recompensed for it. He will not find a helper in Allah and no one to bring him relief} (Q. 4:123). These [verses] refer to them. Consequently, these addresses are all in the present tense. The people of Medina are specifically designated. Whenever the Qur‟ān mentioned a threat, promise, or other things with the article of direct address, then it addresses those that are actually present. For example, {Whoever deliberately kills a believer…} (Q. 4:93). [This] is like a command and afterwards, a ruling.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, is not silent. Consequently, he said concerning „Ali, Fātima, al-Hassan, and al-Hussein: ((I am at war with whomever you are at war with and I am at peace with whoever you are at peace with)). Some narrations read: ((…war with you…peace with you…)). This is related by at-Tirmidhi (V. 2, p. 219), Ibn Māja (p. 14), al-Hākim (V. 3, p. 149), Ibn al-Athīr in his Usd al-Ghāba (V. 5, p. 523), and in the Dhakhā`ir al-A’qba it says: “Abu Hātim related this.” It is also related by Ibn Hanbal (V. 2, p. 442). Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi narrated it in Kanz al-Ummāl (V. 7; p. 102) on the authority of Ibn Abi Shayba, as well as at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Māja, Ibn Hanbal, at-Tabarāni, al-Hākim, and ađ-Ðiya. As-Suyūti says in his exegesis of the Verse of Purification that Ibn Mardawayh stated that his, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, statement began with ((My Companions, my Companions…)). In As-Sawā’iqa (p. 143) it says: ((Whoever verbally abuses (sabb) the People of my House has apostatized from Allah and Islam)). Five or six hadīths mention ((…curses (la’natuhum) them…)). The Prophet answers this by saying: ((Allah has sanctified the mustahal of my descendants)). Adh-Dhahabi authenticates this report in his al-Mizān (V. 2, p. 119) on the authority of Ā„isha. Al-Muttaqi al-Hindi said in Kanz al-Ummāl (V. 8; p. 191) that ad-Daraqutni and al-Khatīb relate it on the authority of „Ali, upon him be peace, and (p. 192) at-Tabarāni related it on the authority of „Umar bin Shu„ayb. Ibn al-Athīr related it on the authority of „Umar bin Shu„ayb in his Usd al-Ghāba (V. 4, p. 107). In some of the narrations it mentioned six curses of Allah on them, and in others it mentioned seven curses of Allah on them.
He, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((The love of him is faith. The hatred of him is hypocrisy)) and ((The one who loves you, loves me and the one who loves me, loves Allah. The one who hates you hates me)) as we mentioned in the beginning.
The Exalted says: {You will not find anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day, loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger} (Q. 58:22) and {The one amongst you that turns to them is one of them} (Q. 5:51). Consequently, what is your opinion of the one who aligns himself to those who bitterly opposed and hated „Ali and the People of the House of Allah‟s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, as well as defamed those that loved them? Can one have love, honour, and respect for the one who hates the Messenger of Allah?
What crime did the People of the House commit other than faith in Allah and their kinship to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, while Allah says: {Say: I ask you for no reward but only affection toward the kin} (42:23) and {Verily Allah wills to remove from you sin, O People of the House, and purify you thoroughly} (33:33)?
Those from the community (al-ummah) deviated the most from them [i.e. the People of the House], adopted the name “Ahlul Sunnah”, and was implanted by the Umayyads. There was sect that adopted the name “Shiites” that was implanted by the „Abbāsids.
Regarding the Ahlul Sunnah, their understanding of „Ali and the People of the House, upon him be peace, may be, in our explanation, from their caprices and opinions. Whoever wants a full and more
