According to many traditions, we are told to refer to the household of the Prophet: “Ahlul Bayt” or “’Itrah”. Like the tradition of Thaqalain [1] and the tradition of Noah's Ark [2]…
But first we need to know what these terms refer to.
According to many traditions, we are told to refer to the household of the Prophet: “Ahlul Bayt” or “’Itrah”. Like the tradition of Thaqalain [1] and the tradition of Noah's Ark [2]…
But first we need to know who these terms refer to. There is no doubt about the status of the household of the Prophet in Islam, but there may be a need to investigate the referent of the term to see whether it includes anyone who was a relative of the Prophet or not.
Of course, there is no doubt among Muslims that certainly Fatimah, the daughter of the Prophet, Imam Ali, and their sons: Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn are members of his household. The only concern is whether other relatives of the Prophet are included or not, and if so, to what extent.
Sunni Muslims believe that all relatives of the Prophet are included. Of course, they exclude those who did not embrace Islam, such as Abu Lahab, one of the uncles of the Prophet and at the same time one of his most hostile enemies who has been cursed in the Qur’an. Shi’a Muslims believe that the Ahlul Bayt are those who have appropriate levels of faith and knowledge that make it possible for them to be mentioned along with the Qur’an in the tradition of the Thaqalayn and others. Moreover, they believe that the Prophet himself has clearly defined them.
There are numerous hadiths which introduce the household of the prophet, I will mention some hadiths narrated in major Sunni sources:
(1) Muslim narrates from ‘Ayishah, Umm al-Mu’minin:
The Prophet went out wearing a black woollen cloak, when Hasan the son of Ali came to him, so the Prophet let Hasan come in with him under the cloak. Then Husayn came and he too entered. Then Fatimah came. She entered as well. Then Ali came. He also went under the cloak, such that the cloak covered the Prophet, Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn. Then the Prophet recited:
‘God only desires to keep away impurity from you, O People of the House! And to purify you a (thorough) purifying’ (33:33) [3]
(2) Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal narrates from Anas b. Malik that when the verse of tathir (33:33) was revealed, for six months the Prophet used to call at the house of Ali and Fatimah every morning on his way to the mosque for the Dawn Prayer and say: “Prayer, O People of the House!”[4]
(3) In another tradition which is narrated by Ome Salamah ( the prophet's wife), it is mentioned that the prophet and Imam Ali and Fatimah and Hassan and Hussayn were under a cloak when the prophet said:
O Allah, these are my household( Ahlul Bayt)… Ome Salamah said: I too wanted to go under the cloak but the prophet did not let me and said: you are headed the right direction.[5]
(4) Muslim narrates from Sa’d b. Abi Waqqas that he was asked by Mu’awiyah why he refused to verbally abuse Ali. Sa’d replied:
“I remember three sayings of the Prophet about Ali which caused me not to say anything bad about him. If I possessed even one of these qualities it would be better for me than red camels.
- The first was that when the Prophet wanted to go to the war of Tabuk, he left Ali in Medina. Ali was very sad at not having the good fortune to join the army and fight for the sake of God. He went to the Prophet, saying: ‘Do you leave me with the children and women?’ The Prophet replied: ‘Are you not happy to be to me, as Aaron was to Moses, except that there will be no prophet after me?’
- Second I heard from the Prophet on the day of conquest of Khaybar: ‘Certainly I will give the flag [of Islam] to a man that loves God and His Messenger and is loved b y God and His Messenger’. We hoped to be given the flag, but the Prophet said: ‘Call Ali for me!’ Ali came while suffering from pain in his eyes. The Prophet gave him the flag and at his hands God granted us victory.
- Third when the verse of Mubahalah was revealed the Prophet called Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn and said: ‘My Lord! These are my household’.[6]
Notes
[1] The holy prophet said: I leave among you two precious things, which if you hold on to, you will never go astray after me : the book of God which is like a rope extended between the heaven and the earth, and my household. These two things will not separate from each other until they reach me near the fountain on the Day of Judgment. Take care in how you treat them after me.
This tradition in its different versions can be found in major Sunni sources, such as: Sahih Muslim (Vol: 8, p: 25, No: 2408), musnad of Imam Ahmad ( Vol: 3. P: 388, No: 10720). Sahih of Tirmidi (Vol: 5, p: 6432, Nu: 3788 ), Sunan of darimi (Vol: 2, p: 432), It is also mentioned in books such as Usd al-Ghabah by Ibn Athir (Vol: 2, p: 13) Al- Sunan al-Kubra by Bayhaqi (Vol: 2, p: 198)…
[2] All Muslims have narrated that the Prophet said:
“Be aware that surely the example of my household among you is like the example of the ship of Noah. Whoever boarded the ship of Noah was saved and whoever refused to enter the ship of Noah was drowned.”
This hadith can be found in Mustadrak by Hakim Nishaburi, Vol. 3, pp. 149&151, Arba’in Hadith by Nabahani, al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah by Ibn Hajar amongst other sources.
[3] Sahih by Muslim, Vol. 4, p.1883, No.2424 (Kitab Fada’il al- Sahabah, Bab Fada’il Ahlul Bayt, Sakhr ser ial no. 4450)
عن صَفِيَّةَ بِنْتِ شَيْبَةَ، قَالَتْ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم غَدَاةً وَعَلَيْهِ مِرْطٌ مُرَحَّلٌ مِنْ شَعْرٍ أَسْوَدَ فَجَاءَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ فَأَدْخَلَهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَ الْحُسَيْنُ فَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَتْ فَاطِمَةُ فَأَدْخَلَهَا ثُمَّ جَاءَ عَلِيٌّ فَأَدْخَلَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ (إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا).
[4] Musnad by Im am Ahmad b. Hanbal, inter national serial no. 13231. See also Sunan by al-T irm idhi, inter national serial no. 3130.
«انّ رسولالله كان يمرّ بباب فاطمه (رضي الله عنه) ستة اشهر اذا خرج لصلاة الفجر يقول الصلاة يا اهلالبيت انما يريدالله ليذهب عنكم الرجس اهلالبيت و يطهركم تطهيراً»
[5] Musnad by Im am Ahmad b. Hanbal, V6. P 323.
حدّثنا عبدالله، حدّثني أبي ثنا عفان ثنا حماد بن سلمة قال: ثنا علي بن زيد عن شهر بن حوشب عن أم سلمة أن رسول الله صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم قال لفاطمة: إئتينى بزوجك وابنيك فجاءت بهم، فألقى عليهم كساء فدكيا، قال ثمّ وضع يده عليهم ثمّ قال: «أللّهمَّ إنّ هؤلاء آل محمّد، فاجعل صلواتك وبركاتك على محمّد وعلى آل محمّد، إنّك حميد مجيد». قالت أم سلمة: فرفعت الكساء لأدخل معهم، فجذبه من يدي وقال: «إنّك على خير
[6] Sahih by Muslim, Vol.4, p.1871, no.2408. (Kitab Fada’il al- Sahabah, Sakhr serial No. 4420)
قَالَ أَمَرَ مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ سَعْدًا فَقَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَسُبَّ أَبَا التُّرَابِ فَقَالَ أَمَّا مَا ذَكَرْتُ ثَلاَثًا قَالَهُنَّ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَنْ أَسُبَّهُ لأَنْ تَكُونَ لِي وَاحِدَةٌ مِنْهُنَّ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ حُمْرِ النَّعَمِ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ لَهُ خَلَّفَهُ فِي بَعْضِ مَغَازِيهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عَلِيٌّ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ خَلَّفْتَنِي مَعَ النِّسَاءِ وَالصِّبْيَانِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَمَا تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ مِنِّي بِمَنْزِلَةِ هَارُونَ مِنْ مُوسَى إِلاَّ أَنَّهُ لاَ نُبُوَّةَ بَعْدِي " . وَسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ يَوْمَ خَيْبَرَ " لأُعْطِيَنَّ الرَّايَةَ رَجُلاً يُحِبُّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيُحِبُّهُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ " . قَالَ فَتَطَاوَلْنَا لَهَا فَقَالَ " ادْعُوا لِي عَلِيًّا " . فَأُتِيَ بِهِ أَرْمَدَ فَبَصَقَ فِي عَيْنِهِ وَدَفَعَ الرَّايَةَ إِلَيْهِ فَفَتَحَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ { فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْنَاءَنَا وَأَبْنَاءَكُمْ} دَعَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلِيًّا وَفَاطِمَةَ وَحَسَنًا وَحُسَيْنًا فَقَالَ " اللَّهُمَّ هَؤُلاَءِ أَهْلِي " .