Allah Almighty has testified to the purification of Ahl al-Bayt and removal of uncleanness from them. None but a purified one can be included with them. As soon as one is included with them, they will receive Allah’s favor. So what do you think of Ahl al-Bayt themselves?
They are actually the paragon of purification. The following Quranic verse indicates that Allah has made Ahl al-Bayt share His forgiveness with His Messenger: Allah may forgive your community their past faults and those to follow (48:2)
Based on this verse, Allah has purified His Messenger through His forgiveness. For this reason, whatever is considered sin for us is a sin only in appearance if committed by Allah’s Messenger because no blame follows him either from Allah or from us. Therefore, all the offsprings of Fatimah and those included with Ahl al-Bayt such as Salman will be subject to the above mentioned verse until the Day of Judgment. They have been purified by the honor of Muhammad and Allah’s favor and they will be raised to life with forgiveness.
Love for Ahl al-Bayt; Desire of the Messenger
The Holy Prophet has not asked any reward other than love for his near relatives. In this lies the secret of strengthening the ties of relationship with him. How can anyone who does not respond positively to the Holy Prophet’s demand hope for his intercession? One who has the love for something will be always with it. Hence, the one who adheres to the love for Ahl al-Bayt, through the right of having claim, will not take to them to ask for what comes to him from them. A true lover of Ahl al-Bayt has said: Whatever the beloved does is good.
Love for Ahl al-Bayt Is Love for Allah
If your love for Allah and the Holy Prophet is true, you will naturally love Ahl al-Bayt and whatever comes to you from them, even if disagreeable is a favor from Allah for their love.
The Secret of Ahl al-Bayt and Some of Their Features
Now that we have spoken of the spiritual poles of this station and the fact that the Ahl al-Bayt are chosen by Allah, we should know that no one knows anything about their secret except the sacred ones. Al-Khidhr, may Allah be pleased with him, is one of the greatest ones among such personalities. In this regard, Allah has testified that He bestowed His mercy on him and gave him from His own knowledge that Prophet Moses had to learn from.
One secret of getting to know the station of Ahl al-Bayt and what Allah has given attention to is their high rank in knowledge. One of the other secrets is their knowledge of Allah’s plan for their enemies who claim to love Allah’s Messenger. The Holy Prophet himself has recommended the love for his Ahl al-Bayt and he himself is one of them. However, most people have not done what Allah’s Messenger asked them to do on the order of Allah. They did not obey Allah and His Messenger, nor did they take his relatives as friends except those who did something for them. These people love their desires and they are in love with themselves. What has been said so far, has been said by the great Sheikh (Ibn Arabi). It is aimed at getting to know how to love and make friends with them, the dignity and virtues of Ahl al-Bayt and about purification, ismah, the secrets of the Holy Quran by adhering to them and knowing such personalities as Salman…(Tafsir al-Muhit al-Azam: 447/1)
After quoting this chapter from al-Futuhat al-Makkiyyah, Sayyid Haydar Amuli, may his soul rest in peace, in his commentary further elaborates on Ahl al-Bayt. Yet to be brief, we have even summarized Ibn Arabi’s statements. What Sayyid Haydar Amuli writes on the opinion of Ibn Arabi is his own opinion too. Hence, we have not devoted a separate chapter to Sayyid Haydar.
We bring this chapter to conclusion with a poem by Ibn Arabi as quoted by Sulayman ibn Ibrahim Qunduzi (1220-1294) in Yanabi al-Mawaddah. (Yanabi al-Mawaddah: 174/3, Chapter: 65).
Find no peer for Ahlal-Bayt
For they are people of witness
Enmity with them is a big loss.
Love for them is a great prayer.
