after me: the Book of Allah and my descendants, the People of my House. Verily, the Subtle and Aware will not separate them until they meet me at the Pond)).

The wording ((Verily, I leave for you…)) pertains to the two weighty things (ath-thaqalayn), successors (khalifatayn), and the two sources of command (‘amrayn). The wording ((…if you hold on to them…)) refers to adhering to and taking from them and ((you will not go astray…)) means to not go before them or cut them off. Do not take knowledge except from them…It is as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said on the day of Ghadīr, the day of Arafat, during his journey to Ta`if, and on his sick bed to his companions before death entered the room.

Regarding the identity of the People of the House, they are „Ali, Fātima, the two Hassans [i.e. al-Hassan and al-Hussein] and their offspring. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet and them. Consequently, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, at the occasion of the revelation of the verse: {Verily Allah wills to remove from you impurity, O People of the House, and purify you with a thorough purification} (Q. 33:33) came to „Ali, Fātima, al-Hassan, and al-Hussein; placed them under his cloak; and said: ((O Allah, These are the People of my House! Therefore, remove impurity from them and purify them with a thorough purification!))

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, also said: ((The People of my House are like the stars. Whenever a star falls, another rises17…)) The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, also said: ((The stars are a means of safety to the people of the heavens. When the star goes from the sky, it is a promise to the people of the heavens. The People of my House are a means of safety to the People of the earth. When the People of my House go from the earth, it is a promise to the people of the earth)). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said in the Hadīth of Two Weighty Things: ((…they will not separate from each other until they reach the Pond)).

The limiting of them in the cloak indicates a lack of inclusion of other relatives and wives. The offspring of the Messenger of Allah is understood by the word “his people” (ahlihi) in the language of people. It is demonstrated as an intention to restrict it to mean only them in the two previous hadīths: ((The People of my House are like the stars…)) and ((The stars are a means of safety to the people of the heavens…)). Consequently, the two words for “people” (al-Al) and (al-Ahl) have the same in meaning and in one tongue; Al is a miniaturization of Ahl. Also, Al refers to one‟s offspring. Allah, the Exalted, says: {Verily, Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family (al) of Abraham, and the family of Imrān over all of creation; offspring one of the other} (Q. 3:33-34). Therefore, the word “offspring” is used.

Charity (sadaqa) is prohibited for the Bani Hāshim. The scholars say: It is prohibited for the family of Aqīl, the family of „Ali, the family of Ja‟far, and the family of „Abbās. There is no doubt that to be of the family of „Ali means to be his offspring. The same applies to Aqīl, Ja‟far, and „Abbās. All of the scholars implement this and it shows the authenticity of the view that “family” (al) refers to one‟s offspring according to language, custom, and Islamic law.

Sayyid „Allāma al-Hujjah, Majiddīn bin Muhammad al-Mu`ayyadi, Allah bless him, said in Lawama’ al-Anwār:

There is consensus amongst the community (Ummah) that what is meant by “offspring” is the five members of the Family of the Prophet, the People of the House, and the

17 See also sermon 100 in the Nahjul Balagha of Imam „Ali.