An Assessment of Goldziher's Views on the Infallibility of the Noble Prophet (s)

Goldziher, one of the renown early Orientalist scholars, in the first part of his famous work Introduction to Islamic Theology and Law, has embarked on a discussion about the subject of the infallibility of the Noble Prophet (s). In his article on “Mohammad and Islam,” he cites, for some reason, the disqualification of the Prophet (s) as “an exemplary role model” and then denies his infallibility based on this claim. Although Muslim scholars have, in response to his view, offered many succinct answers, some of his claims remain unanswered. Therefore, the present study seeks to adopt an analytical-critical approach in analyzing the claims made by Goldziher in this regard, and to re-examine the sources and documents from within the religious tradition that he quotes, looking at each one
separately and evaluating each of them meticulously. The findings of our research indicate Goldziher’s lack of required proficiency and mastery of Islamic sources, including [Qur’anic] verses and narrations, which have resulted in his incomplete and fallacious understanding of the same.