O Allah, these are my Ahlul Bayt so remove impurity from them and purify them with extensive purification
O Allah, these are my Ahlul Bayt so remove impurity from them and purify them with extensive purification
اللهم هؤلاء أهل بيتي فأذهب عنهم الرجس و طهرهم تطهيرا
O Allah, these are my Ahlul Bayt so remove impurity from them and purify them with extensive purification.
Before we proceed, let us not forget a significant matter which breaks the proof of the rafidi. The Rawafid exclude Sayyidah Zainab and Sayyidah Umm Kulthum from the hadith al Kisa’. There non-inclusion has created yet another major stumbling block for them which they cannot cross, except by attacking the noble lineage of these two pure souls and rejecting them being the beloved daughters of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
The wife is the ahl of a person even in the Shia creed, even though they may reject this out of haughtiness and prejudice.
Ponder over these proofs:
عن علي بن إبراهيم عن أبيه عن ابن أبي عمير عن حماد عن الحلبي قال قلت لأبي عبد الله عليه السلام جعلت فداك إني لما قضيت نسكي للعمرة أتيت أهلي و لم أقصر قال عليك بدنة قال قلت إني لما أردت ذلك منها و لم تكن قصرت امتنعت فلما غلبتها قرضت بعض شعرها بأسنانها فقال رحمها الله كانت أفقه منك عليك بدنة و ليس عليها شيء
‘Ali ibn Ibrahim reports from―his father from―Abu ‘Umair from―Hammad from―al Halabi who reports:
I asked Abu ‘Abdullah rahimahu Llah, “May I be sacrificed for you. After completing the rituals of ‘Umrah, I approached my wife (Ahl) before cutting my hair.”
He explained, “A camel is compulsory upon you (as an expiation).”
I said, “When I wanted to share the bed with her, she had not yet cut her hair so she refused. After overpowering her, she bit some of her hair with her teeth.”
He commented, “May Allah have mercy on her. She was more understanding than you. A camel is compulsory upon you and there is no penalty for her.”[1]
قال الخميني الصادق عليه السلام إذا أتى أحدكم أهله فليذكر الله فإن لم يفعل و كان منه ولد كان شرك شيطان
Khomeini reports that al Sadiq rahimahu Llah said, “When any of you goes to his wife (Ahl), he should remember Allah. If he does not do so and has a child, he will be the partner of Shaitan.”[2]
Another narration has the wording:
فإن لم يذكر الله عند الجماع فكان منه ولد كان شرك شيطان
If he does not remember Allah during intercourse and has a child, he will be the partner of Shaitan.[3]
أن رجلا من الأنصار أتى النبي صلى الله عليه و آله فقال يا رسول الله هلكت و أهلكت فقال و ما أهلكك قال أتيت أهلي في شهر رمضان و أنا صائم فقال له النبي صلى الله عليه و آله أعتق رقبة
A man from the Ansar came to the Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and submitted, “O Messenger of Allah, I am destroyed and I have destroyed.”
Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam asked, “What happened?”
He explained, “I had relations with my wife (Ahl) in the month of Ramadan while fasting.”
Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to him, “Free a slave.”[4]
The Shia narrate and classify this narration as authentic.
The second martyr has emphasised the authenticity of al Saduq’s narration from Abu ‘Abdullah. The narration contains the words:
وقعت على امرأتي قال تصدق و استغفر ربك
The man said, “I had intercourse with my wife.”
He said, “Give charity and ask your Rabb for forgiveness.”[5]
The word imra’ati (wife) appears in this narration and the word ahli (wife) appears in other narration. This is evidence against them from their own books.
Muhsin al Amin says in his book:
فبويع الحسن ابنه فعوهد ثم غدر به و أسلم و وثب عليه أهل العراق حتى طعن بخنجر في جنبه و انتهب عسكره فوادع معاوية و حقن دمه و دم أهل بيته
Hassan, his son, was given bay’ah. He was given a covenant but then betrayed and forsaken. The people of Iraq pounced on him and stabbed him with a dagger in his flank and seized his army. So he left Muawiyah and spared his blood and the blood of his Ahl (family).[6]
Do you not notice that he used a word which indicates that he spared the blood of his wives and children, or did he intend sparing his sons only, to the exclusion of his wives?
As regards the hadith under discussion, al Haythami has affirmed, “Muhammad ibn Mus’ab is present therein. He is da’if and had a weak memory.”[7]
There is yet another narration which has the addition:
عن أم سلمة قلت يا رسول الله ألست من أهلك قال بلى فأدخلني في الكساء قالت فدخلت في الكساء بعدما قضى دعاءه لابن عمه و ابنيه و ابنته فاطمة
On the authority of Umm Salamah who reports:
I said, “O Messenger of Allah, am I not part of your family?”
He said, “Most definitely, so come under the shawl.”
I entered under the shawl after he completed his du’a’ for his cousin, grandsons, and daughter Fatimah.”
The hadith begins with Sayyidah Umm Salamah’s radiya Llahu ‘anha statement after the news of Sayyidah Hussain’s radiya Llahu ‘anhu martyrdom reached her:
لعنت أهل العراق قتلوه قتلهم الله غروه و ذلوه لعنهم الله
She cursed the people of Iraq saying, “They killed him, may Allah kill them. They deceived and humiliated him. May Allah curse them.”
This has been reported by Ahmed[8] and al Tabarani[9]. The isnad is sahih li ghayrihi (sahih due to external factors).
It comes through few chains, all supporting each other. The muhaqqiqin of al Musnad examined them and commented on the upcoming sanad:
قال عبد الملك و حدثني داود بن أبي عوف أبو الجحاف عن شهر بن حوشب عن أم سلمة
‘Abdul Malik said―Dawood ibn Abi ‘Awf Abu al Jahhaf narrated to me from―Shahr ibn Hawshab from―Umm Salamah.[10]
Another narration:
أخبرنا أبو عبد الله مرة و أبو عبد الرحمن محمد ب الحسين السلمي من أصله و أبو بكر أحمد بن الحسن القاضي قالوا ثنا أبو العباس محمد بن يعقوب ثنا الحسن بن مكرم ثنا عثمان بن عمر ثنا عبد الرحمن بن عبد الله بن دينار عن شريك بن أبي نمر عن عطاء بن يسار عن أم سلمة قالت ثم في بيتي أنزلت إِنَّمَا يُرِيْدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيْرًا قالت فأرسل رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم إلى فاطمة و علي و الحسن و الحسين فقال هؤلاء أهل بيتي و في حديث القاضي و السلمي هؤلاء أهلي قالت فقلت يا رسال الله أما أنا من أهل البيت قال بلى إن شاء الله تعالى
Abu ‘Abdullah informed us once and Abu ‘Abdul Rahman Muhammad ibn al Hussain al Sulami from his original and Abu Bakr Ahmed ibn al Hassan al Qadi saying―Abu al ‘Abbas Muhammad ibn Ya’qub narrated to us―Hassan ibn Mukarram narrated to us―’Uthman ibn ‘Umar narrated to us―’Abdul Rahman ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Dinar narrated to us from―Sharik ibn Abi Namir from―’Ata’ ibn Yasar from―Umm Salamah who narrates:
Then in my house was the verse Allah intends only to remove from you the impurity [of sin], O people of the [Prophet’s] household, and to purify you with [extensive] purification[11] revealed.
Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam called Fatimah, ‘Ali, Hassan and Hussain and said, “O Allah these are my Ahlul Bayt (household members).”
The hadith of al Qadi and al Sulami have the wording, “These are my ahl (family).”
I asked, “O Messenger of Allah, am I not from your Ahlul Bayt.”
“Definitely,” he confirmed, “if Allah wills.”
Abu ‘Abdullah says, “This hadith has a sahih sanad and reliable narrators. Al Sheikh says, ‘Many shawahid have been narrated. Then in contradiction to it, ahadith are narrated the likes of which are not established in the Book of Allah. The purpose which we intended is Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam using the word al and referring to his wives or that they are inclusive therein.”[12]
The hadith of Umm Salamah radiya Llahu ‘anha highlights her inclusion in the kisa
حدثنا عبد الله قال حدثني أبي ثنا أبو النضر هاشم بن القاسم ثنا عبد الحميد ابن بهرام قال حدثني شهر قال سمعت أم سلمة قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم اللهم أهلي أذهب عنهم الرجس و طهرهم تطهيرا قلت يا رسول الله ألست من أهلك قال بلى فأدخلني في الكساء قالت فدخلت في الكساء بعدما قضى دعاءه لابن عمه و ابنيه و ابنته فاطمة
‘Abdullah narrated to us saying―my father narrated to me―Abu al Nadr Hashim ibn al Qasim narrated to us―’Abdul Hamid ibn Bahram narrated to us saying―Shahr narrated to me saying―I heard Umm Salamah report that Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam supplicated, “O Allah, my family; remove from them impurity and purify them with extensive purification.”
I submitted, “O Messenger of Allah, am I not part of your family?”
He said, “Most definitely, so come under the shawl.”
I entered under the shawl after he completed his du’a’ for his cousin, grandsons, and daughter Fatimah.”[13]
Rasulullah’s salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam du’a’ was after the revelation of the verse.
This emphatic text coupled with other narrations establish that others are also part of his Ahlul Bayt. There is no inconsistency here.
Nothing in the text suggests that only they are his Ahlul Bayt. Had limitation appeared in the narration, we would have held that view or there would be discrepancy.
An example of this is if we stop completely at:
فَوَيْلٌ لِّلْمُصَلِّينَ
So woe to those who pray.[14]
And we do not complete the sentence, it will cause misunderstandings and raise objections.
The question that now arises is that if the children of Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam are meant and addressed in the verse, what was the need for Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to gather them and pray for them? The answer is that Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam intended to include his children in the address Allah made to his noble wives.
[1] Al Kafi vol. 4 pg. 441; al Majlisi: Bihar al Anwar vol. 18 pg. 83.
[2] Tahrir al Wasilah vol. 2 pg. 239; al Kalbayakani: Hidayat al ‘Ibad vol. 2 pg. 303; Man La Yahduruhu al Faqih vol. 3 pg. 404; Wasa’il al Shia vol. 2 pg. 118; Bihar al Anwar vol. 6 pg. 201.
[3] Bihar al Anwar vol. 6 pg. 201.
[4] Man La Yahduruhu al Faqih vol. 2 pg. 115; Wasa’il al Shia vol. 7 pg. 30; Mukhtalaf al Shia vol. 3 pg. 442.
[5] Masalik al Afham vol. 1 pg. 15.
[6] A’yan al Shia vol. 1 pg. 26.
[7] Majma’ al Zawa’id vol. 9 pg. 167.
[8] Musnad Ahmed vol. 6 pg. 298.
[9] Al Mujam al Kabir vol. 3 pg. 114.
[10] Musnad Ahmed Muhaqqaq vol. 44 pg. 119 Hadith: 26508 (Hadith: 26592 by the count of Maktabat al Turath al Hasubiyyah)
[11] Surah al Ahzab: 33
[12] Sunan al Bayhaqi vol. 2 pg. 150; Tarikh Dimashq vol. 14 pg. 138.
[13] Fada’il al Sahabah vol. 2 pg. 852 Biography: 1170 with a Hassan isnad.
[14] Surah al Ma’un: 4.