Al-Tathir Verse: Difference between revisions

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'''Taṭhīr Verse''' (Arabic: آية التطهير) is a part of verse 33 of [[Sura al-Ahzab]] in which God has repelled all the impurities from the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] and Shi'a scholars mention it as the proof for the [[Infallibility|infallibility of Imams (a)]].

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{{center|'''إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّـهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا'''}}

 

  |source = Q,33:33

It is reported in some narrations that the above verse was revealed in the house of [[Umm Salama]], wife of the [[Prophet (s)]]; and [['Ali (a)]], [[Fatima (a)]], [[Hasan (a)]] and [[Husayn (a)]] were there at the time of [[revelation]] of the verse. That time, the Prophet (s) covered them with his Kisa' (cloak) on which he was sitting and then stretched his hands towards skies and said, "O God! These are my [[Ahl al-Bayt]]; clean them from any impurities!" Umm Salama asked the Prophet (s) if she was including in the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and the Prophet (s) answered her, "you are among the Prophet's (s) wives and you are on a good path."<ref>Timidhi, Vol.5, P.699; Ibn Babawayh, Vol.2, P.403</ref>

== Explaining the Verse ==

The verse begins with "Innama" which is mostly used for exclusion according to language experts. Also, the "al" at the beginning of "al-Rijs" implies any Rijs, i.e. impurities.

== Ahl al-Bayt (a) ==

Commentators have different opinions regarding the members of the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]. Many of the companions of the [[Prophet (s)]] such as [[Anas b. Malik]], [[Abu Sa'id al-Khudri]], [[Umm Salama]], [['A'isha]], [[Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas]], [['Abd Allah b. Ja'far]] and [['Abd Allah b. 'Abbas]] have considered [['Ali (a)]], [[Fatima (a)]], [[Hasan (a)]] and [[Husayn (a)]] the only members of the Ahl al-Bayt (a). There are narrations from other [[Shi'a Imams (a)]] confirming this opinion.

Another opinion is that the Ahl al-Bayt (a) referred to [[wives of the Prophet (s)]] since the verse is generally about them. [['Ikrima Mawlay b. 'Abbas]] and [[Maqatil b. Sulayman]] have narrated hadiths with such implications.

A third opinion offered by [[Zayd b. Arqam]], the companion of the Prophet (s), suggests that the Ahl al-Bayt (a) are those whom are prohibited by [[God]] to receive [[Zakat]] and they are relatives of the Prophet (s) including Al-i 'Ali, Al-i 'Aqil and Al-i Ja'far and by Tathir in the verse under discussion, clearing them from reception of [[sadaqa]] [charity] and zakat is meant.

There are different traditions in the [[Musnad of Ahmad b. Hanbal]], all of which refer to the fact that the Prophet (s) had mentioned Fatima (a), her husband (a), Hasan (a) and Husayn (a) as the reference for the verse of Tathir. [[Ahmad b. Hanbal]] also narrates that for six months, when the Prophet (s) was passing by the house of Fatima (a) while going to the mosque for [[Fajr prayer]], he (s) used to call them saying, "O the Ahl al-Bayt (a), Prayer! Prayer! O Ahl al-Bayt (a)! Surely God wants to repel any impurities from you and cleanse you."<ref>Ahmad b. Hanbal, Vol.2, P.761</ref>

'''The True Opinion'''

The appearance of the verse is in agreement with the first opinion above saying that 'Ali (a), Fatimah (s), Hasan (a) and Husayn (a) are the Ahl al-Bayt (a), because if the Ahl al-Bayt (a) were the wives of the Prophet (s), then the pronouns in the verse had to be "'ankunna" and "yutahhirakunna" instead of "'ankum" and "Yutahhirakum".

There would be a question why there is something said among the duties of the wives of the Prophet (s) which does not relate to them, and the answer given to it is that such style of speaking has been known to scholars of Arabic literature and we find many cases in the [[Qur'an]] where some sequential verses talk about different issues and it can also be learned from Imams' (a) hadiths that such verses had been revealed in different times, but have been put beside each other at the time of compiling the Qur'an.

It has been frequently narrated among Shi'as that the verse has been revealed about Ashab al-Kisa’.

Also, there are hadiths from Imams (a) of Shi'a that the ahl al-Bayt (a) also include other Imams of Shi'a (a).

In his commentary on the verse of Tathir, [[Ibn Kathir]], the Sunni scholar, mentions a narration from Imam Hasan (a) who has been saying on the pulpit, "we are the Ahl al-Bayt (a) about whom God has revealed this verse [of Tathir]." He also narrates that [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]] answered a man from al-Sham, "We are meant by the Ahl al-Bayt (a) [in this verse]."

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[[Category:Famous Verses of the Quran]]