The Necessity of Getting to know the Ahl al-Bayt

The necessity of getting to know Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) and following them as recommended by the Holy Prophet according to verse 23 of Chapter al-Sh£r¡ (love for my relatives) bring about happiness in this world and the Hereafter, while to neglect them causes perdition. Addressing Mu`all¡ ibn Khunays, Imam al-¯¡diq (a.s) said:

يَا مُعَلَّى! لَوْ أنَّ عَبْداً عَبَدَ اللهَ مِائَةَ عَامٍ بَيْنَ الرُّكْنِ وَالْمَقَامِ، يَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَيَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ حَتَّى يَسْقُطَ حَاجِبَاهُ عَلَى عَيْنَيْهِ، وَتَلْتَقِي تَرَاقِيهِ هَرَماً، جَاهِلاً بِحَقِّنَا لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ثَوَابٌ.

O Mu`all¡, if a servant of Allah worships Him between the Rukn (corner) and Maq¡m (standing-place) of Ka`bah for a hundred years, keeping fast all the days and performing prayers all nights so much so that his life comes to an end but is negligent about our right, there will be no reward for him.[1]

By getting to know the Ahl al-Bayt (a.s) on the basis of the Qur’¡nic verses and authentic narrations, all veils of ignorance will be removed from our eyes.

When we come to understand that such titles as “People of the Reminder”, “The Truthful”, “The Benefactors”, “The Pious”, “The Strivers”, “The Believers”, “The Patient”, “People of Understanding”, “The Straight Path (sir¡§)”, “The Way (sab¢l) To Allah”, “The Revenge of Allah”, “The Face of Allah”, “The Eye of Allah”, “The Side of Allah”, “The Ear of Allah”, “The Spokesmen of Allah”, “The Friends of Allah”—all these titles refer to Ahl al-Bayt (a.s), we will learn how to benefit from them as guidance and as Noah’s Ark. It is they “who are firmly rooted in knowledge”[2] We can also quench the thirst of intellect, heart and spirit with the pure drink of their knowledge.

Should we wish to win Allah’s favor, we must follow Ahl al-Bayt wholeheartedly, based on the following holy verse:

ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ

If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you. (3:7)

Getting to know Ahl al-Bayt which leads to getting to know Allah, and the Holy Qur’¡n as well as intuition will serve as a factor for self-purification and morality, too. This will certainly save us from Hellfire. Love for Ahl al-Bayt will make it possible for us to cross the Sir¡§ (the bridge over the Hell leading to Paradise).

The Holy Prophet is quoted by Sheikh Qund£z¢ (a °anafite scholar) as saying:

مَعْرِفَةُ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ بَرَاءَةٌ مِنَ النَّارِ، وَحُبُّ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ جَوَازٌ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ، وَالوِلأيَةُ لآِلِ مُحَمَّدٍ أمَانٌ مِنَ العَذَابِ.

Getting to know the family of Mu¦ammad (¥) means being saved from Fire. Love for the family of Mu¦ammad will ease crossing the Sir¡§ as well as immunity from chastisement.[3]

When we know about Ahl al-Bayt in the Holy Qur’¡n and traditions, we will open the gate to prosperity in this world and the Hereafter and close the gate of perdition.

Sheik Sulaym¡n Qund£z¢ and Ibr¡h¢m ibn Mu¦ammad Juwayn¢, two outstanding fair-minded Sunni scholars have quoted the Holy Prophet as having said about Imam `Al¢ and the Imams following him,

يَا عَلِيُّ! أنَا مَدِينَةُ العِلْمِ وَأنْتَ بَابُهَا، وَلَنْ تُؤْتَى الْمَدِينَةُ إلأ مِنْ قِبَلِ البَابِ، وَكَذِبَ مَنْ زَعَمَ أنَّهُ يُحِبُّنِي وَيُبْغِضُكَ، لأِنَّكَ مِنِّي وَأنَا مِنْكَ: لَحْمُكَ لَحْمِي، وَدَمُكَ مِنْ دَمِي، وَرُوحُكَ مِنْ رُوحِي، وَسَرِيرَتُكَ مِنْ سَرِيرَتِي، وَعَلانِيَتُكَ مِنْ عَلانِيَتِي، وَرَبِحَ مَنْ تَوَلأكَ وَخَسِرَ مَنْ عَادَاكَ، وَفَازَ مَنْ لَزِمَكَ وَهَلَكَ مَنْ فَارَقَكَ. مَثَلُكَ وَمَثَلُ الأئِمَّةِ مِنْ وُلْدِكَ بَعْدِي مَثَلُ سَفِينَةِ نُوحٍ؛ مَنْ رَكِبَهَا نَجَا وَمَنْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْهَا غَرِقَ. وَمَثَلُكُمْ كَمَثَلِ النُّجُومِ، كُلَّمَا غَابَ نَجْمٌ طَلَعَ نَجْمٌ إلَى يَوْمِ القِيَامَةِ.

O `Al¢, I am the city of knowledge and you are the gate thereof. The city cannot be entered except through its gate. One thinking he loves me but has enmity toward you is false in loving me, for you are of me and I am of you; your flesh is my flesh, your blood is my blood; your spirit is my spirit; your inward is my inward; your outward is my outward; you are the leader of my ummah (community); you are the caliph after me; whoever follows you, will be happy and whoever disobeys you will be miserable; whoever love you, will gain; whoever is your enemy, will suffer losses; whoever accompanies you, will find salvation; whoever is separated from you, will go to ruin. The parable of you and the Imams following you is the parable of Noah’s Ark. Whoever enters it, will find salvation and whoever disobeys will drown. The parable of Ahl al-Bayt is the parable of stars. Whenever a star disappears, another star will appear until the Judgment Day.[4]

Allah recommends His servants to resort to His covenant which necessitates getting to know °ablull¡h:

ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶﭷ

And hold fast by the covenant of Allah all together and be not disunited. (3:13)

On the meaning of the covenant of Allah, Imam al-B¡qir (a.s) has said:

آلُ مُحَمَّدٍ، صَلَوَاتُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِمْ، هُمْ حَبْلُ اللهِ الْمَتِينُ الِّذِي أمَرَ بِالإعْتِصَامِ بِهِ.

The Household of Mu¦ammad are the covenant of Allah as recommended by Allah.[5]

Ahl al-Bayt, who are the oceans of knowledge and endowed with virtues, were chosen by Allah to give the goods news of Paradise to the believers and warn the unbelievers of the chastisement of Hell.

Getting to know Allah and the Judgment Day, understanding spiritual concepts and true meaning of the Holy Qur’¡n, having an understanding of the traditions set by the Holy Prophet, attaining virtues, happiness in this world and the Hereafter, being immune from vices, having the power to resist satanic temptations, and experiencing piety will be made possible only through knowing Ahl al-Bayt and following their teachings.

Ahl al-Bayt -as inferred from the Holy Qur’¡n and authentic narrations- are sources of all material and spiritual blessings. Without knowing and following them, man will be deprived of all blessings.

Quoting the Holy Prophet, the °anafite Sheikh Sulaym¡n Qund£z¢ and Ibr¡h¢m ibn Juwayn¢ say:

“O `Al¢, write what I am dictating to you.” I (`Al¢) said: “O Allah’s Messenger, are you afraid of my forgetting it?” The Holy Prophet said: “I have asked Allah to make you memorizer of all facts. Write it down for the sake of your partners.” I said: “O Allah’s Messenger! Who are my partners?” The Holy Prophet said: “The Imams of your issue for whose sake, rain will fall from heaven and their prayers will be answered and Allah will fend off tribulation from ummah. Mercy will also be sent down from heaven due to their presence. This is their first one (referring to Imam °as¡n). This is their second one (referring to Imam °usayn). Then, the Holy Prophet said: And the Imams who will follow Imam °usayn.”[6]