Ahl al-Kisa

Ahl al-Kisa (Template:LangxTemplate:Hair space), also known as the Al al-Aba (Template:LangxTemplate:Hair space), are Muhammad the Islamic prophet, his daughter Fatima, his cousin and son-in-law Ali, and his two grandsons Hasan and Husayn.

The name has its origins in the hadith of the cloak (Template:Langx) and the event of the mubahala, both widely reported by Sunni and Shi'i authorities as evidence of the high spiritual rank of the "people of the cloak" in Islam. In Shi'a Islam, Ali, Hasan, and Husayn are the first three Imams and the rightful political and spiritual successors of Muhammad. Shi'a who are not Zaydis also regard the Ahl al-Kisa as infallible and believe in the redemptive power of their pain and martyrdom.

Origins of the name

Hadith of the

According to the hadith of the , on one occasion at least, Muhammad gathered his daughter Fatima, her husband Ali, and their two sons Hasan and Husayn under his cloakTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn and then prayed, "O God, these are my (Template:Lit) and my closest family members; remove defilement from them and purify them completely," where this last statement is a reference to verse 33:33 of the Quran,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn known also as the verse of purification.Template:Sfn These five have thus become known as the Ahl al-Kisa (Template:Lit).Template:Sfn

Variants of this tradition can be found in ,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn , and ,Template:Sfn all canonical collections in Sunni Islam. Other versions are reported by the Sunni scholars ibn Kathir (Template:Died in), al-Wahidi (Template:Died in), Qadi Baydawi (Template:Died in), al-Baghawi (Template:Died in), al-Suyuti (Template:Died in),Template:Sfn al-Hakim al-Nishapuri (Template:Died in),Template:Sfn and al-Tabari (Template:Died in),Template:Sfn and by the Twelver Shi'a exegete Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i (Template:Died in),Template:Sfn among many others.

Event of the

After an inconclusive debate about Jesus between Muhammad and a delegation from the Christian community of Najran, both parties decided to engage in , where they would pray to invoke God's curse upon whoever was the liar. Linked to this ordeal is verse 3:61 of the Quran, also known as the "verse of the ", which instructed Muhammad:Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

And to whomsoever disputes with thee over it, after the knowledge that has come unto thee [about Jesus], say, "Come! Let us call upon our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves. Then let us pray earnestly, so as to place the curse of God upon those who lie."Template:Sfn

The delegation withdrew from the challenge and negotiated for peace.Template:Sfn

The majority of reports indicate that Muhammad appeared for the occasion of the accompanied by Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn.Template:Sfn Such reports are presented by the early scholars ibn Ishaq (Template:Died in), Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (Template:Died in),Template:Sfn Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (Template:Died in),Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn al-Hakim al-Nishapuri (Template:Died in),Template:Sfn and ibn Kathir (Template:Died in),Template:Sfn among others. Some traditions about the add that Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn stood under Muhammad's cloak.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

In the Quran

File:کتیبه پنج تن.jpg

Names of the Ahl al-Kisa, inscribed in the shrine of Abbas ibn Ali, located in Karbala, modern-day Iraq

Families of the past prophets hold a prominent position in the Quran. Therein, their descendants become spiritual and material heirs to keep their fathers' covenants intact.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Muhammad's close kin are also mentioned in the Quran in various contexts.Template:Sfn

Verse of purification

Also known as the verse of purification,Template:Sfn the last passage of verse 33:33 reads, "God only desires to remove defilement from you, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you completely."Template:Sfn Muslims disagree as to who belongs to the Ahl al-Bayt (Template:Lit).Template:Sfn Shia Islam limits the Ahl al-Bayt to the Ahl al-Kisa, namely, Muhammad, Fatima, Ali, Hasan and Husayn.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The verse of purification is thus regarded in Shia Islam as evidence of the infallibility of the Ahl al-Kisa.Template:Sfn Shias also believe in the redemptive power of the pain and martyrdom endured by the Ahl al-Bayt (particularly by Husayn) for those who empathize with their divine cause and suffering.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn There are various views in Sunni Islam, though a typical compromise is to also include Muhammad's wives in the Ahl al-Bayt.Template:Sfn

Verse of the

Known as the verse of the (Template:Lit), verse 42:23 of the Quran contains the passage, "[O Mohammad!] Say, 'I ask not of you any reward for it, save affection among kinsfolk.'"Template:Sfn The Shia-leaning historian ibn Ishaq narrates that Muhammad specified that the relatives ) in this verse are Ali, Fatima, and their two sons, Hasan and Husayn.Template:Sfn This is also the view of some Sunni scholars, including al-Razi, Baydawi,Template:Sfn and ibn al-Maghazli.Template:Sfn Most Sunni authors, however, reject the Shia view and offer various alternatives;Template:Sfn chief among them is that this verse enjoins love for kin in general.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Verses 76:5Template:Ndash22

Verses 76:5-22 are connected to the Ahl al-Kisa in most Shia and some Sunni sources, including the works of the Shia exegete al-Tabarsi (Template:Died in), and the Sunni scholars al-Qurtubi (Template:Died in) and al-Alusi (Template:Died in).Template:Sfn According to these authors, verses 76:5Template:Ndash22 were revealed to Muhammad after Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn, and their maidservant Fidda gave away their only meal of the day to beggars who visited their home, for three consecutive days.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn In particular, verses 76:7Template:Ndash12 read,

They fulfill their vows and fear a day whose evil is widespread, and give food, despite loving it, to the indigent, the orphan, and the captive. "We feed you only for the Face of God. We do not desire any recompense or thanks from you. Truly we fear from our Lord a grim, calamitous day." So God has shielded them from the evil of that Day, bestowed upon them radiance and joy, and rewarded them for having been patient with a Garden and with silk.Template:Sfn