In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. “Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him.
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. “Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him.
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate. “Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him.
O believers! Invoke Allah’s blessings upon him, and salute him with worthy greetings of peace.” (Qur’an 33: 56)
Allah’s blessings and peace be upon Ṭāhā, the Messenger of Allah.
Allah’s blessings and peace be upon Yā-Sīn, the Beloved of Allah.
Our master Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family,
is Allah’s greatest blessing that He sent to all who bear witness that there is no deity but Allah (la illah illa Allah) and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
Indeed, peace and blessings be upon him, he holds immense merit and reward, the magnitude of which only Allah, exalted is He, knows.
Although all Muslims owe him, peace be upon him and his family,
for the blessing of Islam they enjoy, very few truly fulfill their duty to this blessing toward him.
This is despite the clear Qur’anic verse, where Allah, exalted is He, speaks through His beloved, peace be upon him,
saying: “Say, I do not ask you for any reward for it except love for my noble Household.”
Yet few of us truly observe this obligation that our master, peace be upon him, requested from us.
It is not only to love his Household but also to care for them.
With Fatimah, may my heart be purified and may I attain my goal,
the progeny of Muhammad, the beloved of Allah, the best of mankind.
Therefore, in these episodes, we will strive to understand the rights of the Prophet’s Household Ahl al-Bayt, peace and blessings be upon him and his family.
To learn from their character, for all the Prophet’s values, traits, and ethics, “Indeed, you are of great moral character” is fully reflected in Ahl al-Bayt.
They are the ones who translated these Prophetic values into behavior and conduct that became a source of light, guidance, and blessing for people.
We must understand the importance of adhering to them, especially in this age,
an age in which matters are often confused, and it is difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.
Ahl al-Bayt, may Allah be pleased with them, are the ark of salvation in times of tribulation.
Whoever clings to their guidance will be saved, while those who distance themselves from them will perish.
We must realize that loving them is a foundational principle of the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah.
Our master, the Prophet, returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage, held the hand of our master Imam Ali, peace be upon him, and said: “O Allah, befriend those who befriend him and oppose those who oppose him.”
How can one claim to be a Muslim, believe in Allah and His Messenger, yet not love those whom Allah and His Messenger commanded to love?
The Household of our master, the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings be upon him, his family, and Companions—is a great blessing
Their presence within the Ummah is a continuation of the presence of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).
And whoever truly loves someone also loves all those who are connected to him.
When the love of our master, the Prophet, settles in our hearts, we naturally love everyone in whose veins flows the Prophet’s blood, or anyone who interacted with him, peace and blessings be upon him.
Whoever comes to you and visits
my master, O Tayyar (i.e. Ja’far ibn Abu Talib),
will be honored by you,
returning with majesty and dignity.
We will strive to understand what distinguishes Ahl Al-Bayt and what duties they hold.
The Prophet (PBUH) said, “My Household and indeed, Allah, the Subtle, All-Knowing, has informed me that they will not be separated until they return to me at the Pond on the Day of Resurrection. Reflect, then, on how you fall short regarding them.”
Every verse in the Qur’an is manifested in the character of Ahl al-Bayt.
They bore witness to the manifestations of Allah’s majesty in these verses.
No one can be compared to Ahl al-Bayt; they are the people of true authority.
To harbor enmity toward them is a real loss, while loving them is an act of worship.
Your love for Ahl al-Bayt is Prophetic in nature.
But where do I stand regarding the reality of this love, which is shown through true adherence?
Love for Ahl al-Bayt is an obligation upon us, and through this love, we need not fear trials or tribulations.
Your love for Ahl al-Bayt will make your heart able to endure the trials and tribulations of time.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded us to honor his family, saying: “Every lineage and kinship will be severed on the Day of Resurrection, except my lineage and kinship.”
Neglecting love for Ahl al-Bayt is considered a branch of hypocrisy.
Beware of extreme exaggeration in loving them; excess is like poison in fat. A true lover, if moderate, lives with nobility and is respected among people.
O Lord, invoke Your peace and blessings always upon
Your beloved, the best of all creation.
The Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, serve as a great gateway to understanding Ahl al-Bayt of our Master, the Prophet.
For them, love meant increasing closeness, affection, connection, and piety.
The primary goal of these episodes is to draw closer to Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him and his family.
Through loving Ahl Al-Bayt, that brings every benefit to us in this world and the Hereafter.
For love of Ahl al-Bayt keeps a person on the straight path, granting success in this world and Allah’s honor in the Hereafter.
So whoever wishes to reach the heart of the Messenger of Allah should hold his family dear in his own heart.
This is the eternal bond through the ages; whoever holds onto it, remains connected to Ahl Al-Bayt.
There is no righteousness, true success, or salvation except through love for the Prophet and his family, peace be upon them.
We love you, and there is no blame upon us.
Ah, all gentleness and beauty are contained in these noble attributes.
Episode 1
Honoring the Household of the Prophet
Getting to know the Prophet’s Household is like getting to know Islam in its entirety.
Islam cannot be separated from Ahl Al-Bayt, just as we were born and raised upon the natural disposition of Islam.
We were born and raised to know Ahl Al-Bayt of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blesings be upon him.
Therefore, we cannot specify a particular time to come to know Ahl Al-Bayt of the Prophet.
Just as we cannot specify the exact moment when we came to know Islam or the Prophet (PBUH).
There are many Shari’ah evidences encouraging us to love Ahl Al-Bayt.
But even with sound reason and a pure disposition, we can understand why Allah, through His beloved Prophet, commanded us
to know and love his Household, may Allah be pleased with them.
I even have a personal experience. SubhanAllah, I felt it myself: when we express love for Ahl Al-Bayt, we feel tangible signs of the Prophet’s love for us in our lives.
The first time I went for ‘Umrah, I insisted on visiting Lady Khadijah’s shrine, even though it was not part of the trip’s program at all.
Lady Khadijah, for me, is a role model for women everywhere.
When I visited her shrine, the place she is buried is at the corner of a street.
One street had many pigeons, and the other street had none. Suddenly, a pigeon appeared.
I was with my friends, and the pigeon appeared on the empty street, where there wasn’t a single pigeon, walking right in front of us.
I felt in my heart that this pigeon wanted us to follow it.
So we followed it, and it walked while looking back at me and my friend, as if checking whether we were following.
Then it reached a certain spot and flew into the cemetery. At that location, I found myself at the closest place to Lady Khadijah’s grave, while I had been standing farther away.
SubhanAllah, I was with a friend whom I consider very close to Allah. She realized immediately and said to me:
“Lady Khadijah sensed our love and, as if, sent the pigeon to guide us to the closest place to her grave.”
Later, we traveled to Medina to enter the Prophet’s Rawdah. I was with two friends, and one of them fainted while we were there.
They called the ambulance into the Rawdah, and we stayed there for about an hour.
My friend, who explained the pigeon to me, said: “Apparently, the Prophet sensed that we came from Lady Khadijah’s shrine,
and wanted us to stay with him as long as possible.”
Out of the Prophet’s love, because we love Ahl Al-Bayt and he (PBUH) senses that we honor and love them.
Among the things I have read at the shrine of Sayyidna Husayn is written: “Adhere to our love.”
These are among the things I pray for: may Allah make us always among those who adhere to their love.
“And the signs of love are clear, spreading fragrance on the flowing winds.”
Whenever a lover senses your presence…
…his eyes will perceive the signs—Ayat al-Mursalat.
“Say, I do not ask you for any reward for it except maintaining love for my Household.” This verse is a divine command, just as Allah commanded us in His Noble Book regarding prayer, fasting, zakah, and Hajj.
Likewise, Allah commanded us, through His beloved, to show love and affection for his Household, may Allah be pleased with them. So what exactly does this affection (mawaddah) mean?
It is a discourse expressed through the tongue of the Prophet, originating from divine authority. One can imagine it as a divine address conveyed through the Prophet, with the divine message descending through him.
Through the Prophet, Allah’s majesty addresses creation without asking for anything from them,
except making a clear request: that there be love and dutifulness toward his Household, particularly his descendants.
This means that the relationship of affection toward Ahl Al-Bayt is a relationship with the Prophet himself, not with anyone else.
Affection means maintaining love and its continuity throughout a person’s life in this world.
So that not a single moment passes in which the love of the Prophet’s family is removed from one’s heart.
It is just like a person who longs for their father, loving their father or mother, wanting to see them.
They cannot go a week without visiting them or inquiring about them constantly.
The Prophet did not ask the nation for any reward for guiding them, calling them, or directing them to the Path of Allah,
for his reward is solely with Allah. Then this exception was mentioned, emphasizing and restricting the command.
The Prophet asks nothing from you except affection: that we love and show devotion to Ahl Al-Bayt with our tongues, our hearts, our outward actions, and our innermost selves.
O Allah, send Your blessings upon our master Muhammad, the light of this world and everything within it,
and upon Al-Zahra, the mother of his children, her family, his descendants, and grant them peace.
They said that regarding affection in kinship, the Prophet says: “I do not ask you for any reward for what I have done for you or for what I have provided to you,
or for what Allah has provided you, benefits in this world and the Hereafter, except for affection toward kinship.”
Some scholars of Tafsir interpret “love me through kinship” to mean: love the Prophet through your own relatives.
The Prophet cares for your relatives, so showing love to your own kin is a way of showing love for the Prophet. By loving your relatives, you are indirectly expressing love for his family.
In essence, whoever truly loves will extend love to their own relatives. And since the Prophet loves his kin, and I love the Prophet more than myself, my love for his kin surpasses my love for my own relatives.
Thus, the command to love one’s relatives is conveyed with the etiquette and subtle guidance pointing toward the Prophet’s Household.
Some people neglect the love of the Ahl Al-Bayt, may Allah be pleased with them, while claiming to love our master Muhammad (PBUH).
But this is unbalanced and perhaps insincere, because you cannot truly love someone and yet not love those connected to them.
Loving them is a branch of loving our master Muhammad.
How could I not love them? In every prayer, I invoke blessings upon them, saying: “O Allah, send Your blessings upon our master Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim.”
That is: “Send blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibrahim.”
The blessings of Allah upon the family of Ibrahim, who were Prophets, and upon the family of Muhammad, who are not prophets, as if they assume a Prophetic role within the Ummah, similar to the Prophets among the Children of Israel.
Allah Almighty made Ahl Al-Bayt a guiding light because the Prophet indicated their presence.
After his lifetime, they continue his legacy. Thus, when we long for them, it is as if we long for the Prophet himself.
May Allah’s blessings be upon Taha, the best of creation, and upon the courageous (Imam Ali), the father of the noble sons, and upon Al-Zahra and her children.
They are from the Household of our master, the Prophet. So, if love for the Prophet settles in our hearts, we naturally love everyone whose blood is connected to his.
Or who interacted with the Prophet. Likewise, the Prophet stated in many hadiths that he appreciates our love for Ahl Al-Bayt, because loving them is part of loving him.
We love the Household of the Messenger (PBUH) because he commanded us to do so. He said:
“Allah loves those whom He blesses with goodness, love me for the sake of Allah, and love my family for my sake.”
So, love for Ahl Al-Bayt is love for the Prophet. Do not separate love for Ahl Al-Bayt from love for the Prophet (PBUH) even for the blink of an eye.
The mechanism of loving Ahl Al-Bayt stems from the mechanism of loving the Prophet. The love for the Prophet is the root, and the love for his Household is a branch of it. The branch is part of the root, and the branch of love for the Prophet stems from love for Allah.
If we say we love Allah, then out of that love we love His beloved who brought goodness to us,
and we love his family for the sake of the beloved. It is a relationship that revolves between the lover and the beloved.
So we love Ahl Al-Bayt from the basis of this love.
In a simple example we hear from our parents and grandparents: “The grandchildren are dearer than the children themselves”. So when I want to honor you, I bring a gift for your grandson or your child. Similarly,
the Prophet, when passing by Lady Fatimah, would see Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn crying and could not bear it, saying: “O Fatimah, silence my sons, for their crying pains me.”
The point is that the Prophet felt pain for his family, and his love for them reaches him both in life and after death, and your dislike or love for his family reaches him.
The love that reaches him in his grave is recorded in your deeds as part of your closeness to him.
The martyrdom of our master Al-Husayn, peace be upon him, cannot be captured in words,
and the passion he inspired cannot be expressed among people; a longing so intense it cannot sleep.
And eternal, enduring love for the delight of the inhabitants of Paradise.
Our master Muhammad, those who read carefully will find that his life was a continuous series of trials.
The joy we feel during Ramadan, the two Eids, our seasonal celebrations, and of course our happiness at the Prophet’s birth,
the joy in our hearts is because we remember that he endured immense trials and hardships throughout his life.
Even before coming into this world, he lost his father, as was known in the knowledge of the unseen.
Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah have remained committed to loving Ahl Al-Bayt because this is the path through which the Prophet (PBUH) loves us.
And as a result, Allah loves us. That is why this love is essential as a sign of sincere faith.
Did I deal with the Prophet, or did the Prophet deal with me? Rather, the Prophet was the one who dealt with me first.
I am a follower of the Prophet, and he described himself as being like a father to me. So I am his child, what have I received from the Messenger of Allah? I have received so much.
I received his supplications, which he makes day and night for all of his followers, praying goodness for them.
I received this monotheism that reached me—and had it not been by the approval of the Messenger, it would never have reached me.
I received these noble manners that the Messenger left for me through his blessed character, which I am honored to carry.
The Messenger of Allah gave me this assurance while he is in the barzakh, saying: “Your deeds are presented to me; if I see good, I rejoice.”
“And if I see evil from you, I ask Allah to forgive you for what you have done.” From him I witnessed compassion, care, and deep concern for me.
I heard him say: “If you error, know that my intercession is for those among my Ummah who commit major sins, on the Day when a father, spouse, mother, and children all flee from one another.”
Yet none remains for a person except the Messenger of Allah. “Am I not to you like a father to his child?” This is a true statement whose benefit reached me, and upon which I was raised and nourished.
Thus, when the Prophet says, “I ask of you no reward except affection for kin,” it is as though he is saying: maintain ties of kinship with me.
Connect with me through this noble etiquette: send blessings upon me and love my family.
Live by my character and conduct. In this way, affection and connection remain continuous, and a mutual bond is preserved.
This is true affection—expressed in words, actions, behavior, and unwavering belief, without interruption or neglect.
“I am to you like a father to his child.” The Messenger raised us upon this foundation, and when we were nurtured by it, its fruits appeared.
Those fruits are a living relationship with his family, adherence to his character, and love for them all—peace be upon them.
O Allah, send Your blessings upon our master Muhammad, his family, and his wives.
The blessings of Allah, and the blessings of His angels, His prophets, His messengers, and all of His creation.
Upon our master Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad. Peace be upon him and upon them, and the mercy and blessings of Allah.
Among the eloquence of the Noble Qur’an is that Allah, Glorified and Exalted, said: “Say (O Muhammad): I ask of you no reward for it except affection (mawaddah),” and He did not say “except love.”
For there is a distinction between affection (mawaddah) and love (ḥubb): love may change, whereas affection signifies the steadfastness and continuity of love for Ahl Al-Bayt.
As long as a person lives in this world, true love requires loyalty to Ahl Al-Bayt—by the tongue and the heart, outwardly and inwardly.
It also means defending them and standing firmly in their support. This is the true manifestation of affection and steadfastness upon it in this noble verse.
When Allah, Exalted is He, places love for someone, you will find hearts drawn to that person naturally, without effort. For this reason,Ahl al-Bayt are beloved by the majority of creation.
“No one loves them except a believer, and no one hates them except a hypocrite,” as the Prophet said—because love is a divine gift spoken by Allah.
“O Jibrīl, I love so-and-so.” It is as though love itself is revelation. Why was Jibrīl singled out? Some say because he is the greatest of the angels—but rather, because love is part of the divine message.
“O Jibrīl, I love so-and-so.” Then Jibrīl calls out to the inhabitants of the heavens: “Indeed, Allah loves so-and-so, so love him.” Then the inhabitants of the heavens call to the people of the earth: “Indeed, Allah loves so-and-so, so love him,” and acceptance is placed for him upon the earth.
It is as though love is a message sent from Allah—to Jibrīl, to the inhabitants of the heavens, and then to the people of the earth. Prophethood has ended, but its fruit remains—the fruit of prophethood is love.
Therefore, a person will be with those whom he loves.
Thus, this affection is an obligation, not merely a Sunnah—it is a duty. Abandoning affection for Ahl Al-Bayt is a branch of hypocrisy.
None loves the family of the Messenger of Allah except a sincere believer, and none turns away from that—Allah forbid—except a hypocrite.
Many hadiths and numerous stories have been narrated about the Companions’ love for the family of the Messenger of Allah. And how could it be otherwise, when we hear that our master Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq,
despite his high status among the Companions, his closeness to the Prophet, and his kinship with him—used to say that maintaining ties with the family of the Messenger of Allah was dearer to him than maintaining ties with his own relatives.
Abū Bakr once saw al-Ḥasan and lifted him onto his shoulder, reciting a playful verse: “My father be sacrificed for him—he resembles the Prophet, not ʿAlī,” and he laughed, and so did our master ʿAlī.
He saw in him the image of the Messenger of Allah, so he carried him on his shoulder, played with him, and even joyfully sang or recited line of verses about him.
But whose example were they following? They were following the Prophet. Our master Jābir once entered to find al-Ḥasan and al-Ḥusayn riding on the Prophet’s back,
while he moved on all fours, on his hands and knees, saying to them: “What excellent mounts you are, and what noble riders you are.”
When the Companions saw that the Prophet honored his children and grandchildren, loved them, and inspired love for them in others, they followed his example—and so Abū Bakr did the same.
This was closeness expressed through affection—a heartfelt love in action. In our colloquial words, they showed love openly because they recognized the presence of the Messenger of Allah in them.
Love is a force that empowers a person.
Why is Majnun Layla (the lover of Layla) immortalized in history? Because of love. His love made his beloved Layla the most beautiful, exalted, and precious in all of history.
A man once passed by him and asked: “Is this your beloved, Layla?”
He replied: “You see her with your eyes, but you have not seen her with mine.” Similarly, we love Ahl Al-Bayt through the eyes of our Prophet.
It is as if the Prophet is telling us: do not view the Ahl Al-Bayt through your own love for them, but see them through My love for them.
See them through My reflection, through My essence, through Me. When you love through the Prophet’s perspective,
you witness the compassion, kindness, honor, love, and affection we speak of—the affection for Ahl al-Bayt: “Say: I ask of you no reward for it except affection in kinship.”
O Allah, send blessings and peace upon our master Muhammad and his family with every glance and every breath, as vast as “There is no god but Allah.”
Enrich us, protect us, and guide us to what pleases You.
Turn away all evil from us, and be pleased with the two Husayns, my sweet-scented guides, the best of mankind.
And their sister, Lady Zaynab, of exalted rank,
and their daughter, Lady Nafīsah, guide to the Imams, and all their noble family and companions.
Admit us into Paradise, the abode of peace, in safety and serenity.
O Ever-Living, O Sustainer, O Allah.
This love and affection have manifestations, means, and benefits for its possessor in this world and the Hereafter. But before exploring all of this,
we must first understand the Shari’ah ruling regarding this affection and the gravity of neglecting it. This will be the topic of our next episode, by the will of Allah.
