What is "Ahl Al-Bayt"

[Forum Questions]

QUESTION ASKED ON ANOTHER FORUM
[Please contact Joseph Islam for further details of the original thread]

Is "Ahl Al-Bayt" responsible for your soul?!

Dear readers, Salam.

In the context of the Quran, the meaning of the "Ahl Al-Bayt" is undoubtedly the "Prophet's wives". Sadly, the Shia scholars distort the meaning of this phrase with a hadith. The millions of Shia followers disobey the Prophet's teaching and believe in their corrupt scholars. According to these scholars, the meaning of "Ahl-Al-Bayt" is " the family of the Prophet consists of Caliph Ali, his wife Fatema and their two sons Hassan and Hussain" excluding all other wives of the Prophet's family!

The process of corruption continues. The meaning of "Ahl-Al-Bayt" is now also all the descendants of the Caliph Ali's family. An elite group is created based on this understanding and millions of Shia followers disobey the Prophet's teaching, offer charities to this elite group for blessing instead of their poor relatives!

Do you believe the meaning of the "relatives" as mentioned in the following verses as "the relatives of the prophet" ( "Ahl-Al-Bayet") instead of the "relatives of the believers"?!

[2:83] We made a covenant with the Children of Israel: "You shall not worship except GOD. You shall honor your parents and regard the "relatives", the orphans, and the poor. You shall treat the people amicably. You shall observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the obligatory charity (Zakat)." But you turned away, except a few of you, and you became averse.

[2:177] Righteousness is not turning your faces towards the east or the west. Righteous are those who believe in GOD, the Last Day, the angels, the scripture, and the prophets; and they give the money, cheerfully, to the "relatives", the orphans, the needy, the traveling alien, the beggars, and to free the slaves; and they observe the Contact Prayers (Salat) and give the obligatory charity (Zakat); and they keep their word whenever they make a promise; and they steadfastly persevere in the face of persecution, hardship, and war. These are the truthful; these are the righteous.

[Joseph Islam]

RESPONSE GIVEN BY JOSEPH ISLAM
[Please contact Joseph Islam for further details of the original thread]

Peace.

The Quran gives absolutely no warrant to restrict the meaning of 'Ahl-al-Bayt' in the way Shia theology understands / demands.

Also according to the Shia, the restriction to allow only one daughter in this venerated group (Hazrat Fatima) is also a violation of verse 33:59 which clearly makes use of the term 'wa-banatika' in which the noun is clearly a femine [sic] plural i.e. DAUGHTERS.

"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and DAUGHTERS..." (33.59 partial)

To assert only one daughter as part of the 'Ahl' of the Prophet is clearly unsupportable by the Quran itself.