The Imam’s Infallibility (‘Iṣmah) and Responses to Criticisms

Abstract

The Twelfth Imam’s infallibility (‘iṣmah), as a constituent of the Imami School, has been criticized and denied in the last centuries. The present article, adopting a critical and analytic approach, treats the subject by defining imamate, infallibility, its origin, and its causes and proceeds to prove infallibility based on Qur’anic, narrative, and rational arguments. The second section critically discusses various doubts cast upon the Imams’ infallibility.