The virtues of Ahl Al-Bait in the Holy Qur’an

The virtues of Ahl Al-Bait in the Holy Qur’an

Allâh said: O Prophet [Muhammad]! Say to your wives: If you desire the life of this world, and its glitter, then come! I will make a provision for you and set you free in a handsome manner (divorce). But if you desire Allâh and His Messenger, and the home of the Hereafter, then verily, Allâh has prepared for Al-Muhsinât (good-doers) amongst you an enormous reward”. 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 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.

His statement: 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 indicates the virtue of the

Surah Al-Ahzab Ayât: 28-34.

kinship of the Messenger of Allâh, and they are those upon whom the charity is prohibited, and among the very special ones are his wives and children as clarified before.

The Ayât indicate other virtues of the wives of the Messenger:

Firstly: For the fact that when they were given the opportunity to choose between the desire of this world and its glitter and the desire of Allâh and His Messenger and the abode of the Hereafter, they chose Allâh and His Messenger and the abode of the Hereafter, (may Allâh be pleased with them.)

Secondly: This statement of the Exalted also proves their virtue: (And his wives are their mothers (i.e. mothers of the believers as regards respect and marriage)) ¹.

As for this statement: Say (O Muhammad): No reward do I ask from you

¹ Surah Al-Ahzab Ayah: 6.

for this, except to be kind to me for my kinship with you ▶¹.

Its correct meaning is that it refers to the clans of Quraish, as explained in Sahih Al Bukhari (4818) narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas. Al Bukhari said: “Muhammad bin Bashar reported from Muhammad bin Ja’afar that Shu’ba heard this from Abdul Malik bin Maisarat who said: ‘I heard Tawoos reporting from Ibn Abbas, that he was asked about the Ayah (Except to be kind to my kinship and Sa’eed bin Jubair said: ‘it means the Kinship of Muhammad ‘. Ibn Abbas then said: “you’ve hastened; there had not been a clan among Quraish except that the Prophet has ties of kinship with. He said it means: “Except you upkeep the kinship that is between you and me”.

Ibn Katheer in explaining this Ayah said: “(i.e. Say, O Muhammad to these polytheists from among the disbelievers of Quraish: ‘I do not ask you to give me a sum of money in return for this preaching and

Surah Al-Shura Ayah: 23.

sincere advice I give to you; but instead, all I ask is to stop your evil deeds against me and let me convey the Message of my Lord. If you will not help me then do not disturb me for the sake of the ties of kinship that exist between you and me”) He then related the statement of Ibn Abbas mentioned shortly.

As for the specification of the kinship in this Ayah by those who follow their desires to mean Fatima, Ali and their offspring, that is incorrect, because the Ayah was revealed in Makka and the marriage of Ali with Fatima took place in Medina. Ibn Kathir (Rahimahullah) said: “the saying that this Ayah was revealed in Medina is far from the truth, surely it was revealed in Makka and at that time Fatima had not given birth to children, for she did not get married to Ali except after the Battle of Badr in the second year of the Hegira. The truth is in explaining this Ayah as explained by the erudite of the Ummah and the interpreter of the Qur’an, Abdullah bin Abbas, as reported by Al Bukhari.

He then mentioned what indicates the virtue of the household of the Messenger from the Sunnah and from the statements of Abubakr and Omar.