Infallibility: A Comparative Study of the Viewpoints of Imamiyyah and Zaydiyyah

Imamate and its related issues are among the important and controversial issues in the field of religious knowledge and thought of Shiite sects, especially Zaydiyyah and Imamiyah. The Zaydiyyah, although due to the verses of purification and explicit traditions believe in the infallibility of the companions of al-Kisa, they do not consider infallibility as a condition and a necessary attribute for the Imam and due to various reasons, including lack of rational and narration on the infallibility of the Imam, explanation of its reality and the meaning of infallibility have therefore adhered to the non-obligation of the divine decree in the appointment of an Imam. In addition, they also have disagreements with the Imamiyyah on its instances. The main purpose of this research is to list the reasons for rejecting Imam's infallibility from the Zaydiyyah’s viewpoint, to prove the Imam's infallibility and also to respond to the doubts of the Zaydiyyah in this regard. Naturally, a comparative study of the arguments put forth by both the sects and its analysis will have a significant impact on the explanation and the role of an Imam's position in society. The present article is library-based research with a descriptive and analytical approach that has been conducted around some of the reasons and arguments of both sects about the necessity or the unnecessity of the condition of infallibility for an Imam. The most important finding of this study, contrary to Zaydiyyah’s claim of Imamate about the unnecessity of the condition and attribute of infallibility for the Imam, in the Imamiyyah viewpoint, in addition to various narrative reasons, there are numerous rational reasons including Imam's existential philosophy, loss of position and denial of people, purpose violation, preservation and protection of religion, the necessity of the issue of infallibility and the successorship to the Prophet Muhammad indicate towards the infallibility of an Imam.