How can the infallibility of prophets from error and sin be reconciled with the Quranic verses that mention their seeking forgiveness, such as "So know that there is no god but Allah and ask forgiveness for your sin" and "And who I aspire that He will forgive me my mistake on the Day of Judgment" and "He said, 'My Lord, indeed I have wronged myself, so forgive me'"? And what is the difference between these mentioned sins and the sin of the wife of Al-Aziz in "and ask forgiveness for your sin; indeed, you were among the transgressors"? And what is the definition of "sin" in this context?

The Muslim nation has unanimously agreed on the infallibility of the Prophets in conveying the message and in committing major sins. As for minor sins, most scholars believe that Prophets may commit them, but they do not persist in them; rather, they immediately repent from them. This refutes those who perceived a contradiction in the infallibility of the Prophets and answers questions about the sins attributed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Moses' (peace be upon him) killing of the Egyptian. Abraham's (peace be upon him) "lies" were to ward off danger from the religion of Allah and were not real sins. The sin of Al-Aziz's wife differs from the sins of the Prophets in that it was a major sin, she persisted in it, did not repent, and intended to satisfy a sexual desire, whereas the Prophets repent immediately, and their errors are either due to ijtihad (independent reasoning) or in defense of the religion.