Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

"The Shi'ites believe in the infallibility of their Imams, for their Imams were the highest example of man's perfection. They explain it as protection from sin and is specific quality of the Imams, who are infallible or immune (immunity from error and sin). Once Ali bin Abu Talib said, "By God, if I was given the seven regions and what is under their orbits to disobey God through taking a grain of barley from the mouth of a locust, I would not do that."

Ibn Babuya (d. 381/991) considered the Imam to be immune (masum) only from sinful offences and not from mistake (sahw) which anyone can make. His pupil Shaikh al-Mufid (d. 413/1022), however, considered the Imam to be absolutely infallible.

The Imam is an infallible in his decisions because he is immune (masum) from sinful wrong (khata). Of course, isma is not to be identified exclusively with prophethood, for a person may be ma'sum, while not having the rank of a prophet. A shining example of this is the Mary: "O May, verily God has chosen you and made you pure, and has preferred you above the women of creation" (3:42). Regarding the isma of the Imams, the explicit divine domed to purify the Ahl al-Bayt of all defilement, the Koran says: "... God only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! And to purify you a thorough purifying (33:33)." Thus, the Koran has denoted their infallibility and their purity from deviation and sins.

The meaning of impurity (rijis) in this verse might be understood as pertaining to all forms of impurity, for sins flow forth as a result of these impurities. In the commentary of the verse "he who cleaves to God is guided to the straight path" (3:101), Imam Jafar Sadik said, "The one who is sinless (ma'sum) is the one who is prevented by God from doing anything that God has forbidden." (Bihar al-Anwar, 1:265)

In a letter sent to one of the Qarmatians, Imam al-Muizz said, "We pass in the pure back-bones and the sanctified and chaste wombs. Whenever we are confined in a back-bone and a womb, God shows in us power and knowledge and so forth" (vide Itti'az by Makrizi, p. 133).