www.musjidulhaq.com THE AHLE BAYT AND KARBALA A Presentation from the Research & Translation Department of Musjidul Haq (Uitenhage, Port Elizabeth) www.musjidulhaq.com 1 | P a g e www.musjidulhaq.com Part 1 THE AHLE BAYT 1. THE EMINENCE OF THE AHLE BAYT ACCORDING TO THE HOLY QUR’AN 1.1 VERSE 1 OR “AYAT-E-QURBA”: In Surah Shurah, verse 23, the Holy Qur’an declares: ۡ ۤ ْ ْ ْ ْ ۡ ْ قل َاّل اسـل ُکم علی ِہ اج ًرا ِا َاّل المودۃ ِِف الق ْر یٰبؕ ُ ا ا ُ ا ا ا ا ا َا ا ُ “I ask not of you any wage for it but affection in respect of family.” Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas - may Allah be pleased with them - narrates that, “Once we inquired in the blessed court of the Holy Prophet - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him: ِ َّ ین یَا َر ُس ْو َل اہّٰللِ ِم ْن َ ََقابَتِ َک ٰھؤ ََلء ال ِذ ْ َ وِ ِجبِ ْت َع َل ْی َنا َم َو َّدتُ ُھ ْم ‘O Prophet of Allah! Who are those blessed people close to you because of whom it has become necessary upon us to love (and respect)?’ He replied: َقا َل َعلِ ٌّی َو َفا ِط َم ُۃ َو َو َل َداھُ َما ‘They are ’Ali, Fathima and their two children (Imam Hasan and Imam Husain).” (Zarqani Alal Mawaahib Vol. 7 p. 20) The following books also contain the Tafseer of the above-mentioned Quranic verses from the Hadeeth of the Beloved Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – narrated by numerous Sahaba – may Allah be pleased with them. Tafseer Al-Durr Al-Manthoor Vol. 2, p. 7 Al Mustadrak by Imam Haakim As Sawaa’iq Al Muhriqah p. 168 Tafseer Jalalain Vol. 2, p. 32 Pertaining to this verse, the distinguished ‘Ulama have also mentioned a wonderful point. 2 | P a g e www.musjidulhaq.com They explain that in this verse, Allah Almighty does not use the words, “I do not seek” or something similar but uses the words “I do not ask”. Although the words in context have similar meaning, however they give the view that the only reason why the second type of words are used is because when Sayyiduna Rasoolullah - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him - says “I do not ask” it means that the entire creation is something from whom Sayyiduna Rasoolullah - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him - does not ask. Everyone actually asks him. In other words, this proves that everyone asks Sayyiduna Rasoolullah - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him - and he asks from no other creation. What can Sayyiduna Rasoolullah - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him - ask from us, when in reality, we are the ones who are reliant on asking him. In fact, this is that blessed court from which even Jibra’eel Ameen ‘Alayhis Salaam receives his share of blessings and grace. Remember that the Holy Prophet Muhammad - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him - is Mercy to the entire Universe and its contents. Hence, logically, it means that Sayyiduna Rasoolullah - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him - displays his Prophetic mercy on every living being in the universe. As for the issue of Karbala, this has become a world undertaking which encourages and revitalises the Imaan of Muslims on a continuous basis. Whenever people listen about Karbala, the hearts of the children and elderly people are filled with immense emotion and feeling. This is also a way of expressing support and a fulfilment of an oath taken by a true believer. In other words, we are swearing allegiance, love, support and reverence for the blessed family of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him -. 1.2 VERSE 2 OR “AYAT-E-TATHEER” In Surah Al Ahzab, verse 33, the Holy Qur’an declares: ۡ ْ ۡ ْ ۡ ْ ۡ ْ ْ ۡ ِانَاما یرید اہلل لِیـذ ِہب عن ُکم الرجس اہل البی ِت و یطہر ُکم تطہ ًۡیا ﴿ ۳۳﴾ ا ُ ِ ُ ُ ُ ا ا ُ َِ ا ا ا ا ُ ا َِ ا ا ِ “Allah only desires O the members of the family of the Prophet! That He may remove from you every uncleanness and purify you well after cleaning you thoroughly.” This verse is called or referred to as “Ayat-e-Tatheer.” This also indicates to the blessed wives of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him - who are the Mothers of the Believers. However, in certain commentaries of the Holy Holy Qur’an and certain Ahadith, a few scholars have mentioned that it indicates that Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Ali, Sayyidah Fathima and Hasanain Kareemain - may Allah be pleased with them – are also included. (Tafseer Kabeer) In one Hadith Shareef, it is mentioned that the Holy Prophet - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him - once gathered them under his blessed shawl and made the following Du’a: اَل ّٰل ُھ َّم ٰھؤ ََل ِء اَھْ ُل بَ ْیتِ ْی َو َخا َّصتِ ْی اَ ْذھِ ْب َع ْن ُھ ُم ال ِّر ْج َس َوطَ ِّھرْھُ ْم َت ْط ھِیْ ًرا 3 | P a g e www.musjidulhaq.com “O Allah Almighty, this is my Ahle Bayt and are special to me, please remove any impurity from them and make them pure.” (Mishkaat Shareef) Hadrat Sayyidah Umme Salmah - may Allah be pleased with her - once asked: َواَنَا ِم ْن ُھ ْم “O Prophet of Allah, am I also among them?” He replied: اِنَّ ِک َعل ٰی َخیْر “You are on goodness”. At the same time, mention is also made of some other Ashaab that were included in this category by the Holy Prophet - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him. We see that once, while explaining the immense stature of Hadrat Sayyiduna Salman Farsi - may Allah be pleased with him - the Holy Prophet - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – declared: َس ْل َما ُن ِم ْن اَھْ ِل ا ْلبَ ْی ِت “Salman is from among my Ahle Bayt.” On another occasion, Hadrat Sayyiduna Waa’ilah - may Allah be pleased with him – asked: َواَنَا ِم ْن اَھْلِ َک “Am I also among your Ahle Bayt?” He replied: اَنْ َت ِم ْن اَھْلِ ْی “Yes, you are among my Household.” Imam Tha'labi explains that by Ahle Bayt is meant all the members of Bani Hashim, for the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – placed his blessed shawl on Hazrat Abbas – may Allah be pleased with him – and his daughters made Du’a: ِ یَا َر ِّب ٰھ َذا َع ِّ ِّْم َو ٰھؤ ََلء اَھ ْ ُل بَ ْیتِ ْی “O Allah! This is my uncle and he is like my father and they are my Ahle Bayt.” (Sawaanehe Karbala) The words, “Ahle” and “Aale” has appeared on a number of occasions in the Holy Holy Qur’an. It can imply someone who follows you, a master, someone who has the same beliefs as you, a wife etc. 4 | P a g e www.musjidulhaq.com Therefore, to insist that this only implies one single group and disqualifies another, is certainly not proper and fair. There are some ignoramuses who actually immediately remove the blessed wives of the Holy Prophet - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him - from this category. They also claim to be great lovers and admirers of the Ahle Bayt in their twisted logic. They do not seem to understand a simple point which is that when someone asks you about your family, and if you are married, they would obviously also mean your wife or wives as well. Imam Fakhrudeen Razi - may Allah be pleased with him - in the Tafseer Kabeer explains “Ayat-e- Tatheer” in the following manner: َّ َفا َْلَ ْول ٰی اَ ْن ُی َقا َل ھ ُ ْم اَ ْو ََلدُ ٗہ َو اَ ْز َوا ُج ٗہ َوا ْل َح َس ُن َوا ْل ُح َسیْ ُن ِم ْن ُھ ْم َو َعلِ ٌّی ِّم ْن ُھ ْم َِلَن ٗہ کَا َن ِم ْن اَھْ ِل ا ْلبَ ْی ِت بِ َس َب ِب ُم َعا َ ََشۃِ بِ ْن ِت ال َّن ِب ِّی ﷺ َو ُم ََل َز َمتِ ٖہ ال َّن ِب َّی ﷺ “The most appropriate explanation is that by Ahle Bayt is meant the children of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah - may Allah send peace and blessings upon him, his wives, Sayyiduna Imam Hasan, Sayyiduna Imam Husain and Sayyiduna ‘Ali - may Allah be pleased with them - are also included in this category. The reason that (Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Ali - may Allah be pleased with him) is included in this is on account of his connection with Sayyidah Bibi Fathima and obviously also because of his closeness to the beloved Nabi – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him.” Allama Saawi in his Tafseer explains that: ف ِ ْی اَھْ ِل بَ ْی ِت َسکنِ ٖہ وھُ َّن اَ ْز َوا ُج ٗہ َواَھْ ُل بَ ْی ِت َن َس ِب 2وکئ/8ئھجھ ٖہ َوھُ َّن ذُ ِّر َّی ُت ٗہ “Ahle Bayt could imply those who lived in his household, such as, his blessed wives and those who are related to his blood line; such as, his offsprings.” Shaikh Muhaqqiq Allama Shaikh Shah Abdul Haq Muhaddith Dehlwi - may Allah be pleased with him - explains in the Ash’atul Lam’aat Shareef that: تیب ہس ا ست؛ تیب بسن، تیب ینکس و تیب وﻻد ت، سپ ونب اہمش ا و ﻻد دبع ا لمطل ت الہ تیب ربمغیپﷺ ا دن از تہج بسن و ا ز و ا ج رہطما ت ا ں رضحت ﷺ تیب ینکس ا دنو ا و ﻻد رشفی ا ں رضحت ﷺ ا لہ تیب و ﻻد ت ا دن “There are three categories of the Ahle Bayt.