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Ahl al-Bayt (Arabic:أهل البيت) is a phrase meaning People of the House, or family. In the Islamic tradition it refers to the household of Muhammad. Muslims venerate Muhammad's household as it is given a special significance in the Qur'an, the Muslim holy scripture, and the hadith, reports recording the words and actions of Muhammad. The word "ahl al-bayt" was used in pre-Islamic times to refer to one's clan, and would be adopted by the ruling family of a tribe. There are differing opinions over who is included within the Islamic scope of this term. In Sunni thought, Muhammad's household includes his wives, his daughter (Fatimah) and grand-children (Hasan and Husayn), as well as his cousin and son-in-law, Ali. Other interpretations include Muhammad's blood-relatives, such as the Banu Hashim or the Banu Muttalib. Shia restrict the household to Muhammad, Fatimah, Ali, Hasan and Husayn. They also consider Fatimah's descendants, whom they venerate as infallible Imams, to be a part of the household.

Ahl al-Bayt family

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The term "Ahl" signifies the members of a household of a man, including his fellow tribesmen, kin, relatives, wife (or wives), children, and all those who share a family background, religion, housing, city, and country with him. "Bayt" refers to habitation and dwelling, including tents and buildings both. It can also be roughly translated as a household. The "Ahl-Al-Bayt" of any person refers to his family members and all those who live in his house (cf. Mufradat al-Qur'an by Raghib Isfahani; Qamus by Firoozabadi; Majm'a al-Bahrayn). Ahlul Bayt is the polite form of addressing the members and wife of the family.

Interpretation

Mention of the Ahl al-Bayt, Muhammad's household, is present in a verse of the Qur'an as follows:

And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance; and establish regular Prayer, and give regular Charity; and obey Allah and His Messenger. And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, ye members of the Family, and to make you pure and spotless.

— Quran 33:33

The precise definition of the term in this verse has been subject to varying interpretations. In one tradition, according to which Muhammad's companion Salman al-Farsi is included as a member, it is used to distinguish from the muhajirin (Muslim emigrants from Mecca) and ansar (Medinan converts to Islam). According to Sunni opinion, the term includes the wives and dependants of Muhammad, as it addresses them in the preceding verse - an interpretation which is attributed to Ibn Abbas and Ikrimah, both of whom were companions of Muhammad. This is supported by various traditions attributed to Muhammad wherein he addresses each of his wives as Ahl al-Bayt. Further members of the household, according to the Sunni perspective, include Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn, who are mentioned in the tradition of the mantle. Some versions of this tradition recognise Umm Salamah, a wife of Muhammad, as a part of the household. Thus, according to the Encyclopedia of Islam, "he current orthodox view is based on a harmonizing opinion, according to which the term ahl bayt includes the ahl al-ʿabāʾ , i.e. the Prophet, ʿAlī, Fāṭima, al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn, together with the wives of the Prophet."

Other interpretations include the family of Ali, as well as the families of Muhammad's relatives such as Aqeel, Ja'far, and al-Abbas. Early jurists Malik bin Anas and Abu Hanifa included the clan of Banu Hashim within the definition, while al-Shafi'i included the whole of Banu Muttalib.

In Shi'ite thought, the household is limited to Muhammad, Fatimah, Ali, Hasan, Husayn, and their descendants (altogether known as the Ahl al-Kisa); as per their deduction from the tradition of the mantle. They interpret the change in pronoun in the Qur'anic verse as showing that only the aforementioned members constitute Ahl al-Bayt. Madelung writes that "his change of gender has inevitably contributed to the birth of various accounts of a legendary character, attaching the latter part of the verse to the five People of the Mantle." Shias view these individuals as infallible and sinless Imams, and regard devotion to them as an essential part of the religion.

Significance

• "The verse of Mawaddah": Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those near of kin."Quran 42:23

Al-Tabari in his Tafsir put forwarded three different interpretations and chose that the demand is for love of the faithful for the Prophet to whom they are related by blood ties. The other interpretation is that everybody love his own kin. Shia interpret the verse as asking the Muslims to love Ahl al-Bayt. There is aother related verse which says The Prophet has a greater claim on the faithful than they have on themselves, and his wives are (as) their mothers.Quran 33:6

• And know that out of all the booty that ye may acquire (in war), a fifth share is assigned to Allah,- and to the Messenger, and to near relatives, orphans, the needy, and the wayfarer,- if ye do believe in Allah and in the revelation We sent down to Our servant on the Day of Testing,- the Day of the meeting of the two forces. For Allah hath power over all things.Quran 8:41

and Whatever Allah has restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns, it is for Allah and for the Messenger, and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer...Quran 59:7 According to these verses, Quran reserves a part of the fifth of booty, Khums, and a part of the Fay', that is the property of infidels taken by the Muslims without combat to the kin of Muhammad in association with himself.

List of Ahl al-Bayt according to Shia Islam

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Part of a series on Shia Islam
Beliefs and practices Monotheism Holy Books Prophethood Succession to Muhammad Imamate Ismaili Twelver Zaydi Angels Judgment Day Mourning of Muharram Intercession Clergy The Four Companions Arbaʽeen Pilgrimage
Days of remembrance Ashura Arba'een Mawlid Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Adha Eid al-Ghadir Mourning of Muharram Omar Koshan
History Verse of purification Two weighty things Mubahala Khumm Fatimah's house First Fitna Second Fitna Battle of Karbala Origin Persecution
Branches and sects Ja'fari Akhbari Usuli Shaykhi Zaydi Houthi Isma'ili Musta'li Tayyibi Dawoodi Bohra Progressive Hebtiahs Bohra Atba-i-Malak Bohra Sulaymani Bohra Alavi Bohra Qutbi Bohra Hafizi Nizari Khoja Satpanth Ghulat Alawi Alevi Bektashi Bektashism and folk religion Qizilbash Ishiki Extinct Shi'a sects
Ahl al-Kisa Muhammad Ali Fatima Hasan Husayn
Holy women Fatima Khadija bint Khuwaylid Umm Salama Zaynab bint Ali Umm Kulthum bint Ali Umm al-Banin Fatima bint Hasan Ruqayya bint Husayn Rubab Shahrbanu Fatima bint Musa Hakimah Khātūn Narjis Fatimah bint Asad Umm Farwah bint al-Qasim Ruqayya bint Ali Sayyida Nafisa
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According to the Twelver and Ismaili Shia, the Ahl al-Bayt are infallible, they have the full understanding of Quran and Hadiths and all Muslims must obey their sayings and teachings.

The Twelve Imams of the Twelver Shii are:

1. Ali ibn Abu Talib (600–661), also known as Ali, Amir al-Mo'mineen
2. Fatimah also Fatimah al-Zahraa (615–632) daughter of Muhammad, she is infallible but not an imam.
3. Hasan ibn Ali (625–669), also known as Hasan al Mujtaba
4. Husayn ibn Ali (626–680), also known as Husayn al Shaheed, also known as Sah Hüseyin
5. Ali ibn Husayn (658–713), also known as Ali Zainul Abideen
6. Muhammad ibn Ali (676–743), also known as Muhammad al Baqir
7. Jafar ibn Muhammad (703–765), also known as Jafar as Sadiq
8. Musa ibn Jafar (745–799), also known as Musa al Kazim
9. Ali ibn Musa (765–818), also known as Ali ar Ridha
10. Muhammad ibn Ali (810–835), also known as Muhammad al Jawad (Muhammad at Taqi), also known as Taki
11. Ali ibn Muhammad (827–868), also known as Ali al-Hadi, also known as Naki
12. Hasan ibn Ali (846–874), also known as Hasan al Askari
13. Muhammad ibn Hasan (868– disappeared), also known as Hojjat ibn al Hasan, also known as Mahdi

All the above thirteen & Prophet Muhammad are commonly referred to as 14 infallibles or Chahardah Masoomeen (in Persian) & Chauda Masoomeen (in Urdu).

According to the Ismaili Shia, the Imam after Jafar as-Sadiq was Imam Ismail and his descendants up to Imam Shah Karim al-Husayni (Karim Aga Khan IV)—the current Ismaili Imam—make up the Ahl al-Bayt.

Western scholars interpretation

According to Wilferd Madelung

The ahl al-Bayt of Muhammad meant as was consistent with general usage of the term at the time, primarily his blood relations, the same Banu Hashim who were forbidden to receive Sadaqah in order that their state of purity not be soiled, and in second place, the wives.

See also

• Desposyni
• Hashemite
• Muhammad's wives
• Salaf
• Sayyid
• Sherif
• Succession to Muhammad
• The Fourteen Infallibles

External links

• Ahl al-Bayt by Hamid Algar in Encyclopedia Iranica
• Ahl al-Bayt by I. K. A. Howard in Encyclopedia Iranica

Shi'a Links:

• Shia Viewpoint
• Ahl-al-Bayt: Its Meaning and Origin

Sunni links:

• Islam at a glance

Notes

1. ^ Ahl al-Bayt, Enyclopedia of Islam
2. Madelung, 1997, pp. 13-17
3. See:
   • "Ahl al-Bayt", Encyclopedia of Islam
   • Madelung (1997) p. 15
4. Madelung (1997) pp. 14-15
5. Madelung (1997), p.13
6. Madelung (1997) p.15

References

• Madelung, Wilferd (1997). The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521646960.
• Ordoni, Abu Muhammad (1992). Fatima the Gracious. Ansariyan Publications. ISBN B000BWQ7N6. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
• Tahir-ul-Qadri, Muhammad (2006). Virtues of Sayyedah Fatimah. Minhaj-ul-Quran Publications. ISBN 9693202252. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
• Tritton, A.S; Goldziher, I.; Arendonk, C. van. "Ahl al-Bayt". In P.J. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel and W.P. Heinrichs (ed.). Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. Brill Academic Publishers. ISSN 1573-3912.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

• Arabic words and phrases
• Family of Muhammad
• Islamic terms
• Muhammad
• Shi'a Islam