Know that what prompted me to write the foregoing was that a man lived for a long period among our Salafi brethren in Aleppo; indeed, for some time he was their leader. He then introduced among them an innovation for which he had no proof from Allah and His Messenger: he called them to affirm the infallibility of the Prophet’s wives, the members of his household, and his descendants from committing sexual immorality.
When one of his brethren there discussed this matter with him and said, “Perhaps you mean the protection from it demonstrated by the record of their lives; in this respect, they are like the four Rightly Guided Caliphs and other well-known Companions, who are free of it and of other major sins?” he replied, “No. What I mean is something beyond that: their infallibility, which the Sharia has indicated and informed us of—unlike the protection shared by every righteous man and woman. That is, an infallibility which means that committing it is impossible from the outset!”
When he was told, “This is a matter of the unseen, concerning which nothing may be asserted without evidence. Indeed, it contradicts what the Incident of the Slander indicates, as well as the stance of the Messenger and Abu Bakr al-Siddiq in it. It plainly shows that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not believe Aisha to possess the stated infallibility. How could he, when he said to her, ‘You are but one of the daughters of Adam. If you are innocent, Allah will declare you innocent; but if you have committed a sin, then seek Allah’s forgiveness’ ... the hadith?”
He answered that this had been before the revelation of verse 33 of Surat al-Ahzab: “Allah only intends to remove from you all impurity, O members of the Household, and to purify you completely.” He was either ignorant, or feigning ignorance, that the verse in question was revealed before the Incident of the Slander. This is proven by the statement of Lady Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, concerning Safwan ibn al-Mu‘attal al-Sulami: “He recognized me when he saw me, for he had seen me before the command of hijab.” This indicates that she thereafter observed hijab from him. Another proof is what al-Hafiz, may Allah have mercy on him, explained in his words (8/351): “There is no disagreement that the verse of hijab was revealed when he, peace and blessings be upon him, consummated his marriage with Zaynab bint Jahsh,”