SaHeeH Hadeeth on the Infallibility of the Imaams

One of the fundamental beliefs of the Shee`ahs is in regards to the infallibility (عِصْمَة) of the Imaams. We are always bombarded with Questions on if there are ANY explicit SaHeeH hadeeth in regards to the Imaams calling themselves ma`soom or claiming `iSmah in anyway. Inshaa’Allaah I will provide with you SaHeeH aHaadeeth of our Imaams calling themselves to be infallible (مَعْصُوم).

Excerpt of a much larger Hadeeth that is talking about the characteristics of the Imaams.

بَقِيَّةً مِنْ آدَمَ ع وَ خِيَرَةً مِنْ ذُرِّيَّةِ نُوحٍ وَ مُصْطَفًى مِنْ آلِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَ سُلَالَةً مِنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَ صَفْوَةً مِنْ عِتْرَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ ص لَمْ يَزَلْ مَرْعِيّاً بِعَيْنِ اللَّهِ يَحْفَظُهُ وَ يَكْلَؤُهُ بِسِتْرِهِ مَطْرُوداً عَنْهُ حَبَائِلُ إِبْلِيسَ وَ جُنُودِهِ مَدْفُوعاً عَنْهُ وُقُوبُ الْغَوَاسِقِ وَ نُفُوثُ كُلِّ فَاسِقٍ مَصْرُوفاً عَنْهُ قَوَارِفُ السُّوءِ مُبْرَأً مِنَ الْعَاهَاتِ مَحْجُوباً عَنِ الْآفَاتِ مَعْصُوماً مِنَ الزَّلَّاتِ مَصُوناً عَنِ الْفَوَاحِشِ كُلِّهَا

Imaam Al-Saadiq (عليه السلام) said:“...He is the remainder from Aadam (عليه السلام), the best (ones) from the progeny of Nooh (عليه السلام), the chosen one from the family (ahl) of Ibraaheem (عليه السلام), and the offspring from Ismaa`eel, and the elite (ones) from the lineage (`itrah) of Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), He has always been looked after by the eyes of Allaah who protects him and guards him with his curtain, he is expelled from the ropes of Iblees, and he is a solder he pushes away from approaching twilight. And all immorality (fisq) and evil is discharged from him, he is free deformities, he is veiled from diseases, he is ma`soom from (any) minor sin, and he is preserved from all (types) of filth (fawaaHish)...”

Source:

1.     Al-Kulayni, Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, Kitaab Al-Hujjah, Ch. 15, hadeeth # 2, pg. 203 - 205

Grading:

1.       Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is SaHeeH (Authentic)
à Mir’aat Al-`Uqool, vol. 2, pg. 400

Here is a SaHeeH hadeeth found in Al-Sadooq’s Kamaal Al-Deen, that Imaam `Alee (عليه السلام) has specifically said that “we”, the Ahl Al-Bayt, are ma`soom.

حدثنا محمد بن الحسن بن أحمد بن الوليد رضي الله عنه قال حدثنا محمد بن الحسن الصفار عن أحمد بن محمد بن عيسى عن الحسين بن سعيد عن حماد بن عيسى عن إبراهيم بن عمر اليماني عن سليم بن قيس الهلالي عن أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب ع قال إن الله تبارك و تعالى طهرنا و عصمنا و جعلنا شهداء على خلقه و حججا في أرضه و جعلنا مع القرآن و جعل القرآن معنا لا نفارقه و لا يفارقنا

Ameer Al-Mu’mineen `Alee bin Abee Taalib (عليه السلام) said: “Verily Allaah (تبارك و تعالى) has purified us and (made) us infallible (`iSmunaa), and made us witnesses upon his creations, and his proof on his earth, and made us with the Qur’aan, and made the Qur’aan with us. We she not separate from it (The Qur’aan) nor shall it (the Qur’aan) separate from us”

Source:

1.       Al-Sadooq, Kamaal Al-Deen, vol. 1, ch. 22, pg. 240, hadeeth # 63

Here is the same hadeeth going through a different chain in the beginning of the isnaad, this is found in Al-Kaafi

عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عُمَرَ الْيَمَانِيِّ عَنْ سُلَيْمِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ الْهِلَالِيِّ عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى طَهَّرَنَا وَ عَصَمَنَا وَ جَعَلَنَا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ وَ حُجَّتَهُ فِي أَرْضِهِ وَ جَعَلَنَا مَعَ الْقُرْآنِ وَ جَعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ مَعَنَا لَا نُفَارِقُهُ وَ لَا يُفَارِقُنَا

Ameer Al-Mu’mineen `Alee bin Abee Taalib (عليه السلام) said: “Verily Allaah (تبارك و تعالى) has purified us and (made) us infallible (`iSmunaa), and made us witnesses upon his creations, and his proof on his earth, and made us with the Qur’aan, and made the Qur’aan with us. We shall not separate from it (The Qur’aan) nor shall it (the Qur’aan) separate from us”

Source:

1.     Al-Kulayni, Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, Kitaab Al-Hujjah, Ch. 15, hadeeth # 2, pg. 203 - 205

Grading:

1.       Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is Hasan (Good)
à Mir’aat Al-`Uqool, vol. 2, pg. 343

قَالَ قُلْتُ فَمَا أَنْتُمْ قَالَ نَحْنُ خُزَّانُ عِلْمِ اللَّهِ نَحْنُ تَرَاجِمَةُ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ نَحْنُ قَوْمٌ مَعْصُومُونَ أَمَرَ اللَّهُ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى بِطَاعَتِنَا وَ نَهَى عَنْ مَعْصِيَتِنَا نَحْنُ الْحُجَّةُ الْبَالِغَةُ عَلَى مَنْ دُونَ السَّمَاءِ وَ فَوْقَ الْأَرْضِ

“He (the narrator) said: I said: ‘So what are you?’ He [Imaam Al-Saadiq (عليه السلام)] said: ‘We are the reservoir of the knowledge (`ilm) of Allaah, we are the explainers of the commands of Allaah, we are the ma`soom people. Allaah (تبارك و تعالى) has commanded to obey us, and has prohibited from insurgence (against) us, we are well advocated proof (al-hujja) for who is under the heaves and above the earth.”

Source:

1.     Al-Kulayni, Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, Kitaab Al-Hujjah, pg. 269 – 270, hadeeth # 1

Grading:

1.       Al-Majlisi said this hadeeth is Hasan (Good)
à Mir’aat Al-`Uqool, vol. 3, pg. 159

This last hadeeth has one minor problem in the isnaad. The primary narrator Sadeer is majhool, per Al-Khoei (See: Al-Khoei, Mu`jam Rijaal Al-Hadeeth, vol. 8, pg. 34, person # 4982). But this isn’t an issue, one majhool narrator can EASILY be overlooked when you have 3 other SaHeeH aHaadeeth to back up the claim of the Imaams being ma`soom.