Al-Tathir Verse: Difference between revisions

 

'''ʾAl-Taṭhīr verse''' (Arabic: {{iarabic|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)]].

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)]], [[al-Hasan (a)]], and [[al-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>Al-Timidhi, ''Sunan al-Tirmidhi'', Vol.5, P.699; Ibn Babawayh, ''Ma'ani l-akhbar'', Vol.2, P.403</ref>

The verse begins with "Innama" ({{iarabic|إنما}}) 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.

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. al-'Abbas]] have considered [['Ali (a)]], [[Fatima (a)]], [[al-Hasan (a)]], and [[al-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 before and after versea are about them. 'Ikrima mawla Ibn al-'Abbas and Muqatil b. Sulayman have narrated hadiths with such implications.

A third opinion attributed to [[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 'Ali, Al 'Aqil and Al 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 Ahmad b. Hanbal'', all of which refer to the fact that the Prophet (s) had mentioned Fatima (a), her husband (a), and her two sons as the reference for al-Tathir verse. [[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, ''Musnad'', Vol.2, P.761</ref>

The appearance of the verse is in agreement with the first opinion above saying that 'Ali (a), Fatimah (s), al-Hasan (a), and al-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 feminine ('ankunna, {{iarabic|عنکُنَّ}}; and yutahhirakunna, {{iarabic|یُطَهِّرَکُنَّ}}) instead of masculine ('ankum, {{iarabic|عنکم}}; and yutahhirakum, {{iarabic|یُطَهِّرَکُم}}).

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, also there are 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.

* The material for this article is mainly taken from [http://fa.wikiShia.net/view/%D8%A2%DB%8C%D9%87_%D8%AA%D8%B7%D9%87%DB%8C%D8%B1 آیه تطهیر] in Farsi WikiShia.

* Ibn Babwayh. ''Ma'ani al-akhbar''. Qum: 'Ali Akbar Ghaffari.