The Fourteen Infallibles

The Fourteen Infallibles (Ma'asumin - معصومين) are Twelver Shia Islam religious figures from between the 6th and 9th century AD, who Twelver Shia Muslims believe are infallible, i.e. "divinely bestowed [with] freedom from error and sin". This quality of infallibility is known as "Ismah" (also "Esmat").Dabashi (2006), [http://books.google.com/books?id=sTFdNNQP4ewC&pg=PA463&vq=Infallible&dq=Dabashi+Theology+of+Discontent&source=gbs_search_r&cad=1_1&sig=ACfU3U1qqg-6MZbV5y-TTuwAxtj26CIQhg p.463] ] The Fourteen Infallibles are Muhammad, his daughter Fatima Zahra, and the Twelve Imams.

Background

According to Shia theologians, infallibility is considered a rational necessary precondition for spiritual and religious guidance. They argue that since God has commanded absolute obedience from these figures they must only order in accordance with Islam. The state of infallibility is based on the Shia interpretation of verse of purification.Cite quran|33|33 [Momen (1985), p.155] Thus they are the fourteen most pure ones, the only immaculate ones preserved from, and immune to, all uncleanness. [Corbin (1993), pp.48–49] It does not mean that supernatural powers prevent them from committing a sin, but it is due to the fact that they have absolute belief in God so that they find themselves in presence of God. They have also complete knowledge about God's will. They are in possession of all the knowledge brought by the angels to the prophets ("Nabi") and the messengers ("Rasul"). Thus they act without fault in religious matters. [Corbin (1993), p.48]

The ascription of infallibility to the Imams is encountered as early as the first half of the 8th century, second century of Islamic calendar, and it was soon extended to the prophets. The doctrine came to exclude the commission on their part of any sin or inadvertence, either before or after their assumption of office. As for Fatimah, her infallibility derives from her being a link between prophethood and imamat, the two institutions characterized by infallibility, as well as by her association with the imams and their attributes in numerous Hadiths. There is general agreement among Shia authorities that all fourteen are superior to the rest of creation, including even the major prophets.cite encyclopedia |last=Algar |first=Hamid | authorlink=Hamid Algar | title=Chahardah M'asum | encyclopedia=Encyclopedia Iranica | accessdate=2008-07-18 |url=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v4f6/v4f6a053.html]

Family Tree

List of Infallibles

ee also

*Shia Islam
*Twelvers
*Ahl al-Bayt
*Twelve Imams
*Imamah (Shi'a twelver doctrine)
*Ahl al-Bayt
*Ahl al-Kisa

Footnotes

References

;Encyclopedias
*cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Encyclopaedia Britannica Online | publisher = Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
*cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Iranica | publisher=Center for Iranian Studies, Columbia University| id= ISBN 1568590504
*
*cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Encyclopaedia of Islam and the Muslim world; vol.1 | last = Martin | first = Richard C. | publisher = MacMillan | id = ISBN 0028656040
*cite encyclopedia | encyclopedia = Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa | last = | first = | year = 2004 | publisher = Gale Group | id = ISBN 9780028657691
*;Books
*cite book|last = Corbin|first = Henry|authorlink = Henry Corbin|coauthors = |title = History of Islamic Philosophy, Translated by Liadain Sherrard, Philip Sherrard|publisher = London; Kegan Paul International in association with Islamic Publications for The Institute of Ismaili Studies |year = 1993 (original French 1964)|id = ISBN 0710304161
*cite book | last=Dabashi | first=Hamid | authorlink=Hamid Dabashi | title= Theology of Discontent: The Ideological Foundation of the Islamic Revolution in Iran| publisher=Transaction Publishers | year=2006 | id=ISBN 1412805163
*cite book | last=Momen | first=Moojan | authorlink= | title= TAn Introduction to Shi`i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelve| publisher=Yale University Press | year=1985 | id=ISBN 0300035314
*
*cite book | last=Tabatabae | first=Sayyid Mohammad Hosayn | coauthors=Seyyed Hossein Nasr (translator) | authorlink=Allameh Tabatabaei | title= Shi'ite Islam
publisher=SUNY press| year=1979 | id=ISBN 0-87395-272-3

External links

* [http://www.al-islam.org/masoom/bios/table.html A Chronological List of The Fourteen Infallibles]
* [http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/v4f6/v4f6a053.html The Fourteen Infallibles] by Hamid Algar, an article of Encyclopedia Iranica
* [http://www.wofis.com/asset/Books/001.pdf A Brief History of The Fourteen Infallibles] by WOFIS World Organization for Islamic Services Tehran -Iran
* [http://www.alimamali.com/html/eng/books/mokhtasar/ The Brief History of THE FOURTEEN INFALLIBLES] by Mohammad Hussein il’adeeb