How absolute is the Infallibility of Prophets?

All scholars agree that the prophets committed no mistakes with respect to conveying to their people what Allah revealed to them. Similarly, they are agreed that prophets did not commit major sins. So they were infallible in these two senses.

However, they differ on the question of whether prophets may commit a minor sin sometimes. Ibn Abil-‘Izz upheld the possibility of prophets sometimes committing minor sins by mistake which is the majority opinion. Ibn Taymeeyah wrote:

“The view that the prophets do not commit major sins and that they may commit minor sins is the view of most of the scholars of Islam and most of the sects. It is even the view of the majority of the scholars of Kalaam, as al-Aamidee has noted that this is the view of the majority of the Ash‘aree theologians, and it is also the view of the majority of the scholars of Tafseer, Hadeeth and Fiqh. In fact, nothing different from this view has been transmitted from the Salaf, the Imaams, the Companions and their following generations...

As for the view of their absolute infallibility in every sense, in the early periods, this was only reported from the Raafidah, then from some of the Mu‘tazilah, and then a group of later scholars adopted their view.” [1]

And Allah knows best.

Reference:

[1] Majmoo‘-ul-Fataawaa, 4/319, 320