Ahl al-Kisa

Ahl al-Kisa (Arabic: أَهْل ٱلْكِسَاء, lit. 'people of the cloak' ), also known as the 'Al al-Aba (Arabic: آل ٱلْعَبَاء, lit. 'family of the cloak' ), are the Islamic prophet Muhammad, his daughter Fatima, his cousin and son-in-law Ali, and his two grandsons Hasan and Husayn. The name has its origins in the hadith of the kisa and the event of the mubahala, both widely reported by Sunni and Shia authorities as evidence of the high spiritual rank of the Ahl al-Kisa in Islam. Ali, Hasan, and Husayn are the first three imams in Shia Islam, where they are viewed as the rightful political and spiritual successors of Muhammad. Non-Zaydi Shias also regard the Ahl al-Kisa as infallible and believe in the redemptive power of their pain and martyrdom.

Origins of the name

Hadith of the kisa

See also: Ahl al-Bayt

According to the hadith of the kisa, at least on one occasion, the Islamic prophet Muhammad gathered his daughter Fatima, her husband Ali, and their two sons Hasan and Husayn, under his cloak,^[1][2] and then prayed, "O God, these are my ahl al-bayt (lit. 'the people of my house') and my closest family members; remove defilement from them and purify them completely," where this last statement is a reference to verse 33:33 of the Quran,^[1][2] known also as the verse of purification.^[3] These five have thus become known as the Ahl al-Kisa (lit. 'people of the cloak').^[4] Variants of this tradition can be found in Sahih Muslim,^[5][4] Sunan al-Tirmidhi, and Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal,^[5] all canonical collections in Sunni Islam. Other versions are reported by the Sunni scholars Ibn Kathir (d. 1373), al-Wahidi (d. 1075), Qadi Baydawi (d. 1319), al-Baghawi (d. 1122), al-Suyuti (d. 1505),^[6] al-Hakim al-Nishapuri (d. 1014),^[7] and al-Tabari (d. 923),^[8] and by the Shia exegete Muhammad H. Tabatabai (d. 1981),^[6] among many others.

Event of the mubahala

Main article: Event of the mubahala

After an inconclusive debate about Jesus between Muhammad and a Christian delegation from Najran, both parties decided to engage in mubuhala, where they would pray to invoke God's curse upon whoever was the liar. Linked to this ordeal is verse 3:61 of the Quran, also known as the verse of the mubahala, which instructed Muhammad,^[9][10][11]

And to whomsoever disputes with thee over it, after the knowledge that has come unto thee [about Jesus], say, "Come! Let us call upon our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves. Then let us pray earnestly, so as to place the curse of God upon those who lie."^[12]

The delegation withdrew from the challenge and negotiated for peace.^[13] The majority of reports indicate that Muhammad appeared for the occasion of the mubahala, accompanied by Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn.^[14] Such reports are presented by the early scholars Ibn Ishaq (d. 767), al-Razi (d. 1209),^[15] Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj (d. 875),^[16][17] al-Hakim al-Nishapuri (d. 1014),^[16] and Ibn Kathir (d. 1373),^[18] among others. Some traditions about the mubahala add that Muhammad, Ali, Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn stood under Muhammad's cloak, and the five have thus become known as the Ahl al-Kisa.^{[19][4][20][21]}

In the Quran

 

Names of the Ahl al-Kisa, inscribed in the shrine of Abbas ibn Ali, located in Karbala, modern-day Iraq

Families of the past prophets hold a prominent position in the Quran. Therein, their descendants become spiritual and material heirs to keep their fathers' covenants intact.^[22][23] Muhammad's close kin are also mentioned in the Quran in various contexts.^[24]

Verse of purification

Main article: Verse of purification

Also known as the verse of purification,^[3] the last passage of verse 33:33 reads, "God only desires to remove defilement from you, O Ahl al-Bayt, and to purify you completely."^[6] Muslims disagree as to who belongs to the Ahl al-Bayt (lit. 'people of the house').^[2] Shia Islam limits the Ahl al-Bayt to the Ahl al-Kisa, namely, Muhammad, Fatima, Ali, Hasan and Husayn.^[25][26] The verse of purification is thus regarded in Shia Islam as evidence of the infallibility of the Ahl al-Kisa.^[8] Shias also believe in the redemptive power of the pain and martyrdom endured by the Ahl al-Bayt (particularly by Husayn) for those who empathize with their divine cause and suffering.^[27][28] There are various views in Sunni Islam, though a typical compromise is to also include Muhammad's wives in the Ahl al-Bayt.^[20]

Verse of the mawadda

Main article: Verse of the mawadda

Known as the verse of the mawadda (lit. 'affection' or 'love'), verse 42:23 of the Quran contains the passage, "[O Mohammad!] Say, 'I ask not of you any reward for it, save affection among kinsfolk.'"^[29] The Shia-leaning historian Ibn Ishaq narrates that Muhammad specified al-qurba in this verse as Ali, Fatima, and their two sons, Hasan and Husayn.^[30] This is also the view of some Sunni scholars, including al-Razi, Baydawi,^[31] and Ibn al-Maghazili.^[30] Most Sunni authors, however, reject the Shia view and offer various alternatives,^[29] chief among them is that this verse enjoins love for kinsfolk in general.^[32][33]

Verses 76:5–22

Verses 76:5-22 are connected to the Ahl al-Kiso in most Shia and some Sunni sources, including the works of the Shia exegete al-Tabarsi (d. 1153), and the Sunni scholars al-Qurtubi (d. 1273) and al-Alusi (d. 1854).^[34] According to these authors, verses 76:5–22 were revealed to Muhammad after Ali, Fatima, Hasan, Husayn, and their maidservant Fidda gave away their only meal of the day to beggars who visited their home, for three consecutive days.^[35][36] In particular, verses 76:7–12 read,

They fulfill their vows and fear a day whose evil is widespread, and give food, despite loving it, to the indigent, the orphan, and the captive. "We feed you only for the Face of God. We do not desire any recompense or thanks from you. Truly we fear from our Lord a grim, calamitous day." So God has shielded them from the evil of that Day, bestowed upon them radiance and joy, and rewarded them for having been patient with a Garden and with silk.^[37]

See also

• Ahl al-Bayt
• Hadith of the thaqalayn
• Hadith of the ark

Footnotes

1. Sharon.
2. Brunner 2014.
3. Abbas 2021, p. 65.
4. Algar 2011.
5. Shomali 2003, pp. 58, 62.
6. Nasr et al. 2015, p. 2331.
7. Shah-Kazemi 2007, p. 61n17.
8. Howard 1984.
9. Madelung 1997, pp. 15–6.
10. Momen 1985, pp. 13–4.
11. Bar-Asher & Kofsky 2002, p. 141.
12. Nasr et al. 2015, p. 330.
13. Schmucker 2012.
14. Haider 2014, p. 36.
15. Shah-Kazemi 2015.
16. Osman 2015, p. 140n42.
17. Shomali 2003, p. 59.
18. Nasr et al. 2015, p. 380.
19. Momen 1985, pp. 14, 16–7.
20. Goldziher, Arendonk & Tritton 2012.
21. Shah-Kazemi 2007, p. 16.
22. Madelung 1997, pp. 8–12.
23. Jafri 1979, pp. 15–17.
24. Madelung 1997, p. 12.
25. Momen 1985, pp. 16, 17.
26. Leaman 2006.
27. Campo 2009.
28. Campo 2004.
29. Nasr et al. 2015, p. 2691.
30. Mavani 2013, pp. 41, 60.
31. Momen 1985, p. 152.
32. Madelung 1997, p. 13.
33. Gril.
34. Nasr et al. 2015, p. 3331.
35. Abbas 2021, pp. 57, 58.
36. Mavani 2013, p. 72.
37. Nasr et al. 2015, pp. 3332–3333.

References

• Abbas, H. (2021). The Prophet's Heir: The Life of Ali Ibn Abi Talib. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300252057.
• Algar, H. (2011). "Āl-e 'Abā". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Vol. I/7. p. 742.
• Bar-Asher, M.M.; Kofsky, A. (2002). The Nusayri-Alawi Religion: An Enquiry into Its Theology and Liturgy. Brill. ISBN 9789004125520.
• Brunner, R. (2014). "Ahl al-Bayt". In Fitzpatrick, C.; Walker, A.H. (eds.). Muhammad in History, Thought, and Culture: An Encyclopedia of the Prophet of God. pp. 5–9.
• Campo, J.E. (2004). "Ahl al-Bayt". In Martin, R.C. (ed.). Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim world. Vol. 1. Macmillan Reference. pp. 25–26. ISBN 0028656040.
• Campo, J.E., ed. (2009). "ahl al-bayt". Encyclopedia of Islam. Facts On File. p. 23. ISBN 9780816054541.
• Esposito, J.L., ed. (2003). The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford University Press. p. 9. ISBN 0195125584.
• Gril, D. "Love and Affection". In Pink, J. (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān. doi:10.1163/1875-3922_q3_EQSIM_00266.
• Goldziher, I.; Arendonk, C. van; Tritton, A.S. (2012). "Ahl Al-Bayt". In Bearman, P.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C.E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W.P. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (Second ed.). ISBN 9789004161214.
• Haider, N. (2014). Shī'ī Islam: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107031432.
• Howard, I.K.A. (1984). "Ahl-e Bayt". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Vol. I/6. p. 365.
• Jafri, S.H.M (1979). Origins and Early Development of Shia Islam. London: Longman.
• Leaman, O. (2006). "Ahl al-Bayt". In Leaman, O. (ed.). The Qur'an: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. pp. 16–17. ISBN 9780415326391.
• Madelung, W. (1997). The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521646963.
• Mavani, H. (2013), Religious Authority and Political Thought in Twelver Shi'ism: From Ali to Post-Khomeini, Routledge Studies in Political Islam, Routledge, ISBN 9780415624404
• Momen, M. (1985). An Introduction to Shi'i Islam. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300035315.
• Nasr, S.H.; Dagli, C.K.; Dakake, M.M.; Lumbard, J.E.B.; Rustom, M., eds. (2015). The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary. Harper Collins. ISBN 9780061125867.
• Osman, R. (2015). Female Personalities in the Qur'an and Sunna: Examining the Major Sources of Imami Shi'i Islam. Routledge. ISBN 9781315770147.
• Schmucker, W. (2012). "Mubāhala". In Bearman, P.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C.E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W.P. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (Second ed.). doi:10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_5289. ISBN 9789004161214.
• Shah-Kazemi, R. (2007). Justice and Remembrance: Introducing the Spirituality of Imam 'Ali. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 9781845115265.
• Shah-Kazemi, R. (2015). "'Alī b. Abī Ṭālib 2. Biography". In Daftary, F. (ed.). Encyclopaedia Islamica. Translated by Melvin-Koushki, M. doi:10.1163/1875-9831_isla_COM_0252.
• Sharon, M. "People of the House". In Pink, J. (ed.). Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
• Shomali, M.A. (2003). Shi'i Islam: Origins, Faith, and Practices. Islamic College for Advanced Studies Press. ISBN 190406311X.