The Shia and the Ahlul Bayt
Those intended by the word Ahlul Bayt are firstly the wives of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, which then extends to his children, uncles, and their sons radiya Llahu ‘anhum. The Shia, however, restrict the Ahlul Bayt to only four individuals: ‘Ali, Fatimah, Hassan, and Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhum, even excluding ‘Ali’s radiya Llahu ‘anhu sons—aside from Hassan and Hussain—from the Ahlul Bayt, such as Muhammad ibn Hanafiyyah, Abu Bakr ibn ‘Ali, ‘Umar ibn ‘Ali, ‘Uthman ibn ‘Ali, ‘Abbas ibn ‘Ali, Jafar ibn ‘Ali, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Ali, ‘Ubaidullah ibn ‘Ali, Yahya ibn ‘Ali, as well as ‘Ali’s eighteen daughters according to one report and nineteen according to another. Even more astonishing is how they have unsympathetically excluded and disregarded all of Hassan’s radiya Llahu ‘anhu immediate offspring as being part of the Ahlul Bayt as well as those from amongst Hussain’s radiya Llahu ‘anhu progeny as it did not fit in with their ideology. It is for these reasons that they have declared the very progeny of their illustrious Imam Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu to be liars, immoral and even disbelievers or apostates. Thus the Shia consider a portion of Fatimah, a portion of ‘Ali, a portion of Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhum, and a select nine Imams from the vast progeny of Hussain radiya Llahu ‘anhu up to Hassan al ‘Askari rahimahu Llah and the assumed Twelfth Imam—who is assumed to have been born—as being part of the Ahlul Bayt. It is only these whom the Shia consider to be the Ahlul Bayt, in stark contrast with the belief and practice of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah who love and revere the entire Ahlul Bayt of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam–his wives, daughters, and family members from the Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib– in accordance with the Prophetic guidance. This book seeks to highlight the meaning and implication of the term “Ahlul Bayt”, the amicable relationship between the Noble Companions and Pure Family of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and expose the manner in which the Shia have tarnished and dishonored the reputation of the Pure Family of the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.