Muslims & The Straight Path [Published 2010]
Part - 3-B
THE PURIFIED ONES
The Ahlul-bayt are the beings
purified by God Himself and those purified by the Lord are naturally infallible
ones (i.e. the Masooms), who never committed even a minor sin or fault
in their life. Surah Ahzab (verse 33:33) says:
Verily, verily God intendeth but to keep off (not
allowed even to approach) from you (every kind of) uncleanness O’ ye the People
of the House, and purify you (with) a thorough purification.
The portion of this verse relating to
the divinely effected purity of the Holy Ahlul-bayt needs a proper
explanation commenting with reference to its correct context. The entire Muslim
world is unanimous in opinion that this verse refers to Mohammad, Ali, Fatima,
Hasan and Husain. This is in spite of the fact that in Quran, the sentences
before and after this verse are addressed to the wives of the Holy Prophet and
the pronouns therein are of feminine gender; but the pronouns in this verse are
of masculine gender. The reason why this verse has been placed in its present
position is not difficult to guess. The late renowned scholar Puya writes in
footnote no. 1857 of the translation of the Holy Quran by S.V. Mir Ahmed Ali:
“The portion of this verse
relating to the divinely effected purity of the Holy Ahlul-bayt needs a
proper explanation commenting with reference to its correct context. This
portion of the verse is a separate ayah or verse by itself revealed separately
on particular occasions but placed here as it deals with the wives of the Holy
Prophet. The location of this verse here if studied properly makes it obvious
that it has its own significant and important purpose behind it. While the
address in the beginning of the verse is in the feminine gender - there is the
transition here in the address from the feminine to the masculine gender. While
referring to the consorts of the Holy Prophet, the pronouns also are
consistently feminine. For a mixed assembly of men and women, generally the
masculine gender is used. This transition in the grammatical use of the
language, makes it quite obvious that this clause is quite a different matter
used for a different group other than the previous one, and has been suitably
placed here to show a comparative position of the Ahlul-bayt in contrast
to the wives of the Holy Prophet. Amr ibn Abi Salamah who was brought up by the
Holy Prophet relates:
“When this verse was
revealed the Holy Prophet was in the house of (his wife) Omme-Salma. At the
revelation of (the verse): ‘Verily willeth God to keep away impurity from you O
People of the House! And He purifieth you with the perfect purification,’ the
Holy Prophet assembled his daughter Fatima, her sons Hasan and Husain and her
husband, his cousin, Ali, and covered the group, including himself, with his
own mantle and addressing God said: “O God! These constitute my progeny! Keep
them away from every kind of impunity, purified with perfect purification.”
Omme-Salma, the righteous wife of the Holy Prophet, witnessing this marvelous
occasion, humbly submitted to the Holy Prophet, “O Apostle of God! May I also
join the group?” to which the Holy Prophet replied, “No, remain thou in thine
own place, thou art in goodness.”
(See Jama-e-Tirmize,
Istee’aab, Riazun Nazarah, Usdul-Ghaba, Izalatul-Khifa, Mustadrak)
The fact that this incident is referred
even by the most authentic of the six books of traditions viz. Jama-e-Tirmizi
leaves no room for any doubt. As regards to the later part regarding
Omme-Salma, it is evident that even Omme-Salma was aware that the ‘Bayt’ in
contention was not a material house where she lived, otherwise she would not
have sought permission to enter the mantle, under which the five personified
had already gathered. Holy Prophet’s refusal for her entry although confirming
that she was on the right indicates that this was not just a grouping of pious
or righteous, neither of family members because then Omme-Salma should have
been included, but a grouping of a higher order.
Prophet’s another wife, Ayesha’s report
on the revelation of this part of this verse, says that the matter was repeatedly
revealed which indicates its extra-importance to make people know it through
various sources to bear witness to the fact so that none, be he a friend or
even a foe, dare deny the special excellence and glory bestowed upon the holy
ones and their divine unique position in view of the Lord. Ayesha’s version
fully concurs with that of Omme-Salma.
It is a historically acknowledged fact
that Ayesha was not well-disposed towards
“One day the Holy Prophet was enwrapped in a black mantle, came to him (his grandson) Hasan and the Holy Prophet got him under the mantle. Then came Husain (the other grandson) and he was also received similarly by the Holy Prophet under the mantle, when came his daughter Fatima, the Holy Prophet took her under the mantle. In the last, came Ali. The Holy Prophet received him also under the mantle and the Holy Prophet recited the above-mentioned verse of Tatheer (i.e., purification).”
(See Sahih Muslim,
Musnad-e-Imam-Ahmad Hambal, Kanzul Ammal).
According to all the basic and the
fundamental authorities like Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim,
Musnad-e-Imam-e-Hambal, Sunan-e-Abu Dawood, Sawique-Mohriqa, Mawatta of Malik,
it has been unanimously acknowledged that the reference in the last sentence of
this verse is only to the Holy Prophet, the Holy Imam Ali, Fatima (the Lady of
Light) and the two sons of Lady Fatima, Hasan and Husain. It could reasonably
be said that the revelation of one and the same verse in the houses of two of
the wives of the Holy Prophet was the divine plan to declare the exclusive
position of the Ahlul-bayt, so that the two ladies may themselves vouch
for their exclusion from the term Ahlul-bayt, so that any votaries on
behalf of the wives of the Holy Prophet may not later attempt to include the
wives in the term.
The above quoted basic Sunni
authorities relate to Ayesha, Omme-Salma and Abu-Sayeed Khudri that this verse
was revealed referring to the Holy Prophet, Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain. Imam
Hambal in his renowned work Musnad relates of Ata ibn Riah “that Omme-Salma
said that once when the Holy Prophet was in her house, came
Sunan-e-Abu Dawood and Imam Malik have
reported of Anas that after the revelation of this verse, whenever the Holy
Prophet got out of his house for his morning prayers, he used to recite it at
the door of his daughter Fatima.
We would like to quote
Maulana Wahiduz-Zaman, the famous Sunni scholar, whose translation and
commentary of the Quran as well as his book Anwarul-lughah (a
dictionary, whose translation and commentary of the Quran and ahadees)
are among the recognized references. He writes in his commentary of the Quran
about this verse: “Some people think that it is especially for those family
members who had blood relation with the Prophet, i.e., ‘Ali, Fatima, Hasan,
Husain. The present translator says that the traditions which are correct
(sahih) and well-connected up to the Prophet, support the same view, because
when the Prophet himself has declared that his family members are only these,
then to accept it and believe in it becomes obligatory. And one more sign of
correctness of this view is that the pronouns used before and after this verse
are those for females, while in this verse are those for males. . .”
Again he says in his Anwarul-lughah:
“The correct view is that in this verse of purity only these five persons are
included (i.e., the Prophet, Ali, Fatima, Hasan and Husain), although in Arabic
usage, the word Ahlul-bayt is used for wives also. Some people prove by
this verse that these five persons were sinless and masoom (infallible).
But if not masoom, then of course they were sure mahfuz
(protected from committing any sin or error).”
The word ‘Innama’ indicates the firmly
determined decision of the Lord against anything else otherwise. The mention of
the mere decision does not serve any purpose at all without its having taken
full effect. A decision or a determination on the part of a mortal like man is
quite different from its taking any effect for our decisions need the means to
the end. This is not the case with the will of God. God’s will is itself the
effect of it for He Himself is the cause of a thing and its simultaneous effect
(Rnv. 36:82, 16:40. 2:117, 19:35). It is quite obvious that it was not the mere
revelation of the will of the Lord but the declaration of its effect, to
announce their excellence and their unique position among mankind, and the
declaration of the will here would naturally mean to say that since the Ahlul-bayt
had already been purified, the decision is also to keep them as such, i.e., to
keep them away from every kind of impurity, for ever. The prayer in 2:127-129
seems a prayer for the future but it actually is a prayer to be kept or to be
maintained as already conditioned, i.e., for the continuance of the graciously
gifted excellence in their own selves and also in their progeny.
It is a matter of common sense and simple logic that those who had been purified by God Himself could never at any time be impure. It could not be that God the Creator by mistake thoughtlessly made some one with any impurity and then with an after-thought amended the original decision and brought about any change in His policy, and purified the creature, for God is free from the defect of ‘Taghaiyyur’, i.e. change. His will never undergoes any change; it is and it shall be always as it was so. Those whom He purifies He does it at the very creation of that being. Those purified by God would naturally be pure in their very origin, spiritual as well as physical and their practical life from its very beginning until its divinely determined destination cannot be but infallible.
The very fact that so many reliable people have consistently related the different occasions of the revelation of this clause, is itself evident of the significance of the matter so repeatedly revealed by God and the necessity of the people knowing its importance and significance for use in guiding themselves with regard to their faith and their faithfulness to the Holy Prophet and his family (the holy Ahlul-bayt). In spite of so much of caution and care divinely taken to make the people know the actual position of the holy ones, the brutal treatment they met at the hands of the people is a matter of surprise and wonder. A reference to the detailed history of the godly but the most miserable life of these divines, would disclose to any fair-minded one that all the thirteen of the Holy Fourteen passed any moments of their life in this world without suffering some misery or torture at the hands of the people and none but the last of them departed from this world in the natural course of it, for all of them were martyred. Even in the worst of their sufferings they led an absolutely pure and an ideal godly life, as the best and the most perfect models of a pure human life tempered with divinity in every aspect of their faith and its practice to guide the others.
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