The prohibition of false affiliation (claiming to be related falsely) to Ahl Al-Bait

The prohibition of false affiliation (claiming to be related falsely) to Ahl Al-Bait

The most honorable descent is that of the Prophet Muhammad, and the most honorable kinship is to be related to the Prophet and to the people of his household, if that relationship is a true one. Many Arabs and non-Arabs claim to belong to this origin. Whoever is a part to Ahl Al-Bait and is a believer, Allâh has combined for him both the honor of the faith and the honor of being related to the Prophet; so he who claim to belong to this honorable origin and is not from its people has committed a forbidden thing, he is a pretender of what he has not been given, and the Prophet has said: “Whoever pretends to posess what he has not been given is like somebody wearing two garments of falsehood”. (This Hadith is narrated by Muslim in his Sahih (2129), on the authority of Aisha (RadiAllâhu Anha)).
The prohibition of one’s affiliation to another origin besides his is stated in authentic Hadiths, and among what is reported is the Hadith of Abu Dhar that he heard the Prophet saying: “None claims to be the son of any other than his real father knowingly, except that he has disbelieved in Allâh. And if somebody claims to belong to some folks to whom he does not belong, then let such a person take his place in the (Hell) fire” (narrated by Al Bukhari (3508) and Muslim (112); and the words belong to Al Bukhari.)

In Sahih Al Bukhari (3509) according to Wa’thilat bin Al-Asqa’a, “The Prophet said: ‘Surely one of the worst Fira (lies) is for a man to claim to be the son of a father other than his own real father, or claim to have seen with his eyes what he has not seen, or attribute to the Messenger of Allâh what he has not said”.

And the meaning of al-Fira: lies and his statement “or claim to have seen with his eyes what he has not seen” i.e. in dreams.
And it is stated in Majmu’u al-Fatawa of Shaikhul-Islam bin Taimiyah (Rahimahullah) that the endowment on Ahl Al-Bait or the “Ashraf” (those whose kinship ascends to the Prophet), no one deserves to have from it except the one whose relationship with them is an authentic one. He was asked about the endowment dedicated to the “Ashraf” (that they are relatives). Are the relatives Ashraf or not? Is it allowed for them to have from the endowment or not?

He answered by saying: “All praise belongs to Allâh, if the endowment is for the household of the Prophet or for some of them, like the Alawaites and the Fatimites (the descendants of Ali and Fatima) or the Talibites (the descendant of Abdul Muttalib) those who include: Banu Ja’afar and Banu Aqeel, or the descendants of Al-Abbas and others, surely no one deserves from the endowment except those whose Nasab is true and authentic. As for the one who claims to belong to them or is not known to belong to them, he does not deserve from this endowment, even if he claims to be one
of them, like the Banu Abdullah bin Maimun Al-Qaddah; the genealogists and other scholars know that they do not have true kinship (with Ahl Al-Bait). Scholars of Fiqh, Hadith, kalam and genealogist have proved it and lawful records have been noted, and it is mentioned in important books among the books of the Muslims; in fact, the people of knowledge popularly know that.

And also the one who dedicates his endowment for the “Ashraf” because the term: Ashraf conventionally does not incorporate except the one whose Nasab is authentic, from the family of the Prophet.

But if one dedicates his endowment for the children of an individual, or the relatives of an individual and those similar to that, and it is not stated in the endowment, what restricts it for the family of the Prophet, and the endower owns the endowment, it is correct to bequeath it for the children of a specific individual. And in this case, the Banu Hashim are not included in this endowment.
To this point ends the brief message in the virtue of Ahl Al-Bait and the high position they attained in the sight of Ahl AsSunnah Wal-Jama’ah. I hereby ask Allâh for His assistance in what pleases Him, and for the understanding of His religion and steadfastness on the truth, verily He is AllHearer, Responsive. May Allâh’s peace and blessing be upon our Prophet Muhammad upon his family and companions altogether!