سُلْطَانُ الْمُفَسِّرِیْن, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, comments on this:

“When this verse was revealed, the honourable Companions عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم! Who are the people of close proximity to yourself whom Allah has ordered us to love?’ In reply, he explained, ‘Ali, Fatimah and their two children (حَسَنَیْنِ کَرِیْمَین رَضِی اللہُ عَنْہُمْ اَجْمَعِیْن).’”^[1]

Allah also says in part 5 of the Quran, Surah Nisa, verse 54:

اَمۡ یَحۡسُدُوۡنَ النَّاسَ عَلٰی مَاۤ اٰتٰہُمُ اللّٰہُ مِنۡ فَضۡلِہٖ ۚ

“Or do they envy people (i.e. Muslims) over that what Allah has bestowed upon them from His Grace?”^[2]

Sayyiduna Imam Baqir رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ states regarding this, “In this verse, Allah describes a certain group of individuals who are envied by disbelievers and hypocrites alike due to them being granted divine grace. By Allah, this refers to us, the Ahl al-Bayt.”^[3]

Who are the Ahl al-Bayt?

Apart from what we have just had the honour of discussing, there are many other verses explaining the grandeur and status of the pure Ahl al-Bayt. In fact, one of the virtues of حَسَنَیْنِ کَرِیْمَیْن   is that they are included in the Ahl al-Bayt.

The word Ahl refers to someone who bears a tie to something. Bayt literally means home or household. Thus, Ahl al-Bayt itself means, ‘people of the household’.