This document discusses immunity from sin and error in leadership based on Islamic teachings. It provides lessons learned from passages in the Quran and examples from the Prophet Muhammad. Some key points made include: 1) Leaders of the community must be accessible to people but are not obligated to follow peoples' wishes in all matters. 2) Where there is no clear religious ruling, leaders can seek advice from people on non-religious issues. 3) Faith is a blessing from God that makes disbelief hateful to people and attracts them to righteousness. True believers are averse to sin. 4) Prophets are protected from sins and errors by God to guide people rightly. Their presence in

2. SESSION 4 | TOPIC OF REVIEW
Immunity from Sin and
Error & Leadership
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬

3. IMMUNITY FROM SIN AND ERROR & LEADERSHIP
‫وا‬ُ‫م‬
َ
‫ل‬
ْ
‫اع‬َ‫و‬‫ن‬
َ
‫أ‬ْ‫م‬
ُ
‫يك‬‫ف‬
َ
‫ول‬ُ‫س‬َ‫ر‬‫اّلل‬ْۚ‫و‬
َ
‫ل‬ْ‫م‬
ُ
‫ك‬ُ‫يع‬‫ط‬ُ‫ي‬‫ف‬‫ر‬‫ي‬‫ث‬
َ
‫ك‬َ‫ن‬‫م‬‫ر‬
ْ
‫م‬
َ ْ
‫اْل‬ْ‫م‬ُّ‫ت‬‫ن‬َ‫ع‬
َ
‫ل‬‫ن‬‫ك‬ََٰ
‫ل‬َ‫و‬َ‫اّلل‬َ‫ب‬‫ب‬َ‫ح‬ُ‫م‬
ُ
‫ك‬ْ َ
‫َل‬‫إ‬
َ
‫ان‬َ‫يم‬
ْ
‫اْل‬ُ‫ه‬َ‫ن‬‫ي‬َ‫ز‬َ‫و‬‫ف‬ْ‫م‬
ُ
‫ك‬‫وب‬
ُ
‫ل‬
ُ
‫ق‬َ‫ه‬‫ر‬
َ
‫ك‬َ‫و‬ُ‫م‬
ُ
‫ك‬ْ َ
‫َل‬‫إ‬
ْ
‫ال‬َ‫ر‬
ْ
‫ف‬
ُ
‫ك‬
َ
‫وق‬ ُ‫س‬
ُ
‫ف‬
ْ
‫ال‬َ‫و‬
َ
‫ان‬َ‫ي‬
ْ
‫ص‬‫ع‬
ْ
‫ال‬َ‫و‬ۚ
َ
‫ك‬‫ئ‬ََٰ
‫ول‬
ُ
‫أ‬ُ‫م‬
ُ
‫ه‬
َ
‫ون‬ُ‫د‬‫اش‬‫الر‬7
ً
‫ل‬
ْ
‫ض‬
َ
‫ف‬َ‫ن‬‫م‬‫اّلل‬
ً
‫ة‬َ‫م‬
ْ
‫ع‬‫ن‬َ‫و‬ُۚ‫اّلل‬َ‫و‬‫يم‬‫ل‬
َ
‫ع‬‫يم‬‫ك‬َ‫ح‬8
 (O’ Believers!) Know that surely the Messenger of Allāh (Muḥammad) is among you. Had he (Muḥammad)
obeyed you (took your advice and acted upon it) on many occasions, then you would have been in great trouble
now. However, Allāh has endeared the faith to you and He has made it attractive to your hearts and He has made
disbelief, evil deeds and disobedience hateful to you. Such people (those who have faith and keep away from evil
traits) are those who are rightly guided. This blessing (of faith) is a favour and blessing from Allāh and Allāh is the
All-Knowing, All-Wise. 
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬

4. IMMUNITY FROM SIN AND ERROR & LEADERSHIP
Characteristics of Prophets of God
Comprehensive
Knowledge and
Understanding
Protected from
Sins
Safeguarded
from Errors or
Slips in
Judgement
Purified from all
negative ethical
traits
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬

5. PROPHET SEEKS ADVICE IN NON-RELIGIOUS ISSUES
ْ‫م‬ُ‫ه‬
ْ
‫ن‬
َ
‫ع‬
ُ
‫ف‬
ْ
‫اع‬
َ
‫ف‬ْ‫ر‬‫ف‬
ْ
‫غ‬َ‫ت‬ْ‫اس‬َ‫و‬َ‫و‬ ْ‫م‬ُ‫ه‬
َ
‫ل‬ْ‫م‬
ُ
‫ه‬ْ‫ر‬‫او‬
َ
‫ش‬‫ف‬‫ا‬
َ
‫ذ‬‫إ‬
َ
‫ف‬ ‫ر‬
ْ‫م‬
َ
‫اْل‬
َ
‫لَع‬
ْ
‫َّك‬َ‫و‬َ‫ت‬
َ
‫ف‬ َ‫ت‬
ْ‫م‬َ‫ز‬
َ‫ع‬‫ا‬‫ّلل‬
“So then (Muhammad) forgive the people their slips and errors and seek forgiveness
from Allah for them all and consult and seek council from them in matters (not
relating to the religion or the teachings of Allah). So then when you are ready to
make a decision (based on the advice of the others), then have trust in Allah (put a
collective decision into practice).” 3:159

6. ISLAMIC GUIDELINES ON GOVERNANCE
LESSONS in MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP from the NOBLE QUR’AN and PROPHET
MUHAMMAD and his SUCCESSORS
MORAL MANAGEMENT
30 Moral & Ethical Foundations Required to Develop and Nurture the Leader Within You
&
41 Tips to Successful Management and Leadership
WRITTEN BY Abbas Rahimi
TRANSLATED BY Saleem Bhimji
PUBLISHED BY Islamic Pubishing House (www.iph.ca)

7. LOVE AND HATE IN ISLAM
LOVE AND HATE
FOR GOD’S SAKE
WRITTEN BY Mujtaba Sabouri
TRANSLATED BY Saleem Bhimji
PUBLISHED BY Islamic Pubishing House (www.iph.ca)
Downloadable from www.al-mubin.org

8. IMMUNITY FROM SIN AND ERROR– LESSONS TO LEARN - 1
1. If we don’t want to end up in a state of regret and remorse – both in this world and the
next – we must listen to the teachings of the Prophet. [ ‫ِمین‬‫د‬‫نا‬-‫و‬‫اعلموا‬ّ‫ان‬‫فیكم‬‫رسول‬ّ‫للا‬ ]
2. The mere presence of the Prophet and his successors is something special for society.
[ ‫فیكم‬‫رسول‬َّ‫للا‬ ]
3. The leaders of the community and society MUST be accessible by the people. [ ّ‫ان‬‫فیكم‬
‫رسول‬َّ‫للا‬ ]
4. There is no problem if the Prophet seeks advise from the people however he is not
obligated to follow the people’s wishes. [ ‫لو‬‫یطیعكم‬...‫م‬‫نت‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ل‬ ]
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬

9. IMMUNITY FROM SIN AND ERROR– LESSONS TO LEARN - 2
5. Many of our societal and community problems stem from our leaving the teachings of
the Prophets and acting on what “we” want or what our “dreams” are. [ ‫لو‬‫یطیعكم‬...‫م‬‫نت‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ل‬ ]
6. The leader of the Islamic community and society must be free to act as he sees fit. [ ‫لو‬
‫یطیعكم‬...‫م‬‫نت‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ل‬ ]
7. Where there is no clear ruling from Allah, His Messenger or the Imams, one can seek
council from the people and act accordingly. [ ‫فى‬ّ‫كثیر‬‫من‬‫االمر‬ ]
8. Being attracted to religion and faith is a natural instinct which Allah has created in all
people. [ َّ‫ب‬‫ب‬َ‫ح‬‫الیكم‬‫االیمان‬ ]
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬

10. IMMUNITY FROM SIN AND ERROR– LESSONS TO LEARN - 3
9. Faith (al-Imaan) is an affair of the heart and can never be forced or imposed onto
another human being. [ َّ‫ب‬‫ب‬َ‫ح‬‫الیكم‬‫االیمان‬ ]
10. Faith is a beautification of the heart. [ ‫و‬‫َه‬‫ن‬‫ی‬َ‫ز‬‫فى‬‫قلوبكم‬ ]
11. LOVE and HATE for God’s sake must be in our hearts all the time. [ َّ‫ب‬‫ب‬َ‫ح‬‫الیكم‬
‫االیمان‬...َّ‫ه‬‫ر‬َ‫ك‬‫الیكم‬‫الكفر‬ ]
12. The first stage is rejection in the heart [‫]الكفر‬ and from there comes rejection
through actions [ ‫]الفسوق‬ and eventually major open transgressions [ ‫و‬‫العصیان‬ ].
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬

11. IMMUNITY FROM SIN AND ERROR– LESSONS TO LEARN - 4
13. One of the trials of having true faith is the possibility of going towards disbelief and
renegading against the faith. [ ‫ب‬‫ب‬َ‫ح‬‫الیكم‬‫االیمان‬...‫ه‬‫كر‬‫الیكم‬‫الكفر‬‫و‬‫الفسوق‬‫و‬‫العصیان‬ ]
14. We are naturally predisposed to be averse to bad things [ َّ‫ه‬‫ر‬َ‫ك‬‫الیكم‬‫الكفر‬ ] and this hatred to
such things leads to our own spiritual growth. [ ‫اولئك‬‫هم‬‫اشدون‬‫الر‬ ]
15. Those who are not averse and are not bothered by being surrounded by sins and
spiritual transgressions in the society will have no spiritual growth. [ ‫اولئك‬‫هم‬‫اشدون‬‫الر‬ ]
16. One of the greatest blessings of the Divine is our being inclined towards goodness and
our aversion for all things negative. [ َّ‫ب‬‫ب‬َ‫ح‬‫الیكم‬‫االیمان‬...َّ‫ه‬‫ر‬َ‫ك‬‫الیكم‬‫الكفر‬...ّ‫ا‬‫ل‬‫ض‬َ‫ف‬‫من‬َّ‫للا‬‫و‬‫عمة‬ِ‫ن‬ ]
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬

12. IMMUNITY FROM SIN AND ERROR– LESSONS TO LEARN - 5
17. The grace and blessings of God are granted through His Knowledge and Wisdom and
are not random chances without any “thought” given to them. [ ّ‫ا‬‫ل‬‫فض‬...‫و‬ّ‫للا‬‫علیم‬‫حكیم‬ ]
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬