Without a shadow of a doubt, Ahlel Beit has a very high status in Islam, as attested by both Shia and Sunni scholars. However, the two groups disagree regarding the composition and identity of the Ahlel Beit.
The word Ahlel Beit is translated as "people of the house" and literally refers to a man's wives and children. However, with regards to the Ahl Beit An-Nabuwwa, which is mentioned in the Quran and ahadith the composition of Ahlel Beit differs from its dictionary meaning. The sacred Kaaba is known as the house of Allah yet Allah does not live there. The reason it is referred to as such, opposed to its dicitonary meaning, is inn order to raise its status and emphasise its holiness, and due to the fact that Allah is worshipped there. Similarly, Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussain (عليهم السلام) are known as Ahlel Beit, contrary to the word's dictionary meaning, in order to raise their status and emphasise their closeness with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم).
Sunni says
QUOTE It is evident that the Shia propagandists have even denied the existence of three of his lovely daughters. UNQUOTE
You will not find anyone in the Shia world who denies the existence of Zaynab (رضي الله عنها), Ruqayya(رضي الله عنها)and Um Kulthum (رضي الله عنها). The confusion arises as to whether they were the Prophet's (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) step-daughters from Khadija (عليها السلام)'s previous marriage or whether they were the Prophet's (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم)'s biological daughters. This confusion is down to differing historical accounts and various Shia scholars have their own opinions.
Many people use the following ayah to prove the Prophet had more than one daughter:
Allah says in the Quran:
“O Prophet! Say to your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers that they let down upon them their over-garments; this will be more proper, that they may be known, and thus they will not be given trouble; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (Quran, 33:59)
Sunni and Shia say
QUOTE Here, Allah uses the plural word for daughters, not the singular form. Allah uses the term “banaatuka” which means “your daughters.” If it was one daughter only, it would be “bintuka.” This completely negates the claim that the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) had only one daughter. UNQUOTE
The historical accounts say that Zaynab (رضي الله عنها), Ruqayya(رضي الله عنها)and Um Kulthum (رضي الله عنها) were either the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم)'s daughters or step-daughters. Whatever the case, and Allah knows best, the word banaatuka (daughters) can be used in Arabic to refer collectively to daughters and step-daughters. So, if the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) had one daughter and three step-daughter, it would still be correct to use the word banaatuka, as Arab speakers would testify.
It is worth noting that several historical issues have conflicting narrations - for instance, when it comes to the day of the week in which the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) passed away, there are 7 different opinions! In any case, Fatima (عليها السلام) is the highest in status as evidenced by the ahadith, in which she is described as the chieftain of the women of the worlds.
Ahlel Beit in the Holy Quran
Surat Al-Ahzab Verses 32-34
O wives of the Prophet! you are not like any other of the women; If you will be on your guard, then be not soft in (your) speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease yearn; and speak a good word. And stay in your houses and do not display your finery like the displaying of the ignorance of yore; and keep up prayer, and pay the poor-rate, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying. And keep to mind what is recited in your houses of the communications of Allah and the wisdom; surely Allah is Knower of subtleties, Aware.
Transliteration of 33:33
Wa qarna fi buyootikuna wa la tabrejena tabaruja al-jahilliyat al-aola wa aqimena al-salat wa atiyena al-zakat wa ati'na Allah wa rasoolih. Inama yareedu Allah liyuthiba 'ankum al rijs ahlel beiti wa yutahirakum tatheera
وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
Before we get into a discussion regarding the ayah, simply because the Prophet's wives are being addressed in 33:32 and the first part of 33:33, that does not mean the subject of the verse cannot change. In fact, we see the Quran changes subject in the same verse on a different occasion too:
Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which hath been invoked the name of other than Allah; that which hath been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; that which hath been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless ye are able to slaughter it (in due form); that which is sacrificed on stone (altars); (forbidden) also is the division (of meat) by raffling with arrows: that is impiety. This day have those who reject faith given up all hope of your religion: yet fear them not but fear Me. This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. But if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. [Holy Quran 5:3)
The Quran's changing subject is actually a great miracle and element within the Quran as it allows the suras to encompass more issues. There is nothing unusual or wrong with 33:33 goes from wives of the Prophet to the Ahlel Beit of the Prophet and changes again.
A few Shias here and there have left open the possibility that the the order of the Holy Quran's verses may have been changed. This is an idea that is rejected by the overwhelming majority of Shias, who vigorously deny any tampering has occured in the Holy Quran in terms of text and order, and this is most certainly the belief of the humble writer of this article (If anyone is interested in getting fatwas and quotes of the major ulema verifying the protection of the Quran email rayatmohammed@yahoo.com)
The Sunni belief is that Ahlel Beit are the wives of the Prophet. If we examine the verse, we would find that this is impossible. In the Arabic language, different gender groups are referred to with different grammatical tenses:
Men = (um) = كم
Man and Woman = (um) = كم
Women = (un) = كن
When the wives of the Prophet are referred to, Allah is using the grammatical tense for females, as you can clearly see from the transliteration (e.g. qurn, bayootikun). However when the Ahlel Beit are being referred to Allah Almighty no longer uses the female grammatical tense but uses the male grammatical tense (yutahirakum, ankum). This means that the Ahlel Beit cannot be the wives of the Prophet otherwise the grammatical tense would not have changed, and as we all know there are no grammatical mistakes in the Holy Quran.
In the following verse, the plural male grammatical tense is used because as we can clearly see from the earlier verses, Prophet Ibrahim (عليه السلام) is included in the Ahlel Beit, along with his wife Sara, being mentioned in 11:73. If his wife Sara was solely the Ahlel Beit, then the plural male grammatical tense would not have been used.
Ibrahim (عليه السلام) is included in the Ahlel Beit, as we can see from the footnotes of Abdullah Yusuf Ali, the famous Sunni translator of the Holy Quran:
“Mercy and Blessings of Allah upon you Ahl al-Bayt” – Allah’s mercy and pleasure is for the Ahl al-Bayt of Ibrahim”
Tabari wrote in his tafsir, ": رحمة الله وسعادته لكم أهل بيت إبراهيم", "Mercy and Pleasure of Allah is for the Ahlel Beit of Ibrahim".
And certainly Our messengers came to Ibrahim with good news. They said: Peace. Peace, said he, and he made no delay in bringing a roasted calf. But when he saw that their hands were not extended towards it, he deemed them strange and conceived fear of them. . They said: Fear not, surely we are sent to Lut's people. And his wife was standing (by), so she laughed, then We gave her the good news of Ishaq and after Ishaq of (a son's son) Yaqoub. She said: O wonder! shall I bear a son when I am an extremely old woman and this my husband an extremely old man? Most surely this is a wonderful thing. They said: Do you wonder at Allah's bidding? The mercy of Allah and His blessings are on you (alaykum), O people of the house (ahl al-bayt), surely He is Praised, Glorious. (11:69-73)
I was reading some article recently written by some e-Salafi, in which he was saying that this is all far-fetched word games and the Shias are using spurious and stupid arguments regarding the change in grammatical tense. I found this all very funny, and it became clear the person who wrote that article could not speak Arabic, as even an Arabic-speaking child would appreciate that a plural male grammatical tense would not be used to refer to an all-women group. Go to google arabic and type in something like "Nisaa Ahlul Medina" or "Nisaa Ahlul Dhimma" and you will see that they are referred to using the plural female structure, unlike the Ahlel Beit in 33:33. In conclusion, it is not possible for the Ahlel Beit to be the wives of the Prophet.
The Sunni propagandist may now seek and adopt a different argument, and say something like "the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) is included in Ahlel Beit". But hold on, do you not interpret "Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying" to mean that if the Prophet's (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) wives follow the order they have been given (not to make a dazzling display etc) Allah will purify them. Allah Almighty isn't telling the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) to stay in his house and not to make a dazzling display, so how is it that he is being referred to in 33:33. The Sunnis have shot themselves in the foot with this argument.
Another very important point we wish to make regarding the Sunni claim that the Prophet's Ahlel Beit are his wives is found in the following holy verses:
And Noah called upon his Lord, and said: "O my Lord! surely my son is of my family! and Thy promise is true, and Thou art the justest of Judges!" He said: "O Noah! He is not of thy family: For his conduct is unrighteous. So ask not of Me that of which thou hast no knowledge! I give thee counsel, lest thou act like the ignorant!" (11:45-46)
If the Sunnis claim the Prophet Mohammed's wives are his Ahlel Beit, then they surely claim that Prophet Noah's son is part of his Ahlel Beit. However, Allah, the Almighty, clearly says "He is not of your family". What does this tell us? This tells us that the Prophets' Ahlel Beit does not necessarily mean the entire family, but a specific group selected by the Almighty.
Revelation of the Verse: Hadith al-Kisaa
The verse of purification "Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House, and to purify you a (thorough) purifying" was revealed separately from the rest of 33:33 and the previous verses which refer to the wives. The verse of purification was revealed for Ali (عليه السلام), Fatima (عليها السلام), Hassan (عليه السلام) and Hussain (عليه السلام) in an incident known as the “event of the cloak (kisaa)”. This is recorded in Sahih Muslim, as well as all the Sunni tafsirs for the ayah, including Tabari’s exegesis where Hadith Al-Kisaa dominates his commentary.
Um Salama said, “In my house the verse, “Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House, and to purify you a (thorough) purifying” was revealed. The Messenger of Allah sent for Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussain and said, “O Allah, these are my Ahlel Beit. Um Salama said, “O Messenger of Allah, Am I from Ahlel Beit?” The Prophet said, “You are of the people of good and these are the people of my house. O Allah, my family are more deserving.”
Mustadrak, Hakim, Volume 3 #3558
حدثني محمد بن المثنى، قال: ثنا بكر بن يحيى بن زبان العنـزي، قال: ثنا مندل، عن الأعمش، عن عطية، عن أَبي سعيد الخدري، قال: قال رسول الله صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم: " نـزلَت هَذِهِ الآيَةُ فِي خَمْسَةٍ: فِيَّ وَفِي عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ الله عَنْهُ وَحَسَنٍ رَضِيَ الله عَنْهُ وَحُسَيْنٍ رَضِيَ الله عَنْهُ وَفَاطِمَةَ رَضِيَ الله عَنِهَا : (إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّه لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا)" .
Abu Saeed Al-Khudhri said, “The Messenger of Allah said, “The verse was revealed for five: for me, for Ali, and Hassan and Hussain and Fatima, "Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House, and to purify you a (thorough) purifying"”.
Tafsir Tabari
Um Salama said, “When the verse was revealed, the Messenger of Allah covered Ali and Fatima and Hassan and Hussain with the cloak and said, “O Allah these are my Ahlel Beit, O Allah keep away all impurities from them and purify them a thorough purifying. Um Salma said, “Am I of them?” He said, “You are into righteousness”.
Tafsir Tabari
Um Salma said, “The verse was revealed in my house, and the Messenger of Allah sent for Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussain and said, “These are my Ahlel Beit.”
Mustadrak, Hakim, Volume 3, #4705
Book 031, Number 5955
'A'isha reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) went out one norning wearing a striped cloak of the black camel's hair that there came Hasan b. 'Ali. He wrapped hitn under it, then came Husain and he wrapped him under it along with the other one (Hasan). Then came Fatima and he took her under it, then came 'Ali and he also took him under it and then said: Allah only desires to take away any uncleanliness from you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough purifying)
Sahih Muslim
As we can see, the verse was revealed exclusively for the people under the cloak: the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم), Imam Ali (عليه السلام), Fatima (عليها السلام), Hassan (عليه السلام) and Hussain (عليه السلام) i.e. it is independent from the first part of 33:33 which is directed to the wives of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم).
Some Sunni propagandists have drawn comparisons with Salman Al-Mohammedi (رضي الله عنه), about whom the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) said, “Salman (رضي الله عنه) is from us Ahlel Beit.” The important difference is that regarding Ali, Fatima (عليها السلام), Hassan and Hussain the Prophet (صلى الله عليه واله وسلم) said, “These are my Ahlel Beit” but for Salman (رضي الله عنه) he said, “He is from us Ahlel Beit” indicating an honourary inclusion rather than being a primary member like Ali (عليه السلام), Fatima (عليها السلام), Hassan (عليه السلام) and Hussain(عليه السلام).
Um Salama and Hadith al-Kisaa
Um Salama was one of the Prophet’s wives, whom Sunnis consider to be the Ahlel Beit. Ahlel Beit is defined as a man’s wives, so the Sunni propagandists say it is so obvious that Um Salama and the rest of the wives are the Ahlel Beit, and they ridicule the Shia for saying they are not. However, one notices that when the Prophet takes Ali, Hassan, Hussain and Fatima under the cloak and says, “This is my Ahlel Beit”, Um Salama asks “Am I also with them” or “Am I part of Ahlel Beit.” Surely, if she was already so blatantly part of Ahlel Beit, then why did she feel the need to ask when the answer was obviously yes!? There are many different variations of the event, but in each of them it is clear that Um Salama did not consider herself to be Ahlel Beit which is shocking since the Sunnis say as the Prophet’s wife, she obviously was a member.
قالت أم سلمة يا رسول الله ما أنا من أهل البيت
Um Salama said, “O Messenger of God Am I from Ahlel Beit?”
قلت: يا رسول الله، وأنا؟
I said, “O Messenger of God, and me?”
وأنا يا رسول الله من أهلك؟
“Am I, O Messenger of Allah, from your family?”
ألست منهم؟
“Am I not from them?”
One Sunni polemicist said if Um Salama asked if she was part of Ahlel Beit, it would be like a son asking his father if he is his son – only an idiot would do it. Um Salama is not an idiot, God forbid, yet she asked if she was part of Ahlel Beit meaning it was not said or thought that the wives were the Prophet’s Ahlel Beit. When the Prophet said, “I am leaving behind you two weighty things if you adhere to them you will not go astray, the book of God and my Ahlel Beit”, he is not telling us to follow his wives. In fact, apart from Aisha, most of them stayed in their houses, narrated few hadiths and hardly did any teaching. Another interesting point to make is that Sunnis, after uttering the Prophet’s name, sometimes say “Peace and blessings be upon him and his companions and his family and his wives”, indicating that the Prophet’s wives and the Prophet’s Ahlel Beit are separate entities.
The Sunni polemicist may say Um Salama wasn’t asking if she was a member of Ahlel Beit, rather she was asking if she was included in the Prophet’s supplication: “This is my Ahlel Beit. O Allah, keep away impurities from them and purify them a thorough purifying”. As you can from the beginning of the supplication, it was directed and meant for Ahlel Beit, so the same argument still stands. If Um Salama knew and thought she was part of Ahlel Beit, then she would not have asked if she was in the supplication, as this she was obviously was if the Sunni view of things is correct. Now, the Sunni polemicist has no where to turn and no where to hide.
Another point I would like to stress, it is not out of hatred or dislike we claim that the wives are not being referred to in the verse of purification. Just because someone is not a member of Ahlel Beit, it does not at all mean they were not a pious and God-fearing individual. Ahlel Beit are a very elite echelon, who alongside the Quran are meant for us to adhere to, and so it can only be a select group of individuals who are being referred to in 33:33 and the hadiths which mention them.
The Prophet’s response to Um Salama varies in the different Sunni narrations of this event. Some narrations record an explicit no, while other narrations actually say yes. What can be agreed on is that the Prophet said, “You are into good and virtue, and you are in your own place.” What did he mean by this? As we said not being part of Ahlel Beit does not mean the wives of the Prophet were bad people, far from it. So even though Um Salama was not part of Ahlel Beit, she was still a righteous woman and this is what the Prophet told her. Instead of saying “no” and perhaps upsetting her, he told her that she was a righteous lady who had her own place (status).
Infallibility
This verse serves as proof that the Ahlel Beit were infallible. We define this as they could commit sins and mistakes, but they never did. A good analogy would be any of us can go and run out of the house naked, but none of us ever do (hopefully). 33:33 informs us that Ahlel Beit were infallible based on the fact they were purified thoroughly. This can be supported by:
انما = emphasis
الرجس = all kinds of impurities
ل = emphasis
عنكم = continual purification
تطهيرا = thorough purification
The Sunni polemicist comes to us and says similar verses are used elsewhere in the Quran. For instance, in 2:222 Allah says, “For Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly in repentance and loves also those who keep themselves pure and clean,” and in 9:103 Allah says, “Of their goods take alms, so that you might purify them” and in 5:6 Allah says, “ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith your faces and hands, Allah doth not wish to place you in a difficulty, but to make you clean”. In these verses Allah is referring to those who repent, pay alms, and make ablutions but no one would say that they are infallible.
We respond by saying purification means different things, depending on the context. When Allah says “of their goods take alms, so that you might purify them” this is referring to the self-purification attained from paying alms. In a sermon, Fatima al-Zahra said, “Alms has been ordained as purification for the soul”. When one gives alms this purifies his inner self, and this is self-explanatory.
When Allah says in 2:222 “For Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly in repentance and loves also those who keep themselves pure and clean,” this is referring to the purification attained from repenting your sins and turning to Allah in penance. This again is self-explanatory.
In 5:6, the verse says “ye find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand or earth, and rub therewith your faces and hands, Allah doth not wish to place you in a difficulty, but to make you clean”. This is referring to ablutions and the purification attained from that. Once again, this is self-explanatory. These three verses are referring to the purification attained by performing religious rituals. The Sunnis say that 33:33 means the wives would be purified if they follow what they have been ordered, e.g. not make a dazzling display, but the verse of purification was revealed separately to the wives’ instructions, and it was revealed to Ali, Fatima, Hassan and Hussain. Imam Ali was not being told to stay in his house and not make a dazzling display, so how could this be what it means? Furthermore, in the verse of purification 33:33 the male grammatical tense is being used, and this has already been explained earlier.
Were Ahlel Beit sinful before 33:33 was revealed?
A typical argument (non-Arab) e-Salafis put forward is if 33:33 says Allah wishes to remove impurities from Ahlel Beit, does that mean they committed sins before the verse was revealed? Furthermore, why would the Prophet make the supplication, “O Allah, remove impurities from them and purify them” for six months if they were already purified?
We respond to this by saying that the Pickthal and Yusuf Ali translation which says “remove impurities” is incapable of grasping the proper Arabic meaning. Allah Almighty uses the word “ankum”, which means “keep away” rather than “minkum”, which means “remove”. This means that Allah is saying that he is keeping away impurities from Ahlel Beit, meaning a continual purification. In no way does this indicate that impurities were being removed from Ahlel Beit. The initial Salafi argument originates from an inability to comprehend the meaning of 33:33, mainly due to inaccurate translation and misunderstanding.
Hadiths Relating to Ahlel Beit
Salafi says
“I have left with you something, which if you strictly adhere to, you shall never go astray–The Book of Allah and my progeny” is a weak hadiths as Shias are to be found in the isnads in Tirmidhi and Musnad. It is an established principle in the Hadith sciences that a narrator is rejected if the content of the narrative is peculiar to a particular deviant school of thought if it is narrated by a deviant who ascribes to such a school of thought (Al-Kifaayah fi `ilm al-Riwaayah).
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First of all, the narrations in Tirmidhi and Musnad are not the only copies of this hadith. It can also be found in various other sources including the following. The narrators of this hadith are different from the narrators in Tirmidhi and Musnad.
Chain of Narrators: Abu Bakr Mohammed Ibn Al-Hussain Ibn Muslah - Mohammed Ibn Ayyub - Yahya Ibn Al-Mugheera Al-Saadi - Jarir Ibn Abdul Hamid - Hassan Ibn Abdullah Al-Nakh'ii - Muslim Ibn Sabeeh - Zaid Ibn Arqam
[ 4711 ] حدثنا أبو بكر محمد بن الحسين بن مصلح الفقيه بالري ثنا محمد بن أيوب ثنا يحيى بن المغيرة السعدي ثنا جرير بن عبد الحميد عن الحسن بن عبد الله النخعي عن مسلم بن صبيح عن زيد بن أرقم رضى الله تعالى عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إني تارك فيكم الثقلين كتاب الله وأهل بيتي وإنهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض هذا حديث صحيح الإسناد على شرط الشيخين ولم يخرجاه
The Prophet said, “I am leaving you the two weighty things: the book of God and my Ahlul Bayt. They shall not separate until the pool.”
This hadith is authentic by the standard of the two sheikhs Bukhari and Muslim but they did not report it.
Mustadrak, Hakim, Volume 3
Chain of Narrators: Mohammed Ibn Al-Muthanna – Yahya Ibn Hamad – Abu Awana – Sulayman – Habeeb Ibn Abi Thabit – Abu Tufayl – Zaid Ibn Arqam
أخبرنا محمد بن المثنى قال حدثني يحيى بن حماد قال حدثنا أبو عوانة عن سليمان قال حدثنا حبيب بن أبي ثابت عن أبي الطفيل عن زيد بن أرقم قال لما رجع رسول الله عن حجة الوداع ونزل غدير خم أمر بدوحات فقممن ثم قال كأني قد دعيت فأجبت و إني قد تركت فيكم الثقلين أحدهما أكبر من الآخر كتاب الله وعترتي أهل بيتي فأنظروا كيف تخلفوني فيهما فإنهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا على الحوض ثم قال إن الله مولاي وأنا ولي كل مؤمن ثم أخذ بيد علي فقال من كنت وليه فهذا وليه اللهم وال من والاه وعاد من عاداه فقلت لزيد سمعته من رسول الله فقال ما كان في الدوحات أحد إلا رآه بعينيه وسمعه بأذنيه
“I am leaving with you the two weighty things. One of them is bigger than the other the book of God and my progeny the people of my house. Watch how you treat both of them as they will not split until they return to the pond…
Khasais Al-Alawiya, Nisaii
Chain of Narrators: Mohammed Al-Riqashi - Yahya Ibn Hamad - Abu Bakr Mohammed Ibn Al-Wayah and Abu Bakr Ahmed Ibn Jafar Al-Bazar - Abdullah Ibn Ahmed Ibn Hanbal - Ahmed Ibn Hanbal - Yahya Ibn Hamad and Abu Nasr Ahmed Ibn Sahl - Salih Ibn Mohammed Al-Hafidh Al-Baghdadi - Salim Al-Makhrami - Yahya Ibn Hamad - Abu Awwana - Suleyman Al-Amash - Habeeb Ibn Abi Thabit - Abu Tufayl
محمد الرقاشي ثنا يحيى بن حماد وحدثني أبو بكر محمد بن بالويه وأبو بكر أحمد بن جعفر البزار قالا ثنا عبد الله بن أحمد بن حنبل حدثني أبي ثنا يحيى بن حماد وثنا أبو نصر أحمد بن سهل الفقيه ببخارا ثنا صالح بن محمد الحافظ البغدادي ثنا خلف بن سالم المخرمي ثنا يحيى بن حماد ثنا أبو عوانة عن سليمان الأعمش قال ثنا حبيب بن أبي ثابت عن أبي الطفيل عن زيد بن أرقم رضى الله تعالى عنه قال لما رجع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من حجة الوداع ونزل غدير خم أمر بدوحات فقمن فقال كأني قد دعيت فأجبت إني قد تركت فيكم الثقلين أحدهما أكبر من الآخر كتاب الله تعالى وعترتي فانظروا كيف تخلفوني فيهما فإنهما لن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض
"Zaid Ibn Argqam said that when the Messenger of Allah returned from the valedictory pilgtrimage at the pond of Ghadeer..."I am leaving you the two weighty things, one of which is bigger than the other: the book of God, and my progeny the people of my house, so watch how you deal with them both as they will not seperate until they return at the pool."
Chain of Narrators: Abu Bakr Ibn Ishaq and Dalaj Ibn Ahmed Al-Sajzi - Mohammed Ibn Ayyub - Azraq Ibn Ali - Hasan Ibn Ibrahim Al-Karmani - Mohammed Ibn Salma Ibn Kuhayl - Salma Ibn Kuhayl - Abu Tufayl and Ibn Wathila - Zaid Ibn Arqam
[ 4577 ] حدثناه أبو بكر بن إسحاق ودعلج بن أحمد السجزي قالا أنبأ محمد بن أيوب ثنا الأزرق بن علي ثنا حسان بن إبراهيم الكرماني ثنا محمد بن سلمة بن كهيل عن أبيه عن أبي الطفيل عن بن واثلة أنه سمع زيد بن أرقم رضى الله تعالى عنه يقول نزل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بين مكة والمدينة عند شجرات خمس دوحات عظام فكنس الناس ما تحت الشجرات ثم راح رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عشية فصلى ثم قام خطيبا فحمد الله وأثنى عليه وذكر ووعظ فقال ما شاء الله أن يقول ثم قال أيها الناس إني تارك فيكم أمرين لن تضلوا إن اتبعتموهما وهما كتاب الله وأهل بيتي عترتي ثم قال أتعلمون إني أولى بالمؤمنين من أنفسهم ثلاث مرات قالوا نعم فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه وحديث بريدة الأسلمي صحيح على شرط الشيخين
"...O People, I am leaving with you two orders, you will not be misguided if you follow them, and they are the book of God and my Ahlel Beit, my progeny"...Sheikh Hakim said this hadith is authentic to the standards of the two sheikhs Bukhari and Muslim but they do not report it.
Secondly, by saying Hadith al-Thaqalayn is to be rejected on the basis of it having Shia narrators, this e-Salafi propagandist has inconsciously and inadvertantly admitting that adhering to the two weighty things (Quran and Ahlel Beit) is the emblem of the Shia, otherwise there would be no need to reject it simply because the narrator is Shias. I feel sad that Sunni laymen are being deceived into considering the hadith inauthentic, because all Muslims are supposed to love and adhere to the Ahlel Beit, and so the Shia narrators should not be used as an argument. In fact, if one goes to Egypt he would see Hadith Al-Thaqalayn (Tirmidhi) plastered on the walls of many mosques and shrines.
The reason that particular e-Salafi wished to deny Hadith al-Thaqalayn (Tirmidhi) is because the Hadith al-Thaqalayn (Sahih Muslim) is more easy to manipulate, due to amiguity in its wording, while Hadith al-Thaqalayn (Tirmidhi) is more straightforward in saying we should adhere to and follow the Quran and Ahlel Beit. As we have proven that Hadith al-Thaqalayn (Tirmidhi) is sahih, Sunnis can use it to show what the Sahih Muslim version means. This is something any Sunni hadith scholar would tell you - the full and complete authentic hadith in Mustadrak explains the shortened and incomplete authentic version in Muslim. I do not know the motivation behind the e-Salafi wishing to butcher the meaning of hadith al-thaqalayn but his plan has failed.
Quran and Sunnah
What about the sunnah, some say? Does not the Shia line of thinking and the belief in the Thaqalayn simultaneously cancel the sunnah. This is a common misconception. Who conveys and propagates the Sunnah? The Ahlel Beit. This can be compared to books and teachers.
One of the companions of Imam Musa al-Kadhim and asked him, "Is all that you say to be found in the Quran and the Sunnah, or do you also speak on your own authority?"
He replied: "It is impossible that we should say anything on our authority. Whatever we say is to be found in the Quran and the Sunnah."
(Kafi, Volume 1, Page 64)
Do the Shias really follow Hadith al-Thaqalayn?
I was watching a Salafi propaganda video on YouTube, and the guy was saying that Shias in actuality hate Ahlel Beit and do not follow Hadith al-Thaqalyn, because we denounce Jafar Ibn Ali Al-Hadi to be a liar (kadhab) and we do not like many other sinful people who just so happened to be from the lineage of Imam Ali. When I heard this, I was very shocked as simply being from the progeny of Ali and Fatima does not mean you are a good person. We are judged on our actions, and in the words of the late Martin Luther King on the content of our character, and not our lineage.
“An arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor has a non-Arab any superiority over an Arab, nor has a black man any superiority over a white man or a white man over a black man except by the criterion of taqwa. All of you are from Adam, and Adam is from dust.” (Mustadrak Wasa'il al-Shia Volume 20, Sunan Al-Bayhaqi)
Imam Jafar al-Sadiq said, "The one who exerts 'asabiyyah or the one on whose behalf it is exerted, the tie of faith is taken off his neck."
Kafi, Volume 2, p307
Being from the Prophet's progeny does not make you a good and truthful person. Not only would this be unjust and unfair while Islam is just and fair, but wouldn't the Sunnis be forced to accept Sayed Khoei or Sayed Sistani as truthful and pious individuals; afterall they are sayeds descended from Imam Hussain.
It is truly wrong to say the Shia believe a Sayed (descendant of Fatima) is better than a non-Sayed. Nay, we do not believe this and we believe that people are judged on their merit, not lineage and we have numerous hadiths to back this up. A famous Arab poet, Abu Faris al-Hamdani (رحمه الله) once said 'while Salman the Persian is from the Prophet's family, Nuh's son is not from Nuh's family.' Therefore, I find it baffling why the Sunni brothers and apparently exalting all of Ali and Fatima's progeny.
Hadith al-Thaqalayn is talking about very specific people from the Prophet's progeny (Fatima and the 12 Imams) and not any Tom, Dick and Harry whose great grandfather happens to be the Holy Prophet.
The Salafi Art of Rejecting Hadiths on the Virtues of Ahlel Beit
One notices that Salafi propagandists, along with their predecessors such as Sheikh Dhahabi and Ibn Taymiyya, have taken to denying hadiths on the virtues of Ahlel Beit, even if they are considered sahih by many muhadithun. A good example which we just saw is Hadith al-Thaqalayn.
In fact, Sheikh Dhahabi, who wrote an analysis of Mustadrak, the hadith collection compiled by Hakim Al-Nishapoori (رضي الله عنه) which preserves many of the virtues of the Ahlel Beit, seems to reject many of these hadiths. He even states in the preface of "Talkhis" that it would have been better if Hakim never wrote the book! Another thing Sheikh Dhahabi would do is to call olden-day Shia scholars such as Sheikh Saduq a shaitan. What kind of manners leads someone to call someone a devil simply because that person is a Shia!!!
Dhahabi's casting of doubt on hadiths is a practice being perpetuated by modern-day Salafis. The following are the hadiths that have fallen victim to them:
Hadith of Noah's ark: rejected (despite Hakim saying it is authentic to the standards of Bukhari and Muslim)
Hadith of the brotherhood: rejected (despite being narrated in Tirmidhi with a hasan [good] chain)
Hadith of the city of knowledge: rejected
Hadith Thaqalayn: rejected
and the list continues
And when they do accept hadiths in praise of Ahlel Beit, they say "well the Prophet praises all the other companions in similar ways so who cares about Ahlel Beit. They're nothing special", thus reducing the high status Ahlel Beit has. Is this not a remnant of Sunnism's Nasabi origins?
Conclusion
The Ahlel Beit has a special place in our hearts, and has a special place with the Muslims, be they Shi'ah or Sunni. Ahlel Beit is not the monopoly of one sect, but rather should be something adhered to by all the Muslims.
[ 4715 ] حدثنا مكرم بن أحمد القاضي ثنا أحمد بن علي الأبار ثنا إسحاق بن سعيد بن أركون الدمشقي ثنا خليد بن دعلج أبو عمرو السدوسي أظنه عن قتادة عن عطاء عن بن عباس رضى الله تعالى عنهما قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم النجوم أمان لأهل الأرض من الغرق وأهل بيتي أمان لأمتي من الاختلاف فإذا خالفتها قبيلة من العرب اختلفوا فصاروا حزب إبليس هذا حديث صحيح الإسناد ولم يخرجاه
The Messenger of Allah said, "The people of Earth's salvation from perishing is the stars and the Ahlel Beit is the salvation of my ummah from conflict..."
Our Sunni brethren love the Ahlel Beit like we do, and so it is not something we should fight over, rather something that should increase us in proximity with one another.
Ahlel Beit
