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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Discovering Islam Prophethood (Nubuwwa) Prophets were people who received divine revelation and guidance towards righteousness and God. Since the inception of history, God sent numerous prophets and messengers to humankind. The messages of the prophets were of two types: regional or universal. While the local prophets were sent with specific messages to specific groups of people, the universal prophets were sent with messages and books for humankind.

There were only five universal prophets: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. A unique characteristic of all the prophets and messengers is that they were infallible. They committed no sins. To demonstrate the validity of this concept is to consider that humanity needed prophets and messengers to set an exemplary structured lifestyle to emulate and follow.

If they had committed errors, then people might be obliged to exemplify and excuse their errors, thus making the prophets and messengers untrustworthy. Infallibility means protection from error in teaching doctrine of faith and morals. Infallibility is defined as the spiritual grace of God that enables a person to abstain from sins by his own free will.

This power of infallibility and sinlessness does not make a person incapable of committing mistakes; rather, he or she refrains from transgression by his or her own power and will. Infallibility is essential since the mission of the prophets and messengers was not only to convey divine scriptures from God, but also lead and guide humanity toward the right path [God]. Therefore, prophets and messengers had to be role models and perfect examples for humanity.

The mention of infallibility is stated thirteen times in the Quran. In the Quran, God said to Satan, “Certainly you shall have no authority over My servants except those who follow you and go astray” (15:42). Satan then said to God, “By Your might, then I will surely mislead them all, except Your chosen servants among them [the messengers and imams]“ (38:82). never committed any sin and was never harsh to any person or animal.

God said, “And by the mercy of Allah you dealt with them [people] gently, and had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from you” (3:158).