Getting to know the Ahlul-Bait, family of Rasulullah SAW: Introduction

Peace be upon you all. I've promised myself that after finishing a day's fill of story-telling regarding my trip in Aceh, I would do another voluntary translation for the Islamic website http://www.shiar-islam.com/ before telling stories of another day. So here' the translation I did just now. It happened to be the start of a series on the Ahlul Bait, the family of Prophet Muhammad SAW, a subject very dear to me.

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Getting to know the Ahlul-Bait, family of Rasulullah SAW: Introduction

By Ustaz Syed Hasan Alatas
Translation by Radzi Sapiee

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Assalamu'alaikum , Peace be upon you.

Allah said in the Quran: “Verily Allah wishes to remove all impurities from you, O people of the house and to purify you completely.” (Verses of al-Ahzab : 33)

The Ahlul Bait are family of the Prophet SAW very close to him. It is related by Ummu Salamah a wife of Rasulullah SAW that once he was at their house sleeping and wearing a blanket. Then came his daughter (from the deceased first wife Khadijah) Fatimah who brought a bowl of Khazirah, a type of food. Rasulullah SAW told Fatimah, "Call your husband and your two sons Hassan and Hussain". Fatimah then called them all.

While they were together sitting and eating with Rasulullah SAW then came the revelation as mentioned in the verse above. At the time Rasulullah SAW was holding the tip of the blanket which he had with him and started to cover them all. While holding his hands in supplication, he uttered a prayer. "O Allah these are my Ahlul Bait (members of my house) and my progenies, thus abolish all impurities from them and purify them with total purification".

Nabi SAW uttered this prayer thrice. Ummu Salamah then added: “I put my head under the cover but the Prophet SAW pulled away the blanket while saying ‘Verily you are in virtue’ twice”. (This was related by Thabrani who got the story from Ummu Salamah)

Al-Fakhrul Razi in his commentary Tafsir al-Kabir touched on what happened after the 132nd verse of Thaha was revealed to the Prophet. The verse said: “Ask your family members to do the prayers and be you patient in carrying it out.”

This is mentioned in a Hadith (saying) of the Prophet related by Hamad bin Salamah who received it from Ali bin Zaid who in turn received from Anas RA. It is said that after the verse was revealed, Rasulullah SAW would often call out to his family when passing the house of Ali and Fatimah. The Prophet asked them to do the prayers while repeating the Quranic verse which said: “Verily Allah wishes to remove all impurities from you, O people of the house and to purify you completely.”

Once there happened an incident which show the high degree of sacrifice Saidina Ali bin Abi Thalib, his wife Fatimah Azzahra and their two sons Hassan and Hussain are willing to make. While Fatimah was serving bread for them to break fast, there came a poor person, an orphan and a prisoner of war starving and asking for food. Immediately without any doubt their food was handed to the people leaving themselves without anything to eat. Thus came a Quranic revelation which says: “They gave out food which which they badly need, to the poor, the orphan and the prisoner of war. Verily they gave because of Allah, and did not expect any return nor saying of thanks.”

This is part of the ethics and excellent character of the family of Rasulullah SAW who are very close to him. Just take the example of Saidatuna Fatimah Azzahra. Although she is the beloved daughter of Prophet the skin of her hands often crack because of bailing and carrying water apart from milling wheat. Once it was suggested that she asked her father to give a servant to help out her chores. The Prophet did not comply. He just taught Fatimah Azzahra to recite the zikir (remembrance of Allah formula) of Subhanallah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times, and Allahu Akbar 33 times.

Once it happened that an old man was taking abolution and this was observed by the Prophet SAW’s then young grandsons Hassan and Hussain. The way the old man took abolution was imperfect so this must be rectified. But how can you correct an older man which must be shown respect.

Thank God both kids are bright and have excellent character. They pretend to argue while taking abolution accusing the other of being imperfect in the way he took abolution. The old man who was nearby then asked them to repeat their abolution. He became perplexed to see the Prophet’s grandsons smooth way in doing it that he started questioning himself, maybe he was the one who did it imperfectly. The man then asked who the kids really are. Then only he knew these are the beloved grandsons of the Prophet who received direct tutelage from him in many useful matters.