Why does the Shia account their Imams as infallible?
The Answer: There exist various proofs for the infallibility of the Shia Imams, the Prophet’s Ahlul Bait (a.s.). Suffice it to say, according to both the Shia and Sunnite scholars, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) in the last days of his life asserted,
(I leave behind two worthy things, the book of Allah and my household, and there two would not be separated until they join me at the pond.)**
It is noteworthy to say that the holy Quran, beyond doubt, is immune from any error, because Allah is its sender, the angle of revelation is its bearer, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) is its recipient. They are wholly infallible, and the whole Muslims affirm the infallibility of the holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) in receiving the Word of revelation, its protection, and propagation. Moreover, it is apparent that when the holy Quran enjoys firm infallibility, the Prophet’s Ahlul Bait (a.s.) are away form error and deviation, too. Due to this fact, like two wings of a bird, the Prophet’s Ahlul Bait in this hadith has been equally conceived as the holy Quran for the nations’ leadership and guidance.
In other words, there is no room for the fallible persons to be counted as the affiliation of the holy Quran.
The most apparent evidence on the infallibility of the Ahlul Bait (a.s.) is the Prophet’s statement:
(They would not be separated until they join me at the pond.)
If they had erred, they would be separated from the holy Quran, which is definitely away from error, and the honored Prophet (peace be upon him and his descendants) has negated the issue of his Ahlul-Bait’s fallibility.
In addition, the term ‘Ahlul-Bait’ includes not the whole Prophet’s descendants, because, no doubt, they were not wholly immune from sin. Therefore, only a special group of his household attained the state of immunity from sin and error, known as Ahlul-Bait (a.s.), who have been the illuminators for the people and the protectors of the Prophet’s tradition and the Divine laws throughout the history.
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**Mostadrak, Hakem, section 3, p148. Al-Savaegh Ul-Moharaghah, section 11, chapter 1, p. 149. Also, this concept is seen in Kanzul Amal, section 1, chapter ‘Adherence to the Book and Tradition’; and in Mosnad Ahmad, section 5, p.182-89. ###