Ismah (Being Protected from Committing Sin)

Another characteristic of the prophets is that they are protected from committing sins. The prophets who are assigned to be an example and guide to people are deliberately protected from secretly or openly committing a sin. Just as prophets never committed a sin that was considered shirk (polytheism) and kufr (infidelity) in any period of their lives, they also did not commit deliberate sins after their prophethood. As a matter of fact, no prophet was accused of committing shirk against Allah, and lying before or after their prophethood. 

There are some verses in the Holy Qur'an that prophets are protected from sin and raised under supervision of Allah. The following is stated in a verse in the Surah al-Anbiya: "And We made them leaders guiding by Our command. And We inspired to them the doing of good deeds, establishment of prayer, and giving of zakah. And they were worshipers of Us." (Anbya, 21/73)

Even though the prophets lived in societies which forgot the religion and religious laws of the prophets before them, they were protected from their unbelief and immorality; they had a different life in terms of righteousness, honesty and moral virtues.  Since prophets are exemplary and leading people in the societies they lived in, they avoided behaviors that would damage their positions, tarnish their reputation, and decrease their values in the society. Allah has protected His prophets from sins - such as violating the rights of others, prostitution, impudence, theft, malevolence, arrogance, and people's defamation against their families, properties, and themselves - that they would feel sorry if they were told after their prophethood. In this context, the quality of ismah has a significant role in changing, reforming, and reshaping the societies in line with Allah's will.

“Ismah”, which is Allah's favor for His prophets, means keeping the prophets under a sort of control. Such protection only applies to prophets, and people other than them have no such privilege. Sinlessness is a quality unique to the prophets of Allah. They have never opposed to the orders of Allah and never violated His prohibitions. Prophets made some minor mistakes due to their human nature. These are called "zalla". However, they corrected these mistakes after the Almighty Allah warned them.