advancement. The Holy Prophet’s message of purification, therefore, signifies not only purification from sin but also man’s setting forth on the road to physical and moral advancement.20 All these references to the Holy Book show that the object of sending prophets was no other than the uplift of man, to enable him to subjugate his animal passions, to inspire him with nobler and higher sentiments, and to imbue him with Divine morals.

Sinlessness of prophets

The men who are commissioned for the high office of prophethood must themselves be free from the bondage of sin, and more than that be the possessors of high morals if they are to fulfil the mission entrusted to them. The doctrine of the sinlessness of prophets has therefore always been an admitted principle among Muslims. Christian writers on Islām, however, have laboured to show that this doctrine is opposed to the Holy Qur’ān,21 but nothing could be further from the truth. The Holy Qur’ān not only speaks of individual prophets in terms of the highest praise, but also lays down clearly in general terms that the prophets cannot go, either in word or in deed, against any commandment of God: “And We sent no messenger before thee but We revealed to him that there is no God but Me, so serve Me, And they say, The Beneficent God has taken to Himself a son. Glory be to Him! Nay, they are honoured servants; they speak not before He speaks and according to His command they act” (21:25-27).22 And elsewhere it is said: “It is not for a prophet to act dishonestly” (3:161). These two verses set out in general words the principle of the sinlessness of prophets, while it has already been shown how each individual prophet has been spoken of in terms of the highest praise; one is called a Ṣiddīq (i.e., one who has never told a lie); another is said to have been purified by God’s hand and to have been brought up in the Divine presence; a third is described as being one in whom God was well pleased; a fourth is mentioned as having been granted purity and as one who guarded against evil and never disobeyed; a fifth is said to be worthy of regard and one of those who are near to God; and many of them, including the Holy Prophet Muḥammad, are described as being amīn, which means one who is completely faithful to God. The Qurān, therefore leaves not the least doubt as to the