Religion and Theology

The Ahl al-Bayt (literally People of The House or family) is one of the most important pillars of Islamic history and an integral part of its leadership. The Prophet Muhammad had a family, and his family is venerated by all Muslims, be it Sunni or Shia. The Prophet Muhammads family and household compose the Ahl al-Bayt. However, the number of the family members and the interpretations in the Ahl al-Bayt changes according to the sect of Islam. In Sunni Islamic circles, the Ahl al-Bayt includes his eleven wives (the Mothers of the Believers or Ummu l-Muminn), his daughter Fatimah and her three children, and his cousin and son-in-law Ali. In other sects, the Ahl al-Bayt includes Muhammad s blood relatives, most mention the Banu Muttalib and the Banu Hashim. In Sunni Islam, all Muslims have an obligation to love and venerate the Ahl al-Bayt, while in Twelver and Ismaili Shia Islam, the Ahl al-Bayt are considered in the center of Islam and are believed as the true successors of the Prophet Muhammad. The Shia define the members of the household as Muhammad, Fatimah, Ali, Hasan, and Husayn (collectively known as the Ahl al-Kisa), the descendants of Fatimah, collectively known as the Imams.

Veneration of the Ahl al-Bayt, agreed upon by all Muslims, came from a parallel (Mutawatir) tradition. The Messenger of Allah came upon them and informed them that Allah would leave behind two precious and weighty things, and if Muslims adhere to them, they will never stray from Allahs path. Those were the Book of Allah, or the Quran, and the Prophet Muhammads family or the Ahl al-Bayt. There is no contestation in the origins of the veneration of the Ahl al-Bayt, as those are the words of Allah.

The message of Allah to the people has been narrated many times and quoted by many different Islamic authors. Here is Sahih Muslims narration

Someday (after his last pilgrimage) the Messenger of Allah (PBUHHF) stood to give us a speech beside a pond which is known as Khum (Ghadir Khum) which is located between Mecca and Medina. Then he praised Allah and reminded Him, and then said O people Behold It seems the time approached when I shall be called away (by Allah) and I shall answer that call. Behold I am leaving for you two precious things. First of them is the book of Allah in which there is light and guidance... The other one is my Ahlul-Bayt. I remind you in the name of Allah about my Ahlul-Bayt. I remind you in the name of Allah about my Ahlul-Bayt. I remind you in the name of Allah about my Ahlul-Bayt. (three times). (Sahih Muslim 1980, 1873)

The message in fact was repeated three times by the Messenger of Allah, and there has been no change nor different interpretation by both Sunni and Shia leaders and scholars. This was the word of Allah, and it is absolute. However, Shia scholars claim that this passage and that directive mentioned by the Messenger of Allah is disregarded or worse, denied by majority of Sunni believers, who believe the passage by al-Hakim in his book al-Mustadrak, saying I leave amongst you two things that if you follow or act upon, you will not go astray after me The Book of God and my Sunnah (traditions).

In the Quran however, the mention of the Ahl al-Bayt was mentioned with the following passage
O wives of the Prophet you are not like any other of the women If you will be on your guard, then be not soft in (your) speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease yearn and speak a good word. (Quran 3332) And stay in your houses, and do not display your finery, with the display of the former days of ignorance. Maintain the Prayer, and pay regular Charity and obey Allah and His Messenger. Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification. (Quran 3333) And keep to mind what is recited in your houses of the communications of Allah and the wisdom surely Allah is Knower of subtleties, Aware. (Quran 3334)

This passage though has some interesting interpretations from both Sunni and Shia scholars alike, especially the phrase from you, O People of the Household, which directly points out to the Ahl al-Bayt. In Sunni tradition, the wives and dependents of the Prophet Muhammad are included. There are several instances that the Prophet Muhammad addresses his wives as his Ahl al-Bayt. In addition, Ali, Fatimah, Husayn and Hasan are included because of their presence in the Ahl al-Kisa. Some also include and recognize another wife of Muhammad, Umm Salamah as another member of the Ahl al-Bayt. Alis immediate family and Muhammads relatives Aqeel, Jafar and al-Abbas are also regarded as a member of the Ahl al-Bayt, and other early jurists like Abu Hanifa and Malik bin Anas included Banu Hashims clan, while al-Shafii included Banu Muttalibs family in Sunni traditions.

In Shia traditions, the Ahl al-Bayt is limited to just the Ahl al-Kisa. The Shia has interpreted a pronoun change in the Quran that made the Ahl al-Kisa the only members of the Ahl al-Bayt. This change in the gender has inevitably contributed to the birth of various accounts of a legendary character, attaching the latter part of the verse to the Five People of the Mantle. The Shia believe that Ahl al-Kisa are Imams who are sinless and infallible and are chosen through divine providence. They are considered a major part of worship in the Shia sect.

Both sects, as mentioned earlier venerate the Ahl al-Bayt and bestow the highest respect upon them. However, the Islamic practices of sadaqa or charity, and zakat or taxes, are not allowed to the Ahl al-Bayt, as the Prophet Muhammad forbade his family to get income from them. Islamic jurists explain that these alms are considered the defilements of the people, who offer them to be free from sin. It would be unbecoming for the family to use sadaqa and zakat as they were considered pure. Instead, they would be given a portion of the spoils of war, according to Madelung. Also, a family who has blood relations with the household of Muhammad are called sayyids or sharifs, and they are given high social status.

Both sects consider the Ahl al-Kisa as part of the Ahl al-Bayt. Looking at them from both Sunni and Shia points of view can clearly tell what came from the Islamic schism that happened that split the Islamic faith in two major divisions. The split came from the debate to who shall be the rightful successor to the will of the Prophet Muhammad. The Sunnis believe that the first four Caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar ibn al-Khattab, Uthman ibn Affan, and Ali ibn Abi Talib), are the most rightful. They say that Allah had not chosen anyone to become Muhammads successor and therefore should be elected. Shias believe that only the lineage of Ali ibn Abi Talib are the ones who received the Prophet Muhammads will and his chosen successor. Alis progeny according to the Shia, are all in a state of Ismah, or infallibility. Ali is a cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, and is the rightful successor. Shias call him the first Imam, or leader, and the legitimacy other caliphs were disregarded and rejected. An Imam holds authority by divine right, and holds absolute spiritual authority among Muslims in the Shia faith. The split of the Sunni and Shia, though in part because of Ali, a member of the Ahl al-Kisa and the Ahl al-Bayt, is seen in the minor changes. In the case of the Ahl al-Kisa, both sects have different interpretations. In the Sunni side, the Quranic verse 3333, also talks about Muhammads wives and his servants as members of the household, and they have a spiritual importance and legacy. However, the legacy that is implied in the verse does not mean a physical legacy nor a legitimate succession of the Prophet. In the case of the Shia, the verse only confirms their belief that Muhammad, Fatimah, Ali, Hasan and Husayn are the only members of the Ahl al-Bayt, and it was divine providence that Allah had chosen them to be pure and sinless. This act of divine providence written in the Quran was impetus for the Shia to regard the Ahl al-Kisa as the true members of the Ahl al-Bayt, the protectors and true successors of Muhammad.

Sunnis include more people in the Ahl al-Bayt, like the Banu Hashim and Banu Muttalib. Both are blood relatives of the Prophet Muhammad, and the Banu Hashim is the clan where Muhammad was born to. When Muhammad made it his mission to call the people to worship the One God, Allah, it put him at odds with the pilgrims of Mecca, which was a melting pot of idolatry of various peoples and tribes. Membership in the Banu Hashim made him safe from assassinations and grave threats, yet there was continuing persecution of Muslims in Mecca from the pagans, who in turn fled and to Yathrib, which later became the city of Medina. But in the end, it was the Muhammad that would get the last laugh, as Mecca fell to Muslim hands on 630. Also, the whole of the Arabian Peninsula had pledged allegiance to Islam. His grandsons Al-Husayn and Al-Hasan are part of the Banu Hashim, as they are born to his daughter Fatimah and his cousin Ali. The later descendants of the grandsons of Muhammad are later called Sayed, or sometimes SharifSherif. These people are held with high esteem in Islamic society, even exempt from sadaqa and zakat, as mentioned earlier.

Since the Shia only believe in the Ahl al-Kisa being part of the Ahl al-Bayt, any other person or any other group of people that have interacted with the Prophet Muhammad are disregarded. Their interpretation of the verse has it claiming that there is a word only to the verse 3333, meaning that only one group is clean and pure and need no such instructions on how to live from Allah, while Muhammads wives are not part of the said purification and still need the six stern commandments found in the Hadiths. Those commandments are meant for the Mothers of the Believers and everybody else. Shia writers and scholars say that the verse, though written and delivered in a feminine tone initially, changes to a masculine tone as part of the rhetoric in the verse.

The veneration of the Ahl al-Bayt is an important part of Islamic worship, and commemoration of their contributions to the faith is also a big event that is practiced by all Muslims. One of the most striking activities is the commemoration of the death of Muhammads grandson Husayn ibn Ali, a member of the Ahl al-Bayt and the Ahl al-Kisa, who died in battle in Karbala in modern day Iraq. Called the Mourning of Muharram, it is an important period of mourning and commemoration, especially among the Shia Muslims, who consider Husayn as an Imam, the third Imam to be exact. He was also a willing sacrifice for Islam and the Ummah from the threat of annihilation by Yazid I and the Umayyad Caliphate. To the Shia and the Sunni though, Husayn is a great example of courage and resistance against tyranny. In the Mourning of Muharram, the tenth day known as Ashura, is a time of fasting (for some Shia sects), mourning and self-reflection, as it is held to remember Husayns death and suffering.

In the Mourning of Muharram, Shia Muslims congregate in halls called Hussainia and there will be arranged majalis, or greetings, made to review Islamic teachings and works, as well as to remember Husayns death and sacrifice for the sake of Islam. The congregations continue until the tenth day, or Ashura, where Husayn ibn Ali and 72 of his followers were massacred by Yazid I and the Umayyad Caliphate, and the women and children rounded up as prisoners and sent to Damascus.

During the mourning, there are different activities done by devotees and participants. Sunnis however regard this as a time of remembrance, Shiites regard this as a time of mourning. Shiites come together in special places called Hussainia, and there they recite songs of mourning and recite sorrowful poems to mourn the death of Husayn to the accompaniment of drum beats and cries of  Ya Husayn. Passion plays reenacting the Battle of Karbala and Husayns death are also performed. The people offer condolences to the Imam-e-Zamana, also known as the Imam-al-Mahdi. The Mahdi is believed by Muslims to be the redeemer and avenger of Husayns death and bring justice to the world, akin to Jesus Christ coming back to the end of days by the Christian faith.

Mosques provide free meals to the people on certain nights, during the duration  of the Mourning of Muharram, known as nazar. The meals are consecrated in the name of Imam Husayn, and people are going to the mosques to partake these holy meals. It is customary for both the people and the mosques as it symbolizes communion between Allah, Imam Husayn, and the people. Another activity is the pilgrimage by Shia Muslims to the shrine of Imam Husayn in Karbala. For Shiites, it is a major holy place alongside Mecca and Medina. In another activity  during the mourning, Shiites come together in public places and prepare for the ceremonial chest beating known as matam. Matam is done to express sorrow and devotion to the martyred Imam Husayn. People beat their chests and cry out Ya Husayn Ya Hassan. In Shia societies like in Iraq, Bahrain, Lebanon, or Iran, men would sometimes use metal chains for self flagellation during their matam, other people use knives or razors to cut themselves as a sign of grief for the death of Imam Husayn. These practices are called Zanjir-matam if they use chains, an older term for the cutting of oneself during Matam is Qama-zani or Tage-zani. Another activity is the Taziya, which is a theatrical reenactment of the Battle of Karbala, it is something like a Passion Play of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith. Here, special theater groups do the Taziya for the people who in turn, reflect the pious life that Husayn lived as a devotee of Islam. It should be noted that this practice is rarely used now, but smaller scale Taziyas are still being done in rural Iran, and in Muslim India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the Taziya is known as miniature mausoleums created and paraded during the entire Mourning of Muharram.

For Sunnis, the reason why Husayns death does not require mourning even if he has a member of the Ahl al-Bayt is that the quarrels of the family of the Prophet Muhammad and the Umayyad Caliphate are mainly politically motivated. There was no reason, according to Sunnis, to venerate Husayns death as a form of martyrdom as he was a participant in a war, bit not a holy war (The Umayyads are a Caliphate, hence they are Muslim). For the Shia however, killing a member of the Ahl al-Bayt, and an Ismah (infallible) at that, is unforgivable. For Shiites, the mourning of the death of Husayn ibn Ali is not just a simple mourning, it is also a protest. Also, the rationale to why Husayn and his 72 followers went to Karbala to face Yazid and a force of 4,000 men differs among the views of both Sunni and Shia.

According to Sunnis, since Husayn was involved in a political struggle, he did not know that he was going to get killed or get involved in a major military engagement with the Umayyads in Karbala. He was just going there to receive his Imamat (religious, or spiritual leadership) because he got an invitation by the people of Kufa to get it there. The Shia view it differently, seeing that Husayn knew and was fully aware it was a suicide mission to face the Umayyads, yet he did so, and he died in Karbala a willing martyr to Islam. Though both sects saw Husayn as a reformer of the perceived corruption of the Umayyad Caliphate, they viewed him differently. The Sunni saw him as a pious member of the Ahl al-Bayt who is primarily a political leader, as he led an uprising of Muslims against the leadership of the Umayyad Caliphate, while the Shia saw him as a pious, spiritual force who faced the Umayyad in something much more akin to holy war, or jihad.