…infallibility as an attribute is not an essential
requirement; rather, it is a ray of the gift of infallibility which shines from
the Sun of Truth upon certain hearts and grants them a share and portion
thereof. Although these souls are not essentially infallible, yet they are
under the care, protection, and unerring guidance of God—which is to say, God
guards them from error. Thus there have been many sanctified souls who were not
themselves the Daysprings of the Most Great Infallibility, but who have nevertheless
been guarded and preserved from error under the shadow of divine care and
protection. For they were the channels of divine grace between God and man, and
if God did not preserve them from error they would have led all the faithful to
fall likewise into error, which would have wholly undermined the foundations of
the religion of God and which would be unbefitting and unworthy of His exalted
Reality.
- ‘Abdu’l-Baha (Table talks in Akka, authenticated by ‘Abdu’l-Baha;
‘Some Answered Questions’ – 2014 revised translation by the Baha’i World
Centre)
