Skip to: Site menu | Main content

About

Challenge your Beliefs. Verify any news which you hear. Ask us before you believe.  Your question will help us learn as well.
Guidance will come with true intentions.

Letter Exchange 8: Mubahila, Verse of Purity and infallibility of the non-Imams

The following Queries were mailed to us by a fellow visitor, student and seeker of truth. Below is an article-version of the email exchange.
__________________________________________________________________________

  1. I read the Verse of Purity, Quran [33:33]. In that verse, Allah does not purify the people of the house, but only intends to do so. That means that he might purify them but it might not be necessary.
  2. There are verses in the Quran else where, which talk about purification also. These verses do not talk about the Ahlulbayt. Then how can 33:33 point towards infallibility as you claim? And if purification is infallibility, then there are many other people who are also the purified ones according to other verses in the Quran.

__________________________________________________________________________

The verse of purity, to which you point out, is;

.... Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying.
Quran [33:33]

According to you, Allah only desires or intends to purify the people of the house, but does not necessarily do it. Fair enough!

Abiding therein so long as the heavens and the earth endure, except as your Lord please; surely your Lord is the mighty doer of what He intends.
Quran [11:107]

He said: My Lord! when shall there be a son (born) to me, and old age has already come upon me, and my wife is barren? He said: even thus does Allah what He pleases.
Quran [3:40]

Therefore (for) whomsoever Allah intends that He would guide him aright, He expands his breast for Islam, and (for) whomsoever He intends that He should cause him to err, He makes his breast strait and narrow as though he were ascending upwards; thus does Allah lay uncleanness on those who do not believe.
Quran [6:125]

...  surely Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change their own condition; and when Allah intends evil to a people, there is no averting it, and besides Him they have no protector.
Quran [13:11]

... They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say: Then who can control anything for you from Allah if He intends to do you harm or if He intends to do you good; nay, Allah is Aware of what you do:
Quran [48:11]

.... And if Allah had pleased, those after them would not have fought one with another after clear arguments had come to them, but they disagreed; so there were some of them who believed and others who denied; and if Allah had pleased they would not have fought one with another, but Allah brings about what He intends.
Quran [2:253]

I have pointed out some of the verses above, which prove that Allah does whatever he pleases to do, desires to do, and Allah does whatever he intends to do.

The verse you specifically pointed out was;

O you who believe! when you rise up to prayer, wash your faces and your hands as far as the elbows, and wipe your heads and your feet to the ankles; and if you are under an obligation to perform a total ablution, then wash (yourselves) and if you are sick or on a journey, or one of you come from the privy, or you have touched the women, and you cannot find water, betake yourselves to pure earth and wipe your faces and your hands therewith, Allah does not desire to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and that He may complete His favor on you, so that you may be grateful.
Quran [5:6]

According to your claim, anyone who does wudu would purify himself, just like the verse above states so.

People say that Salat saves one from sins. On the contrary, we experience and witness today, that people who perform Salat even are indulging themselves in businesses of Riba or Interest and other fraudulent activities. Muslims today, who perform Salat and keep fasts, are killing each other and carry out many other forbidden activities also. I am not denying that Salat saves from sins, I am claiming that there is a difference in the true performance of Salat, and the apparent performance of Salat.

Having said that, and coming back to our topic of interest, the verse quoted above states that Allah wishes to purify us all, if we do as we are told to, because once we do what we are told to, Allah will give us the control of our nafs in our hands, exactly what I said in the article, enigma of guidance.

In Quran [5:6], Allah tells us that the things which we see as a burden on ourselves, is infact something which will purify us and help us. It is not total purification, and it depends on our will, intentions and actions. Allah wants to purify us by telling us what to do, if we do it with the right intentions, Allah will purify our hearts, and rid it of diseases, doubts, evil.

However, what is purification and what are the levels of purifications are needed to be seen.

وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَى وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
Quran [33:33]

The purification, which Allah grants to the Ahlulbayt, is from Al-Rijs, or All Rijs. I have clearly stated in At-tahera; Verse of Purity, what Rijs is in the Quran.

The word Rijs literally means unclean. In strict Quranic terms and also as interpreted by Ibne Kathir:

Thus the Ahlulbayt, or "the members of the Family", whoever they are cleaned and purified from Al-Rijs or "All Uncleanliness".

All Sunni, wahabis commentators have quoted Bukhari and Muslim where ever they translate and write a Tafseer on 33:33.

'A'isha reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) went out one norning wearing a striped cloak of the black camel's hair that there came Hasan b. 'Ali. He wrapped him under it, then came Husain and he wrapped him under it along with the other one (Hasan). Then came Fatima and he took her under it, then came 'Ali and he also took him under it and then said: Allah only desires to take away any uncleanliness from you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough purifying)
Sahih-e-Muslim - Book 031, Number 5955

Click below for scanned page:
Tafseer Ibn Kathir, Tafseer of Surah 33, Aya 33

The authenticity of this event has been unchallenged. The happening of this incident tells us, that the ones under the cloak are purified from ALL RIJS, and Al-Rijs is a very heavy word, which virtually points at infallibility.

Comparing 33:33 and 5:6;

  1. In 5:6, Allah intends to purify us, IF we fulfill a condition. That condition is total, clean obedience. The verse states, "Allah does not desire to put on you any difficulty", which implies that we, the people think that Allah is telling us to do some things, which we see as a burden and a difficulty, but Allah tells us that whatever we are told, is for our own good, for our own purification.
  2. 33:33 tells us that Allah intends to purify the Ahlulbayt from all Rijs, without any given condition. Note, that this is not the only verse in the Quran which proves the infallibility of the ahlulbayt.

Ahlulbayt are purified from Rijs. Disobedience to Allah and Rasool (SAW) in any form is also a Rijs. If Allah purifies me and my heart, can I plot against Rasool (SAW)? Definitely Not. Surah 66 warns Ayesha about her plotting against the Prophet (SAW), and claims that Ayesha was not even the best women of her time. This clearly points out that Ayesha was not one of those, who were purified from All Rijs. Those were different people.

You have quoted some more verses also;

Take alms out of their property, you would cleanse them and purify them thereby, and pray for them; surely your prayer is a relief to them; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.
Quran [9:103]

Evil is impure. Sin is impure. Doubts are impure. The purpose of man, the mission of all of mankind is to purify themselves from evil and temptations of this world, and be pure, masoom, sinless, and thus enter paradise. This is the ideal approach, to do all farz on time and as supposed to be performed, stop from all haraam and evil. This makes man sinless, or purified. If you are purified, that means you will never have any doubts in your heart, any sinning thought in your heart, you will never give Satan the authority over you. This is the purpose of mankind. Allah wants everyone to purify themselves so that everyone can attain salvation.

But this purification is in our hands, by doing good to others and to ourselves. If you do wudu, or you give alms or do an action of goodness, Allah purifies you to the level of action you performed. You must have noticed, that people who remember Allah always, truly (not like mullahs), you do not see them in bigger sins? Because Allah purifies them and thus takes away their impurity of desire from them, they can control themselves.

By good actions, you will purify yourself and thus be more “cleaner”. You pray “true” Salat, five times a day, with the “right” intentions, in the “wat it is supposed to", completely “understanding it's purpose and rights n you”, Allah will purify you, by taking away one bad habit from you, and thus allowing you to do more good and stop yourself from evil, and thus having a greater reward in the hereafter.

Never stand in it; certainly a masjid founded on piety from the very first day is more deserving that you should stand in it; in it are men who love that they should be purified; and Allah loves those who purify themselves.
Quran [9:108]

Note, men who want to be purified stand only in those mosques built on piety. Everyone else can continue to pray and instead of purification, their sins and bad habits increase.

This is how I see it! We are all struggling to purify our selves but we are not the purified ones are we?

Quran is incomplete without the seerah of Rasool (SAW). I have shown you already, how and why 33:33 is revealed in two different places, at two different times, for two different people. The ahlulbayt (who are not the wives) are intended by Allah to be cleaned from All Rijs and thus become the purified ones.

And remember Our servants Ibrahim and Ishaq and Yaqoub, men of power and insight. Surely We purified them by a pure quality, the keeping in mind of the (final) abode.
Quran [38:45-46]

The above were purified by Allah. What did this purification lead to? They always kept one thought in their mind; their final abode.

The gardens of perpetuity, beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein; and this is the reward of him who has purified himself.
Quran [20:76]

This verse proves that man is able and has the authority to purify his own self. We strive to purify ourselves, and the above verse is our reward, if we succeed.

It is however interesting to note;

And when the angels said: O Marium! surely Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of of the world. O Marium! keep to obedience to your Lord and humble yourself, and bow down with those who bow.
Quran [3:42-43]

Although Marium (AS) is purified by Allah, she is still told to keep obedience and humble herself. Her humble and her obedience will not purify her. She is already chosen by Allah and purified. For normal humans like us, our obedience will purify us.

Thus we can see that there are two groups of people;

  1. Those who are Purified by Allah himself
  2. Those who have their purification in their own hands. The more worship they do, the more Allah purifies them. The level of purity differs from people to people.

What is purification? And what are the different levels of purification?

Certainly Allah conferred a benefit upon the believers when He raised among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His communications and purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the wisdom, although before that they were surely in manifest error.
Quran [3:164]

(and purifying them), commanding them to do righteous works and forbidding them from committing evil. This is how their hearts will be purified and cleansed of the sin and evil that used to fill them when they were disbelievers and ignorant.
Tafsir Ibne Kathir, Tafsir of Surah 3, Verse 164

If i commit shirk, I am impure. Remember how the idol worshippers are impure and not allowed in Mosques, no matter how clean they are physically? Once he recites the Kalimah sincerely, he becomes pure enough to enter in the mosque. You being a Muslim, have purified yourself by accepting Islam, when compared to those who are Mushriks. Someone, who has struggled to fight against his Sins and have always kept the remembrance of Allah in his heart, will be more purer when compared to you. He who will be more purer, will be saved from greater sins by Allah himself. He might not feel the desire of adultery any more because he has attained that level of purity through his actions and struggle.

This is purification. You and I struggle everyday to purify ourselves, and through worship and intentions, we can purify ourselves upto a level, the highest level being total purification or infallibility, which is achieved by only those who are pure from All Rijs, those purified by Allah himself.

I hope this is clear.

Follow Up on Letter 8: Mubahila, Verse of Purity and infallibility of the non-Imams

__________________________________________________________________________

  1. Do you mean to say that Shaitan will have no authority over those people also, who purify themselves.
  2. Allah will only purify, or intend to purify only those things or people, who were impure before that point. Agreed? That means that the Ahlulbayt, or Ali (AS), Fatima (AS), Hassan (AS) and Hussain (AS) were not masoom or infallible or purified before, but were only purified from the time the verse 33:33 was revealed. If some one is already masoom, why will Allah purify them later on?

__________________________________________________________________________

The Shaitan has no authority over those who have attained complete purification.

He said: My Lord! because Thou hast made life evil to me, I will certainly make (evil) fair-seeming to them on earth, and I will certainly cause them all to deviate; Except Thy servants from among them, the devoted ones.
Quran [15:39-40]

My actions, intentions and worships enables me to purify myself to such an extent, that my desire for alcohol (to which i was initially addicted to) dies. However, although i do not fall for alcohol anymore, i still use some curse words for my colleague. This implies that my level of purification is not complete, but only to an extent.

It is my belief, that no human being can attain complete purification, except those who were purified by all Rijs, those who were chosen by Allah himself. We normal humans, can attain a small fraction of purification, depending on our own struggle.

Let’s say, your good deeds lead you to be purified such that you safe yourself from Zina. But you can still have adverse thoughts, or commit some other mistake or sin for example.

Masoomiyat has levels. Hz Zainab (AS), daughter of Ali (AS) was not an infallible, but she shares the highest possible masoomiyat, after the Imams. Shias also hold Mawla Abbas (AS), the brother of Imam Hussain (AS), at the highest possible level of infallibility, which is inches short of total purification. To purify yourself completely, one must have exemplary Taqwa or piety, faith, actions, worship, honesty and sincerity. These were all at display at Kerbala. Thus these personalities are considered to be Masoom also, specially when compared to our level and standards.

Adam (AS) was a prophet of Allah, yet he listened to the doubts casted by Shaitan and thus ate the forbidden. Yunus (AS) was a prophet of Allah, yet he left after 37 days while the promise was of 40 days.

And Yunus was most surely of the messengers. When he ran away to a ship completely laden, So he shared (with them), but was of those who are cast off. So the fish swallowed him while he did that for which he blamed himself But had it not been that he was of those who glorify (Us), He would certainly have tarried in its belly to the day when they are raised.
Quran [37:139-144]

The Shaitan was able to get put doubts in the hearts of some prophets. I am not saying that these prophets were sinned or are evil, god forbid.

We have made some of these messengers to excel the others among them are they to whom Allah spoke, and some of them He exalted by (many degrees of) rank; and We gave clear miracles to Isa son of Marium, and strengthened him with the holy spirit....
Quran [2:253]

Every prophet, has a different level of masoomiyat and every prophet is chosen by Allah and superior to all of us, who try to purify ourselves. But prophets have ranks amongst them, and thus their level of masoomiyat also differs.

So if Shaitan had authority to minute and limited extent, over prophets (who are purified by Allah to an extent), how can you say that those who purify themselves are free from the authority of the Shaitan?

I have seen people today, who had a dream, and the dream exactly fore told what was about to happen to the person in the future. This dream comes from Allah and is the knowledge of the unseen, and comes to someone whose level of purity is decent in the sight of Allah. With purification comes the control of your Nafs, satisfaction, knowledge of the unseen from Allah. And with it, comes your passage to paradise.

You will be gifted in this world, and the next, depending on the level of purity you succesfully achieved.

You have said that Imam Ali (AS) and Janab e Zahra (AS) were not masoom since their birth, but were purified only when 33:33 was revealed.

There are two things. One thing is allowed by Islam, and one this is not allowed by Islam. Islam did not change since Adam (AS). It was only revealed more, with time, until it was completely revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

When Rasool (SAW) started to preach Islam, people, Muslims drank alcohol. It did not mean Islam allowed Alcohol. It meant that Islam didn’t reveal to people that alcohol is illegal. Islam was waiting for the mentality of the people to reach a level where they obey Rasool (SAW). I hope you get my point.

When you do not know that pork is haraam, you can eat it. But once you know it is haraam, you cannot. When you were eating pork, it didn’t mean Islam allowed it. Pork was always banned, it meant that Islam didn’t reveal that pork was haraam, yet.

Sunnis believe that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was not a Muslim (god forbid) before 40 years of age and thus, technically wasn't aware of Islam and it's principles, until he himself got to know that he was the chosen prophet of Allah. Yet during that forty year period, we do not see Prophet Muhammad (SAW) performing any action which was forbidden by Islam, from lying to eating pork to adultery to idol worship to drinking alcohol. This might also mean that Muhammad (SAW) was aware of Islam since his birth!

Rasool (SAW) lived 40 years of his life, before “accepting Islam or becoming a Muslim” as sunnis and wahabis believe. Yet in his 40 year life, the prophet (SAW) was never found worshipping idols, drinking alcohol, telling a lie, fraudulent behavior, cowardice, wretchedness of character, outside marital bond relationships etc. Forget my or the shia view who believe that Muhammad (SAW) was Rasool Allah since his birth. Going with the Sunni thought, if Prophet Muhammad (SAW) worshipped idols before 40 years of age, there would not be any sin in it as he did not know. But the fact is that idol worshipping was banned in Islam, since the day Allah created the universe and made Islam it’s religion. Those who know it cannot do it. Those who do not can do until told not to. Alcohol is banned in Islam Since day 1 of prophethood. People could drink alcohol and did it, until it was openly banned. But Rasool (SAW) still didn’t drink alcohol when It was not openly disclosed to public.

Similarly, the people who are purified, the servants of Allah about whom Satan himself said that he cannot deviate them, are purified since day 1. Their open disclosure later doesn't mean they are purified that day. It just means now everyone knows that these are the purified ones.

Rasool (SAW) was masoom even before he openly announced prophethood at 40 years of age. He was the truthful even before he was declared the truthful by Quran at Mubahila. Ali (AS) was the truthful one since his birth also, which is why he was included in the Mubahila. Mubahila proved the truthfulness of Ali (AS). Similarly, the pure people were Pure since the existence of Islam.

Ayah Tatheer or 33:33 only declares their purity. Allah waited for all the five people, Muhammad (SAW), Ali (AS), Fatima (AS), Hassan (AS) and Hussain (AS) to physically exist and only then he announced their purification.

Second Follow Up on Letter 8: Mubahila, Verse of Purity and infallibility of the non-Imams

__________________________________________________________________________

  1. I cannot comprehend how the Ahlulbayt will be infallibles. I believe only Rasool (SAW) was infallible. Although no doubt the Ahlulbayt were purified, they were not infallibles. As you said, if the prophets of Allah were not totally purified, how can Panjtan Pak be? In my hypothesis, I have negated infallibility and limited it only to Rasool (SAW).
  2. I read your article on Mubahila also. You have used the cursing of the liars and applied it throughout the whole of the life time. The verse of Mubahila was only revealed in order to curse the people who were lying at that point in history. Thus the people who cursed the liars could have lied at any other point in their life, but not at that exact moment of Mubahila.

__________________________________________________________________________

I do not want to touch Imamat right now as it is totally another issue. This will also be one of the reasons why I will not compare the Ahlulbayt with the Prophets. However, as far as infallibility, or the ability not to sin, is concerned, I will not give you references from Quran, but I will put forward some logical questions to you, as we both are people of logic and intellect fortunately. If you answer them, I will accept that my concept of infallibility is wrong.

  1. We all lie. Every human in this world, lies at some point of his life, of any magnitude. I lie to my boss why I have to go home early, you lie to your mom that u need to use the computer for 5 more minutes because you need to study but infact you want to play fifa or some game. So the fact is, your parents, my parents, you, me, everyone of us, every human, lies to some extent, at some place, at some point in their life. Thus it is “Human” to lie. Yet I will want you to go back to Mubahila and see who are the people who cannot and/or will not Lie. They are not only Prophet (SAW), but also with him, a few chosen people. Why was Prophet Muhammad (SAW) alone not enough to curse the liars?
  2. I told you before, that the word Ar-Rijs or All Rijs means total impurity. The Ahlulbayt are purified from All Rijs. You and I can be purified from one Rijs, lets say, addiction of alcohol. Our intentions and prayers work and Allah purifies us one level and rids us from that addiction. But we can still lie. The final and complete level is purification from All Rijs. If we are purified from it, and then commit a sin, then it means there was still some Rijs left in us and we did not purify ourselves from all Rijs. How can someone purified from All Rijs still sin and display Rijs in his heart?
  3. The flag of Khyber was given to someone who loved Allah and his Rasool (SAW) and who was loved by Allah and his Rasool (SAW). Can Allah and his Rasool (SAW) love a sinner? Why did not the prophet pray for fall of Khaybar. His prayers would defeat Khaiber on it's own and no one would require Ali (AS). Why was Ali required for this task?
  4. You said “Chosen people of Allah would definitely not commit sin. Panjtan Pak were the chosen people too but that does not make them infallible except Rasool (SAW)." What do you men by infallible? First you say chosen people of Allah will not sin. Then you agree panjtan were the chosen people of Allah. But then you refute your initial statement and say that although the Panjtan were the chosen people, they were not infallible. Please explain?
  5. Going back to Mubahila. 3:61 Then whoever disputes with you concerning him after the knowledge that has come to you, say: "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then we pray and we invoke Allah's curse upon the liars. – translated by Ibn Kathir. If you look at the Arabic word, the word used for ourselves/yourselves is word anfusana (plural of nafs). The prophet (SAW) is told to gather "them", who has the same nafs as the Rasool (SAW) himself. If the nafs of Rasool (SAW) is infallible, and cannot sin, which I am glad you agree to, then those who Rasool (SAW) gathered under this command share the same nafs. If the Nafs of Rasool (SAW) (people who Rasool gathered for this command) can sin or make mistakes and are not infallible, then so can the Rasool (SAW) himself. If Ali (AS) is the Nafs of Rasool (SAW), what do you understand by it? Can Rasool (SAW) be infallible while his nafs be sin-prone?
  6. This is my favorite question. Rasool (SAW) said, I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate. Now, Rasool (SAW) does not know anything on his own. What ever he knows is from Allah. If I ask him about any question, about science, religion, anything, known, unknown, future, the prophet will answer it as Allah will reveal It to him through angel (wahi/revelation), dream, or intuition/ilhaam. Thus prophet (SAW) will have answers to everything, because if he cannot answer a question, he doesn't remain the prophet of Allah. This knowledge, of prophethood, of Muhammad (SAW), which is infinite (depending on Allah’s authority, but has answers to everything), can someone, normal, like you and me, sinner, or not infallible, be accessed and executed by us? Why is Ali the Gate of a city like Muhammad (SAW)? Do think over it and tell me. Either discard the hadith, and the history and I will not complaint about this point. But if you believe that Rasool (SAW) said this, then are you even thinking what sort of authority, nobility, infallibility it gives to Mawla Ali (AS)? And none of the above parts are from shia books, which is funny.

You should also note, that when 33:33 was revealed, it was not only about Ali (AS), Fatima (AS), Hassan (AS) and Hussain (AS).

'A'isha reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) went out one norning wearing a striped cloak of the black camel's hair that there came Hasan b. 'Ali. He wrapped him under it, then came Husain and he wrapped him under it along with the other one (Hasan). Then came Fatima and he took her under it, then came 'Ali and he also took him under it and then said: Allah only desires to take away any uncleanliness from you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough purifying)
 Sahih-e-Muslim - Book 031, Number 5955

The Prophet himself was under the cloak! 33:33 does not purify the other 4, but all of the 5, or Panjtan Pak (Pure five). Rasool (SAW) was the purified one even before he was 40. And this verse is revealed when all the “5” purified people existed physically. The prophet was inside the cloak and the people under the cloak were the purified ones. This also points towards the point that it was a open declaration of their purity, not a decision which was made just then. If the verse was only for the other four, then the Prophet (SAW) could have taken off the cloak and only made the other four gather underneath it.

It is not Imam Ali’s family which is infallible. It is the Rasool’s family which is infallible. Technically speaking, the birds, which were Sent by Allah to throw stones at the people of fil, the elephants which came to destroy kaaba, those birds were infallibles also. Because those birds threw the stones at the right place, at the right time, without a mistake, as Allah wanted them to do so! This is infallibility. A bird is an animal with no understanding. You can teach a parrot to talk but the parrot doesn't understand what is he talking about. A bird could throw the stones anywhere anytime, by mistake or randomly. They proved that they were sent by Allah and they showed their infallibility by throwing the stone where it was meant to be thrown at. Commentators of Quran have gone to such an extent that each stone, which was in the mouth of the bird, had the name of the person and his father written on it and the bird threw it exactly where that person was riding at the moment. These birds showed their infallibility, by throwing that stone at the person it was aimed for. They didn't make a mistake.

If a bird sent by Allah will not make a mistake, how can those people, who are chosen by Allah himself?

Just to add an insight. If Ali is the Mawla of everyone, who considers Muhammad (SAW) as their Mawla, then do you know what that means? Muhammad (SAW) is also the Mawla of all the prophets!

Jabir bin Abdullah Ansaari narrates: One day Umar bin Khatab came before the Prophet of Allah and said: "O Prophet of Allah, when we hear the ahadith from the Jews we find them very pleasant. If you would approve of it, we are willing to write them down". The Prophet of Allah replied: "Are you astonished and lost like the Jews? Even though I have brought a luminous Shari'ah among you? If Hazrat Musa had been alive he would have been a follower of mine".
Mishkaat Shareef volume 1 page 51

If Muhammad (SAW) is the mawla of Musa (AS), then that makes Ali (AS) a mawla over Musa (AS) too.And Hassan and Hussain are the princes of the youth of paradise. Is any prophet given such a title? Fatima (AS) is the leader of women of paradise. Besides three other women, is the mother, daughter, sister of any other prophet given this title? So think over it who are the Ahlulbayt, why are they important, and why is sending durood on Muhammad (SAW) Alone not enough! Once you realize it, you will see why Muhammad (SAW) and the Ahlulbayt (AS) cannot be separated. What separates them is the office of prophethood, and not "both being infallible since the beginning".

Technically, you are right. But you should note one thing. Assume you are in police, and I am also in police. But at one point in life, you took bribe as a police officer. Time went and you were not punished. Then a case comes and we are ordered to go to a place and arrest a group of men who have given bribe and taken bribe. I take you along. Tell me honestly, in your consciousness, will you not be ashamed? You are arresting people for something which you yourself did some time ago.

If your thought process is right, then the Ahlulbayt (AS) would have been ashamed of themselves many times, because they were cursing a group of liars, cursing them for something which they themselves did at a certain point in their life (god forbid), or continued to do so. This is hypocrisy. Were the Ahlulbayt (AS) hypocrites?

I ask you, why was not the prayers of the prophet (SAW) alone, sufficient for destroying the liars? Why was he ordered to take some “special people” along? Why didn’t Allah tell Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to go alone and pray for their destruction. I swear, if Prophet (SAW) alone prayed for the curse, they would have been completely destroyed. Why did Allah order him (SAW) to take the ahlulbayt along with him?

Also, if the curse would only be on liars who were lying at that point in time, then that means that all Muslims were Truthful as they testified in unity of Allah, and all the Mushriks were Liars. If this was indeed the case, then why did not Prophet (SAW) take along his companions and wives along with him for the cursing? Weren't they truthful enough?

I believe once you ponder over it with an open heart, you will have no choice but to accept, that the difference between Rasool (SAW) and Nafsur Rasool (AS) is the use of abbreviations (SAW) and (AS), and the office of prophet hood.

I cannot explain the merits and the rank of Mawla Ali (AS). From being the chosen one to being the lion of Allah, it is his sword which has served Islam in it's entirety. How do you expect me to list down the qualities and the rank of Prophet Muhammad (SAW), who owned the slave with the name, Ali Ibne Abu Talib.

[ Back to top ]

Feel free to email your comments/replies to this article at es_ammar@hotmail.com or post a message at our Forum, no registration Required.