Verse of Purification

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The Verse of Purification (Arabic:آية التطهير) is verse Q33:33 of the Quran.[1] This verse has a special significance in Shia Islam whose adherents accept the infallibility of Ahl al Kisa. The latter consists of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad, his daughter, Fatimah, her husband, Ali, and their two sons, Hasan and Husayn. Sunni Islam rejects this viewpoint but there is no consensus among Sunni scholars about the interpretation of this verse, as detailed below. Independent of the purification verse, Shia and Sunni agree upon the infallibility of Muhammad, although the interpretation of infallibility varies.[2][3][4]

Text and translation[]

The purification verse and its neighboring verses contain religious instructions for Muhammad's wives. However, the purification verse also includes the highly contentious purification sentence:

Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity from only you, O people of the [Prophet's] household, and purify you with a thorough purification.

In addition to Muhammad's infallibility, Sunni and Shia agree that this sentence promises a thorough purification from any sin and wrongdoing for Muhammad's household ("الرجس"،"تطهيرا").[5][6][7][8] The wording of the sentence also suggests that this degree of purity is reserved exclusively for Muhammad's household ("إنما"،"عنكم الرجس"،"اهلَ"). The key question here is who, precisely, Muhammad's household are.

The Verse of Purification, (Arabic: آية التطهير; Quran 33:33)
Text Transliteration Translation [9]
وَقَرْ‌نَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّ‌جْنَ تَبَرُّ‌جَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ ۖ وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّ��َاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَ‌سُولَهُ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِ‌يدُ اللَّـهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّ‌جْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَ‌كُمْ تَطْهِيرً‌ا Waqarna fee buyootikunna walatabarrajna tabarruja aljahiliyyati al-oola waaqimnaassalata waateena azzakatawaatiAAna Allaha warasoolahu innama yureeduAllahu liyuthhiba AAankumu arrijsa ahlaalbayti wayutahhirakum tatheera And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance. And establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity from only you, O people of the [Prophet's] household, and purify you with a thorough purification.

Sources of ambiguity[]

Before and after the purification sentence, the Quran instructs Muhammad's wives to follow certain religious instructions such as praying and almsgiving. In all of these instructions, the verbs and pronouns are feminine and the several instances of "house" are plural. By contrast, in the purification sentence, the verbs and pronouns are masculine, the only instance of "house" is singular. This sharp contrast suggests that the purification sentence might not be addressed to Muhammad's wives (who lived in multiple houses).[10]

Moreover, the purification sentence is not connected to the rest of the verse with a transition word, e.g., "and." Indeed, the purification sentence is isolated from its context, which again leaves room for the possibility that the purification sentence might not be addressed to Muhammad's wives.[10]

Another source of ambiguity is that the Quran elsewhere scolds two of Muhammad's wives for straying from the righteous path and orders them to repent.[11] This reproach is at odds with the promised purity of Muhammad's household in verse Q33:33. In fact, Quran does not seem to comply with the convention that one's household commonly refers to one's family. For example, Noah's son is not considered as a member of his household in the Quran.[12] Lastly, practicing the generic religious duties in the purification verse and its neighboring verses (praying, almsgiving, modesty, etc.) nowhere else in Quran warrants the exclusive distinction promised here for Muhammad's household ("إنما"،"عنكم الرجس"،"اهلَ"). For example, after Quran instructs Muslims on how to prepare for their prayers, it promises them purity but there is no mention of exclusivity.[13] These three observations also suggest that Muhammad's wives might not be the target of the purification sentence.

It is also not uncommon in the Quran to place two different topics together. The odd juxtaposition in the verse of Ikmal is an example: The Ikmal verse begins and ends with Islamic dietary instructions but also contains a controversial statement about the perfection and completion of Islam as a religion. In our case, the purification sentence can be removed without losing the cohesion of verse Q33:33. Indeed, according to Tafsir al-Mizan, there is no evidence that the purification sentence was revealed to Muhammad simultaneously with the rest of verse Q33:33.[10] That is, they might have been placed together later. Their contrast might have been intended to draw more attention to the purification sentence.[14]

What does the Islamic tradition say?[]

See also: Hadith of the Cloak

The ambiguity of "household" in the purification sentence necessitates that we consult the Islamic tradition to decipher who the Quran regards as Muhammad's household. In what follows, we will primarily focus on reliable Sunni sources. Before delving in, it is worth noting that polygamy was a widely practiced means for building alliances between tribes in Muhammad's society. Some of Muhammad's marriages were also aimed at providing a livelihood for widows.[15] Below we mention two of Muhammad's wives: Aisha and Umm Salama.

Sahih Muslim quotes from Aisha that her husband, Muhammad, gathered his daughter, Fatimah, and her family (Ali, Hasan, Husayn) in Aisha's home. Muhammad then placed his cloak over them and recited the purification sentence. Neither Muslim nor Aisha claim that she too belongs to Muhammad's household.[16]

Sahih al-Tirmidhi quotes from Umm Salama that a similar incident took place in her home. Umm Salama's husband, Muhammad, called upon and placed his cloak over Fatimah, Ali, Hasan, and Husayn, before reciting the purification sentence. When Umm Salama asked whether she too belonged to his household, Muhammad gave a kind but clearly negative response.[17]

Sahih Muslim also quotes from Zaid ibn Arqam, a companion of Muhammad, that Muhammad's household does not include his wives.[18]

Muhammad also made his point publicly and repeatedly. Every day for over six months, before the morning prayers, Muhammad stopped by Fatimah's house and invited them to join the prayers and then recited the purification sentence aloud.[19][20][21][22] There are no such records in Islamic tradition for Muhammad's wives or other relatives.

Nevertheless, many Sunni scholars interpret "household" to include Muhammad's wives, relatives, and their descendants.[23][24] This popular view appears to be the only way to reconcile dozens of contradictory Sunni hadiths: Some only mention Muhammad's wives, most limit the privileged to Fatimah, Ali, Hasan, Husayn, and some list all of Muhammad's relatives and their descendants.[21][25][26][27][28][29][30] Among these descendants is, for instance, al-Mutawakkil, about whom al-Suyuti wrote: "He was engrossed in carnal pleasures and alcohol, and he had 4000 women in his Harem, all of whom he had bedded."[31]

Shia's view[]

Shia tradition considers Muhammad, Fatimah, Ali, Hasan, and Husayn to be those addressed by the purification sentence, based on numerous Shia and Shia accounts.[32] Shia notes that God's universal intention is for every human to be liberated from sins and wrongdoing but we are also endowed with the free will to disobey God and overrule His intention.

God's desire, on the other hand, cannot be overruled by mankind. Therefore the exclusive privilege in the purification sentence, reserved only for Muhammad's household, cannot be God's intention. Instead, it is God's desire that is reflected in the purification sentence: His irreversible will and desire to purify Muhammad's household. Shia cites this argument to prove the infallibility of Muhammad's household.[8] The Shia critic ibn Hajar approves the chain of narration and quotes from Hasan, Muhammad's grandson, that "I belong to the household from which God has removed any impurity."[33]

Shia's belief system is based on the Quran and the traditions of Muhammad and his household, whom Shia regards as the link between Heavens and the Earth. Shia believes that this link is never broken: Muhammad, Ali, Hasan, and Husayn were followed by nine divinely appointed Imams from the descendants of Husayn. Mahdi, the last of these Imams, is the promised savior of mankind who will establish peace and justice on Earth, accompanied by Jesus. All Muslims, Shia and Sunni alike, await Mahdi's return. Shia hadiths also attribute a few other verses of the Quran to Muhammad's household, e.g., the al-Mubahala verse.[34]

See also[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ "(Quran 33:33) ...Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification".
  2. ^ الرازي. عصمة الأنبياء. p. 25.
  3. ^ السيد الشريف المرتضى. تنزيه الأنبياء. p. 2.
  4. ^ ابن خمير. تنزيه الأنبياء عمّا نسب إليهم حثالة الأغبياء. p. 18.
  5. ^ موسوعة التفسير المأثور vol. 17. p. 763.
  6. ^ تفسير الطبري vol. 20. p. 262.
  7. ^ تفسير الألوسي vol. 11. p. 193.
  8. ^ a b "Purification verse".
  9. ^ "Qur'an 33.33".
  10. ^ a b c الميزان في التفسير القرآن vol. 16. pp. 309–313.
  11. ^ "˹It will be better˺ if you ˹wives˺ both turn to Allah in repentance, for your hearts have certainly faltered. But if you ˹continue to˺ collaborate against him, then ˹know that˺ Allah Himself is his Guardian. And Gabriel, the righteous believers, and the angels are ˹all˺ his supporters as well".
  12. ^ "Allah replied, "O Noah! He is certainly not of your family—he was entirely of unrighteous conduct. So do not ask Me about what you have no knowledge of! I warn you so you do not fall into ignorance."".
  13. ^ "O believers! When you rise up for prayer, wash your faces and your hands up to the elbows, wipe your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of ˹full˺ impurity,1 then take a full bath. But if you are ill, on a journey, or have relieved yourselves, or have been intimate with your wives and cannot find water, then purify yourselves with clean earth by wiping your faces and hands.2 It is not Allah's Will to burden you, but to purify you and complete His favour upon you, so perhaps you will be grateful".
  14. ^ الشيخ الطبرسي. مجمع البيان في تفسير القرآن vol. 8. p. 158.
  15. ^ Esposito, John (1998). Islam: The straight path. Oxford University Press. pp. 16–18. ISBN 0-19-511233-4.
  16. ^ صحيح مسلم vol. 4. p. 1883.
  17. ^ سنن الترمذي vol. 5. p. 351.
  18. ^ صحيح مسلم vol. 4. p. 1874.
  19. ^ مصنف أبي شيبة vol. 6. p. 388.
  20. ^ مسند أحمد vol. 21. p. 434.
  21. ^ a b تفسير الطبري vol. 20. p. 263.
  22. ^ موسوعة التفسير المأثور vol. 17. p. 766.
  23. ^ الصواعق المحرقة vol. 2. p. 421.
  24. ^ تفسير ابن كثير vol. 6. p. 415.
  25. ^ موسوعة التفسير المأثور vol. 17. p. 764.
  26. ^ تفسير الألوسي vol. 11. p. 193.
  27. ^ الدر المنثور في التفسير بالمأثور vol. 6. p. 603.
  28. ^ صحيح مسلم vol. 4. p. 1883.
  29. ^ تفسير الماوردي vol. 4. p. 401.
  30. ^ The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate. Cambridge University Press. 1997. pp. 14, 15. ISBN 0-521-64696-0.
  31. ^ تاريخ الخلفاء. p. 255.
  32. ^ الميزان في التفسير القرآن vol. 16. pp. 314, 316–319.
  33. ^ الصواعق المحرقة vol. 2. p. 425.
  34. ^ "Now, whoever disputes with you ˹O Prophet˺ concerning Jesus after full knowledge has come to you, say, "Come! Let us gather our children and your children, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves—then let us sincerely invoke Allah's curse upon the liars."".

External links[]

  • Q33:33, 50+ translations, islamawakened.com
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