What the ahl al-dhikr believe about the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W)
Imam 'Ali says: "So that the grace of Allah, Glory be to Him, reach Muhammad (S.A.W.), Allah brought him out of the best of sources and the most honourable places from which things grow, from the same lineal tree from which He brought forth His Prophets and selected their trustees. Muhammad's progeny is the best progeny, his family the best family and his lineal tree is the best of trees. It grew in sanctity, surpassing all in honour. Its branches are tall and its fruits cannot be reached.
He is the leader of all those who fear Allah, and insight for those who seek guidance. He is a lamp whose flame is burning, a meteor whose light is shining and a flint whose spark is bright. His conduct is upright; his behaviour guidance; his speech is the criterion [between right and wrong] and his decision just. Allah sent him, after an interval from the previous Prophets, when people had fallen into errors of action and ignorance....then the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) exerted his utmost in giving sound advice, staying on the right path, calling them towards wisdom and good counsel ..., his is the best abode and his origin the noblest of all, coming from the source of honour and the cradles of security. The hearts of the virtuous people incline towards him, and the eyes have focused on him. Through him, Allah buried all rancour and extinguished conflicts. Through him, He brought people together in brotherhood and separated friends. Through him, He elevated the lowly, and humiliated the arrogant and mighty. His speech is clear and even his silence is (indicative) like the tongue. He sent him with sufficient proof and satisfying admonitions. His call eliminates deficiencies, through him, the unknown laws were made manifest, the innovative practices subdued, and the distinctive judgements made clear.
He sent him with light and gave him precedence in purity. He mended all fissures. Through him, those conquering were [themselves] conquered, difficulties were subjugated and hardships alleviated until he wiped out misguidance all around him.
Chapter Three
Concerning the ahl al-bayt (A.S)
The Third Question: Who are the ahl al-bayt?
Allah, the most Glorified and High says: "Allah wishes to remove all impurity from you, O members of the household, and to purify you completely" (33:33).
The ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a maintain that this verse was revealed for the wives of the Prophet (S.A.W.). They derive their proof from the context of the preceding and following verses. According to their claims, Allah therefore removed impurity from the wives of the Prophet and purified them completely.
Among them are those who add to the [list of the] wives of the Prophet, 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn. But the truth, according to what has been transmitted, as well as according to reasoning, logic and history, refutes this explanation. [This is] because the ahl al-sunna narrate in their Sahihs that the verse was revealed regarding five people namely: Muhammad, 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn, and that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) identified them and his noble self as being referred to by the noble verse when he gathered 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn with him under the cloak. He said: "O Allah! These are my household, so cleanse them of all impurity and purify them completely".
This narration has been reported by a large majority of Sunni scholars. I mention [some of] them:
1. Muslim in his Sahih , in "The Chapter on the Merits of the Prophet's household": Vol. 2, p. 368.
2. Al- Tirmidhi in his Sahih; Vol. 5, p. 30.
3. Al-Musnad, Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal; Vol. 1, p. 330.
4. Al-Mustadrak, al- Hakim; Vol. 3, p. 123.
5. Al-Khas'ais, Imam al-Nasa'i; p. 49.
6. Talkhis, al-Dhahabi; Vol. 2, p. 150.
7. Mu'jam, al-Tabrani; Vol. 1, p. 65.
8. Shawahid al-Tanzil, Hakim al-Haskani; Vol. 2, p. 11.
9. Al-Bukhari in his Greater History; Vol. 1, p. 69.
10. Al-Isaba, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani; Vol. 2, p. 502.
11. Tadhkira al-Khawas, Ibn al-Jawzi; p. 233.
12. Tafsir of al-Fakhr al-Razi; Vol. 2, p. 700.
13. The Fountains of Love, al-Qanduzi al-Hanafi; p. 107.
14. Manaqib of al-Khawarizmi, p. 23.
15. Al-Sira of al-Halabi, Vol. l3, p. 212.
16. Al-Sira of al-Dihlaniya; Vol. 3, p. 329.
17. Asad al-Ghaba, Ibn al-Athir; Vol. 2, p. 12.
18. Tafsir of al-Tabari; Vol. 22, p. 6.
19. Al-Dur al-Manthur, al-Suyuti; Vol. 5, p. 198.
20. Ta'rikh of Ibn Asakir; Vol. 1, p. 185.
21. Tafsir al-Kashshaf , al-Zamakhshari; Vol. 1, p. 193.
22. Ahkam al-Qur'an , Ibn al-Arabi; Vol. 2, p. 166.
23. Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Vol. 14, p. 182.
24. Al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqa of Ibn Hajar, p. 85.
25. Al-Isti'ab, Ibn Abd al-Barr; Vol. 3, p. 37.
26. Al-'Aqd al-Farid, Ibn 'Abd Rabbih; Vol. 4, p. 311.
27. Muntakhab Kanz al-'Ummal; Vol. 5, p. 96.
28. Masabih al-Sunna, al-Baghawi, Vol. 2, p. 278.
29. Asbab al-Nuzul, al-Wahidi; p. 203.
30. Tafsir of Ibn Kathir; Vol. 3, p. 483.
Other Sunni scholars [who have reported the hadith ]are numerous, we have not mentioned them [all], being content with these as [the list] was compiled in haste.
If all these scholars admit that the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) had clarified the purport of the verse, of what value are the words of the other companions or the successors of the companions, or commentators who wish to construe its meaning contrary to what Allah and His Prophet desire, seeking instead, to please Mu'awiya and desiring [to attain] what he has?
Similarly, the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) also identified them on other occasions, specifying that they were the ahl al-bayt,not others. This occurred when the verse of Allah, the Glorified and the Highest, was revealed stating: "Say: 'Come and let us call our children and your children, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, and let us take pray, invoking Allah's curse on those who lie" (3:61). Thereupon, he called 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn and said: "These are our children, ourselves, and our women: So now bring yourselves, your children, and your women". According to Muslim's narrative, he said: "O Allah, these are my household".
The ahl al-sunna wa'l-Jama'a scholars, whom I referred to in the preceding sources, also agree unanimously that the verse was revealed concerning the five [figures] mentioned above, may Allah's blessings be upon them all.
Moreover, the wives of the Prophet all knew the intent of the noble verse, and, consequently, not one of them claimed to be from the ahl al-bayt . At the head of these [wives] were Umm Salama and 'A'isha. Every one of them narrated that the verse was specifically for the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn. Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim, al-Tabari, al-Suyuti, al-Dhahabi, Ibn al-Athir and others, have all reported their (the wives') acceptance of this.
I would add to this the fact that the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) removed any confusion and resolved this problem, for he knew that the Muslims might read the Qur'an and construe the [term] ahl al-bayt in the context of the preceding and following verses, which [actually] warned the wives of the Prophet. He immediately hastened to teach the umma the meaning of the removal of all impurities and complete purification by continuing, for a period of six months, (after the revelation of the verse) to pass by the door of 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn before starting the prayer and reciting: "Allah wishes to remove all abomination from you, ahl al-bayt and to completely purify you, so come to the prayer, may Allah have mercy on you".
This immediate action performed by the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) has been reported by:
Al-Sahih, al-Tirmidhi, vol. 5, p. 31
Al-Mustadrak, al-Hakim, vol. 3, p. 158
Al-Talkhis, al-Dhahabi
Al-Musnad, Ahmad b. Hanbal, vol. 3, p. 259
Asad al-Ghaba, Ibn al-Athir, vol. 5, p. 521
Shawahid al-Tanzil, al-Haskani, vol. 2, p. 11
Al-Dur al-Manthur, al-Suyuti, vol. 5, p. 199
Tafsir, al-Tabari, vol. 22, p. 6
Ansab al-Ashraf, al-Baladhuri, vol. 2, p. 104
Tafsir, Ibn al-Kathir, vol. 3, p. 483
Majma' al-Zawa'id, al-Haythami, vol. 9, p. 168
When we add to the above list the Imams of the ahl al-bayt and the Shi'a scholars, who do not doubt that the noble verse was restricted to Muhammad, 'Ali, Fatima, al-Hasan and al-Husayn, there can remain absolutely no regard for those who disagree with them from the enemies of the ahl al-bayt , as well followers of Mu'awiya and the Banu Umayyads who wish to extinguish the light of Allah with their mouths. Allah has perfected His light, even though the disbelievers hate that.
Those who interpret the verse differently to the explanation of the Prophet have shown that, in the past, they were merely the flatterers of the Umayyad and 'Abbasid rulers, and that today they, even though disguised in the garb of jurists and scholars, are amongst those who hate 'Ali.
Furthermore, reasoning shows that the verse (i.e. cleansing of abomination) could not include the wives of the Prophet (S.A.W.).
1. Let us, by way of example, take the case of the mother of the believers, 'A'isha, who alleged that she was the most beloved wife of the Prophet (P) and the closest one to him, to the extent that the rest of the wives envied her and sent [a delegation] to the Prophet (P) imploring him to show justice regarding the daughter of Abu Quhafa, as previously discussed. The verse then seems discordant. None of her aides or those who loved her, neither from the earlier generations nor the later ones, can dare to claim that 'A'isha was under the cloak on the day the verse was revealed. How great Muhammad (S.A.W.) was in his sayings and actions and how truly sagacious he was when he gathered the members of his ahl al-bayt with him under the cloak, and even when the mother of the believers, Umm Salama, the wife of the Prophet (P), sought to enter with them under the cloak and asked the Prophet of Allah's (S.A.W.) permission, he prevented her and said: "You are on the right path ".
2. The general and specific purport of the verse indicates infallibility. For the removal of abomination covers all sins, [acts of] disobedience, major and minor vices. This is especially so if we add the purification from the Lord of Power and Glory. If Muslims purify themselves with water and dust physically, a purification which does not exceed the outer body, then Allah purified the ahl al-bayt with a spiritual purity wherein the intellect, hearts, and their minds were cleansed, leaving no room for the insinuations of the devil nor any act of disobedience. Their hearts became absolutely clean, pure, sincere, devoted solely to their creator and sustainer in every activity and inactivity.
3. In all cases, every one of these purified souls was an example to all humanity, in [the fields of] asceticism, piety, sincerity, knowledge, forbearance, bravery, manliness, chastity, free from blemishes, shunning the world, seeking nearness to Him, the Glorified and most High. History has not recorded any wrongdoing or sin from any one of them during their entire lives.
This being the case, let us return to the first example, the wife of the Prophet (P), 'A'isha, who attained a lofty and elevated position and [achieved] great popularity which none of the other wives of the Prophet (P) has been accorded. Even if we were to combine all their merits, they would not be able to reach a tenth of the standing of 'A'isha, the daughter of Abu Bakr. This is what the ahl al-sunna, and those who claim that half the religion can be learnt from her alone, say regarding her.
If we devote ourselves to the truth without any prejudice or bias, is it reasonable to think that she was purified from sins and disobedience? Or that Allah, Glory be to Him, withdrew His protection from her, after the death of her husband, the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) ? Let us examine the reality together.
'A'isha during the life of the Prophet (S.A.W.)
If we examine her life with her husband, the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), we will find lots of sins and [acts of] disobedience, for she used to frequently conspire with Hafsa against the Apostle until they compelled him to declare as unlawful for himself what Allah had permitted for him, as reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim. They also argued with him, as has been established in all the Sahihs and books of tafsir , and even Allah has mentioned the two incidents in His glorious Qur'an.
Envy so controlled her heart and her mind that she conducted herself in the presence of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) without respect or manners. On one occasion, she said to the Prophet (P), when he mentioned Khadija in her presence:
"How can Khadija be compared with me! She was a red cheeked old woman and Allah has given you [someone] better than her". The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) became very angry at this until his hair stood. And, on another occasion, one of the mothers of the believers sent to the Prophet a dish (he was in her house) that he really loved. She destroyed the dish, together with the food in it. On another occasion, she said to the Prophet(P): "You are the one who claims to be Allah's Prophet". Another time, she became angry with him and said: "Be just!" Her father, who was present, struck her so hard that blood flowed. Her envy reached a point whereby she lied to Asma' bint al-Nu'man, when she had come as a bride to the Prophet (S.A.W.). She said to her: "The Prophet (S.A.W.) loves a woman, who, when he approaches her, says to him: "I seek refuge in Allah from you". Her underlying aim was to have the Prophet (S.A.W.) divorce this innocent, naive woman, and who the Prophet (S.A.W.) did divorce due to these words. Her evil conduct in the presence of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) reached a point that while he was praying, she would spread her feet towards his direction of prostration. When he prostrated and pinched them, she retracted them. When he stood up for the rest of the prayer, she would spread her feet out again.
On one occasion, she plotted with Hafsa against the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), causing him to isolate himself from his wives for a period of one complete month, and to sleep on a rough straw mat.When the words of Allah: "Take back those of them that you please, and leave aside those whom you please.." were revealed, she said to the Prophet unabashedly: "I only see Allah as [one] who hurries to [satisfy] your desires". If 'A'isha got angry - which she did quite often - she would avoid [uttering] the name of the Prophet (S.A.W.). She would not mention the name of Muhammad, but would say: "By the Lord of Abraham".
'A'isha often used to offend the Prophet (S.A.W.) and caused him distress, but the Prophet (P) was compassionate and kind, his character lofty, his patience deep, therefore he frequently said to her: "Your Satan has confused you, O 'A'isha". Quite often, he used to be sorry because of Allah's threat to her and Hafsa, the daughter of 'Umar. On many occasions the Qur'an came down regarding her! Allah said to her and to Hafsa: "You two turn in repentance to Allah, your hearts are so inclined", i.e., she had departed and deviated from the truth. His words: "If you support each other against him, Allah is his protector, as well as Gabriel and the righteous believers, after this, the angels too are his supporters" are a clear threat from the Lord of Power to her and to Hafsa, who used to frequently help her and act according to her commands. Allah also said to both of them: "Perhaps if he divorces you, his Lord will give him wives who are better than you, who submit and believe." This verse was revealed concerning 'A'isha and Hafsa as testified by 'Umar b. al-Khattab and reported by al-Bukhari. The verse, in itself, indicates that there were believing women among the Muslims who were better than 'A'isha.
Once, when the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) wanted to propose to Sharraf, the sister of Dihya al-Kalbi, he asked 'A'isha to go and look at her. When she returned, her heart was filled with envy, and the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) asked her: "What have you seen O 'A'isha?" She responded: "I did not see anyone worthy". The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) said to her: "You have certainly seen someone worthy. You have seen her and your saliva soured in your mouth". She said: "O Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.), no secret is unknown to you. Who is able to hide anything from you?"
All of the plots which 'A'isha instigated against the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) were most frequently with the complicity of Hafsa, the daughter of 'Umar. The strange thing is that we find there was mutual understanding and complete harmony between the two women, 'A'isha and Hafsa, like the harmony and mutual understanding between their two fathers, Abu Bakr and 'Umar. The difference was that, with the women, 'A'isha was always the instigator and stronger one and would undertake things and would tug Hafsa, the daughter of 'Umar, behind her in everything. Whereas her father, Abu Bakr, was weaker [when compared] to 'Umar, who was the instigator and stronger party and would undertake things. We have observed from the previous discussion that even in [the matter of] the Caliphate, Ibn al-Khattab was the actual ruler. Some historians have reported that when 'A'isha decided to leave for Basra to rise against Imam 'Ali in what has become known as the "battle of the Camel", she sent a message to the wives of the Prophet (S.A.W.), the mothers of the believers, asking them to go with her. None of them responded except Hafsa bint 'Umar, who prepared herself and decided to leave with her. Her brother, 'Abd Allah b. 'Umar, however, stopped and rebuked her, and she cancelled her trip. Allah, the most Glorious had warned 'A'isha and Hafsa jointly in His words: "If you two support each other against him, Allah is his protector, as well as Gabriel and the righteous believers, and after that the angels too are his supporters". Allah also said: "You two turn in repentance to Allah, if your hearts are indeed so inclined". Allah provided for both of them a significant parable in Sura al-Tahrim 66), to teach both of them and the rest of the Muslims who believe that the mother of the believers will enter heaven without any reckoning or punishment, simply because she is the wife of the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.). Most Certainly not! For Allah has informed His servants, male and female, that mere spousal relationship will neither harm nor benefit [a person], even if the husband is the Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.). What benefits or harms [a person], in the eyes of Allah, are an individual's deeds. Allah said: "Allah has set forth an example to the disbelievers, the wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were both married to two servants from among our righteous servants. They were deceitful to their husbands. And they profited nothing before Allah due to that. Instead they were told: 'Enter the Fire with those who enter" (66:10).
Allah cited an example for the believers, the wife of Pharaoh when she said: "O my Lord, build for me a house in paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds; and save me from the people who do wrong". And Mary, the daughter of Imran who guarded her chastity and We breathed Our spirit into her. She testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His scriptures and she was one of the devout [servants]" (66:11-12).
By this it becomes clear to all that spousal relationship and companionship, even though they both have a lot of merits, do not, in themselves, prevent the punishment of Allah unless they are accompanied by righteous deeds. If they are not, punishment is, in fact, increased. Allah's justice dictates that he does not punish the distant one who does not hear the revelation like [he punishes] the close one in whose house the Qur'an was revealed. A man who knows the truth and yet opposes it is like an ignorant person who does not know the truth.
Now, O reader, we will cite a few narrations in some detail so that you may know the personality of this woman who played the greatest role in distancing 'Ali from the Caliphate, and summoned all strength and resources to rise up in arms against him.
It should be further known that the verse of the removal of filth and purification is as remote from her as the sky is from the earth, and that most of the ahl al-sunna are the victims of lies and forgery for they follow the Umayyads without realising it.
