vContents

Publishers note ix

About This Book xi

Transliteration and Footnotes xi

PART ONE 1Brief Introduction to Part One 1

Foreword by dr MostaFa al-badawi 2

PreFaCe 9

The Sha Perspective 10

The Khawrij Perspective 11

About Fail Literature 13

Who are Ahl al-Bayt? 14

Etymology and Definition of Some Important Terms 14

Ahl al-Bayt in the Qurn 16

adth Ahl al-Kis People of the Cloak 19

The aba Making Tawassul through the Ahl al-Bayt and the

Recommendation for Doing So 23

PART TWO Virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt 26Brief Introduction to Part Two 26

Biographies of Principle adth Scholars Used in this Work 27

Virtues of the Prophetic Lineage 35

al-suys Iy al-Mayt bI-FaIl ahl al-bayt reviving the dead: the

virtues oF the ProPhetiC household 37

FaIl oF the relatives oF the Messenger oF allah a 53The Virtues of Jafar ibn Ab lib al-Hshim g 53

The Virtues of the Relatives of the Messenger of Allah a and of Fima, the

Daughter of the Prophet a, of whom He Said, Fima is the Leader of the

Women of Paradise 56

Concerning amza ibn Abd al-Mualib by Ibn Kathr 59

vi

The Per fecT fa mily

Imam al-Shfis Poetry on the Ahl al-Bayt 61

PART THREE The Virtues of Lady Fima h 63Brief Introduction to Part Three 63

al-suys al-thughr al-bsIMa F ManqIb sayyIdatIn FIMa

the radiant sMile on the virtues oF our lady FiMa 64The Unique Distinctions and Virtues of Fima 68

Concerning Her Age and Her Death 71

Fimas h Funeral Washing, Prayer and Burial 72

Fimas h Funeral Bier 73

On the Continuance of the Messenger of Allahs a Line

Through Fima h 73

The Narrations of Fima, Daughter of the Messenger of Allah a 73

Poetry Attributed to Fima h 75

ibn shahns FaIl FIMa the virtues oF lady FiMa j 76

The Leader of All Women after Maryam, and the Daughter of the Messenger

of Allah a 76

Fimas immediacy in obeying Allah and his Rasl s and her unparalleled

generosity 76

Journeys of the Prophet s started and finished with Fima and the Unique

Prophetic declaration to Sayyidah Fima may my mother and father be

your ransom 77

The Prophets s sharing secrets with Fima and Fimas sharing secrets

with isha 77

The Prophets sharing secrets with Fima and Fimas sharing secrets with

Umm Salama 78

Allah has forbidden the hellfire to Fima and her progeny 79

Fima is the leader of all women 79

The household of Fima blessed with Divine provision 80

The Prophets s special exhortation for Fima and Al 82

The Prophets s war and peace for Fima 82

Fima is a part of the Prophet and Fimas hurt is the Prophets hurt 82

The Prophets s naming of Al as Ab Turb 82

the virtues oF FiMa FroM the JMI al-a oF iMaM al-bukhr with the CoMMentary oF sheikh al-islaM iMaM ibn ajar al-asqaln 83

The Virtues of Fima h of Whom the Prophet a Said, Fima is the

Leader of the Women of Paradise 83

vii

Contents

the virtues oF FiMa FroM the a oF iMaM MusliM with the

CoMMentary oF sheikh al-islaM iMaM Zakariyy al-nawaw 85

The Virtues of Fima h, Daughter of the Prophet s 85

The Injuries the Prophet a Received At Uud [the Bravery of and the Role

of Lady Fima in Nursing him)] 89

Hadiths About the Marriage of Fima j 92

Al not allowed to marry again during the lifetime of Fima 95

The Prophet married his daughter to the best of people 97

Al selling his armour to make arrangements for his marriage 97

Divine instructions for the marriage of Al to Fima 99

PART FOUR The Virtues of Al ibn Ab lib g 100Brief Introduction to Part Four 100

Biography of Imm Al g 101

His lineage, birth and his embrace of Islam 101

His knowledge and virtue 102

His asceticism and piety 102

His caliphate and assassination 102

Definition of the Important Term Mawl 103

al-nass KhaI IMaM al the unique distinCtions oF iMaM al ibn ab lib g 106

the virtues oF al ibn ab lib al-qurash al-hshiM, ab al-asan g 181

the virtues oF al g 191

Q Iys Response to the Sha 191

The adth al-Thaqalayn of Two Weighty Matters and the Wives of the

Prophet as Ahl al-Bayt 197

the inCident at ghadr khuMM by ibn kathr 201

PART FIVE The Virtues of Imams al-asan and al-usayn 215Brief Introduction to Part Five 215

the virtues oF al-asan g and al-usayn g 216

On Those That Resembled the Messenger of Allah a 219

Further virtues FroM a al-buKhr with ibn ajars CoMMentary FroM

Fat al-br 225

Imam al-asans Role in Reconciling the Umma 225

The Relationship Between Al and Ab Bakr 238

viii

The Per fecT fa mily

the virtues oF al-asan g and al-usayn FroM a MuslIM g 241

The aba Crying on Seeing Imam al-asan g 243

PART SIX The Virtues of the Awaited Imam al-Mahd 244Brief Introduction to Part Six The Virtues of the Awaited Imam al-Mahd 244

adth about the Mahd FroM a al-buKhr with CoMMentary by ibn

ajar al-asqaln 246

Virtues of the Mahd g 247

The Imams and Scholars Who Declared That the Hadiths of the Mahd Are

Mass-Transmitted 251

The Sunnis Position on the Mahd 254

The Importance Given by Scholars Past and Present to the Issue of the

Mahd 255

Prophetic Hadiths About the Mahd 257

Sayings of the Salaf al-li about the Mahd 259