Virtues of the Ahlul Bayt

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah radiyallahu ‘anhu narrates:
أن الحسن أخذ تمرة من تمر الصدقة فجعلها في فيه فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كخ كخ ألقها أما شعرت أنا أهل بيت لا نأكل الصدقة
Hassan (RA) took some dates from the dates of charity and placed it in his mouth. Rasulullah ﷺ instructed him to take it out from his mouth and said, “Do you not know, we the Ahlul Bayt do not eat of charity.”[Musnad Imam Ahmed, Hadith: 9053]

This Hadith shows that even the children of the Ahlul Bayt were purified of all types of impurities; physical and spiritual, and thus despite their tender age and hunger were still not permitted to eat from the gains of charity.

Loving the Ahlul Bayt
Just as important as it is for us to learn who the Ahlul Bayt are, it is equally just as important for us to love each one of them solely for the pleasure of Allah.

Its manifestation and ways to it:
Great and trustworthy scholars have devoted their attention to the Ahlul Bayt in a manner that suits their standing which Allah, the Almighty has favoured them with.

1- Mentioning their virtues, morals and their Islamic rights

The narrations covering the virtues of the Ahlul Bayt are recorded in the most authentic books of Hadith starting from Al-Bukhari and ending with those of lesser authenticity. If one browses through the two Sahihs, Bukhari and Muslim Shareef, or Jami‘ At-Tirmidhi for example, he definitely finds some chapters that deal with ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA), or his sons Hassan(RA) and Hussain (RA), or their honoured mother Fatimah (RA), or the uncle of the Prophet ﷺ Abbas (RA) and his son ‘AbduAllah (RA), or Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib (RA), or the mothers of the believers (RA) or others among the Ahlul Bayt.

Furthermore, there are so many works compiled by the scholars expressly in connection with Ahlul Bayt, such as amongst others Fada’l al Sahabah by Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal R and various others that are authentic, and gives us a true impression of the great rank of this most noble family, the Ahlul Bayt. It is important for us to understand the great virtues of these illustrious companions and to spread it on to others as well.

2- The prayer upon Ahlul Bayt in the Ibrahimi prayer
Practicing Muslims without exception recite prayer upon the Ahlul Bayt in their tashahhud in the Salaah, with awareness of their standing and merit.

Imams Bukhari and Muslim R report from ‘Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abi Laila, who said: Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah (RA) met me and said:
Shall I not give you a gift that I heard from the Prophet ﷺ? I said: Certainly! He said: We asked him: O Messenger of Allah! How do we perform the prayer upon your Ahlul Bayt? He answered:

Say: “O Allah! Bestow Your prayer on Muhammad and on the Ahlul Bayt of Muhammad as You had bestowed You prayer on Ibrahim and the Ahlul Bayt of Ibrahim. Verily You are All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious”. [Reported by Bukhari in his Sahih – Hadith, No. 3370 and Muslim in his Sahih – the book of prayer chapter: The prayer on the Prophet after the Tashahhud – Hadith, No. 406]