Scholars & Mistakes
Imam Al-Kisai, may God have mercy on him, recounted:
“I was leading Harun al-Rashid in prayer and I was pleased with how I was reciting. However, I made an error in a verse that even a child would not typically make. I meant to say: ‘Perhaps they will return’ but instead, I said it with a slight grammatical error.
Harun didn’t dare correct me directly. After we finished, he asked, ‘O Kisai! What language was that?’ I responded, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, even the best horse may stumble!’ He acknowledged, ‘Indeed, that’s true.'”
Imam Al-Dhahabi, may God have mercy on him, commented on this incident, saying: “Anyone who understands this anecdote realizes that no matter how elevated a scholar’s stature or how advanced their knowledge, they are not immune to making mistakes and missteps. These errors do not detract from their expertise, diminish their value, or reduce their standing.
Those who accept the mistakes of the knowledgeable and virtuous with this understanding are to be commended for their approach, appreciated for their perspective, and they are likely to be correct in their own judgments.”
From “Siyar A’lam al-Nubala” (Volume 1, Page 376).