Allah Almighty says: {Allah only intends to keep evil away from you, O members of the [Prophet’s] household, and to completely purify you.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 33] Allah Almighty also says: {This is so. And whoever honors the rituals of Allah, it is from the piety of the hearts.} [Surat al-Hajj: 32]
1) The household of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) are his believing relatives and his wives who are the Mothers of the Believers. All those are included in his household members to whom the rights of his kinship are due.
2) There are two rights for the household of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): the right due to the believers and the right due to his kinship. We have to venerate them and observe these rights of them without extremism or fanaticism as done by some sects who follow religious innovation, as they exaggerate in venerating some imams in a way that goes against the fundamentals of the Shariah.
346/1- Yazīd ibn Habbān reported: “I went along with Husayn ibn Sabrah and ‘Amr ibn Muslim to Zayd ibn Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) and, as we sat by his side, Husayn said to him: ‘O Zayd, you have been able to acquire a great virtue that you saw Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), listened to his speech, fought by his side in battle, and offered prayer behind him. O Zayd, you have earned a great virtue. O Zayd, narrate to us what you heard from Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him).’ He said: ‘I have grown old and have been living for long, and I have forgotten some of the things which I remembered in connection with Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), so accept whatever I narrate to you, and what I do not narrate, do not compel me to do that.’ He then said: ‘One day, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) stood up to deliver a sermon at a watering place known as Khumm located between Makkah and Madinah. He praised Allah, extolled Him, and gave us an admonition and reminder, then said: ‘O people, I am a human being. I am about to receive a messenger (the angel of death) from my Lord and I, in response to Allah’s call, (would bid farewell to you), but I am leaving among you two weighty things: first, the Book of Allah in which there is right guidance and light, so hold fast to the Book of Allah and adhere to it.’ He exhorted (us) to hold fast to the Book of Allah and then said: ‘The second are the members of my household. I remind you (of your duties) to the members of my family.’ He (Husayn) said to Zayd: ‘Who are the members of his household? Are his wives not the members of his family?’ Thereupon, he said, ‘His wives are the members of his family, but (here) the members of his family are those for whom acceptance of charity is forbidden after him.’ He said: ‘Who are they?’ Zayd said: ‘The household of ‘Ali, the household of ‘Aqīl, the household of Ja‘far, and the household of ‘Abbās.’ Husayn said: ‘Are all these forbidden from accepting charity?’ Zayd said: ‘Yes.’” [Narrated by Muslim]
In another version of the Hadīth, he said: “Behold, for I am leaving among you two weighty things, one of which is the Book of Allah. It is the rope of Allah. He who follows it will be upon right guidance and he who abandons it will be in error.”
347/2- Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that Abu Bakr al-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Honor the right of Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) through showing reverence to his household.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri]
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1) Adherence to the Book of Allah is an obligation, as it contains guidance and light. In fact, complete guidance and light are dependent on having knowledge of the Book of Allah and acting upon it.
2) Muslims are urged to guard the rights of the household of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) as they have an extra right that exceeds the rights due to other Muslims.
3) The household of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) have distinct characteristics that are exclusive to them, and have honor and superiority that suit their rank. Thus, charity and Zakah are not lawful for them, for they (charity and Zakah) are the dirt of people. They are too honored and superior to be permitted to receive charity.
4) The Mothers of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with them) who are the wives of the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) belong to his household, and whoever claims otherwise is misguided and deviating from the way of Ahlus-sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah.