The Garden of Knowledge

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

08 Muharram 1447/04 July 2025

All praise is due to Allah, the Cherisher, Sustainer, Nourisher and Provider of the entire creation. May peace, blessings and salutations be upon our Beloved Prophet Muhammed ﷺ.

Muharram, the first month of the lunar calendar year as we know it, is a month of great virtue and significance.

Within this month we witness many significant events in Islamic history. Of the many significant events we are aware of Karbala where Imam Husain (R.A), the grandson of the beloved Prophet Muhammed ﷺ was martyred.

We find it necessary and important that we speak and get an understanding of who is the Ahlul Bayt (The Prophetic Household) and the virtues of the Ahlul Bayt.

As Ahla Sunnah wal Jammah – belief and love of the Ahlul Bayt is an integral part of ones faith.

So who are considered as the Ahlul Bayt?

Aisha (R.A) reported that:

خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم غَدَاةً وَعَلَيْهِ مِرْطٌ مُرَحَّلٌ مِنْ شَعْرٍ أَسْوَدَ فَجَاءَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ فَأَدْخَلَهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَ الْحُسَيْنُ فَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ ثُمَّ جَاءَتْ فَاطِمَةُ فَأَدْخَلَهَا ثُمَّ جَاءَ عَلِيٌّ فَأَدْخَلَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏{‏ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا‏}‏

Allah’s Apostle ﷺ went out one morning wearing a striped cloak of the black camel’s hair that there came Hasan (R.A). He wrapped him under it, then came Husain (R.A) and he wrapped him under it along with the other one (Hasan). Then came Fatima (R.A) and he took her under it, then came Ali (R.A) and he also took him under it and then said: “Allah only desires to take away any uncleanliness from you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough purifying)”. – Sahih Muslim 2424

Are the wives of the Prophet ﷺ considered as part of Ahlul Bayt?

Scholars of Ahle Sunnah have made mention that the wives of the Prophet ﷺ are part of the Ahle Bayt while others have said the Ahle Bayt refer to those related by blood and not by marriage. To support the second view scholars point out a few hadith:

١٧٤٠/ ٢٠٢٣٦ – مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَصَحَابِى وأَزْوَاجِى وأَهْلَ بَيتِى وَلمْ يَطْعَنْ فِي أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ، وَخَرجَ مِن الدُّنْيَا عَلى مَحَبَّتِهِمْ، كَانَ مَعِى فِي دَرَجَتِى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

Whoever loves my companions. my wives and my family and he did not attack any of them, and he left this world out of love for them. He will be with me in my rank on the Day of Resurrection. – Jaami ul Kabir, Imam Suyuti, 1740:20236

However one needs to turn to the Noble Quran and the Blessed Sunnah for an explanation in this regard. If we were left to ourselves to define who the Ahlul Bayt are, there would be a total mix-up, and that is exactly what we are unfortunately experiencing today in some quarters.

We find in Surah Ahzab, verse 33:

وَقَرْنَ فِى بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ ٱلْجَـٰهِلِيَّةِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتِينَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَطِعْنَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ ٱلرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًۭا

“Settle in your homes, and do not display yourselves as women did in the days of pre-Islamic ignorance. Establish prayer, pay alms-tax, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah only intends to keep the causes of evil away from you and purify you completely, O  members of the Prophet’s ﷺ family!”

This is a clear statement that the wives of the Prophet ﷺ are included among the members of his family (Ahl Al-Bayt) and supports the first view.

Virtues of the Ahlul Bayt :

1) Tirmidhi 4138 -Usamah bin Zaid (R.A) narrated:

طَرَقْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ فِي بَعْضِ الْحَاجَةِ فَخَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهُوَ مُشْتَمِلٌ عَلَى شَيْءٍ لاَ أَدْرِي مَا هُوَ فَلَمَّا فَرَغْتُ مِنْ حَاجَتِي قُلْتُ مَا هَذَا الَّذِي أَنْتَ مُشْتَمِلٌ عَلَيْهِ قَالَ فَكَشَفَهُ فَإِذَا حَسَنٌ وَحُسَيْنٌ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ عَلَى وَرِكَيْهِ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ هَذَانِ ابْنَاىَ وَابْنَا ابْنَتِي اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أُحِبُّهُمَا فَأَحِبَّهُمَا وَأَحِبَّ مَنْ يُحِبُّهُمَا ‏”‏ ‏.‏ ‏

“I came to the Prophet ﷺ one night concerning some need, so the Prophet ﷺ came out while he was covering up something, and I did not know what it was. Once I had tended to my need, I said: ‘What is this that you were covering up?’ So he uncovered it, and I found it was Hasan (R.A) and Husain (R.A) upon his hips. So he ﷺ said: ‘These are my two sons, and the sons of my daughter. O Allah! Indeed, I love them, so love them, and love those who love them.’”

2) Darrul manthur of Imam suyuti : 7/6

لكل شيء أساس، وأساس الإسلام حب أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وحب أهل بيته

Everything has  a foundation, and the foundation of Islam is love of the companions and love of Ahlul Bayt.

3) Mu’jam al Awsat of Tabarani 5078:

كتاب الله حبل ممدود من السماء إلى الأرض، وعترتي أهل بيتي، ولن يتفرقا حتى يردا علي الحوض، فانظروا كيف تخلفوني فيهما

The book of Allah is the rope suspended between the heavens and earth, my progeny is my household and will not separate until they return to me at the Fountain, so look at how you leave me behind in them.

4) Mu’jam al Kabir of Tabarani 7/75/7796

لا يؤمن أحدكم . أكون أحب إليه من نفسه، وأهلي أحب إليه من أهله وعترتي أحب إليه من عترته، وذاتي أحب إليه من ذاته 

None of you believes until I am dearer to him than his own self, my family is dearer to him than his family, my family is dearer to him than his family, and my self is dearer to him than himself.

These are some the virtues of the Ahlul Bayt. We love the Prophet ﷺ and we love his companions and love his household. We find the moment someone says they love the Ahlul Bayt, they are called Shia, but loving the Ahlul Bayt and the Sahabah is of the sunnah, it is part of our Aqeedah as Ahle Sunnah wal Jammah as demonstrated in the hadith mentioned above and it is something we should not be afraid or shy to show and display.

We ask Allah to place the love of Allah, His messenger ﷺ, the companions and the Ahlul Bayt in our heart. May Allah accept our efforts from us and grant us understanding In Sha Allah!