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.
We cannot speak of the noble household of our master, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family)
without mentioning our Lady Fatimah Al-Zahra’ (peace be upon her),
his blessed daughter and a part of his noble lineage.
Our Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her),
is the mother of the Prophet’s entire noble household.
All the honorable descendants of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) trace their lineage back to her.
She is the mother of all the noble progeny, whose lineage will continue until the Day of Judgment.
Our Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) endured the greatest sorrow after the passing of our master, the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
She held a special place in the Prophet’s heart.
Our Lady Fatimah and our great master Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him and grant him His satisfaction)
were the only two who witnessed every moment, from the first revelation
until the passing of our master, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
She was the last to enter when our master, the Messenger of Allah, fell ill.
At that time, he was in the house of our Lady ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).
The Sunnah dictates that when someone visits, others should not stand up.
Yet, our Lady Fatimah upheld a unique tradition.
Whenever she entered, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand, walk to the door, take her hand, kiss her between the eyes,
and say, "Welcome, my daughter." She later said, “I never saw him do anything but stand for me, kiss me between the eyes, and say, 'Welcome, my daughter.”
Never once did I enter without him honoring me this way.
He would make space for her and seat her in his place.
He would gently pat her shoulder, and she would do the same when he visited her.
She would rise to welcome him.
On the day of his passing, she entered and saw him lying unconscious، Peace and blessings be upon him and his family.
He moved his hands as if trying to rise.
But he could not. Instead, he looked at her and gestured.
She broke into tears.
She said, "I knew then that he was departing from this world."
He no longer had the strength to rise for me.
She continued, "I wept as I approached him, crying until I stood before him."
He said, "My daughter, come closer, I want to tell you something in private."
So, our Lady Fatimah leaned over, and he whispered, “My daughter, tonight I will leave this world.
You will endure the greatest hardship. You will suffer the most.
So, be patient.”
This is the narration of our Lady ‘Aisha, recorded in Sahih.
Fatimah raised her head, weeping.
She recounted, "When he saw my tears,
he said, “Come closer again.”
Then he whispered, "My daughter, you will be the first of my household to join me. You will soon follow me."
At that moment, she lifted her head and smiled.
Imagine, a soul whose very life and death are bound to the passing of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
She wished only to live in his presence in this world.
We believe that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is alive.
He passed away, yet he remains alive in his grave in the Rawda, receiving sustenance.
This is our belief—he is alive, though he has transitioned to another realm.
Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) tied her happiness, joy, and sorrow to being with him.
At that point, the worldly life no longer mattered.
And just six months later, she too passed away.
O Allah, send Your blessings upon our master Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad.
As You have commanded us to send blessings upon him.
O Allah, send Your blessings upon our master Muhammad and the family of our master Muhammad as he truly deserves.
Dalil Al-Khayrāt (The Guide to Goodness)
Episode 19
The Love for the Prophet's Household: Between Excess and Opposition
We rejoice, O children of Al-Zahra’, we rejoice.
Our love for you brings joy to our Prophet.
We take pride in the Prophet as our guide.
And in you, his noble family, we find contentment.
With Al-Husayn and his brother, our hearts are at peace.
With Haidar, and then Zayn Al-Abidin.
We rejoice, O children of Al-Zahra’, we rejoice.
Our love for you brings joy to our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
No one can truly grasp the depth of love
between our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family,
and his pure daughter, Lady Fatimah Al-Zahra’, peace be upon her.
Yet, some still harbor animosity toward her, her children, and the noble household.
For historical reasons, there are those who not only undermine their status and significance
but also express hostility and opposition toward them.
To oppose the Prophet’s family—
is either a sign of ignorance
or a lack of understanding, for it blinds one to the truth.
It renders one heedless, unable to perceive reality as it is.
For the Prophet’s family is a part of him—his lineage, his very essence.
Did he not say: "Fatimah is a part of me; what hurts her, hurts me."
If you harm the Prophet’s family, do you truly align with the Qur’an? No, by Allah, you do not. "I ask of you no reward except love for my household."
Yet, you have ignored this command while claiming to follow the Qur’an.
You claim to uphold evidence and follow what Allah and His Messenger have said—where is it?
You have neither followed Allah nor His Messenger.
Even common courtesy—if not found in the Qur’an or Sunnah—is a basic human virtue.
If a friend of mine passes away, I honor his children out of love and respect for him.
Simply for his sake—nothing more.
Yet for the Prophet’s sake, you fail to do the same for his family?
The way Allah addresses His Prophet is not the way we are permitted to address him.
And what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), said about himself, we are not to say to him in the same manner.
Out of his humility and reverence for Allah, the Prophet may have spoken of himself in a certain way, but we must not speak of him in that manner.
This applies to certain expressions, for instance:
"If Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad, were to steal, I would cut off her hand."
The Prophet (PBUH) said this about his own daughter.
But as for me, I could never utter such words about Lady Fatimah—Allah forbids that she would ever steal.
This hadith must be cited with care and respect, not harshly.
I would say, "The Prophet said this," while affirming that Allah forbids she would ever steal.
The Prophet was teaching us a lesson, but I would not use such words—
not about Lady Fatimah, nor about the Prophet’s entire family.
This is a matter of proper manners and etiquette.
The Prophet’s family is pure.
Yet, some speak harshly to them—
treating them as if their noble lineage holds no merit.
On what basis do you say this?
You quote: "O Fatimah, do for yourself, for I cannot save you from Allah."
But how do you understand this statement?
Indeed, our Prophet cannot grant Fatimah salvation—
but as for you, an ordinary person, with no connection to the Prophet’s family—
do you think the Prophet will intercede for you tomorrow?
If he intercedes for you, would he exclude Fatimah?
Would he tell her, "Go find another father, another Prophet"?
No! He will intercede for her because she is his daughter, he is her Prophet, and she is his beloved.
She is the most cherished of his daughters, the leader of all women in the worlds.
He will intercede for her—because she is the daughter of the great and beloved Khadijah, and for countless other reasons.
He will intercede for her because she is the source of his lineage until the Day of Judgment.
He will intercede for her because she is the mother of Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn.
He will intercede for her because she is the mother of Lady Zainab.
He will intercede for her for countless reasons—this is Fatimah Al-Zahra’.
You do not grasp her status, nor do you comprehend the rank of the Prophet, nor who Fatimah truly is.
She resembled her father the most.
O Allah, I ask You to grant me steadfastness upon his Sunnah, and I seek refuge in You from deviating from what he brought.
And he [the Prophet] commanded us to remain devoted to his pure family.
He taught us that they hold a special and honored status.
He said, "What is wrong with those who claim my kinship will not benefit?"
Indeed, my kinship is connected in this world and the Hereafter.
He also said in a hadith reported by Al-Hakim:
"Do you hope for the intercession of Salhab?"—referring to an Arab tribe.
"Do you hope for the intercession of Salhab while the sons of Abdul-Muttalib do not?"
On the Day of Judgment, all people will long for my intercession, yet my own children and kin will not?
When the Prophet told Safiyyah, "Do what you can," and Fatima, "Do what you can," he was speaking within a specific context.
This statement was not a denial of intercession but an encouragement to act.
He was urging them to strive, not distancing himself from them or denying them his intercession.
It is well known that the Messenger of Allah is not just any man; he is the leader of all men.
It was said, "When the battle grew intense, we sought refuge with the Messenger of Allah."
On the Day of Judgment, everyone will seek his intercession, approaching him for the Great Mediation, and he will say, "I am for it."
Would he then turn to his own children and say, "I have nothing to do with you, I do not know you"?
No, such a claim is strange and unfounded.
It contradicts both sound reason and explicit textual evidence.
Whoever harbors even a mustard seed of hatred for the Prophet's family in their heart—
how can they expect his intercession?
How can they seek it while holding enmity toward the Prophet’s own children and beloved ones, peace be upon him?
Whoever desires intercession, seeks nearness, and wishes to follow the example of our master Muhammad in word, deed, and state—
let them study and read about the lives of his noble family, embrace their virtues, embody their character, and, by Allah’s will, they shall be gathered with them.
When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) passed away, no one felt more shattered than Lady Fatimah.
Anyone who has lost a father understands this pain.
We wept for our fathers, and those who have experienced such a loss know the depth of this sorrow.
We felt broken, and our fathers were ordinary men.
What, then, of the Prophet?
That is why Bilal narrated that after the burial of the Messenger of Allah,
Lady Fatimah approached him and said, “O Bilal,
how could you bring yourself to cast earth over the face of the Messenger of Allah? How could you do that, O Bilal?”
Anas said, “By Allah, she did not say that except that I looked at my hands and felt like a stranger to myself. I thought, ‘What have I done?
I had truly buried him.” He continued, “I stared at my hands, unable to comprehend what I had done.”
Fatimah remained in her home for three days, not stepping outside.
For three days, she could not bring herself to leave.
Then, on the fourth day, she finally emerged.
As soon as she stepped out, the city was filled with cries of mourning.
She remained in her house for three days and stepped outside on the fourth.
As she walked, her gait was identical to that of her father. It was as if they were seeing the Prophet himself.
Her manner of walking, her laughter, her way of speaking, her humor—even the way she sat—it was all him.
She was a reflection of the Prophet, and for that reason, she was the most beautiful of all women.
For the beauty of our master Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was mirrored in Lady Fatimah.
O Allah, accept his intercession for his nation.
Grant us the ability to adhere to his Sunnah.
Let us die upon his way.
Gather us among his company and under his banner.
Make us among his Companions.
Let us drink from his blessed basin.
Quench our thirst with his hand and grant us the blessings of his love.
O Allah, Ameen.
The origins of hostility toward the family of our master Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family),
can be traced back to the emergence of certain individuals who harbored enmity toward our master Ali (peace be upon him).
They began spreading criticism against him, his noble descendants, and the descendants of Lady Fatima Al-Zahra’ (peace be upon her),
fabricating falsehoods and spreading misguidance.
These individuals became known as "the Nawasib."
As with any action, there was a reaction: another group emerged in response, going to extremes in their love for our master Ali (peace be upon him).
However, their excessive devotion to the Prophet’s family led them to curse the honorable Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).
As a result, they were labeled as Shi‘ah or Rafidah.
Some claim that expressing love for the noble family of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them),
places one within the realm of Shi‘ism.
May Allah have mercy on Imam Al-Shafi‘i, who said:
"If in a gathering, Ali is mentioned,
Along with the Prophet’s two grandsons and the pure Fatimah,
It is said, ‘Move on, O people,
For this is talk of the Rafidah.’
I declare my innocence before the Almighty
From those who deem love for Fatimah’s family as rejection."
This is an extreme form of blocking the means, leading to the very opposite of its intended purpose.
Yes, there is misguidance among the Rafidah.
We recognize it, its sources, its manifestations, and its adherents.
However, this does not prevent us from honoring the family of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Indeed, this does not prevent us from venerating the Prophet’s noble household.
For whoever loves them has, in truth, loved the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
On the day the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, asked, "What am I to you?" they replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best."
Ali said, "You are our leader, O Messenger of Allah."
The Prophet then declared, For whomever I am a leader, Ali is also their leader. O Allah, support those who support him
and oppose those who oppose him." Then Umar stood up
and said, "Congratulations to me and to every Muslim; you have become our leader."
For Allah is the Protector of the believers; He is their Guardian, and the Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves.
Believing men and women are protectors of one another.
One of the errors of our time is that—
whenever someone speaks about the virtues and excellence of the Prophet’s family,
may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon them all,
they are met with hostility.
To the point that they may even be accused of being a Shiite.
The issue with the Shiites is that their love for the Prophet’s family is selective, limited to only twelve members.
As Twelvers, they recognize only twelve Imams and disregard the rest of the Prophet’s family.
All of them are descendants of Imam Husayn.
They do not acknowledge Imam Hasan, nor do they name their children after him.
But the Prophet’s lineage did not cease.
Does this mean it ended there? No, the lineage continued.
It did not stop at twelve.
Why twelve?
Why not ten?
Why not nine?
Why not twenty? It never stopped.
The lineage continues.
This is why the Shiites have not truly understood the Prophet or his family.
When they say, “O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and his family,” they mean only those twelve individuals.
Their focus is limited to them, whereas when we say “his family,” we include all his descendants.
From both maternal and paternal sides, extending until the Day of Judgment—his lineage is vast.
The Shiites have not truly recognized the full lineage of the Prophet.
Those who have preserved this knowledge are the Sunnis.
This is why, no matter how much we speak about the Prophet’s family, no one should question our beliefs.
I speak of the Prophet’s family in its broadest sense.
It includes not just his direct descendants,
but also extends to his relatives and ultimately the entire Muslim Ummah, which is spiritually connected to him.
Yes, it extends to the entire Muslim Ummah, as they share a spiritual bond with him.
Yet his family is connected to him both by bloodline and by faith.
This is why the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, taught that the concept of “family” goes beyond blood ties to encompass every Muslim.
The group we call the Shiites has no exclusive claim to the love of the Prophet’s family. Loving the Prophet’s family is an obligation for anyone who truly loves the Messenger of Allah (PBUH).
How can one claim to love the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him),
yet not love his wives?
How is it possible not to love his children?
And how could one not hold dear—above all—
his daughter Fatima, his family, and his grandsons, Hassan and Hussein?
How could one not? It is incomprehensible!
O Allah, increase his honor beyond the honor You have already bestowed upon him.
Grant him might beyond the might You have already given him.
And enhance the radiance of the light from which You created him.
Elevate his rank among the ranks of the Messengers and his status among the tanks of the Prophets.
And I ask for Your pleasure and his pleasure, O Lord of the Worlds.
O Lord of the Worlds, along with continuous well-being and a death upon the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Ummah.
A true lover of our master Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family,
understands the esteemed rank of the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them),
and recognizes the virtue of the honorable family (may Allah be pleased with them).
For true love follows a balanced path, avoiding both excess and negligence.
This is what distinguishes us, the Ahl As-Sunnah wa al-Jama‘ah, from both extremes.
We love the noble family and do not harbor hatred toward the Companions of our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
And we love the noble Companions and hold no animosity toward any member of the family of our master Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
Our love for the Prophet’s family safeguards our lands from the influence of innovators.
The Nawasib anger the family, so they do not approach us because of our devotion to them.
The Shiites claim that the family was wronged and oppressed, calling on us to stand with them.
But we have upheld their rights long before you even spoke.
We have no dispute with them.
So, why do you come to us?
They say, “We are advocates for the family.”
Yet we learned from the family, lived among them, and acquired true knowledge from them.
It is from them that we learned reverence for the Companions.
We distance ourselves from extremism and discord.
And we remain balanced between the two extremes, as our Creator has described us.
What did Allah say?
“And thus We have made you a middle nation.” (Qur’an 2:143)
We do not fall into extremism—
neither on one side nor the other.
Disregard the claims made by the Rafidah; the same principle applies.
When it comes to the love of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him),
his praise,
and the veneration of his noble status,
we recognize the boundaries beyond which one falls into disbelief.
If we understand these limits and remain steadfast in avoiding them, matters will be clear to us.
If we adhere to these limits with certainty, confusion will not arise.
However, if preventing certain actions leads to undermining the very essence of Shari’ah,
then such prevention cannot be considered legitimate.
To ensure you do not fall into the ranks of the Shiites, who bear resentment toward the noble Companions,
or the ranks of the Nawasib, who harbor hostility toward the honorable family,
examine the love in your heart.
If your love for the honorable family and the noble Companions is balanced, then you are on the right path and in a state of safety.
For your love for them stems only from your sincere devotion to our master Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
This has been the way of the Ummah throughout its history.
This is why sending blessings and peace upon the wives of the Prophet,
was among the praiseworthy traditions in the ‘Eid prayer formulas practiced by Egyptians.
The formula established by Imam Al-Shafi‘i over 1,200 years ago
was embraced by the people of Egypt, who honored it as part of their ‘Eid takbir and supplications for the Prophet.
It remains a beautiful and cherished tradition.
This supplication includes prayers upon his wives and Companions, alongside the ‘Eid takbir:
O Allah, send blessings upon our master Muhammad,
and upon the family of our master Muhammad,
and upon the Companions of our master Muhammad,
and upon the supporters of our master Muhammad,
and upon the wives of our master Muhammad,
and upon the descendants of our master Muhammad. And may peace and blessings be upon him in abundance.
Some claim to love the family of the Prophet but express this by insulting the Companions. If this is the case, it is a sign of a deep-rooted issue.
You claim to love the Prophet’s family, yet you express this love by attacking our mother, Lady ‘Aisha, and our master, Abu Bakr.
This is not love; it is a distortion, a psychological disorder.
As for me, I love both the noble family and the honorable Companions.
That is why the Prophet (peace be upon him),
when teaching us how to pray, would say: "O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad."
He did not say, "and upon his Companions."
This is right.
So, the phrase "and his Companions" was not originally included. The Prophet did not say it.
Why then was it later introduced by Muslims?
Isn’t every innovation a deviation?
Muslims introduced this phrase in response to a deviation.
So that they could reject it.
When the practice of insulting the Companions emerged,
especially during the time of the Rafidah,
it became a dangerous deviation, targeting the very Companions nurtured by the Prophet (peace be upon him).
They recognized only about six of the Prophet’s Companions—those close to Ali—while branding the rest as traitors.
So, how did the Ummah respond to this distortion?
They began saying: "O Allah, send blessings upon our master Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions."
They added "and his Companions" to affirm, "We are not like you."
Thus, it became a justified addition—an innovation of guidance.
It was introduced to counter the misguided innovation of insulting the Companions.
There must be a balance—scholarly discipline
combined with heartfelt love when dealing with the Prophet’s family.
This is what ensures a sound methodology, by Allah’s will, in our approach.
What allowed others to take over this space was our own absence.
When we neglected the legacy of the Prophet’s family,
others assumed exclusive claim over them. But we are more entitled to the Prophet’s family than any sect or group.
O Allah, make us among those who follow His Shari'ah,
those adorned with his love,
those guided by his teachings and his path,
and grant us death upon his Sunnah.
Do not deprive us of the blessing of his intercession.
Gather us among his followers, the radiant ones with shining limbs,
and among his foremost supporters,
and among the people of the right hand, O Most Merciful of the merciful.
A lack of knowledge about our master Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him and his family,
not only causes us to lose immense goodness,
but it may also lead us to sin—especially when we speak ill of his noble family, peace and blessings be upon him and them.
Some, may Allah protect us, go as far as accusing the Prophet’s parents of disbelief—a grave and false claim.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, descended from a lineage of devoted worshippers and monotheists.
Among them were his noble parents, our master Abdullah and Lady Amina.
Our master, Imam al-Suyuti, authored three books solely dedicated to affirming the honor of the Prophet’s parents in matters of monotheism.
This confirms that they were upon the sound path of salvation through belief in the Oneness of the Lord of all worlds.
Thus, the established principle in Shari'ah affirms that they were monotheists.
Moreover, according to the legal principle of presumption, which states that the principle in a Muslim’s faith is
monotheism unless proven otherwise,
only clear and definitive evidence could override this presumption.
In the absence of such evidence, we adhere to the original assumption, known in jurisprudence as "the presumption of purity."
The verse is clear: "And Your turning in the midst of those who prostrate."
A prostrator cannot be a disbeliever. Allah knows best the wisdom behind what our master, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, conveyed.
When the people of Allah and the righteous scholars, such as Imam al-Suyuti and our master al-Nabhani, affirmed this,
they even stated in their books: "I am certain that the Prophet’s father and mother were granted life by the Almighty Creator"
so that they could bear witness to the truthfulness of his message with sincere hearts. This is part of the honor of the Chosen One.
As for the hadith regarding this matter, those who question its authenticity are the ones lacking true understanding.
Allah revived them, and they remain close to us—indeed, they are the noblest of people.
And none are closer to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, than his own father and mother.
Who gave birth to the noblest lineage in the world? She is Amina—secure in name and in divine protection.
She was named Amina because Allah, Exalted be He,willed to safeguard her from all trials, tribulations, and hardships.
May Allah grant us sincere love for His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him.
When someone comes forward and speaks—
and someone might argue, saying, "This is not based on evidence." Yet, we have evidence from Sahih Muslim.
This evidence includes the story of a man who asked, "Where is my father?"
The Prophet remained silent. The man repeated his question, and the Prophet responded.
In one narration, when asked, the Prophet replied immediately, "My father and your father are in the Fire."
Some take this as clear evidence that the Prophet’s father is in the Fire.
But even if we assume its authenticity, have you not studied Arabic and its nuances? The word "father" carries multiple meanings.
It can refer to a biological father, a guardian,
or even a paternal uncle.
The Qur’an uses two distinct words to denote one who has children.
"Father" (ab) and "parent" (walid), and not every parent is a father in the broader sense.
Look at how the Qur’an distinguishes between a son and his father—
It may indicate that the son is a believer while the father is a disbeliever or a sinner.
It states, "On the Day when neither parent will avail their child."
This does not necessarily refer to one's biological father but to the concept of lineage.
It signifies that the relationship, in this context, ceased at birth.
However, when discussing fatherhood, it is not limited to direct biological ties.
The Qur’an speaks of "the faith of your father Abraham" and "I follow the faith of my forefathers."
Yet, despite all these linguistic clarifications, some persist in making accusations of disbelief.
Who benefits from this?
No one.
If it were decreed that they belong to the people of the Fire—
then out of respect for the Prophet, it would be better to remain silent.
This deeply pains .
If your own parents were in such a situation,
would you accept that your brother speaks of them with such harshness and cruelty? You would reject it.
So how about the Prophet?
Why, O followers of Islam, do we transgress—
and tear apart our religion with reckless accusations?
Some go so far as to label others as disbelievers,
for actions considered acts of devotion by many.
Did he not visit Al-Baqi' and supplicate—
the Prophet himself, standing among the graves?
Countless have visited his parents with reverence,
as well as his uncle Hamza and the righteous departed.
The words of the ignorant hold no weight,
and their ignorance carries no ruling.
O People of the Prophet’s Household, you are the bearers of true religion,
and the chosen ones of Allah, manifest in truth.
Knowledge prevents us from harming our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
Rather, it deepens our love for him, strengthens our reverence, and increases our respect.
However, our lack of knowledge about him (peace and blessings be upon him)
is what leads to actions that harm his noble status.
This becomes evident when we discuss his infallibility and his humanity (peace and blessings be upon him).
And this will be the focus of our next episode, by the will of Allah.
We invoked Salawat on the Prophet (peace be upon him) more than 118 times in this episode.
