Response of Qom's Society of Teachers to Rouhani's Remarks: Officials Should Avoid Religious Issues

The Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary and several clerics in Iran have strongly criticized Hassan Rouhani's remarks regarding the possibility of 'criticizing' the Prophet Muhammad and the Shia Imams, urging officials to 'avoid entering religious matters.' According to Tasnim News Agency, on Sunday, January 24, the Society of Teachers of Qom issued a statement, without mentioning Rouhani's name, deeming his comments 'regarding the permissibility of criticism' of the Prophet and Imams as contrary to the 'fundamental beliefs' of Shia Muslims. The group emphasized that the 'infallibility' of the Prophet Muhammad and the 'error-free' nature of the Shia Imams is 'agreed upon by the majority of Muslims and all Islamic sects and schools of thought, with numerous authentic narrations confirming this.' The Society of Teachers also stated that the 'denial of infallibility' of the Prophet and Imams 'is a clear opposition to Islam and the Shia faith.' They called on officials to 'refrain from entering into doctrinal and specialized intellectual issues in their statements' and to focus solely on 'solving the livelihood problems and economic hardships of the people.' The statement emphasized that officials' remarks on 'doctrinal and specialized issues not only do not resolve the people's problems but also complicate their religious beliefs.' Hassan Rouhani, the President of Iran, stated on January 18, during a meeting with the managers of the Ministry of Economy, that 'all officials are subject to criticism and there are no infallibles.' He emphasized that 'we have criticism even during the rule of the infallible.' According to Rouhani, the Prophet Muhammad also 'allowed criticism. There is no one above the Prophet. When the Prophet spoke, sometimes someone from the Muslims would ask him whether what he said was his own opinion or a revelation from God. If he said it was from God, there would be no objection. If he said it was from me, they would criticize him and say, I do not accept that.' Some Shia clerics and scholars believe that prophets and Shia Imams may experience 'forgetfulness, error, and oversight,' which is different from 'sin.' In this context, Mohsen Kadivar, a cleric and religious researcher, wrote in an article in 2006 titled 'Revisiting the Theory of the Righteous Scholars' on his website, that 'Shia Muslims have considered forgetfulness and oversight outside the realm of preaching and prophethood as permissible for the Prophet.' However, Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi, a Shia cleric in Qom, stated in a fatwa that 'infallibility from the Shia perspective means immunity from sin, error, oversight, and forgetfulness.' Meanwhile, besides the Society of Teachers of Qom, several Shia clerics have also reacted to Rouhani's remarks. For instance, Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, Secretary General of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, said: 'When you lack the knowledge, leave the beliefs of the people alone. The livelihood and worldly problems of the people are many.' Meanwhile, Mehdi Shabzendeh, a member of the Guardian Council, stated: 'If the intention is that individuals criticized and the infallibles allowed them, that is fine. However, today's criticism means that someone is wrong, and if someone points out their mistake, they must accept it.' He addressed Rouhani, saying: 'It is evident that you have not studied correctly in the right field, and an ignorant person makes such statements.' Previously, Rouhani's remarks on political and religious issues have elicited reactions from Shia clerics and scholars. For instance, in June, Rouhani stated that the opinion and choice of the people is the 'basis of authority and governance.' In response to these remarks, the Assembly of Experts, in a statement signed by Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, its chairman, declared that 'allegiance' to the Prophet and Imams does not mean 'legitimizing the governance of the Prophet or Imam by the people and the pledgers' but rather 'a reaffirmation of loyalty, obedience, and submission to divine leaders.' Ayatollah Naser Makarem Shirazi also stated that the choice of a ruler in Islam is not up to the people, but 'God must appoint the guardian.' In recent years, news of two 'confidential' and critical letters from the Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary addressed to Hassan Rouhani has been published. The Society of Teachers of Qom Seminary is considered one of the religious organizations critical of Rouhani's governments. Ayatollah Mohammad Yazdi, the secretary of this organization, did not receive the necessary votes to re-enter the Assembly of Experts in the recent elections.