لطفا منتظر باشید ...
Message of Thaqalayn
(a): Its Meaning and Origin
Jalali
The term "ahl" signifies the members of
a household of a man, including his fellow tribesmen, kin, relatives, wife
(or wives), children, and all those who share a family background, religion,
housing, city, and country with him. "Ahl" and "?l"
are both the same term with the exception that "?l" is exclusively
used for human beings and should come before the family name, but such
a condition is not existent in the case of "ahl".
"Bayt" refers to habitation and dwelling,
including tents and buildings both. The "ahl-al-bayt"
of any person refers to his family members and all those who live in his
house (c.f. "Mufrad?t al-Qur'?n" by R?ghib
Isfah?n?; "Q?m?s" by F?rooz?b?d?;
"Majma al-Ba<rayn".
The term "ahl-al-bayt" (people of the house)
has been repeated twice in the Holy Qur'?n:
1. "... the mercy of Allah and his blessing are
on you, O people of the house, ... (11:73)"
This verse refers to the people of the House of
Ibr?h?m (c.f. "Kashf al-Asr?r wa Uddat al-Abr?r",
416/4 and other interpretations).
2. "... Allah only desires to keep away the
uncleanness from you, O people of the House! And to purify you a (thorough)
purifying (33:33)".
This verse, knownas
the "Ta>h?r verse", refers to the Members of the Household of the Holy
Prophet . The Im?m?yyah scholars
of <ad?th and fiqh, as well as some Sunni Ulam?,
consider the "ahl-al-bayt" cited inthe "ta>h?r verse"
to include exclusively Mu<ammad, Al?,F?>imah, \asan, and
\usayn (peace be upon them all). They do not consider the Holy Prophet's
other offspring, wives, sons of paternal uncles, and dwellers of his house
as the Messenger's "ahl-al-bayt".
They base their argument on the genuine and authentic
traditions narrated by the companions of the Prophet recorded in the
Sunni and Sh?? sources. Under the following headings, this
article will delve into some of the said traditions and refer to some features
of the "ahl-al-bayt" as narrated by the Sunnis:
1. Kis?' tradition; 2. Mub?halah
tradition; 3. Mawaddat al-Qurb? tradition; 4. Saf?nah
tradition; 5. Other traditions.
1. Kis?' Tradition
A.
Jal?ludd?n Abdul-Ra<m?n bin Ab?Bakr Suy?>? (d 911 A.H.) in his
commentary "Al-Dur al-Manth?r", 198/5-199, Mu<ammad ibn
Is? Tirmidh? (3 279 A.H.) the author of "J?m?'
@a<?h", \ak?m N?sh?b?r? (d 405 A.H.) in
"Al-Mustadrak ala al-@ah?<ayn", A<mad ibn \usayn Bayhaq? (d
458 A.H.) in "Sunan" (all three of whom have considered the
Kis?' tradition as authentic), Mu<ammad ibn Jarir ^abar? (d 315
A.H.), Ibn Munzir Mu<ammad ibn Ibr?him (d 319 A.H.), Ibn Mardawayh
Isfah?n?, and A<mad ibn Mus? (d 410 A.H.) have quoted Ummu Salamah,
the wife of the Holy Prophet as saying that the verse "... Allah
only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House!
And to purify you a thorough purifying (33:33)" was revealed in her
house. At that time, Al?,F?>imah, \asan, and \usayn (peace be
upon them all) were in her house. The Holy Prophet spread his cloak
over them and stated: "These are the members of my Household, and Allah
has purified them of all (sins and faults and uncleanness)."
B. A<mad bin Mu<ammad bin \anbal,
the \anbali Im?m, (d 241 A.H.), in "Musnad" 229/2 quotes
Ummu Salamah as saying: "The Holy Prophet was in myhouse. F?>imah
(a) came to her father holding a stone bowl filled with "harirah" (type
of food made up of flour, milk, and vegetable oil). The Holy Prophet
stated: Invite your husband and two sons to come as well." Al?,
\asan, and \usayn also came there and all sat down to eat "harirah". Then,
the Holy Prophet was sitting on a cloak in his resting place and I
was reciting the prayer in the chamber. At this time, Almighty Allah
revealed the verse "Allah only desires to ...". The Holy Prophet covered
Al?,F?>imah, \asan, and \usayn (peace be upon them all) with the cloak
and then stretched his hand toward the sky and said: "Allah! These are
the Members of my Household, so purify them of all uncleanness'. Ummu Salamah
said: "I asked him: "Am I also with you?" He stated: "You are on good and
virtue" (but did not say that you are a member of my Household)'."
This tradition has also been narrated
by A<mad ibn Mu<ammad Tahaw? (d 321 A.H.) in
"Mushkil al-?th?r" 332 and 334; Wa<?d? in
"Asb?b al-Nuz?l" 268 and Mu<ib ^abar? (d 694 A.H.) in
"Zakh?ir al-Uqb?" 23 have related this tradition. In continuation of this
tradition, ^abar? has written that the Prophet stated: "I am a friend
of whosoever is friends with them and an enemy of whosoever is an enemy
of them." The said tradition of similar statements have been recorded
in "Manaqib" by Ibn \anbal, 44, the microfilm copy of the book is available in
the Parliament Library. ^abar? remarked: "This tradition has been
narrated from Umma Salamah by Ibn al-Qubabi in "Mu'jam"and
S?y?>? in "Al-Dur al-Mnth?r" under the title of the"ta>h?r
verse", as well as by Ibn Jarir, Ibn Munzir, Ibn Mardawayh, Ibn Abi \?tam
and Ibn ^abr?n?."
C- Kha>ib
Baghd?d?, A<mad bin Al?, (d 463 A.H.) in "The History of
Baghdad" 278/10, has quoted Ab? Saeed Khidri Sad bin M?lik (d 74
A.H.) as saying that after the revelation ofthe "ta>h?r verse",
the Holy Prophet summoned Al?,F?>imah, \asan, and \usayn
(peace be upon them all) and covered them with the cloak he had on and
said: "These are the members of my Household, and Allah has purified
them (of every wrong and sin)." The same tradition has been narrated
from Ummu Salamah by Mu<ammad ibn Jarir ^abar? in "J?ma
al-Bay?n" 7/22.
D- In "@a<i< Muslim"
(narrated by Sayyid Murta_? F?rooz?b?d? in
"Fa_ail al-Khamsah min Si<a< al-Sitah" 214/1), Safiyah, the
daughter of Shayba, has narrated ?ishah, the wife of the Holy Prophet
, as saying: "One morning, the Messenger of Allah left the house with a
cloak made of black material and bearing the design of a camel's saddle.
\asan ibn Al? entered the place, and the Prophet covered him
with the cloak. Then came \usayn,F?>imah, and Al? one after
another, and all of them were also covered by the cloak. The Prophet
then stated: "... Allah only desires to keep away uncleanness from you,
O people of the House! And to purify you a (thorough) purifying."
This tradition has been narrated
by \ak?m Nish?b?r? in "Al-Mustadark"
14/3; Bayhaq? in "Sunan" 149/2; ^abar? in the
"J?mial-Bay?n" S?y?>? in "al-Durri al-Manth?r"
under the title of the"ta>h?r verse". In addition, Ibn Abi Shaybah,
A<mad bin Mu<ammad bin \anbal, Ibn Abi \?tam have narrated
it from ?ishah. Zamakhshar? in "Kashshaf" and Fakhr
R?z? in "Tafs?r Kab?r" have also related
this tradition. It seems that the recorders of traditions are unanimous
about the authenticity of this tradition ("Fa_ail al-Khamsah" 224/1).
E-
In the "J?mi al-Bay?n" Mu<ammad bin Jarir ^abar? has
quoted Shahr bin Hushab Ash'air (d 100 A.H.) as saying: "When Ummu Salamah
heard news of the martyrdom of \usayn bin Al? (a), she cursed the
people of Iraq and said: May Allah kill the people of Iraq who deceived
him and left him alone. May Allah cursethem. Verily, I saw F?>imah
while bringing a stone bowl of sweet paste for the Holy Prophet . The
Holy Prophet stated: Where is your cousin?' She said: At home.' The
Prophet said: Go bring him here withhis two sons.' F?>imah
returned while holding the hands of \asan and \usayn. Al? also followed
them, and they came to the Holy Prophet . The Holy Prophet embraced
\asan and \usayn and made Al? sit on hisright and F?>imah on left.
He then the cloak as the carpet on which we slept in Medina and placed
itover F?>imah, Al?, \asan, and \usayn. He held the two sides
of the cloak with his left hand. He raised his right hand toward the sky
addressing Almighty Allah by saying: O Allah, purify them of any uncleanness .
O Allah, these are the members of my Household. Purify and cleanse them
of any vice, wrong, and sin,' (He repeated this twice). I asked: O
Messenger! Am I also a member of your Household?' He said: You come under the
cloak.' I also went under the cloak, but only after the Prophet finished
his prayer for his cousin, his two sons, andF?>imah (peace be upon
them all)." This tradition has been related by A<mad bin Mu<ammad
ibn \anbal in "Musnad" 292/6: Tahwi in "Mushkil al-?th?r"
335/1; and Mu<ib ^abar? in "Zakh?ir al-Uqb?"
22/1. The Kis?' tradition which has been narrated in different
forms by the Shias and the Sunnis is very sacred for the entire Im?m?yyah,
especially the Shia of Iran, the Indian subcontinent, Iraq, and Yemen.
It is recited in "raw_ah" sessions (mourning ceremony) to have the
wishes fulfilled and problems removed. Some narration provide more details
on this tradition. Some say that Jibraeel and Mikaeel were also among the
disciples of the Kis?' or were present there. A divine revelation
was descended on the Holy Prophet to the effect that the world and
whatever is in it is indebted to these five pure ones.
2. Mub?halah Tradition
Sixty chiefs and Ulam? of Najr?n,
headed by Sayyid, Aqib, and Usquf (religious personalities) of the region
in the 10th year A.H. came to Medina to clarify their religious and political
stance vis-?-vis Islam which had spread over the Arab peninsula
and to engage in discussions with the Messenger of Allah to realize
the essence and truth of Islam.
After lengthy discussions which have been presented
in details in Ibn Husham's "Sirah" 573/1, no agreement was reached
on the position and standing of Jesus. The Christians of Najr?n
believed in the divinity of Jesus and considered him as the son of God.
This is while, based on the explicit wording of the Holy Qur'?n
(3:59), the Messenger of Allah considered him as a prophet and the
servant of God. At the end of the discussions, the Prophet suggested
that the two sides engage in "mub?halah", in other words,
to invoke divine malediction for the lying side. The following verse was
descended in this regard:
"But whoever disputes with you in this matter
after what has come to you of knowledge, then say: come let us call our
sons and your sons and our women and your women and our near people and
your near people, then let us be earnest in prayer, and pray for the curse
of Allah on the liars." (3:61)
The 10th (and some say the
24th) of Dhul-Hijjah was chosen for "mub?halah". The Messenger
of Allah ordered that in a field outside Medina a thin black "aba"
(men's loose sleeveless cloak open in front) be used as a shade between two
trees. The Christian chiefs and dignitaries of Najr?n stood in orderly ranks
on one side of the field, on the other side, the Prophet,
togetherwith Al?, F?>imah, \asan and \usayn came from the direction of Medina
to the shade. Along this path, the Prophet , holding the hand
of Al? (a), \asan and \usayn walked in frontwith F?>imah behind
them (c.f. "Majma al-Bay?n". Interpretation of the
Mub?halah Verse). With such simplicity and grandeur, they reached the shade and
stood below the "ab?". The Holy Prophet recited the"ta>h?r
verse" and addressed the "ahl-al-bayt" by saying: "I will invoke
malediction for them and you say amin'." Seeing such glory and grandeur,
the Najr?n chiefs lost their self-confidence and felt that they
were very puny and could not stand against Prophet Mu<ammad and
his Household. They, therefore, accepted to pay "jaz?yyah"
and offered to give in to peace. On behalf of the Holy Prophet , the
commander of the Faithful, Al? (a), signed a peace treaty with
the Christians.
The Christians were to annually offer twelve thousand
exquisite clothes, a thousand mithq?l of gold, and some other
items to remain Christians under the umbrella of Islam.
On the basis of the "mub?halah
verse", Sunni interpreters such as Zamakhshari, Bay_aw?, Im?m
Fakhr R?z? and others regard Al?,F?>imah, \asan
and \usayn (peace be upon them all) superior to all other people and argue
that Hassan and \usayn are the sons of the Messenger of Allah.
The term "anfusin?" in the
"mub?halah verse" proves the unity of the heart and soul of Prophet Mu<ammad
and Al?. The Holy Prophet stated: "Al? is of me and I
am of Al?." ("Fa_ail al-Khamsah" 343/1). The
"mub?halah tradition" has been recounted in different books of
"s?rah" and history with various wordings. These include those of
Tirmidh? ("Sahih" 166/2) which quotes Sad ibn Ab? Waqq?s
as follows: "When the mub?halah verse was recited, the Holy
Prophet summoned Al?,F?>imah, \asan, and \usayn and said: O
Allah, these are the Members of my Household." This tradition has been
narrated by \akim N?sh?bur? in "Al-Mustadrak"
150/3 and Bayhaq? in "Sunan" 63/7. \ak?m regards this
tradition as authentic.
3. Mawaddat al-Qurb? Tradition
Based on the consensus of the exegesists ("J?ma
al-Bay?n" ^abar? 16/25, 17; "\ilyat al-Awl??"
251/3; "Al-Mustadrak" 172/3; "Usd al-Gh?bah" 367/5;
"Al-@aw?'iq al-Mu<araqah" 101), the following verse has
been revealed about the members of the Household of the Holy Prophet :
"...Say: I do not ask of you any reward for
it but love for my near relatives ..." (42:23)
The term "Al-Qurb?"
in this verse, based on the traditions narrated from the Holy Prophet
, embracesonly Al?, F?>imah, \asan, and \usayn and no one else.
The tradition from Ibn Abb?s' has it that when the
"mawaddat al-qurba" verse was revealed, the Prophet was asked: "O messenger,
who are your near relatives who should be loved?" He
stated:"Al?, F?>imah, and their sons." This tradition has been narrated
by Mu<ib ^abar? in "Zakh?ir al-Uqb?"
25/1; Ibn \anbal in "Man?qib" 110; Mo'min Shabilenji
"Nural-Abs?r" 101; and Zamakhshar? in "Kashshaf" as annotation to the
said verse. In the "Tafs?r al-Kab?r", Fakhr
R?z? has related the said narration from "Kashshaf" and has said
that based on this verse, Al?,F?>imah, \asan, and \usayn should
be revered and sanctified. He has also cited lines of verse from the Sh?fi?'
Im?m, Mu<ammad bin Idris Sh?fi?' (d 240 A.H.) in
this regard. A line of it is as follows: "If love for the members of
the Household of the Holy Prophet is heresy, then the world should stand
witness that I am a heretic."
4. Saf?nah Tradition
The virtues of the "ahl al-bayt" have been
amply mentioned in the authenticated and Tawatur traditions narratted
by both Shia and Sunni Ulam?. Using different words and phrases,
these traditions have asked people to love the "ahl al-bayt" and
follow thier teachings. For instance, the Holy Prophet has compared
his "ahl al-bayt" to Noah's ark. Whoever loves and follows them
will attain salvation and whoever violates their sanctity will drown.
The servant of the Holy Prophet , Anas
bin M?lik (d 93 A.H.), has been related as quoting the Prophet
as saying: "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." This tradition has been
narrated by \akim N?sh?bur? in "Al-Mustadrak"
343/2;Kha>?b in "T?r?kh Baghd?d" 91/12; and
other great recorders of traditions ("al-Ghad?r" 300/2-301).
In this regard, Im?m Shafi?' has said the following:
"When I saw different schools of thought
directing people toward the seas of ignorance and deviation, I boarded the ark
of salvation in the Name of Allah. This arc is verily crystallized in
the "ahl al-bayt" of the Seal of the Prophets,Mu#>?f? ."
Among very famous traditions in which the "ahl al-bayt" have been
resembled to the ark of salvation, reference can be made to the famous
"Ishb?< tradition" which has been narrated from the Holy
Prophet by Ab? \urayrah Abdul-Ra<m?n bin Sakhar (d
59 A.H.).
"When Almighty Allah created Adam, the
father of mankind, and breathed His spirit into him, Adam looked to the
right hand side of the empyrean. There he saw five figures in the form of
silhouettes engaged in prostration and genuflection. He asked: "God, have you
created any one from the dust before me?" God replied: "No." Adam
said, "So who are these five figures which I see resembling my own shape
and form?" God answered, "These are five of your offspring. If it
were not for them, I would have not created you. They are five people
whose names are derived from My Own. If it were not for them, I would have
not created paradise or hell, the heavens and the earth, the skies and
the lands, the angels, the human beings and the jinn. I am "Ma<mud"
and this Mu<ammad. I am "Aala" and this is Al?. I am "Fatir"
and this isF?>imah, I am "Ihsan" and this is \asan. I am "Mu<sin"
and this is \usayn. By My Glory, whoever bears even an atom's weight of
grudge against them will be cast into hell. O Adam! They are My chosen
ones. For them, I will save or cast others to perdition. If you want anything
from me, you should resort to these five people."
The Holy Prophet said: "We serve as
the ark of salvation. Whoever holds fast to this ark will reach salvation
and whoever deviates from it will be cast into perdition. Whoever wants
Allah to grant him something should resort to the ahl al-bayt'." This
tradition has been narrated by Shaykh al-Islam \amu'? in the first
chapter of "Far?'id al-Samtayn" andKha>?b Khw?razm?
in "Man?qib" 252 (c.f. "al-Ghad?r" 300/2).
The Ashb?< tradition has been narrated by All?mah
Am?n? in another part of the al-Ghad?r" (301/7)
quoting Abul-Fat< Mu<ammad bin Al? al-Natanz? in "Alf?z".
5. Other Traditions About the Virtues and Characteristics of the "Ahl
al-Bayt"
A- In the interpretation of the verse
"And enjoin prayer on your household ..." (20:132),
Jal?ludd?nS?y?>? in "al-Durr al-Manth?r", has
related Ibn Mardawayh, Ibn Aker, and in al-Najjar as quoting Abu Saeed
Khidri as saying that after this verse was revealed, for eight months,
the Prophet went to the house of Al? every morning at the time
of morning prayers and read this verse: "... Allah only desires to keep
away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! And to purify you
a (thorough) purifying (33:33)." ("Al-Durr al-Manth?r"
198/5 and 199; "Fa_ail al-Khamsah"; 226/1).
Another tradition has it that from
the fortieth day after the consummation of the marriage of Al? (a)and
F?>imah (a), the Prophet every morning went to their house and said:
"Peace be upon you, O members of the House and the mercy and blessings of
Allah. I will fight with whoever fights with you and I will be reconciled
with whoever is reconciled with you." He then recited the"ta>h?r
verse".
Ibn Abdul-B?r
in "al-ist??b" 598/2; Ab? D?w?d ^ialisi in
"@a<i<" 274/8; and F?rooz?b?d? in
"Fa_ail al-Khamsah" 236/1 have put at forty the number of mornings when the Prophet
went to the house of Al? (a)and F?>imah (a). In the
"J?mi al-Bay?n" interpretation, ^abar? has said that this
was done for seven months. Siyu? (in "Al-Durr
al-Manth?r", 199) has quoted Ibn Abb?s as saying that after the verse
"And enjoin prayer on your household ..." (20:132) was revealed, the
Holy Prophet for nine months went to the house of Al? (a)
five times a day at the time of daily prayers and called on the members of
the house to keep up the prayer. Each time, he recited the"ta>h?r
verse".
This is possible because the Holy Prophet's
house was close to that of Al? (a). Its door opened inside the
mosque. So whenever the Messenger of Allah wanted to go to the mosque, he
had to pass the house of Al? (a) andF?>imah (a).
B- In "Al-Mustadrak
alal-@ah?<ayn", \ak?m N?sh?bur? quotes Abdull?h
bin Ja'afar bin ^?lib as saying that when the Messenger of
Allah looked to the blessings coming down, he said, "Call on them."
Safiyeh said, "O Messenger of Allah, whom should we call upon?" He
replied, "The members of my Household: Al?,F?>imah, \asan and
\usayn." They were called upon. Then the Prophet placed his cloak
over them and raised both hands and said, "O Allah, these are the members
of my Household. Peace be upon Mu<ammad and upon the Household of Mu<ammad."
Almighty Allah revealed the verse, "... Allah only desires to keep away
... (33:33)." \ak?m N?sh?bur? said this
tradition is an authenticated tradition. The Holy Prophet taught them
to send greetings upon his household ("Ay?n al-Sh?ah"
358/1; "Fa_ail al-Khamsah" 227/1; "Al-Mustadrak" 147/3).
Ibn Jurir and Ibn Ab? \?tam have quoted Qut?dah as
saying that in relation to the verse, "... Allah only desires to keep
away ... (33:33)", the Prophet stated, "These are the members
of my Household, and Allah has purified them of any uncleanness 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"
("Al-Durr al-Manthur", 198/5-199).
C- In "Al-Mustadrak al-@ah?<ayn",
\ak?m N?sh?bur? has quoted this authentic tradition
from Ibn Abb?s: The Holy Prophet stated, "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." He also relates this
tradition which he considers authentic from Ab? Sad Khidri: "Whoever
shows animosity toward us the members of the Household will be cast into
the fire." ("A'y?n al-Sh?a", 315/1).
D- \ak?m N?sh?bur?
in "Al-Mustadrak", 149/3 and Ibn Hajar in "Saw?iq",
140 have related Ibn Abb?s as quoting the Prophet as saying:
"The stars are the source of the earth and the members of my Household
are the source of the "ummah" (people)." Another tradition refers to
the same: "The stars are the refuge for the dwellers of the heavens
and my "ahl al-bayt" are the refuge for the "ummah" ("Kanz al-A'mal f?
Sunan al-Aqw?l wal-Af?l" 116/6). Another tradition has
said: "the stars are the refuge for the dwellers of the skies. So if
the stars are destroyed, the dwellers of the skies will also be destroyed.
The members of my Household are the refuge for the dwellers of the earth.
If they are destroyed, the dwellers of the earth also be destroyed"
(Mu<ib ^abar? in "Zakh?ir al-Uqb?", 17/1
and Al? bin Sultan Mu<ammad Q?r? in "Mirqat
al-Maf?ti<" 610/5, Egypt, 1339 A.H.).
Some Sunni Ulam? regard the "ta>h?r verse" pertinent to all kin and
relatives of the Holy Prophet including thewives,
children, the Ban? H?sh?m and Ban?Adul-Mu>allib
(Ash'ar? in "Maq?l?t al-Islamin", 9). Based on a tradition
narrated from Saeed bin Jubayer, Bukh?r?, Ibn Ab? \?tam, Ibn Aker,
and Ibn Mardawayh have said that this verse has been revealed about the wives
of the Prophet and believe that they are the members of the Household
of the Messenger of Allah ("Fath al-Qad?r", 27/4,
Egypt 1350 A.H.). In addition to the wives of the Holy
Prophet , Qurtab?and Ibn Kath?r consider Al?, F?>imah, \asan and
\usayn (peace be upon them all) as members of theHousehold to
whom the "ta>h?r verse" applies. But Tirmidh?, Ibn Jurir,
Ibn Manzar, \ak?m N?sh?bur?, and Bayhaqi who are all Sunni Ulam? have
referred to the authentic tradition of Ummu Salamah and havethus
considered the "ta>h?r verse" applicableto Al?, F?>imah, \asan and
\usayn (peace be upon them all). The Shias have mentioned several reasons
and proofs that the "ahl al-bayt" of the Holy Prophet are
exclusivelyAl?, F?>imah, \asan and \usayn to whom the"ta>h?r verse"
applies. The most important of these reasons and proofs are:
1. Based on an authentic tradition
narrated from Ummu Salamah and Ab? Saeed Khidri,the "ta>h?r
verse" has been revealed about the Holy Prophet , Al?,F?>imah,
\asan and \usayn (peace be upon all).
2. In the Kis?' tradition, it
has been stipulated that after placing Al?,F?>imah, \asan and
\usayn (peace be upon all) under his cloak, the Prophet said: "O
Allah, these are the members of my Household." This means that no one
else apart from these is viewed as the "ahl al-bayt".
3. In response to Ummu Salama who asked
whether she was also a member of the Household, the Prophet said: "You
have your own place, you are virtuous." He said no more than this. If
Ummu Salama, in whose house the"ta>h?r verse" was revealed, is
not a member of the Household of the Holy Prophet , the verse will surely
not apply to the Messenger's other wives.
4. Some traditions state that based on a
request from Ummu Salamah, the Prophet allowed her to come under the
cloak but did so after saying, "Allah these are the members of my
Household" and reciting the"ta>h?r verse".
5. Akramah Bariri (d 105 A.H.) and
Urwat bin Zubayr (d 93 A.H.) are among the people who have related thatthe
"ta>h?r verse" has been exclusively revealed about the wives of the Prophet
. Of course, Akramah subscribe to Khawarij ("Al-a'lam" Zarkali,
42/5) and Urwat ("Ay?n al-Sh?ah", 309/1). Also the
pronoun in the said verse is masculine not feminine. Such a narration cannot
contrdict the famous tradition related by Aishah, Ummu Salamah, and Abu Saeed
Khidri, who have considered the "ahl al-bayt" to be exclusively five
people. They have said that the verses coming before and after the"ta>h?r
verse" are related to the wives of the Prophet , so this verse should
also be relevant to them.
Qur'?nic verses are not classified based
on the order of their revelation or contents. In addition, Zayd bin Arqam
who has related the authenticated Thaqalayn tradition, has stated
that the wives of the Holy Prophet are not regarded as the members
of his Household). He was asked: "Aren't the wives of the Holy Prophet
considered as the members of the Household?" He replied: "The
wives of the Prophet reside in the Prophet's house but the Prophet's "ahl
al-bayt" are those to whom the grant of "sadaqah" is religiously unlawful."
Another tradition has it that Zayd was asked to name the members of the
Household of the Holy Prophet . He was asked whether the Prophet's wives
were among his "ahl al-bayt". He replied: "No, a wife lives with
a husband for a while and then might be divorced and go back to her parents."
6.After citing
the "ta>h?r verse", Al? Q?r? in the "Annotation to
Qazi Ayaz's Shifa" (as related in "Ay?n al-Sh?ah",
309/1) has mentioned that according to a tradition narrated by Ibn
Abb?s, the Prophet's "ahl al-bayt" include his wives as well.
According to Ab? Saeed Khidri and some followers, the "ahl
al-bayt"include Al?, F?>imah, \asan and \usayn (peace be upon all). He
says: "There is no problem if we gather these traditions together and
consider both groups to be members of the Household of the Holy Prophet . But
It would go against the Shia idea thatthe "ta>h?r verse" applies only
to Al?,F?>imah, \asan and \usayn and that they are immaculate
. Even the fact that they regard the consensus of Im?m?yyah
Ulam? as proof to the veracity of thiswould be rejected. Abu Saeed
Khidri's tradition only shows that these four are members of the Prophet's
Household and does not indicate that no one else is among the "ahl al-bayt".
But Akramah's traditions explicitly quotes
Ibn Abb?s as saying that verily the "ahl al-bayt" refers
to the wives of the Prophet. On the other hand, Khid?r's
tradition says that the Prophet said: "Only these (i.e. Al?,F?>imah,
\asan and \usayn) are the Members of my Household." This indicates
exclusive membership. How then can these two traditions be combined? For
this reason, the Im?m?yyah Ulam? have consensus on
following the traditions of the immaculate Im?ms (peace be upon
them all) and the distinguished disciples to the effect that the "ahl
al-bayt" of the Prophet are only the five people known as the "Al-e-Aba"
and "Ashab Kis?'".
