In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

A Portrait from the House of Fatimah and Ali (PBUT)

Once, Lady Fatimah (PBUH) entered upon the presence of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP). Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) asked her to “leave and bring me my cousin Ali and my grandsons Hassan and Hussain.” Moments later Lady Fatimah (PBUH) returned with her husband and children and met with the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) with respect.

Afterwards the Prophet (PBUH&HP) put the cover (a cloak) he had with him over Ali, Fatimah, Hassan, and Hussein (PBUT), and pointed to the sky with his right hand, saying, “O Lord! These are my Ahl al-Bait, and they are the closest people to me, the chosen ones. Remove from them all impurities, and make them pure." After the Prophet’s (PBUH&HP) prayer, the Angel Gabriel brought forth the holy verse of Tat'hir: “Verily Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying.” (Quran 33:33).

In the mirror reflection of the aforementioned verse (verse of Tat'hir)⁽¹⁾, there is the clear image of the house and family of Fatimah and Ali (PBUT). A portrait that should have been hanged on the walls of history, so the passerby of the era could have used as a guide for his/her own life. The above-mentioned incident gives us a closer look into the various aspects and environment present in the house of Fatimah and Ali (PBUT): ⁽²⁾

Monotheism 

The first characteristic of this intimate environment is its monotheistic aspect present in the inner relations of this family, showing that Allah (SWT) is the ultimate truth that has each member of this family enthralled. When the lady of the house hears of his father’s weak physique, she requests Allah’s (SWT) blessings upon him. When the grandfather sees his daughter, grandsons, and son-in law beside him, he immediately begins a conversation with Allah (SWT), requesting from Him, His blessings, mercy, and satisfaction for this loving gathering.

Prophethood 

The second characteristic of this environment is the central role of the Messenger of Allah(PBUH&HP) on the home and heart of this family. All members of this family love to refer to the Prophet (PBUH&HP) as “The Messenger of Allah”, even though he is their father, grandfather, brother, or father-in-law. The Prophet of Allah (PBUH&HP) when in the presence of this family (whom he refers to as the Ahl al-Bait), wants to make an oath, he makes an oath to a Lord whom appointed him a Prophet. Prophethood is the second pillar to the house of Fatimah and Ali(PBUT) and their children (PBUT).

Friend and Foe ⁽³⁾

The third aspect of this environment is a focus to the constant war between truth and falsehood. The Prophet (PBUH) who sees this family in full captivity to Allah (SWT) and says in this small family gathering: “O Allah that which hurts this family, hurts me, and that which saddens this family saddens me.”  And he says with utmost clarity: “I am at war with him who is at war with them and in peace with him who is at peace with them.”

Kindness to one another 

The fourth aspect to the environment of the family of Fatimah and Ali (PBUT) is the never-ending love and kindness, which the members of this family had and showed to one another. The lady of the house, as the daughter, prays to Allah for the Prophet’s weakness; as a mother, she refers to her sons as “my sons! the light of my eyes! the fruits of my heart”. Likewise, the grandfather refers to his grandsons with the terms “my son! the savior of my community!”; and refers to his son-in-law as “my brother! my successor! my flag-bearer!”; and refers to his daughter as “my daughter! my flesh!” and tells Allah: “their flesh is my flesh and their blood is my blood.”

A fight against ignorance 

The fifth aspect of the relations among this family is the removal of social borders in place of religious beliefs. This family has distanced itself a great deal from the patriarchal governed society evident in that era. The man of this house greets the lady before entering the house. The grandfather refers to his daughter as part of my flesh, and this occurs in a land where daughters continued to be buried alive by their fathers for some time.

Respect and Manners 

The sixth aspect of this household is the respect and manners the members showed to one another. “Peace” (Salaam) is the first word uttered by the members of this family when connecting with each other. The asking permission of the younger children to climb into the arms of their grandfather, and the requesting permission to enter the presence of the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) all speak to the aspect of respect evident in this family. 

Indeed this family and this household has been given as a gift to history by the Holy Prophet(PBUH&HP) and has been considered as an example for humanity. This family and this household will from hereon be history’s rescue ship.

(The above is a selection taken from “The Lost City”, by Muhammad Hassan Zawraq (with some changes))

On behalf of Roshd Website, we congratulate you dear friend

and all Muslims around the world upon the auspicious occasion of the 20^th of Jamadi-al-Thani,

the birth anniversary of Lady Fatimah al-Zahra,

the fountain of all blessings, and the mother of the infallible Imams (PBUT).

Roshd Islamic Shia Website

Footnotes:

1. The case of descent of verse of Tat'hir is evident in both Sunni and Shia sources, and has terms including “the friends of the cloak”, “the family of the cloak”, “the five members of the cloak”, and so forth.

This group of narrations suggests the efforts of the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) for the introduction and the clarification of the Ahl al-Bait (PBUT). This narration clearly states that the verse of Tat'hir has been revealed solely for the Prophet Muhammad and the Ahl al-Bait (PBUT).

The definite and unanimously accepted statement located in Sunni and Shia sources is the following: “One day the Holy Prophet (PBUH&HP) and Imam Ali, Lady Fatimah, Imam Hassan, and Imam Hussein (PBUT) gathered in the house of Umm Salamah. The prophet put a cloak on his head and every of the four other members, while reciting this prayer: “O Allah, these are my close people, these are my Ahl al-Bait, remove from them all impurity, and cleanse them from (any wrong or sin). Afterwards, the Angel Gabriel descended and brought the verse 33 from chapter 33 of the Holy Quran: “Verily Allah only desires to keep away the uncleanness from you, O people of the House! and to purify you a (thorough) purifying.”

In the narration society, “Hadith Kasaa” refers to the group of narrations where the narrations evident in Sunni and Shia books regarding the interpretation of the verse of Tat'hir have been collected. Some of these books include al-Muntakhab, Ihqaaq al-Haq, Awalim al-Uloom, Maskan al-Fu'aad. The sections from the Hadith Kasaa mentioned in this excerpt has come from the following sources: Ihqaaq al-Haq, vol. 2, p. 554; Awalim al-Uloom, vol. 11, p.930; Maskan al-Fo'ad, p. 153.

2. Please refer to the first footnote.

3. The issue mentioned here is the concept of Tawalla and Tabarra which are part of the branches of religion. Tawalla means loving the friends of Allah (SWT) and Tabarra means staying away and hating the enemies of Allah (SWT).