The AhlulBayt – The Household of the Prophet
The Ahlul Bayt or household of the Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him and his household [pbuh] – refers to his daughter Fatima al-Zahra, his successor and son-in-law, Imam Ali, their two sons Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn, and the nine Imams from the lineage of Imam Husayn, peace be upon them all.
The Ahlul Bayt or household of the Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him and
his household [pbuh] – refers to his daughter Fatima al-Zahra, his successor and
son-in-law, Imam Ali, their two sons Imam Hasan and Imam Husayn, and the nine
Imams from the lineage of Imam Husayn, peace be upon them all.
The Holy Qur’an
Regarding them, Allah (God), the most Glorified and High, says in the Holy
Qur’an:
… Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the
House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying…
[Source: The Holy Qur’an, translated by M. H. Shakir, Chapter 33, verse 33]
Muhammad [pbuh], the Prophet of Islam
The Prophet of Islam [peace upon him and his household], in the well-attested
tradition called Hadith al-Thaqalayn said:
Verily, I am leaving behind two precious things (thaqalayn) among you: the Book
of God and my kindred (`itrah), my household (Ahl alBayt), for indeed, the two
will never separate until they come back to me by the Pond (of alKawthar on the
Judgement’s Day).
[Source: Please see Hadith al-Thaqalayn: A Study of its Tawatur]
Ali [a], the first Imam, successor to the Prophet
“…We the people of the house (of the Prophet – Ahlul bayt) possess the doors
of wisdom and light of governance. Beware that the paths of religion are one and
its highways are straight. He who follows them achieves (the aim) and secures
(the objective). And he who stood away from it went astray and incurred
repentance.” [Sermon 119]
“We are the near ones, companions, treasure holders and doors (to the Sunnah).
Houses are not entered save through their doors. Whoever enters them from other
than the door is called a thief.” [Sermon 153]
“Where are those who falsely and unjustly claimed that they are deeply versed in
knowledge, as against us, although Allah raised us in position and kept them
down, bestowed upon us knowledge but deprived them, and entered us (in the
fortress of knowledge) but kept them out. With us guidance is to be sought and
blindness (of misguidance) is to be changed into brightness. Surely Imams
(divine leaders) will be from the Quraysh. They have been planted in this line
through Hashim. It would not suit others nor would others be suitable as heads
of affairs.” [Sermon 143]
[Source: Nahjul Balagha, translated by Syed Ali Raza]
“We are lights of the heavens and the earth and the ships of salvation. We are
the repository of knowledge, and towards us is the home-coming of all the
matters. Through our Mahdi all (false) arguments shall be refuted, and he is the
seal of the Imams, the deliverer of the Ummah, and the extremity of the light.
Happy are those who hold on to our handle and are brought together upon our
love.
[Source: Sibt Ibn al-Jawzi, Tadhkirat al-khawass, p. 138]
Therefore, based on the above and other lines of evidence, it is the belief of
Islam that the Holy Prophet and his family [peace be upon them] were blessed by
Allah and purified to the level of being pure and sinless throughout their
distinguished lives.
