He prevented Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) from going to the lands of Persia with the army, as is in Nahj al-Balagha.
➐ He named his three sons after the three caliphs: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman (may Allah be pleased with them). This is found in the books of both Ahl al-Sunnah and the Shia.
➑ He married his daughter Umm Kulthum to Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), as is found in the books of both the Shia and Ahl al-Sunnah.
➒ He accepted the council (shura) that Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) formed for the selection of the caliph.
➓ He pledged allegiance to Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) and prayed behind him for his whole life.
These are ten statements and actions that Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) either did or uttered himself.
If he was infallible and all these matters are correct, then the claim of imamate is false, because an infallible person neither does a wrong action, nor says a wrong thing, nor says or maintains a statement of disbelief.
If doing so was an error, then Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was not an imam, because according to you the imam is infallible from error. And according to the Shia, denying imamate or acknowledging the imamate of an unqualified person is kufr. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) معاذ الله . by these actions is confirming it. (Then what is your opinion about him?)
From these events it is confirmed that Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) never held the belief that he was an imam appointed by Allah, and that matters of caliphate are indeed decided by consultation among them. This is a natural matter. Far be it that he held the belief of being an imam appointed by Allah, and then became unable to declare it, acknowledged the opponents and gave them allegiance, prayed behind them, named his sons after their names, and kept watching this charade and witnessing disbelief for more than twenty years, as is the belief and creed of the Imamiyyah, and kept agreeing with them to save his own life. This is not fitting even for a lowly person, so how can it be fitting for an imam منصوب من الله, that is, an imam appointed by Allah the Exalted?
The purpose of whose appointment is none other than the establishment of religion and being the khalifah and deputy of Allah, as you believe.
He was among the best Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and the knights of Islam, who fought bloody wars for the sake of Islam until the banner of Islam was raised and people entered the religion of Islam in multitudes. Then he watched while the fabric of Islam was torn apart, as you believe. Rather, he supported those who trampled the religion of Islam, because he had not refused to pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him).
Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him) and the Abdication of the Caliphate:
Then Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), the second imam, abdicated the caliphate and handed it over to Amir Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), although tens of thousands of devoted fighters (skilled military units) were present under his command. If he was infallible and handed over the imamate to Muawiyah, and agreed to the rule over the imamate of a disbeliever (according to your belief), then this act is contrary to infallibility and imamate. And if he was not infallible, then he could not be an imam either, because according to you infallibility is a condition for the imam.
The Eighth Imam and Acceptance of Ma’mun’s Guardianship:
According to you, your eighth Imam, Ali bin Musa al-Rida (may Allah have mercy on him), agreed to become the heir apparent of al-Ma’mun.
Accepting the deputyship of one who usurped the Imamate is an acknowledgment of the legitimacy of his caliphate. Acknowledging the legitimacy of one who usurped the Imamate is kufr according to you. If he was an infallible Imam, then his action is evidence for the validity of al-Ma’mun’s caliphate (whereas, by your own principles) this act is contrary to the doctrine of Imamate.
If he was not an infallible Imam, then according to your religion he was not an Imam, because in your religion it is necessary for the Imam to be infallible. When a flaw occurs in the Imamate of any one of your Imams, the entire doctrine of Imamate itself collapses.
These were only a few indications. Otherwise, there are so many proofs of contradiction in this religion that it is impossible to count them.
It does not befit an intelligent person to surrender himself to those who would deprive him of following the truth. This life is very short, and standing before Allah and giving account is very difficult.
There is also the matter of reward and punishment. We pray to Allah that He grants us the ability to follow the truth, and keeps us safe and secure from falsehood. Ameen, O Lord of the worlds.
