The status of the Prophet's Family

By virtue of their relationship with Him, Allah Most High has accorded great status to the family of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  The Lord Almighty has declared their superiority in the Holy Quran:

 

Allah only intends to remove all the impurity of sins from you, O People of the House (of the Prophet, [even a doubt or trace of shortcoming]) and make you absolutely pure and clean by blessing you with (perfect) purity and wholesomeness.  Surah Ahzaab (33:33)

 

This verse of the Holy Quran proves that Allah Most High has kept the family of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) free of all kinds of flaws and defects, be them moral, ethical, intellectual, outward or inward.  Ummul Momineen Hadhrat Umme Salma (May Allah be well pleased with her) says about the background of the revelation of this verse:

 

Translation: When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was in my room, this verse was revealed:  Allah only intends to remove all the impurity of sins from you, O People of the House (of the Prophet, [even a doubt or trace of shortcoming]) and make you absolutely pure and clean by blessing you with (perfect) purity and wholesomeness.  Then the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) summoned Hadhrat Fatima, Hadhrat Ali, Hadhrat Hasan and Hadhrat Hussain (May Allah be well pleased with them).  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: These are my family members (Ahle Bait).  Hadhrat Umme Salma (May Allah be well pleased with her) asked:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  Am I not from among the Ahle Bait?  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Allah-willing, you are also from the Ahle Bait.  (Zujajatul Masabeeh, Vol. 5, Pg. No. 316)

 

A Hadith has been mentioned in Imam Baihaqui’s Shua’bul Iman that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

 

Translation: There are 6 people whom I curse and Allah curses and the supplication of every Prophet is accepted.  Among them are:  The one who considers things declared Haraam (impermissible) by Allah as Halal (permissible) and the one who considers those things permissible about my family, which Allah has declared as forbidden i.e. who disrespects the Prophet’s Family.

 

This shows that disrespecting the Prophet’s Family leads to misguidance and destruction of faith.