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The Qualities of a Prophet (Khasa’is al-Nabi)
By: Ayatullah al-Uzma Shaykh Husayn Vahid Khorasani
A prophet possesses many qualities, two of which we will discuss:
The First Quality: Infallibility
There are many proofs for the infallibility of the Prophets (as). We will mention some of them:
First Proof
Every creation has to follow practices and laws in order to attain its perfection. It is clear from what has been explained earlier that the practice that takes mankind to his perfection, which is the purpose of his creation, is Divine guidance and true faith.
The achievement of this perfection is based upon the guidance of mankind to the true faith, and delivering and executing Divine laws. A prophet is liable for the training of mankind in accordance with this practice. It would be against the objective if any deviation in conveying or execution occurred; for, the deviation of this conveyor and instructor of Divine training would be due to error or evil desire. Undoubtedly, either of these two would be against the objective.
The perfection of Divine guidance demands perfection of the guide. Infallibility of the Divine law requires infallibility of the teacher and the executor.
Falsehood shall not come to it from before it nor from behind it.15
Second Proof
Both rational and textual proofs tell us that the religion has come to give humanity a happy life.
Whoever does good whether male or female and he is a believer, We will most certainly make him live a happy life, and We will most certainly give them their reward for the best of what they did.16
The water of happy life is faith and good deeds. These two make up the religion.
The spring of life from which pours out this water is the presence of a prophet. If the place where the water is pouring out from is unclean, then the water would be unclean. Hence, it would not be suitable for quenching the thirst of the minds and the hearts of the people. Then the fruit of a happy life would not be achieved.
Third Proof
The objective of sending a prophet is not accomplished without obeying his commands. Obedience of the one who commits mistakes and sins is not permissible. Therefore, if a prophet is not infallible, his obedience will not be obligatory, which would negate and invalidate the objective of sending a prophet.
Fourth Proof
If a prophet is not infallible from making mistakes, then the people will never be confident in his truthfulness or the veracity of his delivering the revelation. Also, if a prophet is not infallible from committing sins, then his position will drop in the eyes of the people. The words of an unpracticing scholar do not have any effect. As such, the purpose of sending the prophets would not be fulfilled.
Fifth Proof
The origin of mistakes and sins is weakness of intellect and will-power, whereas the intellect of a prophet is perfect. A prophet reaches the stage of true certainty due to his connection with revelation. He sees things as they really are. His will-power is only affected by the will of Allah, Glory be to Him, the Exalted. Therefore, there remains no place for mistake and sin in a prophet’s personality.
The Second Quality: The Miracle
Accepting any proclamation requires proof. The connection between the proclamation and the proof must be so reliable that the confidence in the righteousness of the proclamation is indissoluble from the proof. A prophet proclaims representation from Allah, the Exalted. There is no way of proving this proclamation except for confirmation from Allah. Thus, a miracle is a practical confirmation from Allah for his proclamation as a prophet.
A miracle takes place without a material cause, with a will that encompasses the causes and effect. The cause determines the effect and the effect accepts determining from the cause, which is nothing but the will of Allah, the Exalted. When a miracle takes place with the proclamation of a prophet, then it gives certainty that Allah, the Exalted, performed the miracle for his confirmation.
When someone proclaimed prophethood and it was rationally possible to confirm this, if he showed a miracle, it would be a convincing proof to verify his claim. However, if he was not truthful, then the occurrence of a miracle from him would be verification of a liar and a reason for misleading the people. Exalted is Allah, Glory be to Him, from authenticating a liar and misleading the people.
Regarding common prophethood, there are noble verses and gracious traditions. We will suffice with two traditions.
First Tradition
It is said on the authority of Abu ‘Abd Allah al-Sadiq (as): Indeed, we prove that we have a Creator and a Maker Who is Higher than us and everything He has created. And that this Creator is All-Wise to the extreme, and it is not possible for His creation to witness Him or touch Him, so that He may form physical connection with them and they with Him. He disputes them and they dispute Him. This proves that He has representatives in His creation, who voice Him in His creation, and servants who guide them to their interests and benefits and to what will make them remain and make them perish.
This proves that there are ones who command what to do and what not to do on behalf of the All-Wise, the All-Knowing, who are in His creation and are designated by Him, the Mighty and High. They are the prophets (as) and the best of His creation. They are wise, mannered with wisdom and sent with wisdom. They do not share with people in anything from their state, even though they share the creation and composition.
They are endorsed with wisdom by the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. This was proved in all times and places with the reasons and proofs the Messengers and the prophets brought with them. So that Allah’s earth is not vacant from a proof who has knowledge indicating his truthfulness and justice.17
We will elucidate some of the points which his words imply: He (as) mentioned the proof for the necessity of sending prophets with his words: and that this Creator is All-Wise to the extreme… the implication is that every action that a man performs or leaves, and every motion or stillness that occurs from him is either useful for both worlds or harmful, or neither useful nor harmful. Based on all of these assumptions, the human being needs to know what is useful and what is harmful, what is in his interest in this life and the life hereafter, and what is harmful.
This knowledge can only be achieved from one who knows of the connection between performing an action and not performing it, the interests of mankind and his problems. It has to be from the one who encompasses the effects of all motions and stillnesses in human life in this world and the hereafter. Indeed, that is the Creator of the mankind and the Creator of this world and the hereafter.
Divine Wisdom demands that He should guide His servants, however, His guidance to Himself cannot happen without an intermediary due to His being above physical connection and conversation. Thus, there must be selected representatives: who guide them to their interests and benefits and to what will make them remain and make them perish.
This proof is distinctive from all dimensions in comparison with the proof that philosophers use to prove the necessity of prophethood. This proof from the Imam (as) includes all the interests and harms of the human being in all stages of existence. Philosophers use the rule that man is naturally a social animal. Therefore, he requires fair laws for his dealings and social connections; hence, their proof is specified for social life on earth.
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He (as) has indicated the exceptional existence of the prophets due to what they have in common with the people and what they are distinctive in: they do not share with people in anything from their state, even though they share the creation and composition.
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He (as) has indicated with his word: the best of His creation, to the fact that a prophet has been chosen over the rest of the creation. Due to this pure conduct, he can be at the position of the connection between the Creator and the created. He can perform the significant role of being a connection between the High and the low.
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What a fine expression he has used: who voice Him, to clarify the status of a prophet. It is, indeed, an unequivocal statement revealing the true intention. It means speaking from Allah, the Exalted and delivering to His creation what He wills. Sanctity and infallibility are required for the status of a prophet.
The Imam (as) has explained the proof for the necessity of a miracle to prove the prophethood with his word: who has knowledge indicating his truthfulness and justice. The source of the prophethood is the wisdom of the Absolute Wise and its result is wisdom as well.
‘Isa said: I have come to you indeed with wisdom;18
Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom.19
He (as) has attached importance to the distinction of the prophets’ wisdom in thinking and practice from the wisdom of mankind, which is the result of human thinking. However, their wisdom is that they voice the Exalted. The requirement of his word: who voice Him, and that by the All-Wise, the All-Knowing, their wisdom is pure from the filth of delusions. A prophet is a radiant lamp. He does not take the light of his knowledge from the teaching and training of mankind. It is indeed from the connection he has with the Light of the heavens and the earth.
The oil whereof almost gives light though fire touch it not.20
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He (as) said: They are wise and mannered with wisdom. Later, he added: They are endorsed with wisdom by the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. This is to explain that the wisdom of the prophets—its occurrence and endurance—is from the All-Knowing, Who encompasses everything and the All-Wise, Who made firm everything. The wisdom of a prophet is as distinctive from human thinking as what is with Allah, the Exalted and what is with the people.
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This Creator is All-Wise. It is apparent from this sentence and the sentence that describes the prophets as they are wise, mannered with wisdom and sent with it, that the effectual reason and purpose of Prophethood is wisdom. The middle way between the beginning and the end is also wisdom.
Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth declares the glory of Allah, the King, the Holy, the Mighty, the Wise. He it is Who raised among the inhabitants of Mecca an Apostle from among themselves, who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, although they were before certainly in clear error.21
There are other valuable and profound insights in the indications and elegant words of the Imam (as). However for reasons of brevity we will not discuss them.
Second Tradition
Imam Al-Rida (as) said: If one said: Why is it compulsory for them to know the Messengers, acknowledge them and submit to their obedience? The reply would be: This is due to the creation not being able to reach in perfection what is in their interest. The Creator is Higher than can be seen. Due to their weakness and incapability, the creation cannot perceive Him. Thus, it was a must that an infallible messenger be in between Him and His creation to convey to them His commands regarding what to do and not to do.
He would teach them manners and inform them of their interests and harms, as they do not have the ability to understand what they need, and what is in their interest or what is harmful for them. If recognising and obeying the prophet was not compulsory upon the people, then there would be no use of his coming. This would mean that He has carried out a useless act which has no benefit and use. This is not the attribute of the All-Wise Who made firm everything.22
1. Al-Kafi: vol. 1, pp 218, hadith no. 3.
2. ‘Ilal al-Shara’i’: vol. 1, pp 4, ch. 6, hadith no. 1.
3. Holy Qur’an, 15: 29: So when I have made him complete and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down making obeisance to him.
4. Holy Qur’an, 23: 14.
5. Bihar al-Anwar: vol. 6, pp 249.
6. Holy Qur’an, 20: 50.
7. Holy Qur’an, 91: 7-8.
8. Holy Qur’an, 31: 20
9. Holy Qur’an, 14: 34.
10. Holy Qur’an, 6: 153.
11. Holy Qur’an, 30: 41.
12. Holy Qur’an, 45: 13.
13. Holy Qur’an, 57: 25.
14. Nahj al-Balaghah: sermon no. 1.
15. Holy Qur’an, 41: 42.
16. Holy Qur’an, 16: 97.
17. Al-Kafi: vol. 1, pp 168, hadith no. 1.
18. Holy Qur’an, 43: 63.
19. Holy Qur’an, 16: 125.
20. Holy Qur’an, 24: 35.
21. Holy Qur’an, 62: 1-2.
22. ‘Uyun Akhbar al-Rida (A): vol. 2, pp 100, ch. 34, hadith no. 1; Bihar al-Anwar: vol. 6, pp 59.
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