Al-Tathir Verse: Difference between revisions

'''Al-Taṭhīr verse''' (Arabic: {{iarabic|آيَةُ التَّطهير}}) 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)]].

== Cause of Revelation ==

It is reported in some narrations that the above verse was revealed in the house of [[Umm Salama]], wife of the [[Holy 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 Holy 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 Holy Prophet (s) if she was including in the Ahl al-Bayt (a) and the Holy Prophet (s) answered her, "you are among the Holy Prophet's (s) wives and you are on a good path."<ref>Al-Tirmidhi, ''Sunan al-Tirmidhi'', Vol.5, P.699; Ibn Babawayh, ''Ma'ani l-akhbar'', Vol.2, P.403</ref>

With regard to how Aya al-Tathir implies the purity of [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]], it is said that the word, "innamā" ({{ia|إِنَّما}}), denotes exclusiveness, as lexicographers have said. Thus, the verse shows that God exclusively wills to purify Ahl al-Bayt (a). Given Arabic grammar, the verse involves some other emphases as well. Moreover, "al-rijs" ({{ia|الرِجسَ}}) or impurity is used with a definite article (al-) and thus it connotes the generality of impurity, that is, it includes every kind of impurity, be it mental or practical, such as [[polytheism]], [[kufr]] (infidelity), [[nifaq]] (hypocrisy), ignorance, and sins. Thus, the verse rejects the existence of all these kinds of impurity in Ahl al-Bayt (a).

Commentators have different opinions regarding the meaning of Rijs, such as "sin", "mischief", "polytheism", "doubt", "low desires", etc. Shi'a commentators have regarded "cleansing of [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]] from impurities" to mean "[[infallibility]] from sins and having the opportunity of obedience."

Commentators have different opinions regarding the members of the [[Ahl al-Bayt (a)]]. Many of the companions of the [[Holy Prophet (s)]] such as [[Anas b. Malik]], [[Abu Sa'id al-Khudri]], [[Umm Salama]], [[Aisha]], [[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 Holy 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.

There are different traditions in the ''Musnad Ahmad b. Hanbal'', all of which refer to the fact that the Holy 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 Holy 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 Holy 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 Holy 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 [[Holy 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 Holy 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 al-Tathir verse, [[Ibn Kathir]], the Sunni scholar, mentions a narration from Imam al-Hasan (a) who has been saying on the pulpit, "we are the Ahl al-Bayt (a) about whom God has revealed this verse [al-Tathir verse]." He also narrates that [[Imam al-Sajjad (a)]] answered a man from Syria, "We are meant by the Ahl al-Bayt (a) [in this verse]."