The correct statement in defining the people of the household of the Prophet is the following one: They are those for whom the charity is prohibited, and they are his wives, his children and every Muslim male and female from the descendants of Abdul Muttalib; and they are also the Banu Hashim bin Abdu Manaf.
Ibn Hazm said in his book Jamharat Ansab Al-Arab (page: 14): “Hashim bin Abdu Manaf gave birth to Shaibah who is Abdul Muttalib. In him is the backbone and nobility, and there is no offspring from Hashim except from Abdul Muttalib”. See the offspring of Abdul Muttalib in Jamharat Ansab Al Arab by Ibn Hazm (page: 14-15), and At-Tab’yeen fi Ansab Al Qurashiyeen by Ibn Qudamah (page: 76), and Minhaj AlSunnah by Ibn Taimiyah (vol. 7 page: 304305), and Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar (vol. 7 page: 78-79).
And the inclusion of the children of his uncles in his household is confirmed by what Muslim has recorded in his Sahih (1072) on the authority of Abdul Muttalib bin Rabee’ah bin Al-Harith bin Abdul Muttalib that he went together with Al-Fadl bin Abbas to the Messenger of Allâh and asked him to put them in charge of the charity, so that they can have from it the necessary money for their marriage. But the Prophet said to them: “The charity is not lawful for the household of Mohammad; it is surely the dirts of the people”. He then ordered for them to be married and given from Al Khums (the 1/5th of the war booty assigned to them- see surah Al Anfal Ayah: 41).
Some learned scholars like Al-Shafi’e and Ahmad joined the Banu Al-Muttalib bin Abdu Manaf together with the Banu Hashim among those for whom the charity is prohibited, and that is because of the 1/5th share they have with them from AlKhums, and that is due to the Hadith narrated by Al Bukhari in his Sahih (3140)
from Jubair bin Mut’im in which it is reported that: The offering made by the Prophet for the Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib to the exclusion of their brothers from the Banu Abdi-Shams and Nawfal, was because both the Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib are one people.
As for the inclusion of his wives in his household, that is indicated in the statement of Allâh the Almighty: And stay in your houses; and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance and perform As-Salât (iqamât-as-Salât) and give Zakât and obey Allâh and His Messenger: Allâh wishes only to remove ArRijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet) and to purify you with a thorough purification. And remember (O you the members of the Prophet’s family, the Graces of your Lord), that which is recited in your houses of the verses of Allâh and Al-Hiqmah (i.e. Prophet’s Sunnah – legal ways, so give your thanks to Allâh and glorify His Praises for this Qur’an and the Sunnah). Verily, Allâh is Ever Most
Courteous and Well-Acquainted with all things ¹
These two Ayât (the Quranic verses) certainly confirm their inclusion, because the context of the Ayât before and after them is addressed to his wives, and that does not contradict what Muslim has recorded in his Sahih (2424) reporting from Aisha (RadiAllâhu Anhaa): “The Prophet of Allâh appeared one morning wearing a striped garment made of black wool. AlHassan bin Ali came and he put him inside (the garment): then came Al-Hussein and entered with him; Fatima came too and he again enclosed her in the garment. Ali also appeared and he included him in the garment, and quoted the Ayah: Allâh wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet) and to purify you with a thorough purification. ). This Ayah indicates their inclusion since it has been addressed to them, and the inclusion of Ali, Fatima,
1 Surah Al-Ahzab, Ayaats: 33-34.
Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein in this Ayah has been confirmed by the Sunnah in this Hadith. The specification of these four people by the Prophet does not indicate the restriction of his family on them alone besides other relatives; however it shows that, these are his closest relatives.
The manner in which this Ayah confirms the inclusion of his wives in his family, and the manner in which the previous Hadith of Aisha confirms the inclusion of Ali, Fatima, Al-Hassan and Al-Hussein, are similar to the manner that this statement of Allâh, The Almighty: (Verily the mosque whose foundation was laid from the first day on piety indicates that the mosque referred to is the mosque of Qubah, while the Sunnah has confirmed in the Hadith recorded by Muslim in his Sahih (1398) that the mosque whose foundation was laid in piety from its very first day is the mosque of the Prophet. This similarity has been explained by Shaikhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyah (Rahimahullah) in his message: The Virtue of the Family of the Prophet and their rights.
Al-Taubah, Ayah: 108.
And the Prophet’s wives are included in the term Al-Aal (The family) because of the statement of the Prophet that says: “Surely charity is allowed neither for Muhammad nor for his family”. That can be confirmed from the fact that they use to receive from the “Khums”; added to the narration of Ibn Abi Shaibah in his compilation (Vol. 3, page: 214) with an authentic Isnad (chain of narration) on the authority of Ibn Abi Mulaikat, that Khalid bin Sa’eed sent a cow of charity to Aisha, but she returned it saying: “We are the family of Muhammad: charity is not allowed for us”.
And among the things that Ibn Al-Qayim stated in his book Jala’ul Afhaam (pages: 331-333) in support for those who included his wives in his household is this statement: “These people said: ‘Surely, the wives are included in the family, especially the wives of the Prophet in comparison with his relatives, because their connection with the Prophet is not cut off; they are forbidden to others during his lifetime and
after his death and they are his wives in this world and in the hereafter. Therefore, their connection with the Prophet the family link, and the Prophet mentioned them among those to be prayed upon (in the salah Al Ibrahimiyah). is like has Because of this, the correct statement is that of Imam Ahmad (Rahimahullah) which says: “That charity is surely prohibited on them (i.e. the wives of the Prophet) because it is the dirts of the people, and Allâh the Glorious has preserved that great personality and his family from all dirts of mankind.”
And for Allâh’s sake, how strange! How can his wives be included in his statement “O Allah! Make the provision of the family of Muhammad sustenance”; and in his statement at the moment of sacrifice: “O Allâh! This is for Muhammad and for the family of Muhammad”; and in the statement of Aisha (RadiAllâhu Anha): “The family of the Messenger of Allah never eaten wheat bread to their satisfaction” and in the statement of the prayer: “O Allâh! Send Your Salah (Grace and Honor) on Muhammad and on the has
family of Muhammad”, and not in this other statement of the Messenger: “Surely charity is allowed neither for Muhammad nor for the family of Muhammad” when it is the dirts of the people, and his wives are worthier to be preserved and kept aloof from it?!
This can be objected by the fact that if the charity was prohibited to them, it would have been prohibited to their freed slaves, just as because it was prohibited to the Banu Hashim it has been prohibited to their freed slaves. It is stated in Sahih that Barirah (Aisha’s freed slave girl) was presented with charity of meat and she ate it. The Prophet did not prohibit it on her though she was a freed slave of Aisha (RadiAllâhu Anha).
It is said: This is the false evidence of those who made it lawful to the wives of the Prophet.
And the answer to it is that the prohibition of charity to the wives of the Prophet is not on the basis of origination, but instead, it is in accordance to its
prohibition on the Prophet, otherwise the charity was licit for them before their association with the Prophet. They are a branch to this prohibition. And its prohibition on the released slave is a branch to its prohibition on his master. Since the prohibition on the Banu Hashim is a direct one, it applied also to their freed slaves. But since the prohibition on the wives of the Prophet is a follow up, it could not be strong enough to cover their freed slaves, because it is a branch from a branch.
They said: Allâh, The Highest said: (O wives of the Prophet! Whoever of you commits an open illegal sexual intercourse, the torment for her will be doubled and that is ever easy for Allâh. And whosoever of you is obedient to Allâh and His Messenger and does righteous good deeds, We shall give her, her reward twice over, and We have prepared for her Rizq Karim (a noble provision – Paradise). O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep your duty (to Allâh), then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease
(of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner. And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance. And perform As-Salât (iqamât-as-Salât), and give Zakât, and obey Allâh and His Messenger. Allâh wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet) and to purify you with a thorough purification. And remember (O you the members of the Prophet’s family, the Graces of your Lord), that which is recited in your houses of the verses of Allâh and AlHiqmah (i.e. Prophet’s Sunnah – legal ways, so give your thanks to Allâh and glorify His Praises for this Qur’an and the Sunnah). Verily, Allâh is Ever Most Courteous and Well-Acquainted with all things >¹. And said: “They (i.e. the wives of the Prophet) have entered among the members of the household because, the entire sequence of the Ayât is about mentioning them, and it is therefore not allowed to remove them from any part of it. Allâh knows best”.
¹ Surah Al-Ahzab Ayaats: 30- 34.
And the prohibition of the charity on the freed slaves of the Banu Hashim is indicated by the Hadith reported by Abu Dawood in his Sunan (1650) and also At-Tirmidhi (657) and An-Nasa’e (2611) with an authentic Isnad; the words belong to Abu Dawood on the authority of Abu Rafi’e: “That the Prophet sent a man from the Banu Makzoom to be charged of charity, and the man said to Abu Rafi’e: “Accompany me for you will surely receive something from it”. He said: “Not until I come to the Prophet and ask him”. He came and asked him and the Prophet said: “The released slaves of a group of people are part of them, and surely the charity is not licit for us”.
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 