بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

And abide (oh wives of the Prophet) quietly in your homes, and do not flaunt your charms as they used to flaunt them in the old days of pagan ignorance; and be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and pay heed unto God and His Apostle: for God only wants to remove from you all that might be loathsome, Oh Ahl al-Bayt (People of the House), and to purify you to utmost purity.^[1] (al-Qur’ān, 33:33)

Among the most disputed verses of the Qur’ān is the ending portion of Sūrah al-Aḥzāb verse 33, known colloquially as the “Verse of Purification” (āyah al-taṭhīr)^[2]; the verse has been a cause of dispute among the Shī’ahs and Sunnīs, specifically regarding who the “Ahl al-Bayt” (People of the House) are as described in the verse. In general, the commentators of the Qur’ān have diverged in their opinion about the meaning of Ahl al-Bayt into three major camps:

1. The Ahl al-Bayt is a term that includes the wives +/- the Holy Five +/- Banū Hāshim^[3][4]
2. The Ahl al-Bayt is a term that subsumes all relatives of the Prophet from Banū Hāshim for whom ṣadaqah is prohibited^[5]
3. The Ahl al-Bayt is a term that is specific for the Holy Five +/- the remaining Shī’ah Imāms^[6]

In the following article, we would like to examine the verse of purification as exhaustively as possible to arrive at the viewpoint most consistent with evidence. We will endeavor to: 1) examine the import of the words used; 2) discuss syntactic features of the verse and their connotations; 3) discuss the verse in context (i.e. al-qarā’in al-dākhiliyyah); and 4) discuss the historical and narrational reports (i.e. al-qarā’in al-khārijiyyah) in order to derive a conclusion. Then, we will analyze and refute several prominent contentions/counterarguments to the view that we present. As far as we are aware, an exhaustive analysis of the verse of purification to the extent that we endeavor to present has not been done to date in the English language.^[7]  In this article, I am highly indebted to the excellent works of Sayyid Ja’far Murtaḍā al-‘Āmilī and Sayyid Muḥammad ‘Ali Muwaḥḥid al-Abṭaḥī (may God have mercy on them both) on the verse of taṭhīr.^[8]

A Lexical Discussion Analyzing the Meaning of the Words^[9]

In the first place, we would like to present a word-by-word breakdown of the root meanings in the verse of taṭhīr; our analysis below is adopted from Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī’s famous Qur’ānic dictionary entitled “al-Mufradāt Fī Gharīb al-Qur’ān”:

إنما (Innamā)

This is an Arabic particle composed of إنّ  and ما which implies exclusivization (al-ḥaṣr). In other words, it is a word which enters upon either a verbal sentence (jumlah fi’liyyah) or a nominal sentence (jumlah ismiyyah) and has the primary role of affirming the word that follows it to the exclusion of all other possibilities.

يريد الله (Yurīdu Allāhu)

This word in its root (al-irādah) implies a faculty that is comprised of desire, want, and hope—an inclination of the soul towards something. This inclination could be an unactualized desire (al-mabda’ī) or an actualized decree (al-muntahā). When God is the doer (al-fā’il), it means that He has ordained or judged for something to be a certain way—for God obviously transcends unactualized inclinations.^[10]

يذهب عن (Yudhhiba ‘An)

An أفعل (form IV) verb that means to “make something go away from someone.” This word has a subtle connotation of the fact that the doer removes the object without accompanying it himself (i.e., without istiṣḥāb).^[11] The Arabic particle عن  is used to imply transcendence (al-mujāwazah).

الرجس (Al-Rijs)

This word is used to imply every type of uncleanliness and subsumes innate filth (ṭab’ī), rational filth (‘aqlī), and religiously-deemed filth (shar’ī). Additionally, it can also be abstracted to mean Divine punishment as well as religious doubts.^[12] In conjunction with the preceding verb, there is a powerful personification being used here in the verse, as though filth is an individual being chased away.

أهل البيت (Ahl al-Bayt)

The word “ahl” means those with whom one is together, whether this connection be one of kinship, religion, or locality; nonetheless, the root meaning is a connection of kinship. The root meaning of “bayt” is a shelter that is sought by night, although it was then abstracted by usage to mean a dwelling and then even further to mean a “place” in general. In this phrase, we find the term being used in an iḍāfah construction meaning more literally, “The Folk (Brought Together) of the House.” As we will discuss later, this phrase should not be understood on the level of superficial meaning only; rather it is a specialized Qur’ānic expression (al-iṣṭilāḥ).

تطهير (Taṭhīr)

This word is a  فعّل (form II) derived verbal noun from the root maṣdar of ṭahārah (purity). The import of ṭahārah is two-fold and based on the context may imply: 1) external cleanliness of the body, whether in a physical or in a ritual sense; and/or 2) spiritual/moral cleanliness. Taṭhīr has a transitive meaning as a gerund, and thus implies the “process of purification.”

Understanding the Syntax 

After discussing the meaning of the words individually, the next step in understanding the verse of purification is to examine the words in conjunction with those which they govern and their grammatical function. It is recommended that the reader have the verse in front of him/her when reading this portion to better understand the grammatical points being conveyed.

Exclusivization (Al-Ḥaṣr)

The sentence here as we stated starts with “innamā,” which implies that there is only one single reason for Allāh’s ordinance (irādah). It should be noted that the verb which it governs is in the present tense يريد which indicates persistence (al-istimrāriyyah), meaning that God’s ordinance is for one reason and remains persistent, not attached to a specific timeframe.

The Particle of Causation (Lām al-Ta’līl)

The lām in ليذهب is known as the particle that expresses purpose. Therefore, the implication is that everything which comes after this particle (i.e. to purify the Ahl al-Bayt from filth and completely purify them) is the purpose of God’s ordinance (irādah). The ordinance which God has decreed is therefore left implied by what came before in this verse: namely, the various orders and prohibitions given to the women. Therefore, the implication is “God only decrees (these commands and prohibitions on the wives) in order to repel from you filth, oh Ahl al-Bayt, and purify you completely.”

This is of course a significant difference from the common translation, which is that “God only desires to repel from you filth, oh Ahl al-Bayt, and completely purify you.” This translation is blatantly incorrect. It would only be right had the verse used the particleأن  (an al-maṣdariyyah) in lieu of lām. Therefore, the use of lām is very important here: it serves to indicate that the purification of the Ahl al-Bayt is the purpose of God’s ordinances upon the wives.^[13]

Precedence of the Preposition (Taqdīm al-Jārr wa al-Majrūr)

It should be noted that عنكم comes before the object الرجس here, which is opposite to the default order. Normally in Arabic, the object الرجس should precede the preposition عنكم. This indicates a special degree of Divine attention, exclusivity, and prioritization of the party from whom all filth is being negated. The particle عن instead of من is used, which is also significant: the former is used for transcendence (al-mujāwazah) while the latter is used to indicate origination (ibtidā’ li al-ghāyah). In other words, if من was used here, the meaning would be that filth was initially attached to the Ahl al-Bayt and was then being driven away (al-raf’). However, the use of عن suggests the possibility filth was never attached to the Ahl al-Bayt to begin with, rather it has the meaning of deflection (al-daf’).

This is extremely significant because it points towards the fact that filth has never been attached to those being addressed in this verse. This is an important syntactic clue that serves to indicate infallibility.^[14]

The Definite Article of Categorical Inclusion (Lām al-Istighrāq)

“Rijs” here is attached to lām al-ta’rīf (the definite article) and this word is thus used for the purposes of categorical inclusion al-istighrāq (i.e., a complete subsumption of all forms of filth). Therefore, al-rijs is being categorically subsumed; all the forms of repugnance (innate, rational, and religious) are being absolutely negated by God in bearing any connection to the addressees. In addition, this word would also subsume the secondary indications of the word “al-rijs” such as Divine punishment and doubt, as we discussed in our lexical discussion.

The Definite Article of Recognition (Lām al-‘Ahd)

The definite article which is used in “al-bayt” is used in Arabic to specify a house that is already known by the listeners (al-‘ahd) either because they know of it externally (al-‘ahd al-khārijī) or because it was mentioned earlier in the discussion (al-‘ahd al-madhkūr). Therefore, there are two possibilities here: either “al-bayt” is a reference to Umm Salamah’s house where the Holy Five were dwelling when the verse of taṭhīr was revealed (bayt al-saknā) or it refers to the Prophetic house (bayt al-nubuwwah wa al-risālah).^[15] This is another important contextual clue, as it indicates that the “people of the house” (ahl al-bayt) is a specialized expression with a specific meaning, as we will see later when we discuss the narrations on this topic.

Accusative Particularization vs the Vocative Accusative (Ikhtiṣās vs al-Nidā’)

The word “ahl al-bayt” is in the accusative case in the verse^[16] and there is a difference of opinion regarding why that is; the first opinion is that it is a case of particularization (al-ikhtiṣāṣ) whereby there is an implied (muqaddar) verb أعني to the effect of “(I mean) the People of the House.” This is often done in the Qur’ān for the purposes of praise.^[17] The second opinion is that there is an implied يا (the vocative particle) meaning “(Oh) the People of the House.” In either case, the purpose of this syntactical construction is to make it clear that a specific group is being referenced and to make it clear that they are worthy of laudation.

The Cognate Accusative of Emphasis (al-Maf’ūl al-Muṭlaq)

The verse ends with a special construction called a maf’ūl muṭlaq (a cognate accusative) which is used for emphasis; in English, it would be best rendered as “and purify you with (an utmost) purification.” This categorical construction indicates purification on all levels: physical, mental, and spiritual. It is as if what is being said is that after repelling all filth from you, Oh Ahl al-Bayt, God is bestowing you the epitome of purity.

From the above analysis thus far, it becomes clear that this verse is specifically meant for the purpose of immense praise (al-madḥ); its construction therefore flies in the face of the previous verses wherein there is rebuke or admonishment towards piety. Rather, a careful reader should note that an endorsement of infallibility is quite plausible here, especially based on how the syntax is constructed.^[18]

What Do the Contextual Clues Imply?

After discussing the verse from a linguistic and syntactical standpoint, we have laid the groundwork to begin discussing the verse from a contextual point of view. It should be said that many commentators of the Qur’ān believe that the prima facie reading of 33:33 in its entirety supports the view that the referents in the verse of purification include the wives; in doing so, they rely upon a notion derived from Islamic jurisprudence known as “ḥujjiyah al-ẓuhūr” (the probativity of apparent meaning). In other words, they say that the fact this verse came in the midst of a series of commandments and prohibitions to the wives supports that it is inclusive of them.

We will examine this contention in-depth later in the discussion; however for now, let us review the Qur’ānic contextual clues (al-qarā’in al-dākhiliyyah) on the backdrop of what the previous linguistic analysis of the verse had already revealed. We will proceed with our contextual observations on three levels: firstly, from within the same verse; secondly, from within the same passage; thirdly, from within the same chapter/other Qur’ānic verses.

A. Within the Same Verses

Firstly, we will post some English translations as adapted from Muḥammad Asad with our slight corrections based on the above linguistic analysis; this is to facilitate the contextual discussion for the reader:

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

And abide (oh wives of the Prophet) quietly in your homes, and do not flaunt your charms as they used to flaunt them in the old days of pagan ignorance; and be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and pay heed unto God and His Apostle: for God only ordains (these commands to the wives) in order to remove from you all that is repugnant, Oh Ahl al-Bayt (People of the House), and to purify you to (utmost) purity. (33:33)

 وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَىٰ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ لَطِيفًا خَبِيرًا

And bear in mind all that is recited in your homes of God’s messages and [His] wisdom: for God is unfathomable [in His wisdom], All-Aware. (33:34)

The Parenthetical Sentence (al-Jumlah al-Mu’tariḍah)

When one observes verses 33:33 and verse 34 directly afterwards, it is clear that the wives of the Prophet are being rebuked and commanded to adhere to God’s words in no flattering language. This observation has been noted by ‘Allāmah Majlisī when he says:

ان مخاطبة الزوجات مشوبة بالمعاتبة والتأنيب والتهديد، ومخاطبة أهل البيت عليهم السلام محلاة بأنواع التلطف والمبالغة في الاكرام ولا يخفى بعد إمعان النظر المباينة التامة في السياق بينها وبين ما قبلها وما بعدها على ذوي الأفهام

“The address to the wives is mixed with rebuke, repudiation, and admonishment; meanwhile, the address to the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) is couched in various forms of (divine) favor and laudation. It will not be lost on those imbued with insight that there must be a clear contextual difference between this portion of the verse and what had preceded it.”^[19]

Hence, it is more apparent that the āyah of taṭhīr occurs as a parenthetical sentence amidst the caveats being issued to the wives. It is as though Allāh is turning away from the wives for a moment to issue a high form of laudation to a specific group, then returning to admonish them once again. However, this does not mean that the laudation of the Ahl al-Bayt has occurred out of context. Rather, the implication is this: the only reason God is ordaining these commands and prohibitions to the wives is to protect this special group, the Prophetic household, from being maligned through association with them. We will expand on this point later.

Prescriptive Will vs Existential Will (Irādah al-Tashrī’iyyah vs Takwīniyyah)

There is a long discussion between the commentators and scholars regarding whether the irādah (Divine ordinance) mentioned explicitly in this verse is takwīnīyyah (existential) or tashrī’īyyah (prescriptive).[20] Many commentators fall into a grave mistake while analyzing the verse.[21] As discussed in the previous sections, the irādah (Divine ordinance) being mentioned in this verse is specifically tied to the commandments and prohibitions given to the wives (i.e. tashrī’iyyah). In other words, God has only ordained these religious prescriptions and expectations upon the wives; however, what is the reason for this?

The answer comes in the remainder of the verse, whereby God states that the reason for this prescription on the wives is because He has ordained that the Ahl al-Bayt should remain utterly purified and completely removed of all filth. As per the principle of implicit understanding (mafhūm al-muwāfaqah), then, there is a second implied irādah being mentioned in this clause which is existential (takwīnī); this is implied by the fact that the agent-doer (al-fā’il) of the verbs yudhhiba and yuṭahhirakum is God Himself. In other words, God’s ordinances upon the wives are derived from an existential ordinance that the Ahl al-Bayt should be devoid of all filth. More directly, it is as though the verse is saying:

“God has only prescribed these commandments and prohibitions on the wives (because of His existential ordinance) to remove all filth from you Oh People of the House, and to purify you with an utmost purification.”

This Divine ordinance that the Ahl al-Bayt should remain pure does not imply predestination or compulsion. Rather it implies that God has specifically provided the existential potentialities and the Divine Grace to the Ahl al-Bayt in order to willfully attain to the station of complete purity. Hence, He is separating the behavior and conduct of the wives very decisively and making it clear that their actions are not to sully the reputation of the Prophetic household.

Your Houses vs The House (Buyūtikunna vs al-Bayt)

There is another very important contextual indicator here that can be gleaned when looking at the verse in totality. It is noted that the wives’ houses are specifically mentioned earlier in the verse with the word “buyūtikunna” (lit. “your houses” in the feminine plural) whereas in the āyah of taṭhīr we see that the word used is “al-bayt” (the House) in the singular. This contradistinction should strike the reader as strange should the wives be included in the term Ahl al-Bayt; to the contrary, it serves as a deliberate indication that they are not included under the umbrella of this group. Rather, they have their own multiplicity of houses whereas the People of that One House—a House already known to the listeners^[22]—are different. Otherwise, one would very well have expected the verse to say “ahl al-buyūt” instead of “ahl al-bayt.” The stark change from plural to singular is even further accentuated by the fact that in verse 34, the address to the wives’ homes again returns to buyūtikunna. This is a clear contextual challenge for those who assert that the wives are the referents of the passage.   

A Change in Pronouns (Al-Iltifāt)

Another very important contextual clue as alluded to by several commentators is that the pronoun changes within this verse from the feminine second person pronoun كنّ “kunna” to the masculine/general second-person pronounكم  “kum.” This serves an important purpose of including menfolk (idkhāl al-rijāl) in the term “Ahl al-Bayt.”^[23]

Who are these menfolk that are included in the verse? Those who believe that the wives are being addressed in this verse have proposed many options, most saying that the verse has switched pronouns to include the Prophet and some also adding that it includes the wives’ fathers.^[24] This would supposedly be a simple solution to solve the problem of the change in pronouns. In other words, they are proposing that the verse means, “God only ordains these prohibitions and commandments on the wives so that the wives, the Holy Prophet, and the father-in-laws may all be purified.”

However on a more detailed analysis, it becomes clear that this is a very clunky and linguistically inelegant position; in addition to not being supported by the context, it suffers from several deficiencies from the standpoint of Qur’ānic eloquence. Let us say that we accept this theory for the sake of argument; the deficiencies are as follows:

1. The first problem has been pointed out by Sayyid ‘Alī Qāḍī al-Tabātabā’ī where he states:

هل المراد من إذهاب الرجس عن «أهل البيت» هو دفع الرجس أو رفعه؟! فإن كان الأول، فالزوجات خارجات عن حكم الآية؛ فإن أكثرهن ـ إن لم يكن كلهن ـ كن في الرجس قبل الإسلام وإن كان الثاني، فلا محيص من القول بخروج رسول الله «صلى الله عليه وآله» عن حكم الآية، فإنه لم يكن فيه الرجس أصلاً، لا قبل البعثة ولا بعدها؛ باتفاق الأمة الإسلامية قاطبة

مع أن رسول الله «صلى الله عليه وآله» داخل في حكم الآية قطعاً بالاتفاق، فلا يمكن القول بخروج رسول الله «صلى الله عليه وآله» عن حكمها فثبت الأول وانتفى الثاني، وخرجت الزوجات عن حكم الآية قطعاً

“Is the meaning of warding off filth (idhhāb al-rijs) from the Ahl al-Bayt here in the sense of repelling it from ever touching them  (al-daf’) or alleviating it from them after they had already been sullied (al-raf’)? If one adopts the former meaning, then the wives are automatically excluded from the verse—because most if not all of them were in the state of spiritual filth before Islām. If one should adopt the latter meaning, then one must remove the Holy Prophet (sawa) from the import of the verse because all Muslims are unanimous that he was never sullied with any form of filth either before or after his appointment to Prophethood (al-bi’thah). However, the Holy Prophet (sawa) is included in the import of the verse by the agreement of all Muslims; therefore it is not possible to exclude the Holy Prophet. It becomes clear then that the meaning is the repelling of all filth (al-daf’) and the wives are therefore definitively excluded from the verse.^[25][26]

2. The second problem has been pointed out by Sayyid al-‘Āmilī in his book in defining the definition of purification. Is this essential purification (al-taṭhīr al-jawharī) or by accident (al-taṭhīr al-‘araḍī)? How are the menfolk (the Holy Prophet (sawa) and the wives’ fathers) being purified by the prescriptive ordinances that the wives of the Prophet are carrying out? The answer of course is that the menfolks’ purification is indirect by marital association (i.e. ‘araḍī) while the wives are being purified directly by their obedience. Therefore, one is again utilizing a single shared word with multiple meanings (isti’māl al-mushtarak fī akthar min ma’nā), which is reprehensible in this case given that a single pronoun is used for the Ahl al-Bayt and there is no qarīnah to specify a difference between its members.^[27] In other words, one is saying that the purification mentioned in these verses has two separate significations to two separate groups of individuals (i.e. the menfolk by association and the womenfolk directly), although the verse indicates that the purification applies equally to the entire group of the Ahl al-Bayt.

Therefore, it becomes clear from the above that the change in pronoun presents a strong case for excluding the wives from the Ahl al-Bayt; otherwise, the meaning of the verse becomes nebulous and the eloquence is negatively impacted. Instead, the meaning here is, “God only desires by commanding and prohibiting the wives of the Prophet to repel from you—oh the Prophetic Household—all filth and to purify you completely.” This results in a clear and elegant understanding of the verse: God is placing the wives in the station of rebuke and admonishment to protect the Ahl al-Bayt’s (i.e., the Holy Five’s) reputation from being sullied by marital association. In essence then, the meaning of the verse of taṭhīr becomes God’s absolving the Ahl al-Bayt of any defamation or blame should the wives of the Prophet not observe the dictates of piety.

Argumentum A Fortiori (Al-Awlawiyyah al-Qaṭ’iyyah)

There is a specific rule in uṣūl al-fiqh that should be used to understand this verse. It implies that when a subjects of relatively small significance is being addressed, it automatically implies that subjects of greater significance are subsumed as well. Therefore, for instance, when God states in the Qur’ān: “whoever has done an atom’s weight of good will see it”^[28] this automatically implies that anything larger than an atom’s weight will also be seen.

God’s address to the wives before switching to the Ahl al-Bayt is of this nature; an analogy may be prudent here. Suppose you have a friend whom you respect greatly, but he has a mischievous son who would sully the father’s reputation by his devious actions. Therefore, you reprimand the child to behave to preserve the honor of his father. The child himself may not really be a cause of concern for you, but it is his association and relationship with his father that drives you to reprimand him. The verse of taṭhīr is of the same significance here: it means that God is only rebuking and commanding the wives to behave because their disobedience will reflect negatively on the Ahl al-Bayt. He is giving them double punishment for committing grave immorality and double reward for obedience because their actions have a bearing on the Prophetic household. The Ahl al-Bayt are the ones with whom God is concerned and He does not want them to be touched by even the smallest iota of filth from those marginally associated with them. Therefore, God goes so far as to prescribe duties and responsibilities to others (i.e., the wives) in order to preserve the integrity of the Prophetic household.

In turn, it follows that since God wants to protect the Ahl al-Bayt from even such a secondary and accidental attribution of filth, they must be purified in the primary and essential significance within themselves already, based on this very principle.

Our scholars have expounded this same idea in their writings, which we translate below:

1. Al-Shahīd al-‘Allāmah al-Tustarī (may God have mercy on him) writes:

لا يبعد أن يكون اختلاف أسلوب آية التطهير لما قبلها على طريق الالتفات من الأزواج إلى النبي وأهل بيته عليهم السلام على معنى أن تأديب الأزواج وترغيبهن إلى الصلاح والسداد من توابع إذهاب الرجس والدنس عن أهل البيت عليهم السلام فحاصل نظم الآية على هذا أن الله تعالى رغب أزواج النبي صلى الله عليه وآله إلى العفة والصلاح بأنه إنما أراد في الأزل أن يجعلكم معصومين يا أهل البيت واللائق أن يكون المنسوب إلى المعصوم عفيفا صالحا كما قال ” والطيبات للطيبين

“It is not far-fetched that the digression in the form of address from the wives to the Ahl al-Bayt in the verse of purification is for this purpose: reprimanding the wives and encouraging them towards piety is a concomitant of warding off filth and uncleanliness from the Ahl al-Bayt (as). Therefore, the import of the verse becomes that God is encouraging the wives of the Prophet to be chaste and righteous because He has preordained that the Ahl al-Bayt are infallible; therefore, it behooves one who is tied to an infallible to be chaste and righteous—as the Qur’ān states (in Sūrah Nūr verse 26), “The pure men are for the pure women.”^[29]

2. In the same vein, ‘Allamāh Muẓaffar states the following:

وإنما جعل سبحانه هذه الآية في أثناء ذكر الأزواج وخطابهن للتنبيه على أنه سبحانه أمرهن ونهاهن وأدبهن إكراما لأهل البيت وتنزيها لهم عن أن تنالهم بسببهن وصمة، وصونا لهم عن أن يلحقهم من أجلهن عيب، ورفعا لهم عن أن يتصل بهم أهل المعاصي، ولذا استهل سبحانه الآيات بقوله: * (يا نساء النبي لستن كأحد من النساء) * ضرورة أن هذا التميز إنما هو للاتصال بالنبي وآله، لا لذواتهن فهن في محل، وأهل البيت في محل آخر، فليست الآية الكريمة إلا كقول القائل: يا زوجة فلان لست كأزواج سائر الناس فتعففي، وتستري، وأطيعي الله تعالى، إنما زوجك من بيت أطهار يريد الله حفظهم من الأدناس وصونهم عن النقائص

“God the Almighty has only placed this verse amidst mentioning and addressing the wives to allude that he commanded, prohibited, and disciplined them out of respect for the Ahl al-Bayt, to ward off any aspersion of being sullied by their misdeeds, to protect them from being associated with their deficiencies, and to elevate them above the station of those who may disobey God. It is as such that God addresses them as “Oh wives of the Prophet you are not like other women,” because their association with the Prophet and his family makes them distinct—not because of their own merit but because of the Ahl al-Bayt’s merit. The verse’s import does not exceed what one may say: “Oh wife of so-and-so: you are not like the wives of other men so be chaste, be modest, obey God—for you are the wife of a man from a purified household, which God has ordained for purity from all deficiencies and repugnance.”^[30]

B. In the Specific Passage

Irādah of the Wives

Another very important point that can be gleaned from reading the entire passage in context is that the existential ordinance (al-irādah al-takwīniyyah) mentioned for the Ahl al-Bayt is that they be completely removed from all filth and absolutely purified. In contrast, God does not have such an irādah for the wives as is made clear in the very first verses of the passage, known as āyah al-takhyīr:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَٰجِكَ إِن كُنتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا فَتَعَالَيْنَ أُمَتِّعْكُنَّ وَأُسَرِّحْكُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيلًا وَإِن كُنتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَٱلدَّارَ ٱلْآخِرَةَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْمُحْسِنَٰتِ مِنكُنَّ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

“Oh Prophet! Tell your wives: “If you would seek (turidna) this world and its glitter, then come I shall provide for you and then release you (from matrimony) beautifully. And if you would seek (turidna) God, His Messenger, and the Hereafter, then God has prepared a great reward for those amongst you (minkunna) who are virtuous.” (Sūrah Aḥzāb: verses 28-29)

Notice that the wives are not mentioned in these verses in a way that indicates a special Divine ordinance that establishes their righteousness. Rather, they are being told by God that it is completely up to their desire if they want to be affiliated with the Prophet. As for those of them that choose the path of God, they will be rewarded for their good deeds. Nonetheless, notice that the verse uses the partitive preposition منكنّ, implying that there are only some among the wives of the Prophet who will deserve a great reward due to their virtuosity. This is an implicit acknowledgement there will be some wives of the Prophet who will not receive the divine reward due to their lack of virtuosity, which would again exclude them from the elevated purified rank of the Ahl al-Bayt.

The Harmony of the Context (Al-Siyāq al-Munsajim)

When one reads the verses in context starting from verse 28, it becomes clear that the original address in these verses is to the Holy Prophet (sawa) and that he is being commanded to tell his wives all of the subsequent ordinances. In fact, this whole sūrah is built on this theme, starting from the first verse which is addressed directly to the Holy Prophet (sawa):

‏يَٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ ٱتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُطِعِ ٱلْكَفِرِينَ وَٱلْمُنَفِقِينَ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًۭا ‎

“Oh Prophet! Remain conscious of God, and defer not to the deniers of the truth and the hypocrites: for God is truly All-Knowing, Wise.” (Sūrah al-Aḥzāb verse 1)

Therefore, although verses 29-34 appear to directly be addressing the wives they are in fact a continuation of the address to the Holy Prophet in verse 28 with the implied command “Say” (qul). In essence, God is telling the Holy Prophet (sawa) to tell his wives the following commands: 1) to choose between God and the glitter of this world, 2) that they are not like other women, 3) not to be flirtatious in their speech, 4) to speak with civility, 5) to stay in their houses, 6) not to be ostentatious like the ostentatiousness of the Era of Ignorance, 7) to establish prayers and pay alms, and 8) to obey God and His Messenger.

Thereafter, God turns his address back to the Household of Prophethood and addresses them saying, “God is only prescribing these commands on the wives in order to ward filth from you—Oh Ahl al-Bayt—and utterly purify you.” Then God turns back to the wives of the Prophet in verse 34 to again remind them of the stature of the Holy Five, calling them to bear in mind that they have Divine Revelation and Prophetic Wisdom being expounded in their midst. This makes it clear that the whole passage is dedicated to absolving the Ahl al-Bayt, at whose head lies the Holy Prophet (sawa), from any of the possible misdeeds that may issue from the wives.  

Are the Wives Being Praised in the Passage?

يَا نِسَاءَ النَّبِيِّ مَن يَأْتِ مِنكُنَّ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُّبَيِّنَةٍ يُضَاعَفْ لَهَا الْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنِ ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرًا وَمَن يَقْنُتْ مِنكُنَّ لِلَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَتَعْمَلْ صَالِحًا نُّؤْتِهَا أَجْرَهَا مَرَّتَيْنِ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لَهَا رِزْقًا كَرِيمًا يَا نِسَاءَ النَّبِيِّ لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِّنَ النِّسَاءِ ۚ إِنِ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا مَّعْرُوفًا وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَىٰ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ لَطِيفًا خَبِيرًا

“O you wives of the Prophet! Whosoever of you commits manifest abomination, the punishment for her will be doubled, and that is easy for God. And whosoever of you is submissive unto God and His messenger and does right, We shall give her reward twice ovee; and We have prepared for her a rich provision. O you wives of the Prophet! You are not like other women: if you keep your duty (to God), then be not soft of speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease aspire (to you), but (rather) utter customary speech. And abide quietly in your homes, and do not flaunt your charms as they used to flaunt them in the old days of pagan ignorance; and be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues, and pay heed unto God and His Apostle: for God only ordains (these commands to the wives) in order to remove from you all that is repugnant, Oh Ahl al-Bayt (People of the House), and to purify you to (utmost) purity. And bear in mind all that is recited in your homes of God’s messages and [His] wisdom: for God is unfathomable [in His wisdom], All-Aware. (Surah Aḥzāb: verses 30-34)

Another very important contextual clue is that the wives are not being praised in the entirety of the passage. As we mentioned before, the syntax of the āyah of taṭhīr (bolded) makes it clear that all filth is being repudiated from the Ahl al-Bayt and they are identified as being completely purified. Meanwhile, God is acknowledging the possibility that the wives could commit abominable sins (fāḥishah mubayyinah); they are being told not to be ostentatious like the times of jāhiliyyah; they are being told to not speak in a flirtatious manner; they are being promised double punishment or double reward depending on their actions. When the likelihood of the wives falling into such sins is being acknowledged, would any intelligent reader really believe that it fits the context for God to ordain repelling all uncleanliness from them? Rather, it is clear from the passage itself that they are being warned to behave to not cast aspersions on the reputation of the Holy Household.

Another delicate point is that the word al-rijs as we alluded to earlier also subsumes the meaning of Divine Punishment, which is completely being negated from the Ahl al-Bayt in this passage. In contrast, the wives are being threatened with “double punishment” if they commit a fāḥishah. This indicates even further that they cannot be the addressees of āyah al-taṭhīr.

C. Other Verses of the Qur’ān that Are Relevant 

1. “…That is purer for their hearts and your hearts”

وإذا سألتموهن متاعا فاسألوهن من وراء حجاب ذلكم أطهر لقلوبكم و قلوبهن وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُؤْذُوا۟ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَآ أَن تَنكِحُوٓا۟ أَزْوَجَهُۥ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦٓ أَبَدًاۚ إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَظِيمًا

“…And when you (oh believers) ask them (the wives) regarding something you need, ask them from behind a veil. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. Moreover, it does not behoove you to give offence to God’s Apostle – just as it would not behoove you ever to marry his widows after he has passed away: that, verily, would be an enormity in the sight of God” (Sūrah al-Aḥzāb: verse 52)

 This verse is clear in showing that the purification of the wives is not one of “complete and superlative purification” as alluded to in the verse of taṭhīr; rather it is only a matter of aṭhariyyah  (relative purity) and not taṭhīr muṭlaq (absolute purity). Rather, God places the matter of the wives’ purification on the same pedestal as the purification of the believers in this verse, lending support to the fact that there is nothing essentially exclusive about the purification of the wives. There is furthermore an indication here that talking to the Prophet’s wives freely without a veil can affect the purity of their hearts—and this does not match the spirit of an existential Divine decree of purification. One may retort that the whole affair of placing a veil indicates a special sanctimony for the wives of the Prophet but reading the verse in context again reveals that the focus of this ordinance is to protect the Prophet’s reputation and integrity, and not for the wives in themselves. Considering these factors, when this verse is closely analyzed and compared to the verse of taṭhīr, a clear difference becomes apparent in the way the wives’ purification is being discussed and the way the Ahl al-Bayt’s purification had been presented.^[31]

2. “…If he (the Prophet) should divorce you all, perhaps God would replace him with better wives…”

عَسَىٰ رَبُّهُۥٓ إِن طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَن يُبْدِلَهُۥٓ أَزْوَٰجًا خَيْرًا مِّنكُنَّ مُسْلِمَٰتٍۢ مُّؤْمِنَٰتٍۢ قَٰنِتَٰتٍۢ تَٰٓئِبَٰتٍ عَٰبِدَٰتٍۢ سَٰٓئِحَٰتٍۢ ثَيِّبَٰتٍۢ وَأَبْكَارًا

“Perchance his Lord, if he (the Prophet) divorces you (wives), will give him in your stead wives better than you, submissive (to God), believing, pious, penitent, devout, inclined to fasting—both widows and maids.” (Sūrah al-Taḥrīm: verse 5)

This verse alludes to the fact that there were women who were better than the wives of the Prophet and flies in the face of the verse of taṭhīr, which indicates a superlative and exclusive merit of being completely cleansed of all filth and absolute purification. Given that the wives of the Prophet (namely ‘Ā’ishah and Hafṣah) are being reprimanded in the above verse, there is a powerful indication here that they are not the intended group for the Divine purification alluded to in āyah al-taṭhīr. Rather, this verse completely negates the notion of God ordaining superlative purification of the wives from its very core. The verse indicates that the purity of the wives of the Prophet is just like any other Muslim, and that there are those among women who far exceed their virtues. However, as previously stated they are being held to a higher standard only insofar as they are the wives of the most purified man to walk on this Earth and in-laws of his immaculate household.

3. “You may defer whichever of them you wish and receive any of them you wish”

تُرْجِي مَن تَشَاءُ مِنْهُنَّ وَتُؤْوِي إِلَيْكَ مَن تَشَاءُ ۖ وَمَنِ ابْتَغَيْتَ مِمَّنْ عَزَلْتَ فَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكَ ۚ

“You may defer (oh Muḥammad) whichever of them (your wives) you wish and receive any of them you wish; and you may call back any of those whom you had (temporarily) set aside: there will be no blame on you (on this account).” (Sūrah al-Aḥzāb: verse 51)

This verse demonstrates that the Holy Prophet (sawa) has complete jurisdiction to separate himself from his wives; their being part of the Prophet’s life is completely up to his own discretion. This is in stark contrast to the Ahl al-Bayt mentioned in the verse of taṭhīr, who are part and parcel of the Holy Prophet’s household and are not separated from him. This will become clearer in the next discussion when we look at the athar from Zayd ibn Arqam, who points out this exact fact to disqualify the wives of the Prophet from being included within the term Ahl al-Bayt.

What do the Ḥadīth and History Specifically Tell Us?

We previously discussed how the language and the contextual clues in the verse support the exclusion of the wives and make it clear that the Ahl al-Bayt are a very exceptional group who have been exclusively selected by Allāḥ for the highest laudation. We will now discuss the naqlī sources and what they specifically reveal to us about who the addresses are in the verse of taṭhīr. This is by far the strongest piece of evidence in supporting the exclusion of the wives. Of course, the Holy Prophet (sawa) is the most knowledgeable about the Holy Qur’ān, and his word trumps all when it comes to interpreting the meaning of Ahl al-Bayt.

The Ḥadīth of the Cloak

The famous ḥadīth of the cloak is narrated in both Sunnī and Shī’ah sources and is generally accepted as mutawātir by all. The ḥadīth is narrated in a copious number of sources and we have selected just one version of the narration:

عن عمر بن أبي سلمة ربيب النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال لما نزلت هذه الآية على النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم { إنما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس أهل البيت ويطهركم تطهيرا } في بيت أم سلمة فدعا فاطمة و حسنا و حسينا فجللهم بكساء و علي خلف ظهره فجللهم بكساء ثم قال اللهم هؤلاء أهل بيتي فأذهب عنهم الرجس وطهرهم تطهيرا قالت أم سلمة وأنا معهم يا نبي الله ؟ قال أنت على مكانك وأنت على خير

“On the authority of ‘Umar ibn Abī Salamah, the foster-son of the Prophet who said: When the verse “Allāh intends but only to keep impurity away all from you, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you absolutely” was revealed upon the Holy Prophet in the house of Umm Salamah, he called Fāṭimah, Ḥasan and Ḥusayn and spread a cloak over them while ‘Alī was behind him. Then, he covered them all with a cloak. Then, he said, “O Allah! These are my Ahl al-Bayt. Hence keep impurity away from them and purify them absolutely.” Umm Salamah then said, “Am I with them, O Prophet of Allah?” He replied, “You remain in your place, and you are upon goodness.””^[32]

This ḥadīth has so many chains that it is generally accepted as a mutawātir ḥadīth among all Muslims. To this point, ‘Allāmah Tabātabā’ī states in his commentary of the Qur’ān on this verse:

وهي روايات جمة تزيد على سبعين حديثا يربو ما ورد منها من طرق أهل السنة على ما ورد منها من طرق الشيعة فقد روتها أهل السنة بطرق كثيرة عن أم سلمة وعائشة وأبى سعيد الخدري وسعد ووائلة بن الأسقع وأبى الحمراء وابن عباس وثوبان مولى النبي وعبد الله بن جعفر وعلى والحسن بن علي عليهما السلام في قريب من أربعين طريقا.

وروتها الشيعة عن علي والسجاد والباقر والصادق والرضا عليهم السلام وأم سلمة وأبي ذر وأبى ليلى وأبى الأسود الدؤلي وعمرو بن ميمون الأودي وسعد بن أبي وقاص في بضع وثلاثين طريقا.

“These are a large number of narrations, exceeding seventy in number, narrated more by the chains of Ahl al-Sunnah than those of the Shī’ah. Ahl al-Sunnah has narrated it from numerous chains on the authority of Umm Salamah, ‘Ā’ishah, Abū Sa’īd al-Khudrī, Sa’d (ibn Abī Waqqāṣ), Wāthilah ibn Asqa’, Abū al-Ḥamrā’, ibn ‘Abbās, Thawbān the servant of the Prophet, ‘Abdullāh ibn Ja’far, Imām ‘Alī (as), and Imām al-Ḥasan ibn ‘Alī (as) in over forty chains. The Shī’ah have narrated it from Imāms ‘Alī, al-Sajjād, al-Bāqir, al-Ṣādiq, al-Riḍā (as), Umm Salamah, Abū Dharr, Abū Laylā, Abū al-Aswad al-Du’alī, ‘Amr ibn Maymūn al-Awdī, and Sa’d ibn Abī Waqqāṣ in around thirty chains.”^[33]

As is clear from the ḥadīth, the Prophet (sawa) restricts the meaning of Ahl al-Bayt to the Holy Five and does not allow Umm Salamah (may God be pleased with her) to join them underneath the cloak. There are other versions of this narration, including those that indicate that this occurred in the house of ‘Ā’ishah or Zaynab who requested to join the Holy Five under the cloak and were also turned away. As Sayyid al-‘Āmilī notes, the variance in the narrations likely indicates that this action happened several times in the homes of different wives to emphasize the status of the Ahl al-Bayt and affirm that the wives were excluded.^[34] This ḥadīth is the strongest piece of evidence of the Prophet specifically clarifying the meaning of the term Ahl al-Bayt as a specific jargon limited to the Holy Five (the Holy Prophet, Imām ‘Alī, Imām Ḥasan, Imām Ḥusayn, and Lady Fāṭimah may peace be upon them all), and excluding his wives.^[35]

Zayd ibn Arqam’s View of the Ahl al-Bayt

The view of Zayd ibn Arqam, one of the senior companions of the Prophet, is specifically relevant because it substantiates the view of a companion of the Prophet that the wives are not included in the term Ahl al-Bayt. Moreover, Zayd’s view is in concordance with the Qur’ān, which clearly states that the wives are not tied to the Prophet essentially and are only accidental—meaning that they may leave the Prophet or be divorced at any time. The ḥadīth from Zayd ibn Arqam is narrated in Ṣaḥīh Muslim as follows:

بإسناده عن يزيد بن حيان عن زيد بن أرقم قال: قال رسول الله: “ألا إني تارك فيكم ثقلين؛ أحدهما كتاب الله عز وجل هو حبل الله من اتبعه كان على الهدى، ومن تركه كان على ضلالة، فقلنا: من أهل بيته نساؤه؟ قال:لا وأيم الله إن المرأة تكون مع الرجل العصر من الدهر ثم يطلقها فترجع إلى أبيها وقومها،أهل بيته أصله وعصبته الذين حرموا الصدقة بعده

Based on a chain from Yazīd ibn Ḥayyān on the authority of Zayd ibn Arqam who said, “The Prophet said I am leaving to you two weighty things: the Book of God the Almighty, which is the Rope of God—whosoever follows it is on guidance and whosoever abandons it is on deviation.” Then we said, “Who are the Ahl al-Bayt—his womenfolk?” He answered, “No way by God! A woman can be with a man for a period of time then he divorces her and she returns to her father and people. The Ahl al-Bayt are his kith and kin for whom charity is prohibited after his passing.”^[36][37]

Of course, Zayd adopts a very inclusive meaning of the Ahl al-Bayt to include all those of Banū Hāshim for whom charity is prohibited. We will examine this view in the rebuttal of contentions later, however the point in this section is to substantiate that the view of Zayd is also quite clear that the wives of the Holy Prophet (sawa) are not subsumed in the term Ahl al-Bayt.

The Prophet Commands the Ahl al-Bayt towards Ṣalāt

Another highly reliable ḥadīth is one which narrates that when the verse of Sūrah Ṭāhā was revealed commanding the Prophet to enjoin his family towards ṣalāh,^[38] the Prophet would go daily to the house of Imām ‘Ali and Lady Fāṭimah at dawn and would recite the verse of taṭhīr upon them from outside. This serves as an indication that the Holy Five were the exclusive referents of this verse:

عن أنس بن مالك ، أن رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم – كان يمر بباب فاطمة – رضي الله عنها – ستة أشهر إذا خرج لصلاة الفجر ، يقول : ” الصلاة يا أهل البيت ، إنما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس أهل البيت ويطهركم تطهيرا

“On the authority of Anas ibn Mālik that the Prophet (sawa) used to go to the door of Fāṭimah (peace be upon her) for six months whenever he went for the dawn prayer and he would say: “(Heed) the prayer Oh Ahl al-Bayt! Indeed God only desires to remove all filth from you oh Ahl al-Bayt and to purify you an utter purification.”^[39]

This ḥadīth is narrated by over three hundred companions with some variation narrated in how long the Prophet persisted in this action; some narrations say forty days and some say that he continued to do so until the end of his life. As al-‘Āmilī notes, this variation can be accounted for by the fact that different companions tracked the Prophet (sawa) doing this for different lengths of time, however that he continued to do so until the end of his life is quite likely. Again, this demonstrates how keen the Prophet was to repeatedly demonstrate to the ummah who the Ahl al-Bayt were by addressing them as such on a daily basis.^[40]

The Ḥadīth of Mubāhalah

The well-known event wherein the Christians of Najrān belied the Prophet’s message and were challenged to a mutual imprecation (mubāhalah) is also highly instructive. In this narration, we also find the use of the term “Ahl al-Bayt” for the Holy Five exclusively. The event is expounded in a long ḥadīth narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, wherein Mu’āwiyah asks Sa’d ibn Abī Waqqāṣ why he refrains from insulting Imām ‘Alī (as); we have extracted just the relevant part of the long narration here:

عن عامر بن سعد بن أبي وقاص عن أبيه قال: أمر معاوية بن أبي سفيان سعدا فقال ما منعك أن تسب أبا تراب؟ فقال أما ما ذكرت ثلاثا قالهن له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فلن أسبه لئن تكون لي واحدة منهن أحب إلي من حمر النعم…ولما نزلت هذه الآية فقل تعالوا ندع أبناءنا وأبناءكم دعا رسول الله عليا وفاطمة وحسنا وحسينا فقال اللهم هؤلاء أهل بيتي

‘Āmir ibn Sa’d ibn Abī Waqqāṣ narrated from his father that he said, “Mu’āwiyah ibn Abī Sufyān commanded Sa’d (to insult Imām ‘Alī) and then asked: “What is it that prevents you from insulting Abū Turāb?” (Then) he (Sa’d) responded: “As for what you have queried, (it is because of) three things that the Holy Prophet (sawa) said about him that I will never insult him—I swear that if I had just one of these (merits) it would be more beloved to me than red camels…and when this verse [Then say, Come let us bring our sons and your sons…^[41]] was revealed, the Apostle of God called ‘Alī, Fāṭimah, Ḥasan, and Ḥusayn and then said, “Oh my Lord these are my Ahl al-Bayt.”””^[42]

The Ḥadīth of Thaqalayn

Among one of the most highly attested ḥadīth par excellence between Shī’as and Sunnīs is the Ḥadīth of the Two Weighty Things (al-thaqalayn) as follows:

عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنِّي تَارِكٌ فِيكُمْ مَا إِنْ تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِهِ لَنْ تَضِلُّوا بَعْدِي أَحَدُهُمَا أَعْظَمُ مِنَ الآخَرِ: كِتَابُ اللَّهِ حَبْلٌ مَمْدُودٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الأَرْضِ. وَعِتْرَتِي أَهْلُ بَيْتِي، وَلَنْ يَتَفَرَّقَا حَتَّى يَرِدَا عَلَيَّ الحَوْضَ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ تَخْلُفُونِي فِيهِمَا

“From Zayd ibn Arqam on the authority of the Holy Prophet (sawa): “I am leaving for you that which if you hold onto you shall never deviate after me, one is greater than the other: The Book of God—an extended rope between the Heavens and the Earth; and my progeny, my Ahl al-Bayt. They shall never separate until they return to me at the Pond (of Kawthar). Therefore, consider carefully how you treat them after me.”^[43]

This ḥadīth is accepted by all beyond dispute and the specific wording of the Prophet where he states he is leaving behind the Ahl al-Bayt is an important piece of evidence that again affirms what we have mentioned about the Holy Five. As he states, his Ahl al-Bayt will never separate from the Qur’ān until they reach him at the Pond of Kawthar. This is another strong endorsement of their infallibility while also excluding the wives of the Prophet, who at least on a collective level did indeed go against the Qur’ānic commandments. When ‘Ā’ishah fought against Imām ‘Alī, she went against the very clear commandment that she should remain in her home; in fact, the very verse of purification was used against ‘Ā’ishah by Umm Salamah to prove that she was in the wrong.^[44]

The Wives Never Used this Verse to Prove their Superiority

A subtle point attributed to the great Shī’ah historian and scholar ‘Allāmah al-Amīnī is that the wives never used the āyah of taṭhīr to affirm their merit, even though some of them (i.e., ‘Ā’ishah) were in dire need to provide an air of legitimacy for their rebellion against Imām ‘Alī (as). Nonetheless, there is no historical report that substantiates them ever having utilized this verse to substantiate their own virtue, despite that as we previously elucidated the verse is clear in its high laudation. This is another powerful clue derived from historical context; as the famous rule used in uṣūl al-fiqh states: لو كان لبان (if it existed it would have been manifest).^[45]

In fact, ‘Ā’ishah herself acknowledges that the verse of taṭhīr was specifically revealed for the Holy Five when she was confronted about her revolt against Imām ‘Alī (as), as narrated by al-Bayhaqī:

سئلت عائشة رضي الله عنها عن أمير المؤمنين عليّ بن أبي طالب، رضي الله عنه، فقالت: وما عسيت أن أقول فيه وهو أحب الناس إلى رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم؟ لقد رأيت رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم، قد جمع شملته على عليّ وفاطمة والحسن والحسين وقال: هؤلاء أهل بيتي اللهم أذهب عنهم الرجس وطهرهم تطهيراً. قيل لها: فكيف سرت إليه؟ قالت: أنا نادمة! وكان ذلك قدراً مقدوراً

“ ‘Ā’ishah was asked about Amīr al-Mu’minīn ‘Ali ibn Abī Tālib (as) and said, “What could I possibly say about him while he is the most beloved person to the Messenger of God? I had seen the Messenger of God gather his cloak around ‘Alī, Fāṭimah, al-Ḥasan, and al-Ḥusayn and then he said, “These are my Ahl al-Bayt—oh Allāh ward off all filth from them and purify them to the utmost. It was said to her, “Why did you revolt against him then?” She answered, “I am regretful of it, but it was a preordained affair.”^[46]

If the wives of the Prophet were included in the import of the verse already, it would have entirely been possible for ‘Ā’ishah to retort to the questioner that she is also part of this group that God has purified; then why didn’t she?! Unless it was also clear to her that she was not part of the Ahl al-Bayt described in the verse!

Furthermore, there is another clear testament within the ḥadīth corpus from another wife of the Prophet, Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), in reference to this verse where she is even clearer in that the referents of this verse did not include her:

عنْ عَمْرَةَ اَلْهَمْدَانِيَّةِ : أَنَّهَا دَخَلَتْ عَلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ زَوْجِ اَلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ قَالَتْ: يَا أُمَّتَاهْ أَلاَ تُخْبِرِينِي عَنْ هَذَا اَلرَّجُلِ – اَلَّذِي قُتِلَ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِنَا فَمُحِبٌّ وَ مُبْغِضٌ قَالَتْ لَهَا أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ : أَتُحِبِّينَهُ قَالَتْ: لاَ أُحِبُّهُ وَ لاَ أُبْغِضُهُ – تُرِيدُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ فَقَالَتْ لَهَا أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ : أَنْزَلَ اَللَّهُ تَعَالَى: إِنَّمٰا يُرِيدُ اَللّٰهُ – لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ اَلرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ اَلْبَيْتِ وَ يُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيراً  وَ مَا فِي اَلْبَيْتِ إِلاَّ جَبْرَئِيلُ وَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ وَ عَلِيٌّ وَ فَاطِمَةُ وَ اَلْحَسَنُ وَ اَلْحُسَيْنُ وَ أَنَا، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ أَنَا مِنْ أَهْلِ اَلْبَيْتِ فَقَالَ: رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ : أَنْتِ مِنْ صَالِحِ نِسَائِي فَلَوْ كَانَ قَالَ: نَعَمْ كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ – مِمَّا تَطْلُعُ عَلَيْهِ اَلشَّمْسُ وَ تَغْرُبُ

As narrated by ‘Amrah al-Hamdāniyyah that she entered upon Umm Salamah the wife of the Prophet (sawa) and said, “Oh my mother will you not inform me about that man who was killed amongst us while being both loved and hated?” Umm Salamah said to her, “Do you love him?” She answered, “I don’t love him or hate him”—meaning by this ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib. Then Umm Salamah told her, “God revealed the verse ‘God only desires thereby to purge all filth from you, oh Ahl al-Bayt, and to completely purify you’ while there was none in the house except Gabriel, the Apostle of God, ‘Alī, Fāṭimah, al-Ḥasan, al-Ḥusayn, and I. Then I said, “Oh Apostle of God am I from the Ahl al-Bayt?” He answered, “You are among my righteous wives.” [Then she said], “If only he had said yes, it would have been dearer to me than everything upon which the Sun rises and sets.””^[47]

The Imāms of Ahl al-Bayt Used this Verse in their Merit

In contradistinction to the wives, there are abundant texts within the ḥadīth corpus that substantiate the Holy Five utilizing this verse to substantiate their merit and to indicate to others that they were specifically graced with God’s immaculate purification.[48] The shawāhid for this are beyond the scope of this writing and whole books have been written on this issue. Therefore, we will suffice in presenting just single narrations from the other members of the Holy Five, some selected hadith from the latter Imāms, and the words of Zaynab and Zayd ibn ‘Alī (may peace be upon them all). More details can be found in Sayyid al-Abṭahī’s excellent book which we had referenced earlier. Among these pieces of evidence are the following:

1. Imām ‘Alī (as) utilized the verse of purification when he disputed with the companions about his being more worthy for the khilāfah:

وفي احتجاجه عليه السلام على الناس يوم الشورى قال أنشدكم بالله هل فيكم أحد أنزل الله فيه آية التطهير على رسوله إنما يريد الله الآية فأخذ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله كساء خيبريا فضمني وفيه فاطمة والحسن والحسين عليهم السلام ثم قال يا رب هؤلاء أهل بيتي فأذهب عنهم الرجس وطهرهم تطهيرا غيري قالوا اللهم لا

Among his disputes with the people on the day of Shūrā (consultation) where he said: “I ask you by God is there anyone among you for whom God revealed the verse of purification to his Messenger such that he took a Khaybarī cloak and encompassed myself, Fāṭimah, Ḥasan, and Ḥusayn then said: “Oh my Lord these are my Ahl al-Bayt so remove all filth from them and completely purify them?” They answered, “By God, no (there is no one else).”^[49]

2. Lady Fāṭimah (as) mentioned the verse in her argument with ‘Umar:

إن من أذهب الله عنهم الرجس وطهرهم تطهيرا لا تجوز عليهم شهادة، لأنهم معصومون من كل سوء، مطهرون من كل فاحشة; حدثني يا عمر، من أهل هذه الآية؟! لو أن قوما شهدوا عليهم، أو على أحد منهم بشرك أو كفر أو فاحشة كان المسلمون يتبرأون منهم ويحدونهم؟! قال: نعم، وما هم وسائر الناس في ذلك إلا سواء قالت، كذبت وكفرت، ما هم وسائر الناس في ذلك سواء، لأن الله عصمهم وأنزل عصمتهم وتطهيرهم، وأذهب عنهم الرجس، فمن صدق عليهم فإنما يكذب الله ورسوله

“Indeed those whom God has purged all filth and completely purified cannot be testified against (for a penal crime) because they are infallible from every evil, purified from every immorality. Tell me oh ‘Umar: for those who are referenced in this verse (of purification), if a people came forward to witness against them with the accusation of polytheism, disbelief, or abomination would the Muslims be correct in dissociating from them and inflicting the Islāmic penal code upon them?” ‘Umar answered, “Yes, because they and other people in this matter are the same.” Lady Fāṭimah answered, “You lie and have disbelieved! They and other people in this matter are not the same; for God has protected them and ordained their infallibility and immaculateness, purging them of all filth. Therefore whoever believes other than them has belied God and His Apostle.”^[50]

3. Imām al-Ḥasan (as) utilizes the verse to refer to himself in one of his speeches:

إنا أهل بيت أكرمنا الله واختارنا واصفانا وأذهب عنا الرجس وطهرنا تطهيرا والرجس هو الشك، فلا نشك في الله الحق ودينه أبدا، وطهرنا من كل أفن وغية

“Indeed we are an Ahl al-Bayt that God has honored, chosen, elected, purged from all filth, and completely purified. Filth is doubt—therefore we don’t ever doubt about God or His religion, and he has purified us from every deficiency and deviance.”[51]

4. Imām Ḥusayn (as) references his status as part of the Ahl al-Bayt in his discussion with Marwan bin al-Ḥakam:

ويلك يا مروان إليك عني فإنك رجس وإنا أهل بيت الطهارة الذين أنزل الله عز وجل على نبيه محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم، فقال: (إنما يريد الله ليذهب عنكم الرجس أهل البيت ويطهركم تطهيرا

“Woe be to you Oh Marwān! Get away from me, for indeed you are filth, and we are an Ahl al-Bayt of purity for whom God the Highest revealed to His Prophet Muḥammad (sawa): “Indeed God ordains thereby only to purge all filth from you, Oh Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you completely.”[52]

5. Imām Zayn al-‘Ābidīn (as) states the following in his Du’ā ‘Arafah:

رب صل على أطائب أهل بيته الذين اخترتهم لأمرك، وجعلتهم خزنة علمك، وحفظة دينك، وخلفاءك في أرضك، وحججك على عبادك، وطهرتهم من الرجس والدنس تطهيرا بإرادتك، وجعلتهم الوسيلة إليك والمسلك إلى جنتك

“Oh my Lord bless the purified of his Ahl al-Bayt whom You have chosen for Your affair, assigned as the keepers of Your knowledge, the protectors of Your creed, Your vicegerents on Your Earth, Your proofs upon Your servants; for You have completely purified them from all filth and dirt by Your ordinance and made them the means to You and the path to Your Heaven.”^[53]

6. Imām al-Ṣādiq (as) in a discourse with Abū Baṣīr about the meaning of Ahl al-Bayt:

عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ مَنْ آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ قَالَ ذُرِّيَّتُهُ فَقُلْتُ أَهْلُ بَيْتِهِ قَالَ اَلْأَئِمَّةُ اَلْأَوْصِيَاءُ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ عِتْرَتُهُ قَالَ أَصْحَابُ اَلْعَبَاءِ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ أُمَّتُهُ قَالَ اَلْمُؤْمِنُونَ اَلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا بِمَا جَاءَ بِهِ مِنْ عِنْدِ اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ اَلْمُتَمَسِّكُونَ بِالثَّقَلَيْنِ اَللَّذَيْنِ أُمِرُوا بِالتَّمَسُّكِ بِهِمَا كِتَابِ اَللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ وَ عِتْرَتِهِ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ اَلَّذِينَ أَذْهَبَ اَللَّهُ عَنْهُمُ اَلرِّجْسَ وَ طَهَّرَهُمْ تَطْهِيراً وَ هُمَا اَلْخَلِيفَتَانِ عَلَى اَلْأُمَّةِ بَعْدَهُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ

On the authority of Abū Baṣīr that he said: “I asked Abū ‘Abdillāh (as): “Who are the Āl of Muhammad?” He answered, “His progeny.” I asked, “Who are his Ahl al-Bayt?” He answered, “The Imāms who are his heirs.” I asked, “Who are his ‘itrah?” He answered, “The People of the Cloak (i.e., The Holy Five).” Then I asked, “Who is his nation?” He answered, “The believers who accept that which he brought from God and those who remain steadfast on the two weighty things that they were commanded to remain steadfast upon: the Book of God and his ‘Itrah and Ahl al-Bayt, from whom God has purged all filth and completely purified. These are the two vicegerents upon the nation after him (sawa).”^[54]

7. In a narration on the authority of Imām al-Riḍā (as) where it is reported:

محمد بن علي التميمي قال: حدثني سيدي علي بن موسى الرضا عليه السلام عن آبائه عن علي عليهم السلام عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله أنه قال: من سره أن ينظر إلى القضيب الياقوت الأحمر الذي غرسه الله عز وجل بيده ويكون متمسكا به فليتول عليا و الأئمة من ولده، فإنهم خيرة الله عز وجل وصفوته وهم المعصومون من كل ذنب و خطيئة

Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī al-Tamīmī said: my master ‘Alī ibn Musā al-Riḍā (as) narrated to me on the authority of his forefathers on the authority of Imam ‘Alī on the authority of the Holy Prophet (sawa), “Whoever is gladdened to behold and carry a staff of red ruby that God has planted with His Own Hand should take ‘Alī and the Imāms from his progeny as his guardians; for they are the elect and chosen of God the Almighty and they are those who are immaculate from every sin and error.^[55]

8. Imām al-‘Askarī (as) where he states in giving admonishment to some of his followers:

ولنا حق في كتاب الله وقرابة رسول الله وتطهير من الله لا يدعيه أحد غيرنا إلا كذاب

“And for us is a right in the book of God; and a kinship with the Apostle of God; and a purification from God that no one else claims except a liar.”^[56]

9. Zayd ibn ‘Alī also has a beautiful narration where he states the following; it is interesting that he also uses the same argument we had discussed about the change in pronouns in the verse:

قال ابو الجارود: و قال زيد بن على بن الحسين: ان ذلك جهل من الناس الذين يزعمون انما اراد بهذه الآية ازواج النبى و قد كذبوا و اثموا، و ايم الله لوعنى بها ازواج النبى لقال: ليذهب عنكن الرجس و يطهركن تطهيرا و لكان الكلام مؤنثا كما قال: و اذكرن ما يتلى فى بيوتكن و لستن كاحد من النساء

Ibn Jārūd states that Zayd ibn ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn said: “It is indeed ignorance from people that postulate that the referent of this verse (of purification) is the wives. They have uttered a lie and committed a sin. By God, if He had been referring to the wives he would have said: “to purge you (feminine plural) from filth and to purify you (feminine plural) completely.” The speech would have been feminine just like it says, “And recall what of God’s revelation is recited in your homes” and “You are not like any other women.””^[57]

10. Finally, we may also consider the words of Lady Zaynab where she states in response to ‘Ubaydullah ibn Ziyād:

الحمد لله الذي أكرمنا بنبيه محمد وطهرنا من الرجس تطهيرا

“All praise be to God who honored us with his Prophet Muḥammad and purified us from all filth with utter purification.”^[58] 

After the above analysis, our conclusion should speak for itself: namely that the Ahl al-Bayt in the verse of purification is a specific reference to the Holy Five exclusively and that the wives are not included in the address. The verse is an explicit endorsement of infallibility of the Ahl al-Bayt as evidenced both by the context, the style of the speech, and the many narrations that substantiate this as the import of the verse. As the reader will observe, we proceeded in our analysis in a step-wise approach, firstly examining the words themselves (lexical analyis), then how these words interact (syntactical analysis), then how the entire sentence interacts with its surrounding verses (contextual analysis), and then finally how the verse should be understood in reference to the narrations (intertextual analysis). And All Praise is To Allāh for allowing us to complete this work.

 

Footnotes

[1] We have adopted the translation of Muḥammad Asad for this verse for the sake of clarity for an English-speaking audience, although we will examine the verse in detail in the coming sections.

[2] Although the term āyah (verse) is used for the ending portion of 33:33, the reader will observe that it is technically only a fragment of the verse in the muṣḥaf. Nonetheless, it is popularly referred to as the verse of purification (āyah al-taṭhīr) and we have therefore adopted this convention in the article.

[3] ‘Ikrimah al-Barbarī and Muqātil ibn Sulaymān are known to have endorsed that the term Ahl al-Bayt only subsumes the wives of the Prophet. Many Sunnī scholars are of the opinion that the term Ahl al-Bayt subsumes the wives of the Prophet as well as the Holy Five (those whom the Prophet gathered under the cloak, although explicit textual evidence for this viewpoint does not exist among the early generations of Muslims (one of the first mufassirs to propose this was al-Fakhr al-Rāzī in his commentary al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr on this verse).

[4] Among Shī’ah scholars, Āyatullāh Ṣālehī Najafābādī controversially took the position that the verse of taṭhīr subsumes both the wives and the Holy Five in his work “Ta’ammuli dar Āye-ye-Taṭhīr.” He received a scathing critique for this work from many prominent Shī’ah scholars such as Āyatullāh Ṣādeqī Tehrānī.

[5] This opinion is particularly attributed to Zayd ibn Arqam based on some āthār on his authority that we will discuss later.

[6] The opinion that the term Ahl al-Bayt is specific for the Holy Five is attributed to Umm Salamah, Wāthilah ibn Asqa’, ‘Ā’ishah, and Abū Sa’īd al-Khudrī. The Shī’ah mufassirs are almost unanimous on the term being specific for the Holy Five, and a number of prominent Sunnī scholars also agree (Abū Ja’far al-Ṭaḥāwī, ‘Alī ibn Aḥmad al-Samhūdī, Yūsuf ibn Mūsā al-Ḥanafī, etc). There are also riwāyāt that the Shī’ah have which include all the Twelve Shī’ah Imāms in the term Ahl al-Bayt.

[7] There have been some great explanations of the verse (such as the one presented by Shaykh Manṣour Leghaei entitled, “A Discourse on Ayat al-Tatheer,” although this was apparently a transcript of a lecture he gave and thus took the form of a very rough note-like format), but they have left a lot to be desired. Owing to the importance of this verse in Shī’ah theology, we have aimed to present a more exhaustive analysis here.

[8] Al-‘Āmilī’s work is entitled, “Ahl al-Bayt in the Verse of Purification” (Ahl al-Bayt fī Āyat al-Taṭhīr) and al-Abṭaḥī’s work is called, “Āyat al-Taṭhīr in the Ḥadīth of the Two Sects” (Āyat al-Taṭhīr fī Aḥādīth al-Farīqayn).

[9] The analysis that we exposit here is derived from the famous Qur’ānic dictionary “Mufradāt Gharīb al-Qur’ān” of Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī.

[10] As evidenced by Sūrah Yāsīn verse 82:   إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَن يَقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ (“His (Allāh’s) command when he ordains something is only to say to it “Be” and it is”)

[11] This is in contrast to the phrase ذهب به (“to go away with something”), which implies that the doer leaves with the object. An example of this can be seen in Sūrah al-Baqarah verse 17, where God states that he “takes away their light” from the disbelievers ذهب الله بنورهم. This implies that light accompanies God.

[12] Such as in the respective statements of Hūd to his people in Sūrah al-A’rāf verse 71: قَدْ وَقَعَ عَلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ رِجْسٌ وَغَضَبٌ (“Punishment and wrath has descended upon you from your Lord”) and Allāh about the disbelievers in Sūrah Tawbah verse 125: وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ مَرَضٌ فَزَادَتْهُمْ رِجْسًا إِلَىٰ رِجْسِهِمْ (“As for those in whose hearts is a disease, it (the sūrah) increases them in doubt upon their doubt”).

[13] This is an important discussion that should be pursued in the books of Arabic grammar, as it is quite difficult to explain in English. For advanced readers, please review al-‘Āmilī’s Ahl al-Bayt Fī Āyat al-Taṭhīr, pages 65-69.

[14] As we will discuss further later, this is an important word to suggest that they wives are being excluded, because they had certainly been touched by filth either before their marriage to the Prophet (saw) or afterwards (consider the verses of Sūrah al-Taḥrīm against ‘Ā’ishah and Hafṣah as well as ‘Ā’ishah’s revolt against Imām ‘Alī).

[15] If “al-bayt” is taken to mean here the place of dwelling, this is in reference to the occasion of revelation for the verse of purification (al-‘ahd al-khārijī); if “al-bayt” is taken to mean the Prophetic house, this is in reference to the fact that the Prophet has already been mentioned earlier in the passage (al-‘ahd al-madhkūr).

[16] In other words, there is a fatḥah on the word ‘ahl’ (i.e. it is manṣūb).

[17] A very detailed discussion about this syntactic phenomenon may be found in the book Ma’ānī al-Naḥw by Dr. Fāḍil al-Sāmarrā’ī volume 2 page 118.

[18] We will discuss the contentions raised by some critics about this in our later discussion.

[19] Biḥār al-Anwār, volume 35 page 235

[20] In theology, God’s ordinances are divided into two types: the first type is known as an existential ordinance whereby God decrees for something to be in a certain manner by his Own Providence; the second type is known as a prescriptive ordinance whereby God legislates to others to act in accordance with His Will.

[21] This is discussed in great depth in al-‘Āmilī’s work pages 65-69

[22] Recall the discussion on lām al-‘ahd in our syntactical notes.

[23] There are those who have argued that the only reason for the change in pronouns is because the word “ahl” is masculine, and therefore the pronoun change is simply lafẓī (only on a word level) having nothing to do with the meaning of including menfolk. However, this is only a descriptive explanation and does not explain why the verse changes the address to “Ahl al-Bayt.” Between the clear use of feminine pronouns, why is there a sudden masculine plural sandwiched between if it truly has no function in the meaning? Some have retorted that it is for the purposes of respect of the women (al-ta’ẓīm), however this is also a poor argument because this change happens clearly in the context of several feminine pronouns; so why is there suddenly added respect when the other pronouns are clearly feminine? This is not to mention the fact that some commentators such as al-Zamakhsharī have stated that ahl can be a masculine or a feminine word (see his tafsīr al-Kashshāf on Sūrah 4:75). Therefore, this explanation leaves much to be desired. We will treat this issue in more depth in our “Contentions” section.

[24] See ibn ‘Asākir’s Tahdhīb Tārīkh Madinah Dimishq (An Abridged History of the City of Damascus), page 209

[25] Ta’līqāt of Sayyid ‘Alī Qāḍī Tabātabā’ī on Jawāmi’ al-Jāmi’ page 372

[26] This contention of Tabātabā’ī only applies of course if someone believes that the Holy Prophet (sawa) was completely infallible as do many Sunnīs. However, it would obviously be lost on those who believe he was not. Nonetheless, the second argument still holds validity.

[27] A discussion of this principle in uṣūl al-fiqh is beyond the scope of this article, but advanced readers may find a more detailed discussion on the topic here: tinyurl.com/4js8xkcp

[28] Sūrah Zilzāl: verse 7

[29] Al-Ṣawārim al-Muhriqah, page 147

[30] Iḥqāq al-Ḥaqq, volume 2 page 570

[31] Please see al-‘Āmilī’s “Ahl al-Bayt fī Āyah al-Taṭhīr, page 273

[32] Al-Jāmi’ al-Ṣaḥīḥ Sunan al-Tirmidhī, volume 5 page 351

[33] Tafsīr al-Mīzān, volume 12 page 311

[34] Refer to his book Ahl al-Bayt fī Āyah al-Taṭhīr, pages 50-51

[35] There are two outliers of the Ḥadīth of Kisā’ (shādh narrations) that differ slightly in reference to the response that the Prophet (sawa) gave Umm Salamah when she tried to enter under the cloak. Per one version, in response to her question about whether she was from the Ahl al-Bayt, the Prophet told her “Yes, if God wills.” Another version notes that the Prophet let her enter under the cloak after his supplication for the Holy Five. These two versions contradict the majority of narrations that mention Umm Salamah was barred entry. However, even these versions also support the exclusivity of the Ahl al-Bayt when one reflects upon them. In the former narration, the Prophet attaches Umm Salamah’s association with the Ahl al-Bayt on the basis of God’s will and does not affirm it categorically. In the latter narration, Umm Salamah is only allowed under the cloak after the Prophet had already finished his supplication for the Holy Five. This indicates that Umm Salamah’s being included as part of the Ahl al-Bayt is only out of the Prophet’s sympathy and owing to her obedience, although her membership is only secondary and by association. This is in line with narrations that also affirm Salmān al-Muḥammadī’s being part of the Ahl al-Bayt; it is obviously not meant in the primary signification, but rather in a secondary sense due to their piety and their being loyal to the Prophetic household.

[36] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, volume 2, page 459

[37] There is another version narrated in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim as well the relevant section of which is as follows:

فَقَالَ لَهُ حُصَيْنٌ وَمَنْ أَهْلُ بَيْتِهِ يَا زَيْدُ أَلَيْسَ نِسَاؤُهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ قَالَ نِسَاؤُهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَلَكِنْ أَهْلُ بَيْتِهِ مَنْ حُرِمَ الصَّدَقَةَ بَعْدَهُ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَمَنْ هُمْ قَالَ هُمْ آلُ عَلِيٍّ وَآلُ عَقِيلٍ وَآلُ جَعْفَرٍ وَآلُ عَبَّاسٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ كُلُّ هَؤُلاَءِ حُرِمَ الصَّدَقَةَ قَالَ نَعَمْ

Ḥuṣain said to him (Zayd): “Who are his Ahl al-Bayt? Aren’t his wives from his Ahl al-Bayt?” Thereupon he said: “His wives are his Ahl al-Bayt? Rather, the members of his family are those for whom acceptance of charity is forbidden.” Ḥuṣain then asked: “Who are they?” Thereupon Zayd said: “’Alī and the offspring of ‘Alī, ‘Aqīl and the offspring of ‘Aqīl and the offspring of Ja’far and the offspring of ‘Abbas. Ḥuṣain said: “These are all those for whom the acceptance of charity is forbidden?” Zayd said: “Yes.”

[38] This is verse 132 of Sūrah Tāhā which translates to “And command your family to prayer and be persistent in it; We do not ask you for sustenance rather We provide sustenance. And the final abode is for taqwā.”

[39] Al Mustadrak ‘alā al-Ṣaḥīhayn volume 4 page 145

[40] Refer to his book Ahl al-Bayt fī Āyah al-Taṭhīr, pages 39-43

[41] Sūrah Āl ‘Imrān: 61

[42] Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim volume 4, ḥadīth 1871

[43] Ṣaḥīh al-Tirmidhī, volume 2 page 308

[44] The debate between ‘Ā’ishah and Umm Salamah is well-documented in the books of Ahl al-Sunnah. Before ‘Ā’ishah waged the War of Jamal, Umm Salamah gave her advice with reference to Sūrah 33:33 which urges the wives to stay in their homes and not be ostentatious like in the Times of Ignorance.

[45] See al-‘Āmilī’s book, page 119

[46] Al-Maḥāsin wa al-Masāwi’, volume 1 page 137

[47] Shawāhid al-Tanzīl li Qawā’id al Tafḍīl, volume 2 page 132

[48] We are utilizing aḥādīth in this section without regard to whether they are from Shī’ah or Sunnī sources and without detailed scrutiny about chains of transmission. The point is to show that in contradistinction to the wives, there are countless sources that the Holy Five and the Imāms after them referenced this verse extensively as a merit in their favor.

[49] Al-Tafsīr al-Ṣāfī volume 4 page 188

[50] Kitāb Sulaym, page 227

[51] Amālī of al-Tūsī page 562

[52] Kitāb al-Futūḥ, volume 5 page 17

[53] Ahl al-Bayt fī al-Kitāb wa al-Sunnah, Muḥammad al-Rayshahrī; page 507. Of course, one may also mention the well-known incident where the 4^th Imām encountered an old man who insulted him as he was being paraded into the streets of Damascus and reminded him that they were the Ahl al-Bayt referred to in the verse of taṭhīr.

[54] Ma’ānī al-Akhbār, volume 1 page 96

[55] ‘Uyūn al-Akhbār, page 219

[56] Biḥār al-Anwār volume 75 page 372

[57] Ghāyat al-Marām page 289

[58] Kitāb al-Irshād volume 2 page 115