Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمsaid: None of you can be a (complete) believer until I am more beloved to him than his father, his children, and all of mankind. (Bukhari, vol. 1, p. 17, Hadees 15)
The connection of companionship with him brings about the status of being a Sahabi, and the connection of being from his lineage gives the status of being a Sayyid. His descendants, whom we call Aal-e-Rasool and Sadaat-e-Karam [Sayyids] out of respect, should also be viewed with love and honour – this is the requirement of the love of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.
In this regard, the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمsaid: ‘No one can be a true believer until I am more beloved to him than his own life, until my offspring is more beloved to him than his own children, until my personage is more beloved to him than his own being, and until my household is more beloved to him than his own household.’ (Shu’ab-ul-Iman, vol. 2, p. 189, Hadees 1505)
We have also received an emphatic command from the Prophet to teach the love of Sayyids to our children from a young age.
In this regard, the Blessed Hadees says: ‘Develop three characteristics in your children:
1. Love of your Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
2. Love of his Family (the Ahl-e-Bayt)
3. Recitation of the Quran.
Take note of the following Prophetic statements containing the virtues of the Ahl-e-Bayt and Sayyids:
1. Love me for the sake of Allah and love my family for my sake. (Tirmizi, vol. 5, p. 434, Hadees 3814)
2. I swear by the One in whose Power my soul is, whoever hates my Ahl-e-Bayt, Allah Almighty will make him enter Hell. (Mustadrak lil-Hakim, vol. 4, p. 131, Hadees 4771)
3. My intercession is for the one in my Ummah who loves my Family. (Jami’ah Sagheer, p. 301, Hadees 4894)
4. Before answering these four questions, the two feet of the person will not be able to move:
(1) How he spent his life, (2) how he fed his body, (3) how he spent and gained wealth, and (4) regarding his love for the Ahl-e-Bayt (Mu’jam Kabeer, vol. 11, p. 102, Hadees 11177)
Ali Khawwaas رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْهsays: ‘It is the right of Sayyids over us that we sacrifice our souls for them because the blessed blood and flesh of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمis infused in them. They are a part of the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمand the degree of respect and honour of the part is the same as that of the whole. Just as the sanctity of any part of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was vital in his blessed apparent life, the same rule still applies. Some scholars have even said that no matter how many generations away they are after the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّمin their lineage, it is their right over us that we give priority to their contentment above our own desires and that we respect them properly. If these blessed people sit on the ground, we should not sit on a high seat.’
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 