Does Merely Calling to the Truth Prove Infallibility (Ismah)?

Dar al-Hidayah | The followers of Ahmad al-Basri interpret merely calling to the truth as meaning infallibility, whereas there is no necessary correlation between calling to the truth and infallibility. This is because it is self-evident that calling to the truth is the duty of all Muslims, and all Muslims call to the truth and the straight path. The obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil is itself the act of calling people to the truth. Nevertheless, according to Ahmad’s definition of infallibility, all those who enjoin good and forbid evil are infallible.

The Claim of the Yamani’s Infallibility

Calling to the truth has been interpreted, in one of the narrations cited by the followers of Ahmad al-Basri, as the Yamani calling people to Imam al-Zaman (peace be upon him):

عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: … وَ لَيْسَ فِي اَلرَّايَاتِ رَايَةٌ أَهْدَى مِنْ رَايَةِ اَلْيَمَانِيِّ هِيَ رَايَةُ هُدًى لِأَنَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى صَاحِبِكُمْ فَإِذَا خَرَجَ اَلْيَمَانِيُّ حَرَّمَ بَيْعَ اَلسِّلاَحِ عَلَى اَلنَّاسِ وَ كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ وَ إِذَا خَرَجَ اَلْيَمَانِيُّ فَانْهَضْ إِلَيْهِ فَإِنَّ رَايَتَهُ رَايَةُ هُدًى وَ لاَ يَحِلُّ لِمُسْلِمٍ أَنْ يَلْتَوِيَ عَلَيْهِ فَمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ مِنْ أَهْلِ اَلنَّارِ لِأَنَّهُ يَدْعُو إِلَى اَلْحَقِّ وَ إِلىٰ طَرِيقٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ…
“From Abu Basir, from Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn ‘Ali, peace be upon him, that he said: … And among the banners there is no banner more guided than the banner of the Yamani. It is a banner of guidance, because he calls to your Master. When the Yamani rises, the sale of weapons is forbidden to the people and to every Muslim. When the Yamani rises, hasten toward him, for his banner is a banner of guidance. It is not lawful for any Muslim to turn away from him, and whoever does so is among the people of the Fire, because he calls to the truth and to a straight path…”

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (peace be upon him):
“… And among the banners there is no banner more guided than the banner of the Yamani. That banner is a banner of guidance, because he calls toward your Master. When the Yamani rises, the buying and selling of weapons is forbidden for the people and for every Muslim. When the Yamani rises, hasten toward him, for indeed his banner is a banner of guidance. It is not permissible for any Muslim to oppose that banner; whoever does so is among the people of the Fire, because the Yamani calls to the truth and the straight path…”

Al-Ghaybah (al-Nu‘mani), vol. 1, p. 253

Therefore, the reason that the Yamani’s call is considered true is that he calls people to Imam al-Zaman (peace be upon him), not that everything issued by him is itself the truth and the straight path.

Infallibility Attributed to Non-Infallible Persons

A description similar to that from which Ahmad al-Basri and his followers have inferred infallibility has also been applied to non-infallible individuals:

1. Zayd ibn ‘Ali

عَنْ عِيصِ بْنِ اَلْقَاسِمِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ: … وَ لاَ تَقُولُوا خَرَجَ زَيْدٌ فَإِنَّ زَيْداً كَانَ عَالِماً وَ كَانَ صَدُوقاً وَ لَمْ يَدْعُكُمْ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ إِنَّمَا دَعَاكُمْ إِلَى اَلرِّضَا مِنْ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَلَيْهِمُ اَلسَّلاَمُ…
“From ‘Is ibn al-Qasim, who said: I heard Abu ‘Abd Allah, peace be upon him, say: … And do not say that Zayd rose up, for Zayd was a knowledgeable man and was truthful, and he did not call you to himself; rather, he called you to the pleasure of the family of Muhammad, peace be upon them…”

‘Is ibn al-Qasim says: I heard Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) say: “… Do not say that Zayd rose up [so that this action would also be permissible for us]. Zayd was a learned and truthful man, and he did not call you to himself; rather, he called you to that which pleases the family of Muhammad, peace be upon them…”

Al-Kafi, vol. 8, p. 219

The above narration states that Zayd the martyr called people to that which is pleasing to the family of Muhammad, peace be upon them, and this means that his call was toward the Imam of his time, the truth, and the straight path.

2. Shaykh al-Mufid

In the book Al-Ihtijaj by al-Tabarsi, a signed letter from Imam al-Zaman (peace be upon him) addressed to Shaykh al-Mufid is reported as follows:

بِسْمِ اَللّٰهِ اَلرَّحْمٰنِ اَلرَّحِيمِ سَلاَمُ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ أَيُّهَا اَلنَّاصِرُ لِلْحَقِّ اَلدَّاعِي إِلَيْهِ بِكَلِمَةِ اَلصِّدْقِ…
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. Peace of Allah be upon you, O supporter of the truth, caller to it with the word of truth…”

Al-Ihtijaj, vol. 2, p. 498

In this blessed signed letter, Imam al-Zaman (peace be upon him) explicitly states that Shaykh al-Mufid calls people to the truth.

3. ‘Ammar ibn Yasir

The Noble Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said concerning ‘Ammar ibn Yasir:

وَ أَخْرَجَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ اَلْبَرْقَانِيُّ وَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ اَلْإِسْمَاعِيلِيُّ قَبْلَهُ وَ فِي هَذَا اَلْحَدِيثِ عِنْدَهُمَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ قَالَ: وَيْحَ عَمَّارٍ تَقْتُلُهُ اَلْفِئَةُ اَلْبَاغِيَةُ وَ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى اَلْجَنَّةِ وَ يَدْعُونَهُ إِلَى اَلنَّارِ.
“Woe to ‘Ammar. The transgressing group will kill him, while he calls them to Paradise and they call him to the Fire.”

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) had said: Woe to ‘Ammar. The oppressive, transgressing group will kill him. He calls them to Paradise, and they call him to the Fire.

Bihar al-Anwar al-Jami‘ah li-Durar Akhbar al-A’immah al-Athar, vol. 33, p. 22

Undoubtedly, calling to Paradise is calling to the truth and the straight path.

Conclusion

As a result, it is self-evident that no one holds the belief in the infallibility of Zayd ibn ‘Ali, Shaykh al-Mufid, or ‘Ammar ibn Yasir. If such expressions were indicative of infallibility, the Imams (peace be upon them) would certainly have stated this explicitly in their narrations, and the scholars of the community would have clearly affirmed it.