---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: By declaring our Prophet infallible and…"
description: "\"By declaring our Prophet infallible and not permitting ourselves to question him, we Muslims had set up a static tyranny. The Prophet Muhammad attempte..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_aspect_by-declaring-our-prophet-infallible-and_117485.jpg"
---

#  By declaring our Prophet infallible and not permitting…

![“By declaring our Prophet infallible and not permitting ourselves to question him, we Muslims had set up a static tyranny. The Prophet Muhammad attempted to legislate every aspect of life. By adhering to his rules of what is permitted and what is forbidden, we Muslims supressed the freedom to think…” quote by Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_aspect_by-declaring-our-prophet-infallible-and_117485.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_aspect_by-declaring-our-prophet-infallible-and_117485.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_aspect_by-declaring-our-prophet-infallible-and_117485.jpg)

> “By declaring our Prophet infallible and not permitting ourselves to question him, we Muslims had set up a static tyranny. The Prophet Muhammad attempted to legislate every aspect of life. By adhering to his rules of what is permitted and what is forbidden, we Muslims supressed the freedom to think for ourselves and to act as we chose. We froze the moral outlook of billions of people into the mind-set of the Arab desert in the seventh century. We were not just servants of Allah, we were slaves.”

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Treating any authority as infallible creates a static, oppressive system that suppresses individual thought and moral evolution.

**In simple terms:** Blind obedience to authority freezes moral growth.

Key Takeaway

Critical thinking prevents tyranny.

Themes

authority freedom critical thinking religion

Mood

critical concerned

Type

political social critique

When to use this quote

- political regimes demanding unquestioned loyalty
- cult-like organizations
- educational settings that discourage debate

Key Concepts

dogmatism individual autonomy

Practical Applications

- encourage questioning of doctrines
- promote independent moral reasoning

Questions to Reflect On

- What safeguards can balance respect for tradition with critical inquiry?
- How does collective identity survive without shared norms?

A Different Perspective

Some degree of shared belief can foster community cohesion; total individualism may erode social bonds.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Aspect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspect/) [Aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspects-of-life/) [Billions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/billions/) [Century](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/century/) [Declaring Prophet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/declaring-prophet-1379294/) [Desert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desert/) [Forbidden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forbidden/) [Islam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/islam/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Mind set](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-set/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Muhammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muhammad/) [Muhammad Attempted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/muhammad-attempted-1379292/) [Outlook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outlook/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Prophet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophet/) [Prophet Infallible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophet-infallible-1379293/) [Prophet muhammad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prophet-muhammad/) [Servant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/servant/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Static](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/static/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tyranny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyranny/) [Tyranny Prophet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyranny-prophet-1379295/)

## Related quotes

> [This was not an attack by a mentally deranged, lone-wolf gunman. This was not an 'un-Islamic' attack by a bunch of thugs - the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/this-was-not-an-attack-by-a-mentally-deranged-lone-wolf-gunman-this/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [“Wishful thinking about the peaceful tolerance of Islam cannot interpret away this reality: hands are still cut off, women still stoned and enslaved, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/wishful-thinking-about-the-peaceful-tolerance-of-islam-cannot/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [“A fundamental aim of Mawlid al-Nabi a is to attain love and proximity of the Prophet and to revive the believer’s relationship with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-tahir-ul-qadri/a-fundamental-aim-of-mawlid-al-nabi-a-is-to-attain-love-and-proximity/)

[Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-tahir-ul-qadri/)

> [“I desired to praise the Chosen One and was hindered By my own inability to grasp the extent of his glory. How can one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibn-juzayy-al-kalbi/i-desired-to-praise-the-chosen-one-and-was-hindered-by-my-own/)

[Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ibn-juzayy-al-kalbi/)

> [It's a tremendous responsibility to be direct descendants of the prophet Muhammad. This family has had the burden of leadership on its shoulders for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-a-tremendous-responsibility-to-be-direct-descendants-of-the/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [ \[The Jews\] tried to kill the principles of all religions with the same mentality in which they betrayed Jesus Christ and the same way… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bashar-al-assad/the-jews-tried-to-kill-the-principles-of-all-religions-with-the-same/)

[Bashar al-Assad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bashar-al-assad/)

> [“If I were in his(Prophet Muhammad) presence, I would wash his feet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hercules/if-i-were-in-his-prophet-muhammad-presence-i-would-wash-his-feet/)

[Hercules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hercules/)

> [The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Do you know who will go first on the Day of Resurrection to the shade of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ibn-isa-at-tirmidhi/the-prophet-muhammad-peace-be-upon-him-said-do-you-know-who-will-go/)

[Muhammad ibn Isa at-Tirmidhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ibn-isa-at-tirmidhi/)

> [The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was asked what type of earning was best, and he replied: " A man's work with his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ibn-isa-at-tirmidhi/the-prophet-muhammad-peace-be-upon-him-was-asked-what-type-of-earning/)

[Muhammad ibn Isa at-Tirmidhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ibn-isa-at-tirmidhi/)

> [“Unable and crippled I am As I gaze into the vastness The vastness that harbors your praise And glories of the best of creation...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anila-aboo/unable-and-crippled-i-am-as-i-gaze-into-the-vastness-the-vastness/)

[Anila Aboo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anila-aboo/)

> [“He(Prophet Muhammad) laid the foundation of a universal government. His law was one for all. Equal justice and love for everyone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rev-b-margoliouth/he-prophet-muhammad-laid-the-foundation-of-a-universal-government-his/)

[Rev. B. Margoliouth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rev-b-margoliouth/)

> [ “As the Tawrat \[Torah\], the Zabur \[The Psalms of David\], the Injil \[Gospel\] and the Quran are divine books, the Veda \[written in about… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/md-ziaul-haque/as-the-tawrat-torah-the-zabur-the-psalms-of-david-the-injil-gospel/)

[Md. Ziaul Haque](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/md-ziaul-haque/)

> [“The Most Excellent Jihad is the Conquest of One’s Self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prophet-muhammad-saw/the-most-excellent-jihad-is-the-conquest-of-one-s-self/)

[Prophet Muhammad (SAW](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prophet-muhammad-saw/)

> [In Islam, we believe Jesus is a prophet and respect him and follow his teachings and put him beside the Prophet Muhammad - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haaz-sleiman/in-islam-we-believe-jesus-is-a-prophet-and-respect-him-and-follow-his/)

[Haaz Sleiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haaz-sleiman/)

> [ I can hardly believe what these 12 caricatures \[about Prophet Muhammad\] have caused in the world. We Danes feel like we have been placed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-fogh-rasmussen/i-can-hardly-believe-what-these-12-caricatures-about-prophet-muhammad/)

[Anders Fogh Rasmussen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-fogh-rasmussen/)

## More by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

> [Women covering their heads is traditional, but now we're seeing more and more women covering themselves from head to toe. This is said to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/women-covering-their-heads-is-traditional-but-now-we-re-seeing-more/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [I am grateful to my father for sending me to school, and that we moved from Somalia to Kenya, where I learned English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-am-grateful-to-my-father-for-sending-me-to-school-and-that-we-moved/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [In Holland I have seen well-meaning, principled people blinded by multiculturalism, overwhelmed by the imperative to be sensitive and respectful of immigrant culture, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/in-holland-i-have-seen-well-meaning-principled-people-blinded-by/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [If we don't take effective measures now, the Netherlands could be torn between two extreme rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/if-we-don-t-take-effective-measures-now-the-netherlands-could-be-torn/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [I see no difference between Islam and Islamism. Islam is defined as submission to the will of Allah, as it is described in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-see-no-difference-between-islam-and-islamism-islam-is-defined-as/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [They decided to let immigrants in and I am an immigrant. They gave us a chance to participate in this country's life and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/they-decided-to-let-immigrants-in-and-i-am-an-immigrant-they-gave-us/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [I want people to emphasize life before death as opposed to life after death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-want-people-to-emphasize-life-before-death-as-opposed-to-life-after/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [“Wishful thinking about the peaceful tolerance of Islam cannot interpret away this reality: hands are still cut off, women still stoned and enslaved, just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/wishful-thinking-about-the-peaceful-tolerance-of-islam-cannot/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [“The will of little girls is stifled by Islam. By the time they menstruate they are rendered voiceless. They are reared to become submissive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/the-will-of-little-girls-is-stifled-by-islam-by-the-time-they/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [I am not against migration. It is simply pragmatic to restrict migration, while at the same time encouraging integration and fighting discrimination. I support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-am-not-against-migration-it-is-simply-pragmatic-to-restrict/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [I confront the European elite's self-image as tolerant 'while under their noses women are living like slaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-confront-the-european-elite-s-self-image-as-tolerant-while-under/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [What matters is abuse, and how it is anchored in a religion that denies women their rights as humans. What matters is that atrocities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/what-matters-is-abuse-and-how-it-is-anchored-in-a-religion-that/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [“When I look at people talking about intersectionality, what I see is the human being magnifying a biological attribute, and then putting them aside,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/when-i-look-at-people-talking-about-intersectionality-what-i-see-is/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [We must reclaim and retake feminism from our fellow idiotic women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/we-must-reclaim-and-retake-feminism-from-our-fellow-idiotic-women/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

> [I talk about a Christianity that is enlightened enough to separate spirituality from the rest of life. Not just church and state, but knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/i-talk-about-a-christianity-that-is-enlightened-enough-to-separate/)

[Ayaan Hirsi Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

[Explore all 147 Ayaan Hirsi Ali quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/)

## More Aspect quotes

> [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/)

[Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/)

> [It is according to the shapes that I lay the plans for victory, but the multitude does not comprehend this. Although everyone can see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-according-to-the-shapes-that-i-lay-the-plans-for-victory-but/)

[Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/)

> [I believe that simple, consistent shifts in our thinking and actions can lead to the miraculous in all aspects of our daily lives, including…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-bernstein/i-believe-that-simple-consistent-shifts-in-our-thinking-and-actions/)

[Gabrielle Bernstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-bernstein/)

> [There is so much temptation to hold on to my career even more now. To try to micromanage and dictate every little aspect. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-lin/there-is-so-much-temptation-to-hold-on-to-my-career-even-more-now-to/)

[Jeremy Lin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-lin/)

> [I do miss the social aspect of sitting in a pub with a pint but you know what when I get down to it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ozzy-osbourne/i-do-miss-the-social-aspect-of-sitting-in-a-pub-with-a-pint-but-you/)

[Ozzy Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ozzy-osbourne/)

> [Some say that you should not want money at all because the desire for money is materialistic and not Spiritual. But we want you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/some-say-that-you-should-not-want-money-at-all-because-the-desire-for/)

[Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/)

> [Death is but an aspect of life, and the destruction of one material form is but a prelude to building up of another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/death-is-but-an-aspect-of-life-and-the-destruction-of-one-material/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I would call myself a Gnostic. Which means, I'm interested in pursuing and understanding the spiritual nature of things. A Gnostic is somebody seeking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-crumb/i-would-call-myself-a-gnostic-which-means-i-m-interested-in-pursuing/)

[Robert Crumb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-crumb/)

> [One can be a great artist without being a great technician. There have been many famous ballet stars who did not have the ideal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-bujones/one-can-be-a-great-artist-without-being-a-great-technician-there-have/)

[Fernando Bujones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-bujones/)

> [I love fall because I love the whole cuddling aspect of it, and a sweater dress has that vibe of I'm going to hunker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-chastain/i-love-fall-because-i-love-the-whole-cuddling-aspect-of-it-and-a/)

[Jessica Chastain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-chastain/)

> [The socially redeeming aspect of golf lies in the vast number of lawyers and bankers and managers who play it, and when you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrison-keillor/the-socially-redeeming-aspect-of-golf-lies-in-the-vast-number-of/)

[Garrison Keillor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrison-keillor/)

> [I didnt like the Survivor shows because of the mean-spirited aspect, and women certainly were part of whatever conflict they would create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-lawrence/i-didnt-like-the-survivor-shows-because-of-the-mean-spirited-aspect/)

[Sharon Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-lawrence/)

> [MAC allowed me to have complete freedom on the collaborations—from the shades, the look-and-feel, to the campaign visuals. I have to admit that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-treacy/mac-allowed-me-to-have-complete-freedom-on-the-collaborations-from/)

[Philip Treacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-treacy/)

> [I mean family is more important than anything in life. Family is important than my crew, D-Block, my rap career anything... It's the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/styles-p/i-mean-family-is-more-important-than-anything-in-life-family-is/)

[Styles P](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/styles-p/)

> [Wealth is measured by the level of experience in all aspects of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/wealth-is-measured-by-the-level-of-experience-in-all-aspects-of-life/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

[Browse all 3,171 Aspect quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aspect/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "By declaring our Prophet infallible and not permitting ourselves to question him, we Muslims had set up a static tyranny. The Prophet Muhammad attempted to legislate every aspect of life. By adhering to his rules of what is permitted and what is forbidden, we Muslims supressed the freedom to think for ourselves and to act as we chose. We froze the moral outlook of billions of people into the mind-set of the Arab desert in the seventh century. We were not just servants of Allah, we were slaves.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Ayaan Hirsi Ali"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/by-declaring-our-prophet-infallible-and-not-permitting-ourselves-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Aspect"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/by-declaring-our-prophet-infallible-and-not-permitting-ourselves-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_aspect_by-declaring-our-prophet-infallible-and_117485.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_aspect_by-declaring-our-prophet-infallible-and_117485.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ccf/ayaan-hirsi-ali-2858_aspect_by-declaring-our-prophet-infallible-and_117485.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“By declaring our Prophet infallible and not permitting ourselves to question him, we Muslims had set up a…” — Ayaan Hirsi Ali",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Ayaan Hirsi Ali",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayaan-hirsi-ali/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "By declaring our Prophet infallible and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/by-declaring-our-prophet-infallible-and-not-permitting-ourselves-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayaan-hirsi-ali/by-declaring-our-prophet-infallible-and-not-permitting-ourselves-to/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
