User:Mhhossein/Infallibility

Infallibility
According to the Shia view, the successor to the Holy Prophet, besides ruling over the community in justice, must be free from error and sin to be able to correctly interpret the divine law so that their followers will not fall into error.

Shia argues that man's need for a divinely guided infallible authority is the basis for Imamate, and in order for God's religion to remain intact, infallibility and divine protection against error is necessary for the Imams. Additionally, only an infallible Imam whose actions are without error may, therefore, successfully arbitrate in conflicts between people and permanently resolve them.

In Shia doctrine, the status of Imams as "proof of God to mankind" serves as an argument for his infallibility. The Shia scholar, Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, regards infallibility as the first requirement for Imams needed to avoid ad infinitum, to preserve the revealed divine law and to disclaim him if he committed any sin. According to Shia beliefs, for members of society to identify and perform their true duties as human beings, they should have the right understanding of the world and mankind. On the other hand, Islamic rulings should be implemented by a religious government so that man would worship only God and enjoy real justice and freedom on both personal and social level. All of these requirements are accomplished only by a person who was inerrant and protected by God against faults.

As for identifying these infallible Imams, the authentic hadith of the two weighty things is used which indicates that the sayings of the Household of the Prophet complete the knowledge of Prophet's religion and therefore hold authority. It also follows from the hadith that his Household are inerrant in explaining teachings of Islam as the hadith proclaims that whoever follows the Household of the Prophet will not fall into error. Another inference Shia draw from the hadith is that the "household" do not refer to all family members and descendants of the Prophet but specific individuals. They argue from the verse of purification as a proof for infallibility of Imams and their specific instances. According to Shia, this verse was revealed in relation to the incident of Ahl al-Kisa which involved only specific members of the Prophet's family.

Further more, according to several hadiths from both Shia and Sunni sources which are considered authentic, Muhammad clearly suggested that Ali was protected from sin and error, and that his sayings and actions were consistent with teachings of Islam