Ahl al-Bayt, the Best Creatures

Among all the creatures of the universe, be they merely physical or spiritual, and even creatures that are a combination of physicality and spirituality, there are the best ones.

The reason for superiority of each of these three groups is selection by Allah, His spiritual favor, the capacity of creature, perfect faith, the praiseworthy deed or other reasons which are unknown to us. To give further explanation of the issue, we sill give examples from the best of these three groups.

The Best Places

In the Holy Qur’¡n and narrations, certain places and pieces of lands have been mentioned as having special value to Allah on account of His Mercy and favor or because of performance of certain religious rituals therein. Desecration of such places is unlawful for all.

Ka`bah and Its Vicinity

The piece of land on which the Ka`bah lies was chosen by Allah. This choice has given it both dignity and superiority making it distinct among all other places. Imam al-¯¡diq (a.s) has been reported as saying:

إنَّ اللهَ اِخْتَارَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَيْئاً وَاخْتَارَ مِنَ الأرْضِ مَوْضِعَ الْكَعْبَةِ.

Allah has chosen one thing from among all things and has chosen the Ka`bah from among all places on the earth.[1]

Ka`bah was the first House to be built on the earth, in a blessed and bounteous city for the guidance of the people of the world. Clear signs of spirituality and the station of Prophet Abraham were placed there. Whoever enters that place will be secure:

ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ.

Most surely, the first house appointed for men is the one at Bekka, blessed and guidance for the nations. In it are clear signs, the standing-place of Ibr¡h¢m, and whoever enters it shall be secure. (3:96-97)

Imam al-¯¡diq (a.s) has said:

مَنْ أتَى الكَعْبَةَ فَعَرَفَ مِنْ حَقِّهَا وَحُرْمَتِهَا لَمْ يَخْرُجْ مِنْ مَكَّةَ إلأ وَقَدْ غَفَرَ اللهُ لَهُ ذُنُوبَهُ وَكَفَاهُ اللهُ مَا يُهِمُّهُ مِنْ أمْرِ دُنْيَاهُ وَآخِرَتِهِ.

Whoever comes to the Ka`bah and recognizes part of its holiness, his sins will be forgiven by Allah Who is sufficient for his affairs in this world and the Hereafter.[2]

The Best Days and Nights

The Holy Qur’¡n attracts people’s attention to such nights as the Grand Night and the first ten nights of Dhu’l-°ijjah as well as such days as the Days of Allah to make themselves worthy of grand rewards by taking advantage of these unique opportunities.

The Grand Night

On the word of the valuable al-¯¡f¢ Exegesis (tafs¢r), Ibn `Abb¡s narrates that the Holy Prophet was told about a man from the children of Israel who carried arms on his shoulder for Jihad (holy war) in the way of Allah for a thousand months. The Holy Prophet was shocked at hearing it wishing that his community (Ummah) would undertake such rewarding task. So, he raised his hands in prayer, saying, “O Allah, You have set my ummah the shortest time in term of life and the minimum opportunity for deeds.” Allah granted him the Ground Night saying, “The Grand Night, while being short in terms of time and its little opportunity for deeds, is better for you and your ummah after you in each month of Rama¤¡n until the Judgment Day than a thousand months during which the believing man of the children of Israel carried arms for Jihad in the way of Allah.”

The First ten Nights of Dhu’l-°ijjah

The first ten nights of Dhu’l-°ijjah, as the Holy Qur’¡n describes, are among the well-known months. (2:197). They are the best times during which the Major °ajj is performed on Mount `Arafah; on the ninth day, the obligatory passing the night in Mash`ar; on the tenth night and the Feast of Sacrifice on the tenth day.

When the month of Dhu’l-°ijjah would arrive, the righteous of the ummah would make an extraordinary effort to worship and serve Allah. These days and night are excellent in terms of virtues and blessings. The Holy Prophet has been reported as saying:

Good deeds and prayers to Allah are not better in any time than in these days and nights.[3]

Days of Allah

The Days of Allah (ayy¡mull¡h) are the days of victory or failure, the sweet and bitter days, the days of manifestation of Allah’s mercy to the believing nations or Allah’s wrath on the unbelievers.

To pay attention to ayy¡mull¡h for learning lessons from the past events is praiseworthy. Allah has mentioned ayy¡mull¡h in the Holy Qur’¡n to awaken nations:

ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗﯘ ﯙ ﯚ.

And certainly We sent M£s¡ with Our communications, saying: Bring forth your people from utter darkness into light and remind them of the days of Allah. (14:5)

Besides this, ayy¡mull¡h are the best time for repentance, engaging in prayer and doing praiseworthy deeds.

The Best Human Beings

What makes a human being superior to others is his faith, knowledge and piety. Believing people are better in value than others and the scholars who put into practice his faith are superior to believers and the people of piety are of the highest value. In this relation, the Holy Qur’¡n has delicate and precise references:

ﰈ ﰉ ﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﰍ ﰎ ﰏ ﰐﰑ ﰒ ﰓ ﰔ ﰕ ﰖ

Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those who are given knowledge, in high degrees; and Allah is Aware of what you do. (58:11)

A believer’s value is such that both the Holy Qur’¡n and narrations consider kindness to a believer as kindness to Allah and His messenger, assistance to a believer as assistance to Allah and His messenger, to please a believer as to please Allah and His messenger and To vex a believer as to vex Allah and His Messenger. Reporting the Holy Prophet, Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) says:

مَنْ سَرَّ مُؤْمِناً فَقَدْ سَرَّنِي، وَمَنْ سَرَّنِي فَقَدْ سَرَّ اللهَ.

Whoever makes a believer happy has indeed made me happy and whoever makes me happy has certainly made Allah happy.[4]

مَا عُبِدَ اللهُ بِشَيْءٍ أحَبَّ إلَى اللهِ مِنْ إدْخَالِ السُّرُورِ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِ.

Allah has not been worshipped with anything better than making a believer happy.[5]

Imam al-¯¡diq (a.s) has said:

لَقَضَاءُ حَاجَةِ إمْرِئٍ مُؤْمِنٍ أحَبُّ الَى اللهِ مِنْ عِشْرِينَ حِجَّةٍ؛ كُلُّ حِجَّةٍ يُنْفِقُ فِيهَا صَاحِبُهَا مِائَةُ ألْفٍ.

To meet the needs of a believer is better in Allah’s view than °ajj performed by a pilgrim who spends a hundred thousand Dinars on each °ajj.[6]

أنْ اُشْبِعَ رَجُلاً مِنْ إخْوَانِي أحَبُّ إلَيَّ مِنْ أنْ أدْخُلَ سُوقَكُمْ هَذَا فَأبْتَاعُ مِنْهَا رَاْساً فَاُعْتِقُهُ.

If a man feeds one of my brothers-in-faith, it is better for me than entering the market, buying off a slave and setting him free in the way of Allah.[7]

People of knowledge

The Holy Prophet, about the superiority of scholars, has said:

فَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى سَائِرِ النَّاسِ كَفَضْلِي عَلَى أدْنَاهُمْ.

The superiority of men of knowledge to others is like my superiority to the humblest of them.[8]

فَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِ الْقَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْكَوَاكِبِ.

The superiority of a scholar to a worshipper (with no knowledge) is like the superiority of the full moon to other stars.[9]

ثَلأثَةٌ يَشْفَعُونَ إلَى اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَيُشَفَّعُونَ: الأنْبِيَاءُ ثُمَّ العُلَمَاءُ ثُمَّ الشُّهَدَاءُ.

On the Judgment Day, three groups intercede with Allah and their intercession is accepted: the Prophets, the scholars (ulama) and the martyrs.[10]

Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) has said:

عَالِمٌ يُنْتَفَعُ بِعِلْمِهِ أفْضَلُ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ ألْفَ عَابِدٍ.

A scholar (`¡lim) who benefits from his knowledge is better than seventy thousand worshippers (with no knowledge).[11]

People of Piety

About the people of piety, the Holy Qur’¡n says:

ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ.

Surely the most honorable of you with Allah is the one among you most pious. (49:13)

The Holy Prophet says: On the Judgment Day, Allah addresses people in this way:

أمَرْتُكُمْ فَضَيَّعْتُمْ مَا عَهِدْتُ إلَيْكُمْ فِيِهِ، وَرَفَعْتُمْ أنْسَابَكُمْ! فَالْيَوْمَ أرْفَعُ نَسَبِي وَأضَعُ أنْسَابَكُمْ، أيْنَ الْمُتَّقُونَ؟ إنَّ أكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللهِ أتْقَاكُمْ.

I ordered you (to obey and keep away from Satan) but you ignored the covenant and you exalted your ancestry (which is of no use for this world and the Hereafter); Today, I promote the ancestry which links my servants to me and abase your ties (with your ancestry). Where are the people of piety? Surely, the most honorable of you with Allah is the one among you most pious.[12]

Ahl al-Bayt, the Best Creatures

Since human value lies in the balance of justice, faith, knowledge and piety, based on the Qur’¡nic verses and narrations, faith, knowledge and piety of Ahl al-Bayt are more than the creatures having intellect such as angels, Jinn and human beings and their faith is at its zenith and their knowledge of past and future about esoteric and exoteric facts is perfect and their piety is at the highest level, they are superior to all other creatures. Hence, their Imamate (leadership) is incumbent on all. Without obeying them, people will be blind, dead and like animals though they might be apparently living and claim to see, have knowledge and be human beings.

Based on common sense, a learned must be followed by the unlearned, a scholar by the ignorant, a specialist by the non-specialist, a guided person by someone bewildered and a prayer leader by a worshipper.

Beyond doubt, if man does not follow Ahl al-Bayt, does not walk on their straight path, does not benefit from their life-giving culture which is the exegesis of the Qur’¡nic verses, and does not obey their instructions, he will gain nothing. However, if he resorts to the Holy Qur’¡n and Ahl al-Bayt, he will never go astray nor will his life be wasted. The following narration, reported by the Holy Prophet, has been related by both Sh¢`ite and Sunni scholars:

إنِّي تَارِكٌ فِيكُمْ مَا إنْ تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِهِ لَنْ تَضِلُّوا بَعْدِي: أحَدُهُمَا أعْظَمُ مِنَ الآخَرِ، كِتَابَ اللهِ، حَبْلٌ مَمْدُودٌ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إلَى الأرْضِ، وَعِتْرَتِي أهْلَ بَيْتِي، وَلَنْ يَفْتَرِقَا حَتَّى يَرِدَا عَلَيَّ الْحَوْضَ، فَانْظُرُوا كَيْفَ تُخَلِّفُونِّي فِيهِمَا.

Verily, I am leaving among you two valuable things. You will not go astray after me as long as you adhere to them. One is greater than the other. They are the Book of Allah, which is a rope stretched from the heavens to the earth, and my Household. They will never separate from one another until they come to me at the Pond. Be careful how you deal with them after me.[13]

Sunan al-Tirmidh¢, 663/5, Bi¦¡r al-Anw¡r 118/23, °. 36.