It is always imperative for us to renew and express our love for Nabi ﷺ, his Ahlul Bayt RA, and all the Sahabah RA

Loving the Ahlul Bayt – the noble family of Rasulullah ﷺ, is a Deeni obligation and an integral part of Islam. The great jurist and Imaam, Muhammad bin Idrees Shafi‘ee (rahimahullah) said,

يا آلَ بَيتِ رَسولِ اللَهِ حُبَّكُم                     ُفَرضٌ مِنَ اللَهِ في القُرآنِ أَنزَلَهُ

 “O family of Muhammad ﷺ, your love is an obligation which Allah has revealed in the Holy Quraan

يَكفيكُمُ مِن عَظيمِ الفَخرِ أَنَّكُم                    ُمَن لَم يُصَلِّ عَلَيكُم لا صَلاةَ لَهُ

Sufficient as a source of great pride for you is that a person who fails to send salutations on you has a deficient Salaah.” [Deewaanul Imaam Ash-Shaafi‘ee R]

Rasulullah ﷺ has also commanded:

أَحِبُّوا اللَّهَ لِمَا يَغْذُوكُمْ مِنْ نِعَمِهِ وَأَحِبُّونِي بِحُبِّ اللَّهِ وَأَحِبُّوا أَهْلَ بَيْتِي لِحُبِّي

“Love Allah Ta‘ala for the favours and bounties He has blessed you with, love me for the sake of Allah`s love and love my Ahlul Bayt due to my love.” [Tirmidhi]

Claims of Love:

There is a sect in the world who claim that they are unequalled and unsurpassed in their love and allegiance for the Ahlul Bayt. In fact, they attempt to give the impression that they are the only people who love the Ahlul Bayt. In the Month of Muharram, especially, they make a spectacle of themselves and do ridiculous and crazy things to try and deceive and confuse people into believing that they really have this so-called love and allegiance. They also paint a very negative picture regarding the relationship that leading and great Sahabah RA like Abu Bakr, Umar and other Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) had with the Ahlul Bayt.

Not Restricted to a Few:

In reality, we, the Ahlus Sunnah are the ones who have true love for the Ahlul Bayt, since they only love and respect a few individuals of the Ahlul Bayt, viz. Sayyiduna ‘Ali, Sayyidah Faatimah, Sayyiduna Hasan, Sayyiduna Husain (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) and some of their progeny, whereas we love all the Ahlul Bayt without any exception.

In one hadeeth, Rasulullah ﷺ has exhorted us to take care of two things;

1.      the Book of Allah Ta‘ala  

2.      the Ahlul Bayt.

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 عَلَىَّ الْحَوْضَ فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ تَخْلُفُونِي فِيهِمَا

“Indeed, I am leaving among you, that which if you hold fast to them, you shall not be misguided after me. One of them is greater than the other: The Book of Allah is a rope extended from the sky to the earth, and my family – the people of my house – and they shall not split until they meet at the Hawd, so look at how you deal with them after me.” [Tirmidhi]

If a person believes in a few chapters of the Noble Quraan and disbelieves in the remainder, can we regard him as one who believes in the Quraan? Obviously not! Thus, by a person loving only a selected few members of the Ahlul Bayt and going to the extent of even reviling and mocking the remainder, can he be regarded as a lover of the Ahlul Bayt? Certainly Not!

Broad Meaning of Ahlul Bayt:

According to the Ahlus Sunnah, the term Ahlul Bayt refers to the entire Banu Haashim and all the honourable and respected wives of Rasulullah ﷺ. The Holy Quraan has clearly included the honourable wives among the Ahlul Bayt in the verse:

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ ٱلرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ ٱلْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

 “Allah only intends to keep filth away from you, O family members, and to purify you completely.” [Ahzab 33: 33)

In the verses before and after this verse, it is the respected wives of Rasulullah ﷺ who are the subject of address and so it is them who are primarily intended in this verse as well. Despite Allah Himself naming them “Ahlul Bayt”, this group reviles and slanders these pure individuals.

The Ahlus Sunnah do not confine their love to one daughter of Rasulullah only excluding the other three. Rather we love all the four respected daughters of Rasulullah ﷺ.