Please clarify for us the reality of the matter regarding the infallibility of the noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as the issue is confusing for many people in this regard.
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The questioner : Please clarify for us, with your thanks, the reality of the matter regarding the infallibility of the noble Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), as the issue is confusing for many people in this regard. We often hear things that can be understood to mean that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was infallible from error, as is understood from the general meaning of the statement of Allah the Exalted: [An-Najm 53:3-4] But we see in some of what was reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he would hit the mark and err in some matters, such as forgetfulness in prayer, for example. So what is the reality of the matter of the infallibility of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)? And what are the specific aspects from which he was protected from error, and the aspects from which he was not protected from error, with your thanks?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. As for what follows:
I ask this questioner: Do you believe that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah? In any case, he believes in this, without doubt, if Allah wills. If he believes that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah, that is sufficient. And what occurred from him does not contradict the message. Forgetfulness occurred from him in prayer, but he (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:Sahih Muslim 572j.
And lack of knowledge occurred from him (peace and blessings be upon him). He once prayed with his Companions while wearing his sandals, and during the prayer he took off the sandals, so the Muslims took off their sandals. When he finished the prayer, he asked them:? They said: O Messenger of Allah, we saw you take off your sandals, so we took off our sandals. He said: . So he (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) prayed in his sandals and did not know that there was impurity in them.
This is also part of human nature, that a person is ignorant. This is the original state of a person, as Allah the Mighty and Majestic said:[An-Nahl 16:78].
The Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) may exert his judgment in his actions, and his judgment may not be correct. But when he does something that comes from his judgment, he is correct, as in the statement of Allah the Exalted:['Abasa 80:2-11]. So this occurred as a result of the judgment of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to turn to these elders who came to him from Quraysh, hoping for their Islam and benefiting from their Islam, both their people and all the Muslims.
And like the statement of Allah the Exalted:[At-Tawbah 9:43]. So he (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) exerted his judgment and pardoned them, out of his love (peace and blessings be upon him) for pardon, and he took people by their appearances. And when he pardoned them, he was correct. But Allah the Mighty and Majestic made it clear to him that wisdom is to wait. And this does not scratch the message. Forgetfulness is part of human nature, and lack of knowledge is the original state of a person, that he does not know. When such a thing occurred from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), it does not, by Allah, scratch the message.
As for the statement of Allah the Exalted:[An-Najm 53:3], the meaning is: that he (peace and blessings be upon him) does not speak a speech that comes from desire. Rather, his speech is either from revelation from Allah or from judgment. He is not like others who speak from desire and say what they desire, whether it is the truth or not the truth.
And I advise this questioner and others not to delve into such matters, for Satan may cast evil into their hearts. A person is not safe from Satan. Did not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), one night while he was in i'tikaf, get up and turn Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) over when she sat with him for an hour of the night in his i'tikaf? He got up and turned her over (peace and blessings be upon him)—meaning he walked with her—so two men from the Ansar saw him and hurried away, hurried away out of fear and shame of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and modesty. He said:Sahih al-Bukhari 3281. They said: Glory be to Allah! He said: .
So look at this. He feared that Satan would cast into their hearts what is not fitting for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and they were from the Companions. So researching these matters and delving into them may be dangerous for a person, and he does not realize it. And I thank the questioner for asking, so that the matter becomes clear to him.
But I say: It is better for a person to leave researching these matters, and to say: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and he is the farthest of people from speaking from desire or judging by desire. Rather, he is the truthful and trustworthy one (peace and blessings be upon him).
Then, the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) are infallible from everything that contradicts sincerity to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, so shirk did not occur from them. They are protected from everything that contradicts dignity and character, so nothing that contradicts that occurred from them. As for some sins, they may occur from them. But among their special traits is that they are protected from persisting in them and not repenting. And when a person repents from a sin, he is like one who has no sin. Rather, his state after repenting from the sin may be more perfect than his state before he committed the sin.
On this occasion, I would like to clarify that what is mentioned in the Isra'iliyyat about Dawud (peace and blessings be upon him) in the story of the two litigants who disputed before him, and one of them said:[Sad 38:23-24]. In some of the Isra'iliyyat, it is said that Dawud (peace and blessings be upon him) had one of his soldiers, and this soldier had a wife who pleased Dawud, and he wanted her. So he asked this soldier to go to jihad so that perhaps he would be killed, and he would take his wife. This is a false story, false, false. And it is not permissible for anyone to transmit it unless he clarifies that it is false. And it is not permissible to believe it regarding any of the Prophets of Allah. This is not fitting, not even for a common person, so how about a Prophet?
And I do not rule out that this is one of the plots of the Jews that they planted among the Muslims to corrupt their religion with it. The issue is that this man had one ewe with his opponent—meaning a female sheep—and his brother—meaning his opponent—had ninety-nine. So he said to him: You have only one, which does not benefit you, and I have ninety-nine. One remains and the hundred is completed. And a person looks to completing the number. So he asked him for this one, and he kept bringing up arguments against him until he overcame him in arguments, so they disputed before Dawud.
So if someone says: What do you say about the statement of Allah the Exalted:[Sad 38:24]?
The answer is easy: Dawud (peace be upon him) was made by Allah a successor on earth to judge between people. And his entering his mihrab—meaning his place of worship—and then closing the door is contrary to what he was obligated to do. And he was exerting his judgment in that, without doubt. Then he judged the litigant before hearing the argument of the other litigant who was being judged. So when the litigant said:[Sad 38:23-24] etc. He judged before hearing the argument of the litigant. And perhaps he wanted to hasten to be free for worship. When this story came and he took the word of the litigant and had closed the door, Dawud (peace and blessings be upon him) thought that Allah the Exalted sent these two litigants as a test for him [Sad 38:24].
If someone says: What do you say about the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to Hind when she complained about her husband Abu Sufyan, that he is a stingy man who does not give her and her children what is sufficient for them? He said:, and he ruled in her favor?
The answer is that the ruling of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was a fatwa and not a judgment between two litigants, because her opponent did not attend. So he gave her a fatwa based on the form of the case without a trial or litigation.
(3) Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. (4) It is not but a revelation revealed,
وما ينطق عن الهوى إن هو الا وحي يوحىThe Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment. As for what follows:
I ask this questioner: Do you believe that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah? In any case, he believes in this, without doubt, if Allah wills. If he believes that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah, that is sufficient. And what occurred from him does not contradict the message. Forgetfulness occurred from him in prayer, but he (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
Verily I am a human being like you, I forget just as you forget.
إنما أنا بشر مثلكم أنسى كما تنسونAnd lack of knowledge occurred from him (peace and blessings be upon him). He once prayed with his Companions while wearing his sandals, and during the prayer he took off the sandals, so the Muslims took off their sandals. When he finished the prayer, he asked them:
Why?
لماذاIndeed, Jibreel came to me and informed me that there was impurity in them, so I removed them.
إن جبريل أتاني وأخبرني أن فيهما قذراً فخلعتهماThis is also part of human nature, that a person is ignorant. This is the original state of a person, as Allah the Mighty and Majestic said:
And Allah has extracted you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you hearing and vision and intellect that perhaps you would be grateful.
والله أخرجكم من بطون أمهاتكم لا تعلمون شيئا وجعل لكم السمع والأبصار والأفئدة لعلكم تشكرونThe Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) may exert his judgment in his actions, and his judgment may not be correct. But when he does something that comes from his judgment, he is correct, as in the statement of Allah the Exalted:
(2) Because there came to him the blind man, [interrupting]. (3) But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified (4) Or be reminded and the remembrance would benefit him? (5) As for he who thinks himself without need, (6) To him you give attention. (7) And not upon you [is any blame] if he will not be purified. (8) But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge] (9) While he fears [Allah], (10) From him you are distracted. (11) No! Indeed, these verses are a reminder;
عبس وتولى ، أن جاءه الأعمى ، وما يدريك لعله يزكى ، أو يذكر فتنفعه الذكرى ، أما من استغنى ، فأنت له تصدى ، وما عليك ألا يزكى ، وأما من جاءك يسعى ، وهو يخشى، فأنت عنه تلهى ، كلا إنها تذكرةAnd like the statement of Allah the Exalted:
May Allah pardon you, [O Muhammad]; why did you give them permission [to remain behind]? [You should not have] until it was evident to you who were truthful and you knew [who were] the liars.
عفا الله عنك لم أذنت لهم حتى يتبين لك الذين صدقوا وتعلم الكاذبينAs for the statement of Allah the Exalted:
Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination.
وما ينطق عن الهوىAnd I advise this questioner and others not to delve into such matters, for Satan may cast evil into their hearts. A person is not safe from Satan. Did not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), one night while he was in i'tikaf, get up and turn Safiyyah (may Allah be pleased with her) over when she sat with him for an hour of the night in his i'tikaf? He got up and turned her over (peace and blessings be upon him)—meaning he walked with her—so two men from the Ansar saw him and hurried away, hurried away out of fear and shame of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and modesty. He said:
Don't hurry! It is Safiya
على رسلكما إنها صفيةYes, I feared that Shaytan might cast something into your hearts, or he said: evil.
نعم ، إني خشيت أن يقذف الشيطان في قلوبكما شيئاً أو قال: شراًSo look at this. He feared that Satan would cast into their hearts what is not fitting for the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and they were from the Companions. So researching these matters and delving into them may be dangerous for a person, and he does not realize it. And I thank the questioner for asking, so that the matter becomes clear to him.
But I say: It is better for a person to leave researching these matters, and to say: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and he is the farthest of people from speaking from desire or judging by desire. Rather, he is the truthful and trustworthy one (peace and blessings be upon him).
Then, the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) are infallible from everything that contradicts sincerity to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, so shirk did not occur from them. They are protected from everything that contradicts dignity and character, so nothing that contradicts that occurred from them. As for some sins, they may occur from them. But among their special traits is that they are protected from persisting in them and not repenting. And when a person repents from a sin, he is like one who has no sin. Rather, his state after repenting from the sin may be more perfect than his state before he committed the sin.
On this occasion, I would like to clarify that what is mentioned in the Isra'iliyyat about Dawud (peace and blessings be upon him) in the story of the two litigants who disputed before him, and one of them said:
(23) Indeed this, my brother, has ninety-nine ewes, and I have one ewe; so he said, 'Entrust her to me,' and he overpowered me in speech." (24) [David] said, "He has certainly wronged you in demanding your ewe [in addition] to his ewes.
إن هذا أخي له تسع وتسعون نعجة ولي نعجة واحدة فقال أكفلنيها وعزني في الخطاب ، قال لقد ظلمك بسؤال نعجتك إلى نعاجهAnd I do not rule out that this is one of the plots of the Jews that they planted among the Muslims to corrupt their religion with it. The issue is that this man had one ewe with his opponent—meaning a female sheep—and his brother—meaning his opponent—had ninety-nine. So he said to him: You have only one, which does not benefit you, and I have ninety-nine. One remains and the hundred is completed. And a person looks to completing the number. So he asked him for this one, and he kept bringing up arguments against him until he overcame him in arguments, so they disputed before Dawud.
So if someone says: What do you say about the statement of Allah the Exalted:
And David became certain that We had tried him, and he asked forgiveness of his Lord
وظن داوود أنما فتناه فستغفر ربهThe answer is easy: Dawud (peace be upon him) was made by Allah a successor on earth to judge between people. And his entering his mihrab—meaning his place of worship—and then closing the door is contrary to what he was obligated to do. And he was exerting his judgment in that, without doubt. Then he judged the litigant before hearing the argument of the other litigant who was being judged. So when the litigant said:
(23) Indeed this, my brother, has ninety-nine ewes, and I have one ewe; so he said, 'Entrust her to me,' and he overpowered me in speech." (24) [David] said, "He has certainly wronged you in demanding your ewe [in addition] to his ewes. And indeed, many associates
إن هذا أخي له تسع وتسعون نعجة ولي نعجة واحدة فقال أكفلنيها وعزني في الخطاب ، قال لقد ظلمك بسؤال نعجتك إلى نعاجه وإن كثيرا من الخلطاء ...and he asked forgiveness of his Lord and fell down bowing [in prostration] and turned in repentance [to Allah].
فاستغفر ربه وخر راكعاً وأنابIf someone says: What do you say about the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to Hind when she complained about her husband Abu Sufyan, that he is a stingy man who does not give her and her children what is sufficient for them? He said:
Take from his wealth what is sufficient for you and your child, in a proper manner.
خذي من ماله ما يكفيك وولدك بالمعروفThe answer is that the ruling of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was a fatwa and not a judgment between two litigants, because her opponent did not attend. So he gave her a fatwa based on the form of the case without a trial or litigation.