Taharah & 'ismah of the Prophets, Messengers, Awsiya', and Imams (peace Be Upon Them)

Research Question no. 5

We now face another frequently-asked question:

Does the Tat-heer and ‘Ismah of the Prophets, Messengers, Awsiya', and Imams conflict with their roles as humans?

We answer this with another question: If someone from the humans take or has something that no one else ever took or had except him, does that make him non-human?

Without a doubt, the Taharah and ‘Ismah of the Prophets and Awliyaa' of Allah (SWT) is an exceptional gift and bounty from Him that is unique to them. He did not bestow it to anyone else, not before them nor after them. So, from this aspect they were distinguished, chosen, and granted something that no other human was granted. However, does this reality make them non-human? Let us think logically!

If a person is given lots of money which was not given to anyone else before him, does that make him nonhuman?

If a person is given power that was not ever given to anyone else before him, does that make him nonhuman? When Neal Armstrong and his colleagues were the first to place foot and land on the moon, did that make them not human beings anymore just because what happened to them did not ever happen to anyone else? Did anyone ever claim that?

We are human because of our physical nature which is composed of flesh, blood, cells, nerves, and anatomical structure, and because we are able to speak, think, eat, drink, feel happy, and feel sad just like the rest of humanity. This is only what makes us human. As for what Allah (SWT) may distinguish us with or make us unique and exceptional in compared to others, even if it makes us extraordinary and singular in it, that does not take us out of the boundaries of humanity and will not make us inhuman.

For example, if you installed a program in your personal computer which protects it from electronic viruses, is it right for a person to claim that your computer is not a computer anymore just because it became distinguished from the other computer devices that may not have that virus protection? We present this question to you so that the extent of foolishness and absurdity of the person who says that becomes clear to you.

Should Dolly, the sheep that was recently cloned, not be called a sheep anymore just because it became unique and exceptional compared to the rest of the sheep? Should the egg in which the cholesterol was extracted and removed from not be called an egg anymore, just because what happened to it never happened to any other egg.

We think that the matter is now clear and there is no need for more explanation than what has already been given. So, the Tat-heer and ‘Ismah of the Prophets and Imams does not remove the human aspect from them. As Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an,

"Qol subhana rabi hal konto illa basharan rasoola?"

“… Say: Glorified (and Exalted) be my Lord. Am I anything but a man, sent as a Messenger…” 17:93].

And did any of the Muslims ever ask: Is Prophet ‘Isa ibn Maryam (AS) considered to be non-human just because he is unique in being born without a father? This is the naïve and confused logic that Christians use to prove the divinity of ‘Isa and that he is the son of God. May Allah (SWT) curse them and curse those who think and believe like them!