What is the ruling on saying: "Infallibility belongs to Allah alone"?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : He says: Honorable Shaykh, what is the ruling on the one who says, "Infallibility belongs to Allah alone"? Because I have found people who criticize those who say this, describing them as ignorant, and saying, "From what does Allah protect, and what was it that prevented [sin] from occurring until He protected [them] from it?" This statement, "Infallibility belongs to Allah," restricts infallibility to Allah alone and firmly denies it for the prophets. I hope you will clarify this matter. May Allah benefit you with your knowledge and forgive you.
The Shaykh : Indeed, Allah the Exalted is the Protector (Al-‘Aasim), the Protector and not the Protected (Al-Ma’sum), because He is the Ruler and not the one ruled over, and there is no one who can overrule His judgment. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ma'idah 5:67]. And Noah said to his son: [Hud 11:43]. So if the one who says "Infallibility belongs to Allah" means that He is the Protector, then this is correct. But if he means that "Infallibility belongs to Allah" in the sense that He is the Protected, then "the Protected" is a passive participle, and a passive participle must have an active agent. So there would be a Protector who protects Allah, making Allah the Protected. This is an error, because there is no Protector above Allah; rather, He is the Protector of whom He wills. As for the Messengers (peace and blessings be upon them), they are protected from error in the judgments they convey about Allah. The prophets are protected from error in the judgments they transmit from Allah, by the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Hijr 15:9].
And they are not protected from some sins, except that they repent from them, so they are forgiven for them and no blame attaches to them because of them. This is the most correct statement regarding the Messengers (peace and blessings be upon them). For example, it is possible for us to persist in a sin. But the Messengers cannot; it is not possible for them to persist in a sin, because Allah must necessarily give them a warning, and then Allah forgives them.
The conclusion is that "Infallibility belongs to Allah" is not to be said, because it implies that the meaning is "there is no Protected except Allah," which would mean He has a Protector, because "the Protected" is a passive participle that must have an active agent. So it is not correct for Allah the Mighty and Majestic. But if you say "There is no infallibility for Allah," meaning that He alone is the Protector, then this is correct. But in my opinion, the one who says it does not intend this meaning; rather, he intends what? The first meaning, and this is an error. Yes.
The questioner : How?
The Shaykh : No, no, persisting in a sin is not permissible with knowledge. I mean, it is possible for us to persist in a sin, O brothers. This is not legal permissibility; the intended meaning is rational possibility. Otherwise, how can we persist in a sin? Sin is forbidden. But it is possible, in the sense of rational possibility, for us to persist in a sin. Otherwise, we must repent from it, and we have pointed this out at the time.
The Shaykh : Indeed, Allah the Exalted is the Protector (Al-‘Aasim), the Protector and not the Protected (Al-Ma’sum), because He is the Ruler and not the one ruled over, and there is no one who can overrule His judgment. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:
And Allah will protect you from the people
وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِThere is no protector today from the decree of Allah, except for whom He gives mercy.
لَا عَاصِمَ الْيَوْمَ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا مَن رَّحِمَIndeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَAnd they are not protected from some sins, except that they repent from them, so they are forgiven for them and no blame attaches to them because of them. This is the most correct statement regarding the Messengers (peace and blessings be upon them). For example, it is possible for us to persist in a sin. But the Messengers cannot; it is not possible for them to persist in a sin, because Allah must necessarily give them a warning, and then Allah forgives them.
The conclusion is that "Infallibility belongs to Allah" is not to be said, because it implies that the meaning is "there is no Protected except Allah," which would mean He has a Protector, because "the Protected" is a passive participle that must have an active agent. So it is not correct for Allah the Mighty and Majestic. But if you say "There is no infallibility for Allah," meaning that He alone is the Protector, then this is correct. But in my opinion, the one who says it does not intend this meaning; rather, he intends what? The first meaning, and this is an error. Yes.
The questioner : How?
The Shaykh : No, no, persisting in a sin is not permissible with knowledge. I mean, it is possible for us to persist in a sin, O brothers. This is not legal permissibility; the intended meaning is rational possibility. Otherwise, how can we persist in a sin? Sin is forbidden. But it is possible, in the sense of rational possibility, for us to persist in a sin. Otherwise, we must repent from it, and we have pointed this out at the time.
Source
اللقاءات الرمضانية لعام 1415هـ - 2 — binothaimeen.net (59:37)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.