Now, to compromise the authority of the Qur’an by...

Now, to compromise the authority of the Qur’an by questioning its authenticity based on the possibility of its being distorted (whether that means extraneous material has been added to it or that certain parts of it have been deleted) would undermine the authority of the Prophet, the Imams, and finally the hadith s narrated from them. Thus, such hadith s are self-defeating.

The Infallibility of the Prophet Question A certain contemporary scholar, drawing on the works of Saduq, has written a treatise on the “Prophet’s mistakes” [ Sahw al-Nabi ]. What is your opinion concerning this question? Moreover, why are such unnecessary topics even published? Answer Obviously, the Prophet is the perfect example, both in his speech and conduct, for every Muslim.

For the Prophet to commit a mistake, considering his position, would be a grave error as it would jeopardize his mission and undermine his credibility as the guide chosen by God. This in turn would deprive the Qur’an and the prophetic hadith s of their authority, for there would be no guarantee that he did not err in relaying the Qur’anic verses nor in his sayings.

The Logic of Istikharah Question Is there a legitimate source on which the practice of istikharah (whether by the Qur’an or by the subhah [i.e., tasbih ]) is based? Doesn’t this practice degrade the Qur’an to the level of a book of soothsaying? Or how is it conceivable that the beads of the subhah could determine one’s fate? Furthermore, why do some believers resort to istikharah before consulting with others [ istisharah ]?

Would you not consider the prevalence of this practice a defect of the popular religious culture? Answer Regarding the practice of istikharah there are a number of hadith s related from the Imams. There is no rational or religious reason for discounting such hadith s. Furthermore, the logic of istikharah is very clear. When we decide to take an action, the first step is to contemplate its pros and cons. If we reach a conclusion, we act accordingly.

But if our thinking doesn’t produce a satisfactory conclusion, we then turn to others for consultation. If consultation succeeds, we take the appropriate action. But if even after consultation, we remain undecided, it is only then that we may resort to istikharah . Holding the Qur’an in our hands, we ask God to help us. We then open the Qur’an at random and focus on the first verse that catches our attention. The option that the content of the verse points to is the one we take up.