Posted: Sat Jul 05, 2003 6:24 pm Post subject: Hadiths about Hazrat Ali,Ahl-e-Bait,PanjtanPaak
Hazrat Mohammad {PBUH} said that
1 I am leaving amongst you 2 things after me the Quran and my Posterity,verily if you follow them both,you will never go astray.Both are tied with a long rope and can not be separated till the day of judgement.
2 Ali is with Quran and Quran is with Ali.
3 He of whom ever I am master Lord {Mowla} Ali is his master lord.
4 Ali is of Me and I am of Ali.
5 The vexample of the members of my household among you is lke the example of Noah's Ark.Whoever boards it will attain salvation and whoever does not board it will drown
6 We serve as the ark of salvation who ever holds fast to this ark will reach salvation and whoever deviated from it will be cast into predition
whoever wants Allah to grant him some thing should resort to the Ahl-e-Bait.
Posted: Mon Feb 28, 2005 3:25 am Post subject: AHL AL-BAYT
AHL AL-BAYT
AHL AL-BAYT- The conception of the ahl-al-bayt, "people of the house," "family," or "household" of the prophet Muhammad plays a vital role in Islamic thought and piety. In the tashahhud portion of the ritual prayers, Muslims of all persuasions supplicate daily. "0 God! Bless Muhammad and his family (al). as you blessed Abraham and his family.''
Qur'anic prophetology is pregnant with the notion of a hallowed lineage. God's chosen messengers among the Israelites are believed to have been descended from one another, as the Qur'an states: ''Truly, God chose Adam, Noah, the family of Abraham, and the family of 'Imran above all the worlds, offspring, one after the other" (111:33-34)- The Qur'an portrays the chosen among the families and descendants (al, ahl, qurba, and dhuriya) of the prophets as supportive of the messengers during their missions and included in God's merciful protection. They are often the prophets' material and spiritual legatees, heirs with respect to kingship (mulk), rule (hukm), wisdom (hikma), the book (kitab) and the imamate (IV-54. VI:84-91, XXIX.27,XXXVII:76-77, LVlI:26).
As with the families of the previous prophets, Muhammad's family is accorded a special status in the Qur'an, the prophetic tradition (hadith), and the schools of religious law. At the outset of Muhammad's mission, God commands him: "Warn your nearest kin (al-aqrabin), and lower your wing to the faithful who follow you" (XXVI:214-215). The Qur'an also makes certain monetary considerations for Prophet's relations (dhil-qurbah) (CVIII:4l, LIX:7), and on account of the sanctified status of the prophetic family, Muslim legal practice dictates that Muhammad and his clan not touch the alms of the community, lest such defilements (awsakh)) pollute them. The purity of the family is most famously attested to in the verse known as tathir (purification): "God desires only to remove impurity from you, O People of the House (ahl-al-bayt), and to purify you completely" (XXXI11:33).
Muslim tradition, in accordance with the widely reported hadith al-kisa or al-'aba', generally identifies Muhammad himself his daughter, Fatima, her husband and the cousin of the Prophet, 'Ali, and the Prophet's two grandsons by this marriage, al-Hasan and al-Husayn, as the nucleus of the ''house." Shi’ism also allows for the imams and in the looser sense, other righteous progeny descended from 'Ali and Fatima to be accounted as part of the family, while some Sunni reports expand the term to include the Prophet's wives or the collateral branches of his relations, such as, the 'Abbasids or even the Umayyads. Al-Nabhani provides a survey of reports on who is included among ahl-al-bayt (al-sharaf al-muabbad li-al Muhammad, Cairo, 1381/1961. pp. l0-34). It is. however, in light of the hadith al kisa or al-aba, the "tradition of the mantle," that both Shi'i and Sunni commentators overwhelmingly interpret the verse of tathir. According to this account, the Prophet wrapped himself and the other four members of his family in his mantle, solemnly declaring, "O God, these are the People of my House (ahl-al-bayt)!"He then recited the Qur'anic verse of purification. Frequently this incident is connected with the episode of mubahala (mutual imprecation), which relates, to the visit of a delegation of Christians from Najran in the year 631-632. The accounts relate that there was a dispute regarding Christology and it was decided to resort to the ritual of "mutual imprecation" to decide which party was in the right, that of Muhammad or that of the Christian delegation. Thus Muhammad is commanded in the Qur'an III:6l: "If anyone dispute with you in this matter [concerning Jesus] after the knowledge that has come to you, say: Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then let us swear an oath and place the curse of God on those who lie." Accordingly, the five members of the ahl-al-bayt gathered for the
Mubahala. However, the Mubahala is said to have been averred when the Christian side reached a conciliation with the Prophet.
In traditions recorded in both Shi’i and Sunni sources, the Prophet likens his family to Noah's ark, saying- "Among you, my ahl-al-bayt is like the ark of Noah. Whoso embarks therein is saved and whoso lags behind is drowned." In the well known report known as the hadith al- thaqalayn (the tradition of two weighty things), likewise found in both Shi'i and Sunni sources, he is reported to have said: 'Verily, I am leaving with you TWO weighty things the Book of God and my progeny, my ahl al-bayt. So long as you cling to these two, you will never go astray- Truly, they will not be parted from each other until they join me at the fountain [in paradise]."
In the Qur'an XLII:23, Muhammad is commanded to address his disciples as follows, "Say: I do not ask you for any recompense for this [the apostleship] save love for the kinsfolk(al-qurba). Here "kinsfolk'' is largely understood to be the Prophet's kinsfolk, though divergent interpretations exist as well. The general attitude is well represented in a statement of al-Shafi’i’(d. 820), the eponymous founder of one of the four predominant Sunni schools of jurisprudence, who is quoted as saying: "0 members of the House of the Prophet, love for you is a duty to God that He has revealed in the Qur'an. With respect to your great magnificence, it suffices to say that anyone who does not invoke blessings for you has not performed the daily prayer" (al-Nabhani, p. 184). Along the same lines, Ja'far-al-Sadiq (d-765), a descendant of the Prophet and one of the Shi'i interns, declares: "Everything has a foundation, and the foundation of Islam is loving us, the Prophet's family" (Ahmad b. Muhammad al-Barqi, Kitab al-mahasin, Najaf, 1964, p. 113). Certainly primarily Shi'i, traditions also assign a numinous role the family. The five family members are envisioned as beings of light, existing in pre-creation, whose names are derived from God's most beautiful names (see, for example, Furat b. Ibrahim b. Furat al-Kufi, Tafsir Furat al-Kufi, Najaf. al-Matba'a a al-Haidariyya, n.d., p. 11). Such reports provided fecund material for mystical speculation. In his Gujarati composition Muman Chitveni, for example, the fourteenth-century Ismaili sage Pir Sadr al-Din interprets this idea by describing how the Almighty placed the pole star (qutb), luminous by the light of the five holy ones, in the firmament at the time of creation. Its brilliance was so overwhelming, however, that the heavens began to tremble uncontrollably. Only when the name 'Ali was written on the corners of the universe was stability restored (To munivar, moti Mumbai:Dhi Khoja Sindhi Chhapakhanum, 1905. P. 31).
A number of designations, roughly synonymous with the term ahl al-bayt, became popular in the Muslim world. in the more restrictive sense, terms such as ahl (or al) al-kisa (or al-'aba'), "the people of the mantle," or in Persian-speaking and Persian-influenced areas, panj tan-i pak "the five pure ones," are prevalent, while in the more general sense of the descendants of the Prophet, epithets such as al al- nabi, al al-rasul or al yasin are widespread.
Throughout Islamic history, the descendants of the Prophet, often styled as sayyids or sharifs, have been the focus of particular respect. Shi'i imams, along with many Sufi shaykshs, Sunni political leaders and Muslim religious scholars of various persuasions, nave often drawn tremendous legitimacy and authority from their illustrious descent from the Prophet. In modern times one may cite the imam of the Ismailis, Prince Karim Aga Khan, and the ruling families of Morocco and Jordan as cases in point- The descendants of the ahl al-bayt have frequently formed a distinct social class in Muslim societies, sometimes even recognizable by distinguishing forms of dress, the green turban being particularly noteworthy. At the same time, a conception exists of a spiritual ahl al-bayt, sometimes referred to as the bayt al-wahy, "the house of prophecy." into which the devotees of the prophetic family may be initiated, while unrighteous blood relations may be excluded. Thus one has the Prophet's celebrated dictum about his Persian disciple: "Salman is one of us, the ahl al-bayt "
The theme of devotion to the members of the family has touched many aspects of Islamic piety, literature, architecture, iconography, and mystical thought through the ages. For example, the great poet 'Abd al-Rahman Jami (d. 1492), an initiate of the Naqshbandi Sufi order, declares that praise of the ahl al-bayt ennobles the encomiast (Mathnaviha-yi Haft Awrong. Tehran. 1351 S/1972, p. 145), while Sanai (d. 1121), in a section of his Hadiqa, pleads for divine pardon in the name of his love (or the Prophet's kinsfolk (Hadiqat al-haqiqa wa Shari at al tariqa, ed. Mudarris Radawi, Tehran, 1329 S/1950. pp. 642-643). Remarkably, domestic architecture in parts of Tajikistan and Xinjiang is centered on five columns, interpreted by the inhabitants as representative of the five purified ones of the Prophet's family. In the early twenty-first century the members of the Prophet's household continue to be celebrated in songs and invoked in prayers and are even the subjects of numerous web pages on the internet.
Bibliography
Scholarly research on the concept of the ahl al-bayt has overwhelmingly concentrated on the political implications of this term in the early Muslim community. In this connection see Moshe Sharon's Black banners from the East (Leiden, 1983); "Ahl al-bayt-People of the House,'' Jerusalem studies in Arabic and Islam 8, no. 2 (1986): I69-184 and "The Umayyads as ahl al-bayt"; Jerusalem studies in Arabic and Islam 14 (1991); 115-152. An earlier but widely quoted study by Rudi Paret suggested that the term ahl al-bayt in the Qur'an referred to the adherents of the cult of the House, that is, the Ka'bah. See his "Der Plan einr neuen. leicht kommontierren Koranubersutzung" in "Orientalisrische Studien Enno littmann zu seinem 60.Geburtstag' edited by R, Paret(Leiden, 1935). Wilferd Medlung provides a meticulous and in-depth examination of previous opinion and articulates his own conclusion in The Succession to Muhammad (Cambridge, U.K., 1997). Early Shii tradition including of course those related to the ahl al-bayt, are examined in Mohammad Ali Amir-Moezzi, Le Guide Divin Dans Le Shiisme originel, translated as The Divine Guide in Early Shiism (Albany. NY. 1994); Lynda G. Clarke. "Early Doctrine of the Shiah, According to the Shi'i Sources" (Ph.D. diss., McGill University, 1994), Meir M. Bar .Asher, Scripture and Exegesis in Early Imami Shiism (Leiden, 1999);and S. Husain M. Jafri. Origins and Early Development of Shia Islam (London. 1979). The incident of the mubahala is dealt with in Louis Massignon, "La Mubalula de Mdincet l'hyperdulie de Fatima," reproduced in Opera Minora, Tome I, pp. 550-572 (Beirut, Lebanon, 1963), Abdelmajid Meziane iane, "Le sense de la mubahala d'apres la tradition islamiquc," Islamo-christiana 2 (1976): 59-67; and Rudolph Strothman, "Die MUbahala in Tradition und Liturgie," Islam 33 (1957): 5-29. Massignon article "Salman Pak etles primices spirituelles de I'Islam Iranien" reproduced in Opera Minora, Tome 1, pp. 443-483 (Beirut, Lebanon. 1963). discusses the role of Salman's initiation in Islamic piety, The appearance of the ahl al-bayt in Persian Iconography is elaborated in Maria Vittona Fontana, "Iconografia del Ahl al- Bayt imagini di arte persiana dal XII al XX scolo" (Naples. Italy, 1994) (Supplemento n. 76 agli Annali vol. 54 [1994],fasc.1). Reference to the most important primary source materials may be found in the above-cited text, and in the articles in the encyclopedia on 'Ali, Husayn, and Fatima .
There are countless hadiths on Importance of Ali and Panjtan Paak...There are various hadiths which shows the Ismaili concept of Imamat, Imam as manifestation of Divine Light and continuous Imamat till the day of judgement..Here I am quoting few hadiths which I have read from different books,websites including some from this ismaili.net website and discussion forums.
Importance of Hazrat Ali & Concept of Imamat:
• “Call Ali, Call Ali, Call Ali, indeed Ali is from Me and I am from Him and He is the Wali of every momin after Me.”
• “Ali will settle my debt.”
• “Ali is from Me and I am from Ali and no boday pays on My behalf except Myself or Ali.”
• “He who likes to live My life and to die My death and to enter paradise which My Lord promised Me and which is the ever lasting paradise, some of whose seedlings He planted with His hand, then let him have the walayat of Ali and His progeny after Him, who will never expel you through the door of guidance and will never let you enter through the door of deviation.”
• “Welcome to the chief of the muslims and the Imam of the righteoeus.”
• “He who leaves Ali leaves Me and he who leaves Me indeed leaves Allah.”
• “Ali is to Me as My head is to My body.”
• Hazrat Muhammad [PBUH] said to Ali,”You are the bearer of My flag in this world and in the here after.”
• “Ali is the Imam of the pious ones.”
• “Ali bin abi Talib is the door of pardon. He who enters through it is a believer and he who leaves it is an unbeliever.”
• “Ali bin abi Talib shines in paradise like the morning star shines for the people of the world.”
• “Ali is the king of momins and wealth is the king of hypocrites.”
• “Indeed, the angels sent Salwat upon Me and Ali seven years before any human being accepted Islam.”
• “The night I was carried [to heaven] I saw written on the leg of throne: Verily I am, I am Allah, Other than Me there is no diety, I created the paradise of Eden with My hands, Muhammad is the best of My creation and I helped Him through Ali and rendered Him victorious through Him.”
• “[O Ali] You are Father of My children.”
• “Agar duniya k darakht [trees] qalam [pen] ban jaye, samandar siyahi [ink] ki shakal mai tabdeel ho aur jin wa ins [Jins and humans] hisaab karney waaley phir bhi fazail Ali bin Abi Talib ka ahata nahi kar saktey.”
• The hadith is in Sahi Bujhari and Muslim that
Abu Hazifa said that one day he asked Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] “O, Prophet Muslims are getting success. Muslims have conquered Mecca and Fort of Khaibar. So what will happen in future? Will there also be good days for muslims in future? “
Prophet [PBUH] replied that Abu Hazifa in future there will be much more better period for muslims. Muslims will conquer many countires far away.
Than He [Abu Hazifa] asked,”After that period of glory and success will bad times comes for muslims or not? “
Prophet [PBUH] replied” yes it would be very bad days. One muslim will kill another muslim. The one who will speak truth will be killed.”
He said “such bad days will come in reality? “
Prophet[PBUH] replied” yes it will come”
He than again asked “So after this bad time will good days come again for muslims or not?
Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] replied “Yes, Ofcourse there will be true momins.”
He asked,”what after that Good times, will bad time comes again for muslims? “
Now Prophet [PBUH] replied “There will be very bad days after that for muslims. Some people among muslims will come calling themselves hafiz and aalim and will misguide people. Allah will burn these people in fire of hell in day of judgement. “
Abu Hazifa asked Prophet Muhammad [PBUH]”so will I be alive at that time? “
Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] replied “I am telling about about what will happen after a long period of time [that means he would not be alive at that time or that time will not come in his life period] “
He asked,” Suppose if I am alive at that time than what should I do and where to go for guidance? “
Prophet [PBUH] replied,” At that time there will be many sects among muslims and all will claim that they are on true path but follow the one who follow a Living Imam and that Imam would be like a King.”
Abu Hazifa asked,” If there would be no any sect like that or no living Imam than what would be? “
Prophet [PBUH] replied “ It would be always, it may be possible that you may not find it but it will be there and if you were living at that period of time and you are unable to find that sect than better to leave what others say and go to jungle and remember Allah over there [but dont follow any other]
• “Verily The Holy Qur'an has been revealed on seven letters of which there is no letter which has not a Manifest and a Latent meaning. And Verily Ali ibne Abi Taleb, with him is the Manifest and the Latent of it.”
• “Any one who dies without having known the Imam of his time dies as an unbeliever or idolater.” [Ref: Risala dar haqiaqat deen]
• “Ali is of me and I am of Ali"
• "Ali is with The Qur'an and Qur'an will be with Ali"
• "Ali is with the Right and the Right will be with Ali."
• “I am The City of Knowledge and Ali is The Gate”
• "O' Ali Thou art to me as Aaron was to Moses."
• When Hazrat Muhammad [PBUH] told His relatives that He is Prophet and asked who will help Him then except Ali no one else agreed. At that time Prophet [PBUH] said,”Here is my proxy and my lieutenant. Here standeth My brother. Listen to Him and obey.”
• At the victory of war of Khaibar Hazrat Muhammad [PBUH] said to Ali,”O Ali You are from Me and I am from You, You will inherit Me and I will inherit You, You are unto Me what Harun was unto Musa, enmity against You is enmity against Me, war against You is war against Me, Your flesh is My flesh, Your blood is My blood. As per orders of good I will give you these tidings that your friends will be rewarded in the heaven and your enemies will be punished in the hell.”
• At the War of Tabuk Hazrat Muhammad [PBUH] said,” O Ali, No body could look after this centre of muslim state but You and I.”
• At Gadir-e-Khaum following verse of Quran was revealed,”O Messesnger [Prophet], deliver to the people what has been revealed to you from your Lord and if you do not do so then you will not have delivered His message and Allah will protect you from the people.” Hazrat Muhammad [PBUH] said,”I am leaving amongst you two most important things worthy of obedience, the Holy Quran and My Progeny. Take care how you treat them, they will not seprated from each other till they reach Me at the fountain of Kausar. The Almighty God is My Lord and I am Lord of all muslims. I have more right and power on their lives then they have on their own. Do you believe in this assertion of mine?” All replied in one voice,”Yes O apostle of God.” Thrice He asked the same question and thrice He received the same affirmation. He said,”Hear and remember that to whom so ever I am the Lord, Ali is the Lord and Mowla to him. He is to Me what Harun was unto Musa.” It is in Risala dar haqiqat deen that Hazrat Muhammad [PBUH] said "And these two sacred and pure things I leave amongst you as a security. So long as you cling to these, you will never be lost on you way after me." It is in Quran,”This day have I perfected for You your religion and completed My favour on You and chosen for You Islam as a religion.”
• “There is no hero except Ali, there is no sword except His sword Zulfiqar.” [Hadith Qudsi]
• “He who want to see Noah in his determination, Adam in his knowledge, Abraham in his clemency, Moses in his intelligence and Jesus in his religious devotion should look at Ali Ibn Abi Talib.”
• Hazrat Salman Farsi said that I heard the Messenger of Allah saying,”I Myself and Ali were One Light in the hands of Allah 14000 years before He created Adam. When Allah created Adam He divided that light into two Parts. One Part is Me and One part is Ali.”
• “When Allah gathers the first ones and last ones on the day of judgement and the path has been errected on the bridge of hell no one can cross it unless he had along proof of allegiance to Ali Ibn Abi Talib.”
• “Whoever does not say that Ali is best in My people is Kafir.”
• It is in Farman of Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah that,”Paigamber ka Farman hai k Jo Imam gadi per Hazir ho un ko manay.”
• Hazrat Muhammad said to Ali,”O Ali after me people will get Guidance from You alone.”
• It is in Quran "And We have vested (the knowledge and authority
of) everything in the manifest Imam." Abu Baker and Umar asked Prophet [PBUH] Is Manifest Imam Torah? Prophet replied : No, then they asked : Is it Injeel? Prophet replied: No, then they asked : So is Quran Manifest Imam? Prophet replied : No then pointing towards Hazrat Ali Prophet [PBUh] said ,”He is manifest Imam.”
Mazhar of God:
• “ The remembrance of Ali is worship.”
• “ To look at the face of Ali is worship.”
• The miracle of Hazrat Dawood was that,that he used to make the iron soft.
whenever he took iron in hand,it would become soft.
Hazrat Mohammad[PBUH] said that Hazrat Dawood was able to do this because he said the name of Ali before performing this miracle.
• "I and Ali are of the same Noor [Divine Light]."
• “Ali is Alam of guidance [hidayat k alam],Sign of Imaan, Imam of auliyaa and for all momins Hazrat Ali is Noor.” [ref:Noorum Mubin]
• “Call Ali in whom all wonders are revealed. You will surely find Him helping you in difficulties. All worries and sorrows will disappear by His help O Ali, O Ali , O Ali.”
• Hazrat Muhammad [PBUh] said to Ali,”You are the divider of paradise and hell. On the day of judgement you say to hell this one for Me and that one for you.”
• “Eyes of Ali are eyes of God.”
• Hazrat Aisha asked Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] that can she see God. Prophet replied to her on the day of judgement people will see God just like they see moon. Hazrat Aisha asked What if want to have deedar of God in this world. At that time Hazrat Ali came. Hazrat Muhammad [PBUH] said her to look at Ali. The face of Ali is like face of Allah. That’s why still today Hazrat Ali is said as Karam Allah wajah.
• IT IS IN NORRUM MUBIN THAT HAZRAT ALI IS CALLED AS LION OF GOD. ON THE NIGHT OF MAIRAJ PROPHET MOHAMMAD {pbuh} SAW LION ON HIS WAY [ HAZRAT MOHAMMAD WAS RIDING ON BURAK TO TRAVEL ON SKY] HE GAVE RING TO LION AND LION TOOK THE RING AND GO AWAY.HAZRAT MOHAMMAD [PBUH] SAW ALL PROPHETS AND THAN TALKED WITH GOD. THE WAY OF TALKING AND VOICE OF GOD WAS LIKE THAT OF ALI. THAN ALLAH SAID HIM TO EAT FOOD. HE SAID THAT I NEVER EAT ALONE THAN FROM SOME WHERE THE HAND OF GOD APPEARED IN WHICH THERE WAS SAME RING WHICH PROPHET GAVE TO LION.
Love for Hazrat Ali :
• “[O Ali] No body except a momin loves you and no body except a hypocrite hates you.”
• “He who hurts Ali, hurts Me.”
• “He who abuses Ali indeed abuses Me and he who abuses Me indeed abuses Allah.”
• “You can only reach me through love of Ali.”
• “Love of Ali burns the sins in same manner as fire burns the wood.”
• “Momino ki pehchaan ji yehi hai k wo Ali say Mohabbat rakhtay hain aur jo Ali say bugz [jealousy] rakhta hai wo momin nahi munafiq hai.”
• “If some one do as much Ibadat as age of Hazrat Adam [1000 years or more], do Haj as much as age of Noah [950 years as per Bible and Quran] and give gold as much as mountain of Ahad in khairat but still if he has no love for Ali in his heart then he will go in hell.”
Importance of Panjtan Paak :
• “Fatima is a part of Me, what annoys Her annoys Me.”
• “O Fatima ! are you not pleased to be the chief of the women of the momins?”
• “The dearest to Me of my people is Fatima.”
• “[O Fatima], Are you not pleased to be the chief of the ladies of the people of paradise?”
• “Verily Allah becomes angry for the anger of Fatima and becomes pleased for her pleasure,”
• “Fatima is a branch of Me, what delights Her delights Me and what distresses Her distresses Me.”
• “Fatima is a part of Me and he who has hurt her has hurt Me.”
• “Hassan and Hussain are the two chiefs of the youth of the people of paradise.”
• “As for Hassan, He has My appearance and sovereignty and as for Hussain, He has my courage and generosity.”
• “Indeed Hassan and Hussain are My two fragrant basils in this world.”
• “Hassan and Hussain are My sons. To love them is to love Me.”
• “The most beloved to Me of the people of My house are Hassan and Hussain.”
• “He who loves Hassan and Hussain indeed loves Me and he who hates them hates Me.”
• “Hussain is from Me and I am from Hussain and God loves those who loves Hussain.”
• Hazrat Muhammad [PBUH] was carrying Hazrat Hassan on His shoulder. A man said : “How good is the conveyance you are riding , O boy !”. The Holy Prophet [PBUH] said,”How good is the rider !”
• “He who does a favour to one of My Ahl-e-bayt I will reward him for that on the day of resurrection.”
• “I am at the war with those who wage war with them and I am at peace with those who make their peace with them.”
• “He who love these [Hazrat Hassan and Imam Hussain] and their Father and Mother will be with Me on the day of resurrection.”
• “He who love these [Ali,Fatima,Hassan & Hussain] verily He loves Me and he who hates them hates Me.”
• “He who hurts Me concerning My Ahl-e-bayt verily hurts Allah.”
• “We are the Ahl-e-bayt, no body can be compared with us.”
• It is in Quran,” Say thou (O' our Apostle Muhammad!) 'I demand not of you any recompense for it (the toils of apostleship) save the love of (my) kith & kin.' And whosoever earneth good, We increase for him good therein, verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving, The Most Merciful." Sura Ash-Shura Ayat 23 . . When asked as to who were his relatives referred to in the above Ayat? The Holy Prophet replied, 'They are Ali, Fatima and their issues.'
• "The Qur'an and the Ahlul-Bait are the two inseparable entities, each perfect in itself reflecting the other."
• It is in Quran,”Verily Allah desires to remove all blemish from You, O Ahle bait and to purify you with a perfect purification.” When the above verse was revealed Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] spread His cloak over Hazrat Ali,Fatima,Hassan and Hussain and declared,”These are the members of My house and Allah has purified them all of any un cleaness and granted them His mercy. We serve as the tree of Prophethood, the pillar of mission, the place of passage of angels, the house of mercy and the wealth of knowledge.”
• It is in Quran,”Say I do not ask of you any reward for it but love for My near relatives.”The Prophet was asked,”O Prophet who are your near realtives who sould be loved?” He stated,”Ali,Fatima and their Sons.”
• “The example of the members of My household among you is like the example of Noah’s ark. Whoever boards it will attain salvation and whoever does not board it will drown.”
• “We serve as the ark of Salvation whoever holds fast to this ark will reach salvation and whoever deviated from it will be cast into predition. Whoever wants Allah to grant him some thing should resort to the Ahle bayt.”
• “Love Allah who gives you food out of His bounty and Love Me for His love and love the Members of My household because of love for Me.”
• “Whoever shows the animosity towards Us the Members of the house hold will be cast into the fire.”
• “Stars are the source of the earth and the Members of My household are the source of the people.”
• “The stars are the refuge for the dwellers of the heavens and My Ahle bayt are the refuge for the people.”
• “The Hassan will fight for restoring peace in the religion while the Hussain wil sacrifice for the cause of Islam.”
Sayings of Hazrat Ali :
• “ I am the sign of the Most High, I am the Gnosis of mysteries, I am the doors of the door, I am the first and the last, I am the manifest and hidden, I am the creator. I give birth to the world and I destroy it as I wish. I am the face of God. I am the supreme Kalam.” [Hazrat Ali Khutbatul bayan from a total of 70 such declarations partially quoted in Corbin H,”Histoire de la philosophie islamique” Paris 1964 pg 77]
• “Isa Ibn Maryam is a part of Me and I am part of him. He is supreme word of God. He is the witness testifying to the mysteries and I am that of which he testified.” [Kitabal Kashf Pg 8 & 9]
• “My name in The Torah is Eliah. In The Bible it is Eli. In The Holy Qura'n it is Aliyul-Azim. My mother calls me Haider. My father calls me Sabder. The Holy Prophet used to call me Murtaza. And the Muslims know me as the brave that never turns away from a battle out of fear.”
• “I am Aeliya of Injeel.” { Note: According to hadiths and Sayings of Ali, the word Eli or Aeliya in Bible is for Ali. Jesus cried with a loud voice,”Eli Eli lama sabch tani?” Which means “My God, My God why hast thou forsaken me?” [Mathew 27/46] }
• “I am Saqee-e-Kausar.”
• “I am [spiritual] father of every momin.”
• “I am speaking Quran.”
• “I am face of Allah.”
• “My marifat is marifat of Allah and marifat of Allah My marifat.”
• “We Ahle Bait are base of religion and pillars of faith.”
• “Khandan-e- Nabuwat ki izat ko tum apney gharo mai nahi le ja sakte ho. Humaray yeha Quran Sharif nazul huwa hai. Humaray hi makano mai Jibrail wahi k saath nazil hotey they…..Khalaq Allah ki behtri kis mai hai is ko hum behter samajhtey hain.” [Ref: Noorum Mubin]
• “I know many things which, if divulged, would appear to you so exciting that they would stir you like a lose rope, which is lowered into a deep well, stirs water in it, yet fails to reach its bottom". [Ref: Risala darhaqiqat deen]
• “Prophet had delivered his message, and, being entrusted with the outer side of religion (zahir) he carried on the war for religion (jihad). "And I am concerned with the batin, or the deeper meaning of religion." [Ref: Risala darhaqiqat deen]
• “I was hidden with all the Prophets, because the world was not yet ready. But now that the world is prepared, and the people are capable of understanding, I became apparent with Muhammad." [ Ref: Risala darhaqiqat deen]
• * It is in Quran, "O ye, who believe, obey Allah and obey the
Apostle and holders of authority from amongst you."
(Sura Nisa - Sura 4 Ayat 59)” Hazrat Ali said,”Khuda ka Amar is the strongest and we are Ulil Amar.”
• *” Khuda ki Qasam mai hi wo Imam-e-Mubeen hu jo haq aur batil ko saaf baiyan karta hai.”
• “I am the divider of hell.”
• Once a muslim from another area approached Imam Ali and said,”O Mowla I am a imani Muslim and I have a complete faith in you. Contrary to other muslims I consider You God of the worlds [Khudawand-e-Alameen] and You are Perfectly God to Me.” To this Mowla Ali replied,”Although You are a foreigner but because of Your faith You are with Me but even if You were with Me physically and if you did not have that faith you are farther from Me.” [Ref: KIM]
Fazilat About Hazrat Imam Ali Ibn e Abi Talib a.s according to Hadith's of Prophet Hazrat Muhammad s.a.w .Open challenged & Proof to All the world .
Asalamoalaka ya Ameer ul Momineen Imam Ali Ibn Abitalib a.s.
The Prophet (s) said, “There is no sword but Dhul-Fiqar, and there is no man but Ali (a.s).” Mustadrak Al-Sahihain of Al-Hakim Al-Nisabori, 2/385; Sunan Al-Bayhaqi, 3/376; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 197; Al-Tabari, 2/514; Al-Riyadh Al-Nudhra, 2/190.
The Prophet (s) said, “The carrier of my flag in this life and the Hereafter is Ali (a.s).” Kenz Al-Omal, 6/122; Al-Tabari, 2/201; Al-Khawarizmi, 250; Al-Fadha’il of Ahmad, 253; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 42/200.
The Prophet (s) said, “My Lord commanded me to close all the doors except the door of Ali (a).” Al-Khasa’is of Al-Nisa’i, 13; Mustadrak Al-Sahihain of Al-Hakim Al-Nisabori, 3/125; Al-Tirmidhi, 13/173; Al-Bayhaqi, 7/65; Yanabi^ Al-Mawda, 282; Musnad Ahmad, 4/369; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 245; Yanabi^ Al-Mawda, 126.
The Prophet (s) said, “The truest believers are three: the believer during the time of Al Ya-Sin, the believer during the time of Pharaoh, and the best of all, Ali (a).” Al-Manaqib of Ahmad, 194, 239; Kenz Al-Omal, 5/31; Al-Jami^ of Al-Suyuti, 2/83; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 245; Yanabi^ Al-Mawda, 12
The Prophet (s) said, “The one who wants to live my life and die my death will attach himself to Ali (a).” Musnad of Ahmad, 5/94; Mustadrak Al-Sahihain of Al-Hakim Al-Nisabori, 3/128; Kenz Al-Omal, 6/217; Al-Tabarani.
The Prophet (s) said, “The caller will call out on the Day of Judgment, ‘O Muhammad, blessed be your father, and Ibrahim, and blessed be your brother, Ali (a).” Al-Fadha’il of Ahmad, 253; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 67; Al-Khawarizmi, 83; Al-Riyadh Al-Nudhra, 2/201.
The Prophet (s) said, “Every prophet has an executor and inheritor, and my executor and inheritor is Ali (a).” Kenz Al-Omal, 6/158; Tarikh Baghdad of Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi, 11/173; Shawahid Al-Tanzil, 2/223; Yanabi^ Al-Mawda, 94.
The Prophet (s) said, “Dear God, don’t take my life until you have shown me the face of Ali (a).” Al-Riyadh Al-Nudhra, 2/201; Al-Fadha’il of Ahmad, 253; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 67; Akhtab Khawarizm, 83.
The Prophet (s) said, “We were created from the same tree, I and Ali (a).” Al-Tirmidhi, 13/178; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 122; Asad Al-Ghaba, 4/26; Al-Riyadh Al-Nudhra, 2/216.
The Prophet (s) said, “The most knowledgeable person in my nation after me is Ali (a).” Manaqib Al-Imam Ali Ibn Abi TAlib (a) of Ibn Al-Maghazeli Al-Shafi^i.
The Prophet (s) said, “Embellish your gatherings by mentioning Ali (a).” Mustadrak Al-Sahihain of Al-Hakim Al-Nisabori, 3/109; Musnad Ahmad, 4/368, 5/419; Al-Khasa’is of Al-Nisa’I, 9; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 16; Al-Manaqib of Akhtab Khawarizm, 94; Tarikh Baghdad of Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi, 8/290; Yanabi^ Al-Mawda.
The Prophet (s) said, “Embellish your gatherings by mentioning Ali (a).” Mustadrak Al-Sahihain of Al-Hakim Al-Nisabori, 3/109; Musnad Ahmad, 4/368, 5/419; Al-Khasa’is of Al-Nisa’I, 9; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 16; Al-Manaqib of Akhtab Khawarizm, 94; Tarikh Baghdad of Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi, 8/290; Yanabi^ Al-Mawda.
The Prophet (s) said, “I am the warner, and the guide after me is Ali (a).” Musnad Ahmad, 1/151; Al-Tirmidhi, 2/135; Al-Khasa’is of Al-Nisa’I, 20; Kenz Al-Omal, 1/247; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 222.
The Prophet (s) said, “Exemption from the Hellfire comes with love for Ali (a).” Mustadrak Al-Sahihain of Al-Hakim Al-Nisabori, 2/241; Tarikh Baghdad of Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi, 6/851; Akhtab Khawarizm, 86; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 90.
The Prophet (s) said, “There would not be one sufficient for Fatima if God had not created Ali (a).” HAliyat Al-Awliya’, 1/34; Al-Riyadh Al-Nudhra, 2/177; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 242; Al-Khawarizmi, 42; Yanabi^ Al-Mawda, 112.
The Prophet (s) said, “For the one who believes and trusts in me, I recommend the wilayat of Ali (a).” Al-Jami^ of Al-Suyuti, 1/230; Al-Riyadh Al-Nudhra, 2/168; Tarikh Baghdad of Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdadi, 1/316; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 49; Yanabi^ Al-Mawda, 266.
The Prophet (s) said, “The first of you to reach the Pond is the first of you who accepted Islam: Ali (a).” Kenz Al-Omal, 6/154; Al-Tabarani, 5/32; Al-Riyadh Al-Nudhra, 1/165; Dhaka’ir Al-^Aqi, 65; Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 230.
The Prophet (s) said, “No one is permitted on the Bridge except by the wilayat of Ali (a).” Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 15; Al-Isti^ab, 2/457.
The Prophet (s) said, “No one can give account of me but Ali (a).” Ibn Al-Maghazeli, 119, 242; Al-Riyadh Al-Nudhra, 2/177; Yanabi^ Al-Mawda, 112, 419; Al-Khawarizmi, 253.
The Prophet (s) said, “The most miserable person from the beginning of the world to the end is the murderer of Ali (a).” Mustadrak Al-Sahihain of Al-Hakim Al-Nisabori, 3/141; Musnad Ahmad, 4/263; Al-Khasa’is of Al-Nisa’i 39; Al-Tabari, 2/408; Kenz Al-Omal, 5/58.
Literary Reading: “Ahl al-Bayt” – An Understanding Based on the Holy Qur’an, Hadith and Historical Event
The Meaning of Ahl al-Bayt and Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq’s Clarification on Who the Term is Designated For
I leave behind me, amidst you, two great things, Holy Qur’an, the ‘Book of God’, and my progeny (itrat). Should you be attached to these two, never shall you go astray after me, for verily, these two will never be separated from each other until they meet at the ‘Spring of Kauthar’. Hadith Thaqlain [1]
According to the above hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, a Muslim who wants to stay on Sirat-al-Mustakeem (The True Path), should hold unto both the Qur’an and the Ahl al-Bayt. What the ‘Book of God’ is, is quite obvious and needs no clarification, but there are some differences among the Muslims as to who the Ahl al-Bayt are.
In fact, there should not be any controversy over this issue because the Holy Prophet Muhammad himself had clarified this matter a number of times through very definite pronouncements. In this article, we shall examine some significant verses from the Holy Qur’an, the hadiths of the Prophet and historical events which took place during his lifetime, to see who the Ahl al-Bayt are. Commentaries of both Sunni and Shia traditionists and scholars who have thrown light on this subject shall also be considered.
First let us see what the term Ahl al-Bayt means.
Literally ‘Ahlal’ means ‘People’. For example, ‘Ahl al-Kitab’ means ‘People of the Book’; Ahl al-Jama’at means ‘People of the Gathering’. ‘Bayt’ means ‘House’, for example, ‘Baytullah’ means ‘House of Allah’.
‘Ahl al-Bayt’ thus means ‘People of the House.’
In Islamic terminology, this term is generally restricted to ‘People of the House of the Prophet and his Progeny’, specifically his family members and successors, but some Muslims assert that all Muslims belong to the family (Aal) of Muhammad.
A fair examination of such evidence, as that which follows, could scarcely allow us to escape the conclusions that have been arrived at on the issue of the question:
lmam Ja’far as-Sadiq said to a questioner: “Know that none among the earlier communities in times gone by, nor among people that are no more, nor have we heard tell of any folk, that any of them were greater in wrong-doing than this community. For, verily they assert that there is nothing to distinguish them from the members of the House of their Prophet, and that the Ahl al-Bayt are not more excellent than the commonalty.
Now he who makes such an assertion is surely a greater imposter in the eyes of God and is guilty of a grave slander and a manifest crime. By this affirmation he is quit of Muhammad or the family of Muhammad until he repents and returns to the true faith by acknowledging the excellence of those on whom it has been bestowed by the Glorious and Almighty God among the members of the House of Prophecy, the Abode of Mercy, the Mine of Knowledge, the People of the Reminder, the Coevals of Angels. Now he who asserts that even by these attributes there is no excellence in them is entirely repudiated by the Ahl al-Bayt in this world and the hereafter.” [2]
When asked by a questioner, ‘Give me a proof from the Book of God to establish the dictum that the ‘progeny’ of Muhammad are specifically the members of his house, as distinguished from others’, the Imam replied:
“Very well, God, and He is the most truthful of speakers, said: ‘Lo! God preferred Adam and Nuh and the family of Ibrahim and the family of Imran above all his creatures.” [3]
And then the Imam clarified who the people were that were thus chosen and said:
“They were descendants one of another; and God is Hearer and Knower. [4] ‘And it is impossible to be of the progeny of the Prophet except through direct descent’.”[5]
Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq has thus unequivocally declared that only the progeny of Prophet Muhammad through direct descent are the Ahl al-Bayt.
We shall now elaborate on this through ayats of the Holy Qur’an, supplemented with historical accounts and the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad.
The Famous Incident of Mubahala (The Contest of Prayer to God)
If anyone disputes with you concerning him (Jesus), after knowledge has been given to you, say (unto them, O Muhammad)! ‘Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves. Then let us call on God to witness against each other and let us make the curse of God fall on those who lie. Holy Qur’an, Sura 3, Ayat 61
The above verse was revealed to the Prophet in Mecca in 10 A.H. (631-632 CE) which led to the famous event recorded in history as Mubahala (contest of prayer to God) with the Christians. A delegation of sixty Christians from Najran, led by their Chief Priest Abd al-Masih, came to Prophet Muhammad and asked him about his views about Jesus, to which he replied: “Jesus is the servant of God.” And when they discussed with him about the status and personality of Jesus in view of his miraculous birth, God sent a revelation to the Prophet which said:
“The likeness of Jesus in the sight of God is like the likeness of Adam. God created him from dust. Then God said to him ‘Be’ and he was. That is the truth from your Lord. Therefore do not be one of those who doubt.” (Sura 3, Ayats 59,60)
In spite of this revelation, which likened Jesus to Adam, the Christians continued to dispute and hence, the Qur’anic verse (3:61), mentioned above, called upon the Prophet to invite the Christians to settle the dispute by Mubahala. The Christians consulted amongst themselves and finally agreed to come for the Mubahala early next morning.
Before the break of dawn, Prophet Muhammad sent one of his closest companions, Salman al-Farsi, to an open place to erect a small shelter for himself and for those whom he intended to take with him to the contest. At the appointed hour, the Christians witnessed the arrival of the Prophet with Husayn in his arms, Hasan holding his finger and walking beside him, Bibi Fatima following him, and Hazrat Ali behind her. Reaching the appointed spot, the Holy Prophet stationed himself with his daughter, his two grandsons and his cousin and son-in-law Hazrat Ali for the contest. Raising his hands to heaven, he said: “O Lord! these are the People of my House.”
The Chief Priest inquired about those who were accompanying the Prophet and when he was told who they were, he addressed his fellow Christians and said:
“Have you seen that he has come with the special members of his family so that he may make the contest of prayer with them, trusting in his truthfulness. By God! he would not have come with them if he was afraid that the proof would be against him. Therefore, be warned against the contest of prayer with him. By God! if it was not for the position of Caesar (the Byzantine emperor), I would submit to him. But (now) make peace with him on what can be agreed between you and him. Return to your land and think about it yourselves.”
The Christians readily accepted the advice counselled by their leader, who then went to the Prophet and said:
“We will not have the Mubalala, but we will make peace with you.”
This historical event has a great significance with regard to what it discloses about those who accompanied the Holy Prophet to the Mubahala. God’s command in this verse, regarding each kind of relative to be summoned for the event, is in the plural, i.e. to call the sons, women and the selves to invoke His curse on the liars, but the Holy Prophet took only his two grandchildren whereas there were innumerable other children amongst his followers, he took only one lady, his daughter, whereas there were nine other ladies in his own household who were his wives, among whom were the daughters of Abu Baqr and also of Umar, and he took only his cousin and son-in-law Hazrat Ali with him, whereas there were others who were also his companions. This choice of the Holy Prophet clearly shows that there were no other members among the children and women or the adults to be compared to these members of his household in their personal purity and holiness.
It was unquestionably and firmly established before the huge crowds of Muslims, as well as the non-Muslims to bear witness that only the Holy Prophet, his daughter Fatima, his grandsons Hasan and Husayn and his cousin and son-in-law Ali b. Abi Talib are the Ahl al-Bayt and no one else. [6]
The Protection of the Prophet’s Family under his Mantle
“.. And God’s wish is but to remove (every kind of) impurity from you, O People of the House and purify you (with) a thorough purification.” Holy Qur’an, Sura 33, Ayat 33
Amr Ibn Abi Salma, who was brought up by the Holy Prophet, relates:
“When this verse was revealed, the Holy Prophet was in the House of Umme-Salema. At the revelation of the above verse, the Holy Prophet assembled his daughter Fatima, her sons Hasan and Husayn, and her husband, his cousin Ali and covered the group including himself with his own mantle and addressing God said:
‘O God! these constitute my progeny. Keep them away from every kind of impurity, purified with perfect purification.’ Umme-Salema, the righteous wife of the Holy Prophet, witnessing this marvellous occasion, humbly submitted to the Holy Prophet: ‘O Apostle of God! May I also join the group?’ to which the Holy Prophet replied ‘No, remain in your own place. You are in goodness’.”
According to Sahih Sitta, which is the consolidation of sound prophetic traditions from six authentic collections, Umme-Salema said:
“I also caught hold of a corner of the mantle and wanted to get under it, but the Holy Prophet snatched it away from me and said, ‘You are in goodness but not of the Ahl al-Bayt.”
It is historically acknowledged that the Qur’anic verse (33:33), which was revealed once in the house of Umme-Salema, was repeated again in the house of Ayesha.
Ayesha reports that one day, when the Holy Prophet was enwrapped in a black mantle, there came to him his grandson Hasan and the Holy Prophet got him under the mantle. Then came Husayn (the other grandson) and he was also received in the similar manner by the Holy Prophet under the mantle. When came his daughter Fatima, the Holy Prophet took her under the mantle. In came Ali and the Holy Prophet also received him under the mantle, and then the Holy Prophet recited the above mentioned verse of Tatheer, i.e. purification.
It could reasonably be said that the revelation of one and the same verse in the houses of two of the wives of the Holy Prophet was the divine plan to declare the exclusive position of the Ahl al-Bayt and that both the wives should bear witness to the event. Thus they could vouch for their exclusion from the Ahl al-Bayt and that any votaries, on behalf of the wives of the Holy Prophet, may not later attempt to include the wives in the term.
There is not a single tradition to show that the Holy Prophet considered the wives to have been included in the understanding of the verse 33:33. Some of the modern commentators have attempted to distort the phrase Allahumma Hawla’i, i.e. ‘O Lord! these are the People of my House’ as to mean ‘O Lord! these also are the People of my House ’.
Ibn Kathir a noted Sunni commentator, in his tafseer of the above ayat (33:33), writes that Ibn Hambal and Tirmizi have written that when the Prophet used to go for the morning prayers, he would pass by the door of Hazrat Bibi Fatima’s house. At that time he would say: “O Ahl al-Bayt! It is time for the salat.” He would then recite the above ayat (33:33). [7]
Ayesha, while going to the battle of Jamal, was asked about Ali ibn Abi Talib.
Ayesha replied:
“You ask me about the one whom the Holy Prophet loved the most? By God! I saw the Holy Prophet taking Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn under his mantle and saying:
‘O God! These and only these are my Ahl al-Bayt. Keep them away from every impurity’.
I asked the Holy Prophet: ‘Am I not of your Ahl al-Bayt?’
The Holy Prophet said, ‘No, you are not of my Ahl al-Bayt’.”
It was asked of Zahid Bin Arqam as to who constitute the Ahl al-Bayt, and if the wives are also included in them. The reply was that a wife is associated as long as the wedlock continues or the husband lives. If divorced or widowed the wife returns to her parents. The Ahl al-Bayt are those whose relationship is unbreakable or unceasable with the Holy Prophet. [8]
The Verse Concerning the Special Blessings for the Prophet
Verily God and his angels bless the Prophet: O ye who believe! Send your blessings on him and greet him with a worthy salutation. Holy Qur’an, Sura 33, Ayat 56
When this verse was revealed, some of the companions of the Prophet asked him about it and said:
“O messenger of God, we know how to greet you, but how are we to bless you?”
And the Prophet said,
“You should say ‘O God bless the Prophet and his Progeny, even as you had blessed Abraham and his Progeny. Verily: You (O God) are worthy of praise, full of Majesty’.”
In this way, the Prophet clarified to them how to send blessings made obligatory by God, and made clear that the blessings are for him and for his progeny. [9]
The above verse states that God and His Angels send their blessings to the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet’s inclusion of his progeny along with him in the recitation of the Salawat was perfectly justified in that his Aal, that is his progeny, is one with him in purity and personal grace (33:33).
To associate anybody else with the Aal will be an unwarranted and unacceptable fancy of the one who does it. For none else could ever be aligned with those purified by God himself.
Love for the Prophet’s Kith and Kin
That is of which God gives the glad tidings unto His servants who believe and do good deeds. ‘Say(O Muhammad! to mankind), I demand not of you any recompense for it (the toils of apostleship): save the love of (my) relatives. And whosoever earns good, we increase for him good therein, verily God is oft-Forgiving, the Appreciator (of good)’. Sura 42, Ayat 23
The Shi ‘a ulama say that once a group of people came to the Prophet saying:
“O Prophet of God, you came to us at the time when we had lost the way. God guided us through you. We were poor, God made us rich through you. Our wealth is at your disposal. Take from it what ever you like.”
It was on this occasion, say the learned from amongst the Shia’s, that the above verse relating to the love for the relatives was revealed. The Qur’anic expression, ‘the love for the relatives’ according to them means the love for ‘All, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn and their descendants.
Their opponents who do not approve of this explanation maintain that the above verse has been cancelled by another verse in the Qur’an which runs thus:
“Say, whatever I ask you regarding my return, it is for you; I depend for my reward on none but God and he is a witness to everything.”
The Shia’s refute this argument by saying that the second verse which has been quoted by their opponents and which according to them has a nullifying effect on the first one was either revealed before the first verse, (‘I demand not of you any recompense for it, save the love of my relatives’) or after it. If it was revealed before the verse which asks the believers to love the Prophet’s relatives (42:23) then it cannot cancel it. On the other hand, if it was revealed after the verse pertaining to ‘the love for the relatives’, it makes the first verse all the more emphatic. For the verse:
‘Say, whatever I ask you in the way of return, is meant for you’,
means that the love for the relatives of the Prophet which he asked for from the believers is really for their benefit, in this that God will be pleased with them. This is corroborated by the saying of Imam Ja’far-as Sadiq which is as follows:
“If a servant of God was to worship Him between the rukn and the muqam in the Ka’ba until his physical body begins to dissolve, his devotion will not be recognised by God if he does not approach him through us.” [10]
The verse is clear in its meaning that the Holy Prophet is being commanded by God to ask the believers to love his kith and kin, i.e. the Holy Ahl al-Bayt and that would be in return for his Apostolic services. This command has a very wide and extensive meaning which tells the Muslims that if they wished to pay the return for the Prophet’s service, and be always on the right path, they should follow his Ahl al-Bayt, for these are the ones whom God has himself purified (33:33), these are the truthful ones and the custodian of the original Word of God and its correct interpretation.
When the Messenger of God was asked as to who were his kith and kin, he replied:
“Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husayn.”
He further stated:
“He who loves them, loves me. He who hates them, hates me. None but a mumin loves Ali and none but a hypocrite hates Me.”
It is said that in the days of the Prophet, mu’mins could not be distinguished from the hypocrites by anything, but their love for Ali. The Prophet ordained and exhorted his followers to love Ali, and God enjoined it as a duty on the Muslims in general.
Imam Muhammad al-Baqir was asked to explain the meaning of the above verse (42:23). He explained it by saying,
“It is the duty of every mumin to love us who are the Ahl al-Bayt, the kith and kin of Muhammad.”
He further said, “He who loves us will again rise with us on the Day of Judgement.” Again he said: “Religion is nothing but love.” God says: “He made you love your faith and adorned it in your hearts.” (49:7) [11]
In conclusion, the Ahl al-Bayt are the progeny of the Holy Prophet by direct descent, his kith and kin. Thus only the Panjetan Pak - the five holy ones - protected under the mantle of the Prophet Muhammad and the progeny of the Prophet Muhammad by direct descent, that is the rightful Imams including the Imam-e-Zaman, are the Ahl al-Bayt.
_________________________________
Footnotes:
The references for the squared brackets are as follows:
1. Another translation of the Hadith:
The Messenger of Allah – may Allah bestow peace and benedictions upon him and his Progeny – said:
“Verily, I am leaving behind two precious things (thaqalayn) among you: the Book of God and my kindred (`itrah), my household (Ahl al-Bayt), for indeed, the two will never separate until they come back to me by the Pond (of al Kawthar on the Judgement’s Day).”
2. The Book of Faith from the Da’a’im al-Islam of al-Qadi al-Nu’man tr. by Asaf A.A. Fyzee, page 37
3. Holy Qur’an, Sura 3, Ayat 33
4. Holy Qur’an, Sura 3, Ayat 34
5. The Book of Faith tr. by Asaf A.A. Fyzee, page 36
6. The Holy Quran, tr. by Mir Ahmed Ali pages 183-185
7. Tafsir, Ibne Kathir, Part 4, Chapter 2, page 4
8. The Holy Quran, tr. by Mir Ahmed Ali pages 666-669
9. The Book of Faith tr. by Asaf A.A. Fyzee, page 34
10. Life and Lecture of the Grand Missionary Al-Shirazi, tr. by Professor Jawad Muscati and Khan Bahadur A.M. Moulvi, pages 136-137
11. Code of Conduct for the followers of lmam, tr. by Prof. Javad Muscati and Khan Bahadur Prof. A. Moulvi, pages 21-22
______________________
Literary Reading adapted by Simerg from article “The Qur’an and the Ahlal-Bayt” byFarhad Husseinali Patni, Ilm Volume 8, Number 4 (March 1984), published by His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismailia Association for the United Kingdom (under the new Ismaili Constitution ordained in 1986 by the current 49th Imam of the Ismailis, His Highness the Aga Khan, this Ismaili institution has since been known as the Shia Imami Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board for the United Kingdom – or as the case may apply for each individual country).
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