['Aalim Network QR] Ayah of Tatheer (33:33)

["Akil M. Karim" <amk@ican.net>]

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|       In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the All-Merciful       |\
|  Greeting of Allah be upon Muhammad and the pure members of his House |\
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Salamun 'Alaykum

The following question was kindly answered by Mulla Bashir.


Fee Amaanillah,

Akil Karim
Moderator - 'Aalim Network

---------- Forwarded Message ----------

QUESTION:

How can we extend "Ayat Attat'heer" (Ahzab,33) to all the 14 Masomeen. Is
there a hadith or explanation to make "Nas Attat'heer" in this Ayah
applicable to the nine Imams (A) from Imam Hussain (A)?. The same with the
term "Ahl al Bayt"?.

ANSWER:

This is a very interesting question and I wish to thank you for submitting
it to the Alim Network.

In its historical context the ayah 33 of suratul Ahzab applies to those
members of the Ahlul Bayt who were present then and with the Holy Prophet
under the cloak when the ayah was revealed. A large body of ahadeeth from
the Sunni sources confirm this.

The question which arises is on what authority do we extend this to the
remaining nine holy Imams (AS). The answer is that they were designated by
the Holy Prophet not only generically but by name and were declared to be
pure and sinless. In this connection I would like to invite your attention
to one of my responses on the Alim Network in which I stated as follows:

"There is a large body of ahadeeth in the Sunni books of reference on the
number of the Imams after the Holy Prophet.  Naturally there are not as
many ahadeeth in such books on the names of the twelve Imams. Two
important authors from the Sunni school of thought who come to mind
immediately are: 

(1) Shaykh Sulayman Balkhi (died 1294 AH). In his Yanabi-ul-Mawadda, Ch.76,
reports the following hadith-

A jew name Na'thal came to the Holy Prophet (SAWA) and questioned him about
Tawheed and was so impressed with the answers given that he embraced Islam.
Then Na'thal asked about his (the Prophet's) vicegerents. The Prophet
answered, "My vice-gerent is Ali bin Abi
Talib, after him his son Hassan, then Hassan's brother Hussain who will be
followed by his nine successive descendants."  The Holy Prophet named all
the Imams. 

The author also reports from the Manaqib of Khawarizmi another hadith on
the same lines originating from Jabir bin Abdullah (Ansari). 

(2) In Kifayatul Athar there is a tradition from Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari
who reports that when Ayah 62 Surah 4, "O you who believe, obey Allah, and
obey the Apostle and those among you who are invested with authority" was
revealed, Jabir asked who the persons invested with authority were. The
Holy Prophet said, "They are my khulafah as well as the Imams of the
Muslims." He went on to name the Imams. When he got to Imaam Muhammad
al-Baqir, he paused and told Jabir, "O Jabir, you will meet him and when
you do so, convey my salaams to him". The Prophet then went on to name the
remaining Imams and describe the minor and the major occultations of the twelfth 
Imaam. "

Shaykh Sulayman Balkhi in his Yanabi-ul-Mawadda also quotes the hadith of
the Holy Prophet (SAWA) in which he said, "I, Ali, Hassan, Hussain and the
nine from the progeny of Hussain are Pure and Sinless." The institution of
nass was a formality to give effect to the decision taken by the Holy
Prophet. And as the Holy Prophet never uttered a word save in obedience to
Allah, this decision was of Allah(SWT). 

With salaams and du'aas from a humble servant of Ahlul Bayt and their
followers, and with a request to be remembered by you in your prayers,

Bashir Rahim