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Quor’an in Sura 42,V 23 tells us in the words of Prophet
Muhammad;
“
I do not ask you for any recompense for this (communication of the
revelation) except the love of the near kinship." (Mawaddata
fil-Qurba). Asking the believers to love the Prophet ('s) and his
Ahlulbayt ('a).
In Sura 33 (Ahzab) V.33 there is further elaboration of the Ahlulbayt ('a)
and
their status.
This state of purity, which distinguished Prophet Muhammad ('s) and his family
(Ahlulbayt)
from the common Muslims, agreed with the elevated ranks of the families of
the earlier Prophets, but this elevation was not unconditional, they had
to be rightly guided to achieve that status .[may peace and blessings be
upon them all]
This guidance was confirmed by the following verses, Verse 33 goes like
this:
"God desires only to remove any impurities from you, O’ people of
the House (Ahlulbayt) and to purify you completely.”
Who are the people
of the House (Ahlulbayt)?
The pronoun referring to them is in the masculine plural, while the
preceding part of the verse is in the feminine plural. This change in
gender has evidently pointed the finger to the Five people of the mantle (Ahl
Al-Kisa) i.e. Muhammad-Ali-Fatima-Hasan-Hussain ('a). For this Verse was
revealed when the Prophet was in the house of his daughter Fatima under a Kisa. She is the narrator of this Tradition. When these
Five persons were under the Kisa she used a sentence “Fa Lamma Aktamalna”
And when we were complete (Under the Kisa). She did not use the word
Ajtam’ana, i.e when were all gathered or assembled together for it would
show the possibility of addition or subtraction from the Five. The word 'Aktamalna'
clarified the position that these Five had completed the assembly without
further additions.
Tabari in his commentary and Imam Fakhruddin Razi in his Tafsee-e-Kabir in
their commentaries on this verse support this interpretation and the names
of Five people with the exclusion of the wives of the Prophet.
The Ahlulbayt of Muhammad meant, as was consistent with the general usage
of the term at the time, primarily his blood relations, the same people
who were also forbidden to receive Alms (Sadaqa) in order that their
state of purity not be soiled or questioned. This also elevates them to
the status of infallible (Masoom), that is, free of mistakes in all
avenues of life.
To
further confirm the names of these Five persons, in Sura III,V.61,the
Verse of Mubahala clarifies this position in front of the large audience
of Muslims as well as Christians. This Verse goes like this:
“ If one disputes with you in this matter (concerning Jesus) after the
knowledge which has come to you, come, let us call our sons and your sons,
our women and your women, our-selves and your-selves, then let us swear an
oath and place the curse of God on those who lie."
And the personalities
Muhammad ('s) took with him were the same Five people of the Kisa. He
himself as the Prophet of God, his Daughter Fatima as the women of the
family, his two grand sons as the sons and his cousin Ali as the
“Self” of the Prophet. When the Bishop of Najran saw these faces he realized
the truthfulness of the Prophet and refrained from verbal confrontation of
curse on those who lie. Qur’an’s logic plays a great part in
understanding what God wanted us to know and what to do when matters are
under dispute or subject to various interpretations. Sura III V.31 tells us,
“ Say (O’ Muhammad) if you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love
you and forgive your sins.”
In this Verse, the Prophet is introduced as
an example to whose behaviour and morality people should conform their own
behaviour and morality, and whom they should take as their precedent. This in itself
is a proof of the Prophet’s immunity from sin and error, because, if it were possible for sin and error to proceed from
him, there would be no purpose in God, introducing him as a leader and a
precedent. This position then after the Prophet, passed to the Household (Ahlulbayt)
and according to a Hadith, which many Sunni and Shi’i scholars have
narrated in their books on the life of the Prophet, in histories and in
their own books on Hadith from nearly thirty companions of the Prophet.
The Prophet chose his Household (Ahlulbayt) for the leadership and Imamate. He said;
“ I leave among you two precious things: the Book of Allah and my
Ahlulbayt. These two will not be separated until they encounter me at the
pool of Kawther (in paradise). Do not run ahead of them, for you will be
ruined, do not neglect them, for you will be ruined and do not seek to
instruct them for they are wiser than you.”
Looking at the above Verses
of the Holy Book, let there be no doubt in the minds of any readers,
believers or non believers, that the Prophet on orders of the Qor’an was a Masoom and so were his
Ahlulbayt. Hence the lives of
The Fourteen Masoomeen ('a) for you to read, understand and follow,
because following their footsteps will lead us to Love God. This should be
the aim of every Human being on earth to achieve salvation. The Present
book is my life’s ambition, which is to give authentic and correct information about the Ahlulbayt
('a) of the Prophet ('s) in the language
that today's youth understands.
I pray that the Imam Sahibuz –Zaman
Aalaihissalam ('a) will accept this small offering from one of his humble
servants.
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