Is Muhammad Considered Sinless in Islam?

[von bek]

So, this is a spin-off of another thread that is ongoing in Religious Debates. What I am wanting to know is if Muslims consider Muhammad to have been a sinless man. I have seen the claim from some practicing Muslims that he indeed was sinless. However, some claim that this is not a real Islamic teaching on the Prophet. As an outsider to the faith who has done only minimal reading on Islam, I can give no meaningful answer. I hope that some of the practicing Muslims on here might be kind enough to shed some light on the subject. I know this is a debate section; but, I have no real plan to dispute anything Muslims say here. I only wanted to place this in a spot where I think I may maximize the eyes that will see it.

*I beg everyone, before you reply, please understand this thread is NOT A PLACE TO BASH ISLAM! I only want to open up a discussion to get a better grasp on the Islamic teaching on Muhammad's sinlessness. (If indeed that is an Islamic teaching.)

 

[loverofhumanity]

I am a Baha'i. We believe Muhammad is sinless like Jesus.

Quran 33:21

Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar for him who hopes in Allah and the latter day and remembers Allah much.

We believe the Quran is the Word of God and thus completely accurate and true and what it states is from God

It is what the Quran says that matters most as it is the authority on the matter and it says Muhammad was an excellent and true example meaning He was sinless as a sinful person cannot be a good example.

 

[Godobeyer]

Hello Von
if you meant disobey Allah (God) orders, Muhammad (pbuh) is sinless.
Allah taught him by Quran.

 

[von bek]

Thank you, @loverofhumanity for your response. Are Muhammad and Jesus the only sinless prophets in your view? Is sinlessness a condition of being called, or is exclusive to those two?

 

[von bek]

Hello Von
if you meant disobey Allah (God) orders, Muhammad (pbuh) is sinless.
Allah taught him by Quran.

Thank you for responding. I hesitate to say what constitutes being sinless as I am an outsider to your tradition. I accept your definition of sinless as being one who never disobeys Allah if that is what you believe. Was Muhammad sinless from birth in your view; or, did he no longer sin AFTER being called by Allah?

 

[Godobeyer]

Thank you for responding. I hesitate to say what constitutes being sinless as I am an outsider to your tradition. I accept your definition of sinless as being one who never disobeys Allah if that is what you believe. Was Muhammad sinless from birth in your view; or, did he no longer sin AFTER being called by Allah?

You welcome
they (his tribe Quraysh)called him " the trustful man" before even he got the message from God.
so we the Muslims believe that in pre-Islam history, he was very trustful and sinless person.

 

[loverofhumanity]

Thank you, @loverofhumanity for your response. Are Muhammad and Jesus the only sinless prophets in your view? Is sinlessness a condition of being called, or is exclusive to those two?

We believe all the Teachers and Educators of the major religions were sinless also.

Moses, Zoroaster, Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, Muhammad, the Bab and Baha'u'llah. We believe They were Perfect Beings and sinless.

As human beings we are born good and without sin. We can learn wrong ways however and have egos

But all the Prophets are endowed with sinlessness.

 

[Pastek]

Thank you, @loverofhumanity for your response. Are Muhammad and Jesus the only sinless prophets in your view? Is sinlessness a condition of being called, or is exclusive to those two?

Here an answer from a Sheikh :

Question : "I have been told by someone claiming to be a Muslim that all God's prophets, including Mohammed, were without sin, (perfect), never requiring forgiveness. Is this a view held officially by Islam as a whole?"


Answer : “The ummah (Muslim nation) is agreed that the Messengers are infallible in carrying out their mission – they do not forget anything that Allaah has revealed to them except with regard to matters that have been abrogated.

If anything is concealed or changed, then the punishment of Allaah will befall the one who is guilty of doing these things, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘And if he [Muhammad (pbhu)] had forged a false saying concerning Us [Allaah], We surely would have seized him by his right hand (or with power and might), and then certainly should have cut off his life artery (aorta).’

When it comes to the idea of the Prophets committing major sins (kabaa’ir), Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said (in al-Fataawaa, 4/319): “…The belief that the Prophets are free of major sins, but not of minor sins, is the opinion of the majority of Islamic scholars and of all (Muslim) groups… It is the opinion of most mufassireen (commentators on the Qur’an), scholars of hadeeth and fuqaha’ (jurists).”

“They are infallible in conveying the commands and message of Allaah, but they are not infallible in any other regard. They may make mistakes, forget things, or commit minor sins – according to the most well-known opinion (of the scholars) – but they will not be approved for these mistakes.”

https://islamqa.info/en/1684

 

[von bek]

You welcome
they (his tribe Quraysh)called him " the trustful man" before even he got the message from God.
so we the Muslims believe that in pre-Islam history, he was very trustful and sinless person.

Thank you, again. I have read of Muhammad in his aspect as a settler of disputes. Was that not one of the reasons he was called by the tribes of Medina, for being a fair law giver? I am reminded of King Solomon and his reputation for wisdom in deciding cases.

Is it the position in Islam that all the prophets share the quality of being sinless? Was Adam sinless in your view? How about Abraham? If not sinless from birth, were they sinless AFTER being called?

 

[von bek]

Here an answer from a Sheikh :

Question : "I have been told by someone claiming to be a Muslim that all God's prophets, including Mohammed, were without sin, (perfect), never requiring forgiveness. Is this a view held officially by Islam as a whole?"


Answer : “The ummah (Muslim nation) is agreed that the Messengers are infallible in carrying out their mission – they do not forget anything that Allaah has revealed to them except with regard to matters that have been abrogated.

If anything is concealed or changed, then the punishment of Allaah will befall the one who is guilty of doing these things, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘And if he [Muhammad (pbhu)] had forged a false saying concerning Us [Allaah], We surely would have seized him by his right hand (or with power and might), and then certainly should have cut off his life artery (aorta).’

When it comes to the idea of the Prophets committing major sins (kabaa’ir), Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said (in al-Fataawaa, 4/319): “…The belief that the Prophets are free of major sins, but not of minor sins, is the opinion of the majority of Islamic scholars and of all (Muslim) groups… It is the opinion of most mufassireen (commentators on the Qur’an), scholars of hadeeth and fuqaha’ (jurists).”

“They are infallible in conveying the commands and message of Allaah, but they are not infallible in any other regard. They may make mistakes, forget things, or commit minor sins – according to the most well-known opinion (of the scholars) – but they will not be approved for these mistakes.”

https://islamqa.info/en/1684

Thank you for your response and the quote you provided. Do you define sin as disobeying Allah? If so, what is the distinction between a minor and a major sin?

Thank you for also pointing out the categories of mistakes and forgetting things. If sin is disobeying Allah, I would easily agree that forgetting something in of itself would not be a sin.

 

[Lyndon]

Here an answer from a Sheikh :

Question : "I have been told by someone claiming to be a Muslim that all God's prophets, including Mohammed, were without sin, (perfect), never requiring forgiveness. Is this a view held officially by Islam as a whole?"


Answer : “The ummah (Muslim nation) is agreed that the Messengers are infallible in carrying out their mission – they do not forget anything that Allaah has revealed to them except with regard to matters that have been abrogated.

If anything is concealed or changed, then the punishment of Allaah will befall the one who is guilty of doing these things, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
‘And if he [Muhammad (pbhu)] had forged a false saying concerning Us [Allaah], We surely would have seized him by his right hand (or with power and might), and then certainly should have cut off his life artery (aorta).’

When it comes to the idea of the Prophets committing major sins (kabaa’ir), Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said (in al-Fataawaa, 4/319): “…The belief that the Prophets are free of major sins, but not of minor sins, is the opinion of the majority of Islamic scholars and of all (Muslim) groups… It is the opinion of most mufassireen (commentators on the Qur’an), scholars of hadeeth and fuqaha’ (jurists).”

“They are infallible in conveying the commands and message of Allaah, but they are not infallible in any other regard. They may make mistakes, forget things, or commit minor sins – according to the most well-known opinion (of the scholars) – but they will not be approved for these mistakes.”

https://islamqa.info/en/1684

this is what I was taught by Sunni Muslims

 

[von bek]

But all the Prophets are endowed with sinlessness.

Thank you. Just to be certain, you are saying prophets are sinless from birth. Correct?

 

[von bek]

this is what I was taught by Sunni Muslims

From what you learned, what is the difference between a minor and a major sin? What would be an example of each?

 

[Lyndon]

Just That Islam does not teach that prophets are sinless, but they follow the direction of God, there are even examples in the Old Testament where Prophets did not follow God's direction and were punished for it, like Jonah.

 

[Godobeyer]

Thank you, again. I have read of Muhammad in his aspect as a settler of disputes. Was that not one of the reasons he was called by the tribes of Medina, for being a fair law giver? I am reminded of King Solomon and his reputation for wisdom in deciding cases.

Is it the position in Islam that all the prophets share the quality of being sinless? Was Adam sinless in your view? How about Abraham? If not sinless from birth, were they sinless AFTER being called?

All prophets were sinless in my view in case of major sins, they are sinless from the birth.

in Islam we had two parts of sins (major and minor sins) all prophet did not commit the major sins, but may some commit minor sins (not intentionally).

like the story of Adam (pbuh) he had ate from the tree (forbiden tree) , because of Satan swear to him that he will become an angel and live forever . so Adam(pbuh) believed Satan and forget the ban.
so He commint NOT intentionnally that sin.
https://quran.com/20:115

And We had already taken a promise from Adam before, but he forgot; and We found not in him determination.

 

[Pastek]

Thank you for your response and the quote you provided. Do you define sin as disobeying Allah? If so, what is the distinction between a minor and a major sin?

Thank you for also pointing out the categories of mistakes and forgetting things. If sin is disobeying Allah, I would easily agree that forgetting something in of itself would not be a sin.

You're welcome.

I don't define sin as only desobeying to Allah.

Here a list of major sins : http://www.deenislam.co.uk/demo/heart/List%20of%2070%20Major%20Sins%A0.htm

(We can erase some of our sins by asking God for forgiveness, fasting, giving charity etc )

Here a hadith about Adam's forgetting (it was not a sin as he forget) :

"When Allah created Adam He wiped his back and every person that He created among his offspring until the Day of Resurrection fell out of his back.
He placed a ray of light between the eyes of every person.

Then He showed them to Adam and he said: 'O Lord! Who are these people?' He said: 'These are your offspring.'

He saw one of them whose ray between his eyes amazed him, so he said: 'O Lord! Who is this?' He said: 'This is a man from the latter nations of your offspring called Dawud.'
He said: 'Lord! How long did You make his lifespan?' He said: 'Sixty years.' He said: 'O Lord! Add forty years from my life to his.'

So at the end of Adam's life, the Angel of death of came to him, and he said: 'Do I not have forty years remaining?'
He said: 'Did you not give them to your son Dawud?'"

He said: "Adam denied, so his offspring denied, and Adam forgot and his offspring forgot, and Adam sinned, so his offspring sinned."

http://sunnah.com/urn/640820

There's also the exemple in the Quran of Solomon forgetting the time of prayer because he was so concerned about his horses.

And the mistake of David concerning a judgement :

"They may make an incorrect judgement, as happened to the Prophet of Allaah Dawood (David), who failed to do so, and Allah helped his son Sulaymaan (Solomon) to come up with the right answer in that particular case.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Prophet (pbuh) say:
‘There were two women, each of whom had a son. A wolf came and carried off the son of one of them, who said to the other, “The wolf has taken your son.” The other said, “No, he took your son.”
They came to Dawood to ask him to judge between them, and he ruled in favour of the older woman.
Then they went to Sulaymaan the son of Dawood and told him what had happened.
He said, “Bring a knife and divide the child between them.” The younger woman said, “Do not do that, may Allaah have mercy on you! He is her son.” So Sulaymaan ruled in favour of the younger woman.’"

https://islamqa.info/en/1684

 

[Augustus]

I don't define sin as only desobeying to Allah.

Would it be correct to say that Muhammad never disobeyed Allah in any of his commands?

Did any prophets ever disobey Allah, or did they only commit minor sins by accident?

 

[von bek]

in Islam we had two parts of sins (major and minor sins) all prophet did not commit the major sins, but may some commit minor sins (not intentionally).

Some may commit minor sins. Are there any prophets who are free of even minor sins?

 

[von bek]

You're welcome.

I don't define sin as only desobeying to Allah.

Here a list of major sins : http://www.deenislam.co.uk/demo/heart/List%20of%2070%20Major%20Sins%A0.htm

In reading the link, I am trying to find the theme of what all is listed. If you define sin as more than disobeying Allah, how would you sum up what the "more" is?

 

[von bek]

I have heard arguments from Muslim apologists that one of the reasons the Quran is superior to the Bible is that it (the Quran) restores the purity of past prophets by depicting them as free of sins they say are found in the Biblical narratives. Can anyone speak to this and how it relates to the Islamic ideas of sinlessness and prophethood? If the Biblical narrative of David were taken as true, would it invalidate him from being a prophet by Islamic standards?