Salam `alaykum:

Regarding the primary evidence of the Book of Allah addressing the wives of
the Prophet (SAWS) (Sura 33) as "Ahl al-Bayt":

28. O Prophet! Say unto THY WIVES: If ye desire the world's life and its
adornment, come! I will content you and will release you with a fair
release;

29. But if ye desire Allah and His messenger and the abode of the
Hereafter, then lo! Allah hath prepared for the good among you an immense
reward.

30. O ye WIVES OF THE PROPHET! Whosoever of you committeth manifest
lewdness, the punishment for her will be doubled, and that is easy for
Allah.

31. And whosoever of you is submissive unto Allah and His messenger and
doeth right, We shall give her reward twice over, and We have prepared for
her a rich provision.

32. O ye WIVES OF THE PROPHET! Ye are not like any other women. If ye keep
your duty (to Allah), then be not soft of speech, lest he in whose heart
is a disease aspire (to you), but utter customary speech.

33. And stay in your [F] houses. Bedizen not yourselves with the bedizenment
of the Time of ignorance. Be regular in prayer, and pay the poor due, and
obey Allah and His messenger. Allah's wish is but to remove uncleanness
far from you [M/F], O FOLK OF THE HOUSEHOLD, and cleanse you [M/F] with a
thorough cleansing.

34. And bear in mind that which is recited in your [F] houses of the
revelations of Allah and wisdom. Lo! Allah is Subtile, Aware.

It is clear that a switch from feminine to masculine with reference to the
address to Ahl al-Bayt means (1) the grammatical value of Ahl is masculine
and/or (2) at least one man is included with the feminine group being
addressed. The latter group would thus consist in the wives of the Prophet
(SAWS) *together* with the Mantle (`Itra): `Ali, Fatima, and their children.
This is confirmed by the majority of the scholars of Qur'anic commentary.

In addition, it includes the zakât-forbidden Muttalibi families of `Ali,
`Aqil, Ja`far, and `Abbas; while Haqqi in Ruh al-Bayan added Salman
al-Farisi according to the explicit hadith "Salmanu minnâ Ahl al-Bayt" as a
proof that the freedman is part of a man's household, while Shaykh Muhyi
al-Din Ibn `Arabi in his Futuhat (2:126-127) explained Ahl al-Bayt in the
Salman hadith as referring to each Muslim that acquires the attributes of
his Master i.e. the Prophet (SAWS). The latter sense is confirmed by the
narrations stating: "Do not come to me with your lineages on the Day of
Resurrection! My Family is every Godwary believer" and "Every Prophet has a
Family and carriage; my Family and carriage are the Believer" (âlî wa
`iddatî al-mu'min).

In conclusion, Ahl al-Bayt has many meanings according to context, and the
context of 33:33 is: first the wives of the Prophet (SAWS), then the wives
together with the noble `Itra, and Allah knows best.

Al-Razi, al-Tafsir al-Kabir (6:615): "Allah Most High quit using the
feminine pronoun in his address and turned to the masculine by saying
{liyudhhiba `ankum al-rijsa = to remove uncleanness far from you [masculine
plural]}, so as to include both the women of his [i.e. the Prophet's] house
and the men. Explanations have differed concerning the 'Ahl al-Bayt' but the
most appropriate and correct is to say they are his children and wives;
al-Hasan and al-Husayn being among them and `Ali being among them... due to
his cohabitation with the daughter of the Prophet (SAWS) and his close
companionship with the Prophet (SAWS)."

Al-Baghawi, Ma`alim al-Tanzil (2:393): "In this verse [Hud 73] there is a
proof that wives are part of Ahl al-Bayt. ... (3:428) He means by Ahl
al-Bayt [in 33:33] the wives of the Prophet (SAWS) because they are in his
house and this is the narration of Sa`id ibn Jubayr from Ibn `Abbas."

Al-Baydawi, Anwar al-Tanzil (4:374): "The Shi`a's claim that verse 33:33 is
specific to Fatima, `Ali, and their two sons - Allah be well-pleased with
them - ... and their adducing it as proof of their immunity from sin
(`ismat) and of the probative character of their consensus, is weak, because
restricting the meaning to them is not consistent with what precedes the
verse and what follows it. The thread of speech means that they are part of
the Ahl al-Bayt, not that others are not part of it also."

Al-Khazin, Lubab al-Ta'wil fi Ma`ani al-Tanzil (3:490): "They [Ahl al-Bayt]
are the wives of the Prophet (SAWS) because they are in his house." Then he
mentions the other two explanations, namely, that they are the `Itra or that
they are the families of `Ali, `Aqil, Ja`far, and al-`Abbas.

Al-Nasafi, Madarik al-Tanzil wa Haqa'iq al-Ta'wil (3:490): "There is in it
[verse 33:33] a proof that his wives are part of the Folk of his Household
(min ahli baytihi). He said 'from you [M] (`ankum)' because what is meant
are both the men and women of his family (âl) as indicated by {wa
yutahhirakum tathîran = and cleanse you [M/F] with a thorough cleansing}
from the filth of sins."

Al-Tabari, Tafsir (22:7) [after citing reports explaining Ahl al-Bayt to
mean the `Itra] and al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul (p. 299 #734): From `Ikrima
concerning 33:33: "It is not as they claim, but the verse was revealed
concerning the wives of the Prophet (SAWS)."

Al-Zamakhshari, Tafsir al-Kashshaf (2:212): "In this [33:33] there is an
explicit proof that the wives of the Prophet - Allah bless and greet him -
are among the People of his House (min Ahli Baytihi)."

Al-Shawkani, Fath al-Qadir (4:278-280) and al-Mubarakfuri, Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi
(9:48-49): "Ibn `Abbas, `Ikrima, `Ata', al-Kalbi, Muqatil, and Sa`id ibn
Jubayr said the wives of the Prophet (SAWS) are specifically meant [in
33:33], and by house are meant the houses of his wives as mentioned before
in the verses. While Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, Mujahid, and Qatada - it is also
related from al-Kalbi - said that those meant are specifically `Ali, Fatima,
al-Hasan, and al-Husayn. They adduced the fact that the pronouns are in the
masculine, but this was refuted by the fact that the noun Ahl is masculine
and therefore necessitates a masculine gender as in the verse [Hud 73].... A
third group stands midway between the two and includes both [the wives and
the `Itra]... A number of the verifying authorities consider this the most
correct explanation, among them al-Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, and others."

Al-Jalalayn: "Ahl al-Bayt [in 33:33] i.e. the wives of the Prophet (SAWS)."

Al-Sawi, Hashiyat al-Jalalayn: "It was said the verse [33:33] is
comprehensive (`âmma) to mean the People of his House in the sense of his
dwelling and these are his wives, and the People of his House in the sense
of his lineage and these are his offspring."

Al-Suyuti, al-Durr al-Manthur (6:603): [after citing the narrations of the
`Itra] Ibn Sa`d narrated from `Urwa that he said: "Ahl al-Bayt [in 33:33]
means the wives of the Prophet (SAWS) and it was revealed in the house of
`A'isha."

Ibn al-Jawzi, Zad al-Masir fi `Ilm al-Tafsir (6:378): "Then He showed their
superiority over all women when He said: {You [feminine] are not like anyone
[masculine] of the women} (33:32). Al-Zajjaj [the philologist] said: 'He did
not say, "like any other woman" in the feminine, because the masculine form
denotes a general exclusion of both male and female [human beings], one and
all.'"

Ibn Juzayy, Tafsir (p. 561): "The Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet (SAWS) are his
wives, his offspring, and his near relatives such as al-`Abbas, `Ali, and
all for whom receiving sadaqa is unlawful."

Al-Bukhari, Sahih: Hadith from Anas: The Prophet (SAWS) visited `A'isha and,
upon entering her house, said: "As-Salâmu `alaykum Ahl al-Bayt! wa
rahmatullah." Whereupon she responded: "Wa `alayka as-Salam wa rahmatullah,
how did you find your wives [ahlak]? May Allah bless you." Then he went
around to see all of his wives and said to them exactly what he had said to
`A'isha.

Al-Wahidi, al-Wajiz fi Tafsir al-Kitab al-`Aziz (2:865): "Ahl al-Bayt [in
33:33] meaning, the wives of the Prophet (SAWS) and the men [and women] of
the People of his House."

Al-Tha`alibi, Jawahir al-Hisan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an (2:212): "This verse [Hud
73] shows that the wife of a man is part of the People of his House (min
Ahli Baytihi)... and 'the House' in Surat al-Ahzab [33:33] refers to the
dwelling quarters [i.e. of the wives]."

Ibn Kathir, Tafsir (3:532) and al-Wahidi, Asbab al-Nuzul (p. 299 #733): From
Ibn `Abbas: "This verse [33:33] was revealed concerning the wives of the
Prophet (SAWS)."

Ibn Jama`a, Ghurar al-Tibyan fi Ma lam Yusamma fi al-Qur'an (p. 421 #1201)
and al-Suyuti in Mufhamat al-Aqran fi Mubhamat al-Qur'an: "Ahl al-Bayt in
verse 33 are the Prophet and his wives. It was also said they are `Ali,
Fatima, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn, and it was also said they are those for
whom sadaqa is unlawful [i.e. Âl `Aqil, Âl `Ali, Âl Ja`far, and Âl
al-`Abbas]."

Al-Zarkashi, al-Burhan fi `Ulum al-Qur'an (2:197): "The phrasing of the
Qur'an [in Surat al-Ahzab] shows that the wives are meant, that the verses
were revealed concerning them, and that it is impossible to exclude them
from the meaning of the verse. However, since others were to be included
with them it was said with the masculine gender: {Allah desires to remove
uncleanness far from you [masculine plural], O Folk of the Household}. It is
then known that this desire comprises all the Folk of the Household - both
male and female - as opposed to His saying {O wives of the Prophet} and it
shows that `Ali and Fatima are more [specifically] deserving of this
description ["Ahl al-Bayt"] than the wives."

Al-Jassas, Ahkam al-Qur'an (4:378-379): "It [the verse Hud 73] shows that
the wives of the Prophet - Allah bless and greet him - are of the People of
his House (min Ahli Baytihi) because the angels names Ibrahim's wife as
being of the People of his House, and so has Allah Most High said when
addressing the wives of the Prophet - Alah bless and greet him - when He
said:... [33:33]. His wives are part of those meant because the beginning of
the address concerns them."

Abu al-Su`ud, Irshad al-`Aql al-Salim ila Mazaya al-Qur'an al-Karim (7:103):

"This [33:33], as you see, is an explicit verse and a radiant proof that the
wives of the Prophet - Allah bless and greet him - are among the People of
his House (min Ahli Baytihi), ruling once and for all the invalidity of the
opinion of the Shi`is who narrow it to mean only Fatima, `Ali, and their two
sons - Allah be well-pleased with them. As for what they claim as their
proof [hadith of the Mantle], it only shows that they [the Four] are part of
Ahl al-Bayt, not that other than them are excluded."

WAllahu a`lam.

Hajj Gibril

--

GF Haddad

Salaam

I just wanted to post quickly and say that it is obvious that there will be differences of opinion among scholars (Sunni or Shia) is quite common, whether it be in interpretation of Quran or other issues. I think anyone with various Sunni or Shia tafseer books can attest to this fact quite readily, because a verse can have more than a single dimension.

However, in the case of this Ayah, I believe one huge question that our Shia brothers will need to answer is whether Umm Salama (the wife of the Prophet who reported the Hadeeth-e-Kisa) is agreed upon as being a Shia by all Imaami Shia Aalims.

Salaam

I wanted to ask one thing about this that is quite interesting:

Why call it the "Verse" of purification? It is obviously the last part of Ayah 33:33, so it is a portion of a verse. Also, why was it included in this series of Ayats, if the reason of revelation is altogether different?

Salaa alaykum.

The group being refered to in this case as Ahl-ul-Bayt comprises of both men and women. The women are the wives of the Prophet (SAW), and the man is the Prophet (SAW) himself, since in any household, the "ahl" is the man plus his wives, and in Arabic if there is one man among a group of women, the proper pronoun becomes the masculine one. Thus, it conforms to Arabic grammar without any problem.