ALI IN MEDINA (Part TWO)

Ali During the 6th to 8th Year of Hijrah

This period in Ali's life is distinguished by continuation of his brilliant works for Islam.  Ali's nobility of character was attested to by the Holy Quran.  Ahlul Bayt were the privileged ones when the Ayah of Tat'heer was revealed on their behalf.  This was followed by a number of Hadiths on their behalf too.

   Ali played an ever important role as the second hand to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as vast areas came under the umbrella of Islam.

AT HOME  

   The encounter of the ditch was told to Fatima (a.s.) many times, by friends and Ali alike.  No one could hide their love and pride in what the 29 yr. old Ali did.  Ali (a.s.) was the hero of the spectacular and unique Ditch Encounter.  He had slain the awesome Amr, thus shocking and undoing the enemy.  People also talked about the Badr Encounter and the remarkable feats Ali had accomplished; and about that of Ohod, and how Ali finished the enemy's standard bearers, defending the Prophet and single-handedly beating back the four waves of attackers.

   Al-Hasan and Al-Husain listened to this news too, etching them in their young minds.

ALLAH HONORS THEM  

   It was not the month of Ramadhan but Ali and Fatima were fasting.  They were at home and Fatima (a.s.) was preparing the food to break the fast.

   As Ali (a.s.) and Fatima (a.s.) sat to break their fast they heard a knock on the door.  They saw a man in ragged clothes standing, his hands shaking, and his face pale.  He asked if he could be helped and fed.  The man was invited in and offered all the food available.  The man thanked them then took the food and left.  Both Ali (a.s.) and Fatima (a.s.) were left nothing to eat and little to cook with for Suhoor.

   Ali and Fatima fasted the following day, and when time for breaking the fast was due, once more a knock was heard.  This time someone claiming to be an orphan was asking for help.  He too was offered all the food and with thanks, he took the food.

   On the third day, both Ali and Fatima were again fasting, and when time for breaking the fast was due they were weak, shaky, and dizzy.  It was difficult for them to hold themselves steady.  Once more at this time a knock was heard!  This time a man who was destitute was in need of food.  Ali and Fatima couldn't help but again offer him their food, thus they underwent three days of fasting, having nothing to eat.  They would rather help others in need!

   For this occasion a remarkable Revelation from Allah (18 verses) was sent down to Muhammad (pbuh) in honor of these two, Fatima and Ali.  The Revelation says (Surah  76:  Ayah  8):

وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًا

OUT OF LOVE FOR ALLAH, THEY FEED

THE POOR,  THE ORPHAN, AND THE DESTITUTE

   None of the Muslims had such a recognition or such an honor except Ali and Fatima—it was a high honor given to them by Allah.

THE NEXT TWO YEARS  

   Ali at the age of 30 accompanied the Prophet (pbuh) to perform Omrah.  The Muslims were stopped at Hudaibiya some distance from Mecca where negotiations took place.  A treaty was made between Muhammad (pbuh) and the disbelievers.  Ali (a.s.) was the scribe of the Hudaibiya agreement.

   The Hudaibiya treaty proved very favorable to Islam, and after Hudaibiya the expansion of Islam accelerated.  There was always someone or some group who wanted to learn about Islam and more than ever before, it was an active time of teaching Islam.  Numerous people and many tribes came to learn about and embrace Islam.

ALI (a.s.) AND THE PROPHET (pbuh)  

   By now the 30 year old Ali (a.s.) had spent about 25 years under the care and tutoring of Muhammad (pbuh).  Ali's early childhood, teen years and young adulthood were spent in this warm and close company.

   Their association was not that of need, dependency, or emotions, it was much more than that.  It was a relationship characterized by the Prophet as the receiver of Allah's Revelations, and Ali as its defender.  This mutual attraction was mental, spiritual, and emotional, and it continued that way.

   Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said numerous Hadiths on behalf of Ali (a.s.), and a Hadith commands a Muslim's commitment to it, since Allah says of the Prophet (Surah  53:  Ayah  3):

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَى   إِنْ هُوَ إلاّ وَحْيٌ يُوحَى

VERILY, HE SAYS NOT OF HIS OWN

HE IS DIRECTED BY REVELATIONS

   This association gave the greatest chance for Ali to learn first hand from Muhammad (pbuh), not only of the Holy Quran but also:

▪    the Tafseer, Quran's meaning and interpretation,

▪    the Hadith,

▪    the Fiqh, and

▪    the Shari'ah, (Islamic Directives).

   However, learning by itself is not enough, there has to be a very high intelligence, with depth of thought, ability to analyze, and a superb memory.  If such qualities are added to an eagerness to learn, it makes that man very great indeed, and such was Ali.  This was the discovery, the great discovery by Prophet Muhammad about Ali.  That is why we hear the Prophet repeatedly speaks of Ali as follows:

أنا مدينة العِلْم  وعليٌّ بابها،  فمنْ أراد المدينه  فاليدخل مِنَ الباب

I AM THE LOCALITY OF ENLIGHTENMENT

AND ALI IS ITS GATEWAY

HE WHO WANTS TO REACH THIS LOCALITY

SHOULD COME THROUGH THIS GATEWAY

(Al-Haakim, Mustadrak Vol. 3, Page 226.  Also Ibn Jareer, Kanzul Ummal Vol. 15, Page 13.  Also Ibn Katheer, History, Vol. 7, Page 358)

   But why, one may ask, did Muhammad (pbuh) say this Hadith so often when there were other knowledgeable Companions around?  The reason is that the store of religious knowledge Ali (a.s.) contained was enormous, and it exceeded that of anyone except the Prophet (pbuh).  This was well attested to by Omar, the renowned second Khalifa, who admiringly pictured Ali by saying:

لا بقيتُ لمُعلِضةٍ ليسَ لها أبو الحسن

MAY I NOT LIVE THE DAY IN WHICH

A RELIGIOUS PROBLEM EXISTS

WHICH ALI CANNOT SOLVE

(M. J. Chirri, Amir al-Mu'mineen, Page 13)

   But store of knowledge is not enough.  For Muhammad (pbuh) to declare Ali (a.s.) as the gateway to that knowledge he must have found other aspects of great importance in Ali's personality.

► Muhammad (pbuh) discovered in Ali (a.s.) a man of genius.

► Muhammad (pbuh) discovered in Ali (a.s.) brilliance in not only analyzing problems but finding solutions to them.

► The Prophet (pbuh) discovered in Ali (a.s.) original thinking, an originator, a creative thinking man.

► Muhammad (pbuh) also discovered in Ali power of in-depth analysis of any situation, yet within the Islamic ideals, and never shifting from these.

►  Muhammad (pbuh) discovered that Ali (a.s.) was a true idealist, an Islamic idealist.

PURIFICATION OF AHLUL BAYT (TAT'HEER)  

   Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was at the house of his wife Umm Salama.  The modest house was tidy and clean.  Umm-Salama, busy with her chores, heard the Prophet say, "Bring them to me, bring them to me."  He explained he wanted to see Fatima, Ali and their two sons immediately.

   Muhammad (pbuh) asked Al-Hasan, Al-Husain, and Fatima to partially cover themselves with his mantle, then he asked Ali to do likewise.  He thereupon did the same.  The mantle became a uniting cover shared by all five, partly covering every one of them, thus becoming a visible uniting bond, binding all five.

   Before anyone could ask what it was about, the Prophet (pbuh) lifted his hands in supplication and said,

أللهم هؤلاء أهل بيتي    فأذهِبْ عنهم الرجْس وطهِّرهم تَطهِرا

"DEAR LORD THIS IS MY AHLUL BAYT

SANCTIFYING THEM AND

REMOVE FROM THEM IMPURITY."

   Then Muhammad (pbuh) explained that Jubra'eel (Gabriel) had just revealed to him a unique Ayah, an Ayah in which Allah decreed to purify and sanctify them, calling them Ahlul Bayt.  Umm-Salama then asked, "How about me?  Can I come under the blanket?"  Patiently Prophet Muhammad replied, "No, you stay where you are, you will be fine."

   When asked about the wording of the Ayah, Muhammad (pbuh) answered:

إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا

"VERILY, ALLAH HAS DECREED TO PURIFY YOU

O' AHLUL BAYT

AND SANCTIFY YOU IN A PERFECT WAY

(Surah  33:  Ayah  33.  According to A'isha, Ayah of Tat'heer (Purification) was revealed on behalf of Fatima, Ali, Al-Hasan, and Al-Husain, see Sahih Muslim Vol. 3, Page 130.)

WHAT DOES AYAH OF TAT'HEER MEAN?  

   When Ayah of Tat'heer was revealed, and as Muhammad (pbuh) was informed by Jubra'eel, the Prophet (pbuh) pronounced Fatima, Ali, Al-Hasan, and Al-Husain to be the "Ahlul Bayt".  At this time Al-Hasan, and Al-Husain were young children and their contribution in the future for Islam only Allah knew.  Allah knew the pivotal roll Ali, Fatima, Al-Hasan, and Al-Husain would play for Islam, thus they were the specified Ahlul Bayt.

   Zainab, the daughter of Ali, was not included, for the Prophet (pbuh) did not include her, just as none of the Prophet's wives or others were not to be included.

   This matter is extremely important.  The Ayah indicates that Allah Himself has honored Ahlul Bayt, and He promised to keep them "pure, spotless, and sanctified."  Allah had taken it upon Himself to safeguard Ahlul Bayt, to keep them unblemished, untainted, upright, virtuous, and chaste.  This is the source and basis of the Ismah (meaning Allah has safeguarded them from a) sin, b) religious error, and c) forgetfulness.)

   History shows that the contributions Ahlul Bayt made to Islam had, without doubt, verified the very essence of the Ayah and confirmed what Allah had promised.

   The Companions of the Prophet (pbuh), other relatives of his, his wife Umm-Salama, and others were very good people, but like all of us they were subject to errors and mistakes, and their station in Islam varied.  But it was only Ahlul Bayt who were sanctified by Allah (Ma'soom), and one may ask why?

WHY WERE AHLUL BAYT PURIFIED?  

   Allah did not sanctify Ahlul Bayt because they were related to the Prophet, He did it because He had a reason.  One may ask: "Why they?  Why did He want to purify Ali (a.s.) and not such notable personalities as Abu Bakr, Omar, Abu-Dhar, or Ammar.  Why did Allah want to purify two children, Al-Hasan and Al-Husain, and not their sister, or why did He want to purify Fatima and not A'isha?

   The answer is that Allah knew the pivotal role Ahlul Bayt were going to play for Islam.  He knew the tremendous work and contribution they would do for Islam in the coming years:  to preserve Islam and its teachings, to guard it and sustain it along the proper course, and to uphold Islam by teaching it correctly to others just as Muhammad (pbuh) had taught it.

   Allah knew they would do this persistently over the years.  Ahlul Bayt sacrificed everything to teach Islam in its authentic unadulterated form.  They sacrificed their own lives and even the lives of their children!  Ahlul Bayt stood for the righteous and the upright, and for the ideals of Islam.  They suffered dearly at the hands of tyrants.

   Allah knew what would be ahead of Ahlul Bayt and He knew their mettle and stamina.  That is why He decreed to purify them and keep them pure.

KHAYBAR IS THE AIM  

   Khaybar, about 80 miles north of Medina, consisted of a community with a cluster of eight fortifications, some were extremely well built.  Khaybar, a military bastion, was lived in, managed, and directed by several Jewish tribes.  It was the stronghold of Arabia.

   Previously some of these Jewish tribes were in Medina and had treaties with Muhammad (pbuh), but having broken the treaties they were forced to leave Medina.

   The Jewish tribes of Khaybar threatened the security of the Muslims by designing plots to destroy the Muslims.  The most dangerous plan was the one of the confederation, which they planned and helped lead the 10,000 disbelievers against the Muslims for the Ditch Confrontation.       Because the inhabitants of Khaybar were a grave danger to the survival of the Muslims, it became necessary to control them.  To do this the Prophet (pbuh), with 1600 Muslims, headed north to Khaybar.  Ali, being sick at the time, couldn't do anything at first.  His sickness took time before improving.  Even then, Ali was left with conjunctivitis and swollen eyelids, shutting both eyes completely.

   At Khaybar the Muslims engaged the Jewish tribes in several battles, none of which succeeded.  The Muslims had not conquered a single fort during almost three weeks, and as the food supply dwindled, it was worrisome.

   Then Muhammad (pbuh) gave the leadership to Abu Bakr (r).  Abu Bakr (r) lead the Muslims and engaged them in hard fighting, but unfortunately the Jewish tribes were victorious.  By evening the Muslim force returned with not much to brag about.

   The next morning Muhammad (pbuh) gave the leadership to Omar (r).  The engagement with the enemy was just as severe, and the fighting was very hard, but the Muslims were not victorious either.  The Muslims accumulated casualties, and Omar returned apologetically acknowledging how strong the Jewish fortifications were.

Ø   Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) then said:

لأُعطِينَّ هذه الرايةَ غداً   رجُلاً يفتًح الله على يَدَيْه،

يُحبُّ اللهَ ورسُولَه ويُحِبُّه اللهُ ورسولُه

TOMORROW I'LL GIVE THE LEADERSHIP

TO A MAN WHO WILL SUCCEED BY ALLAH'S WILL

HE LOVES ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER

AND LIKEWISE ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER LOVE HIM

(Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 5, Page 171.  Also Sahih Muslim, Vol. 15, Page 178.)

   Every Muslim wished to be the man mentioned by the Prophet.  The expected choice of next day caused much talk, wishful thinking, and hope, and as they went to bed all were planning for the next day's encounter.

   "Where is Ali?" Muhammad (pbuh) asked the next morning.  Ali, whose eyes were still closed due to the conjunctivitis, was brought by two men to Muhammad (pbuh), each holding one of his arms.  When Ali was by the Prophet, the Prophet (pbuh) wetting his finger with his saliva touched the eyelids of Ali, and prayed for a cure.  To the amazement of all the swelling of the eyelids began to go away, the redness of his eyes disappeared, and Ali's eyes were back to normal within a few minutes!!

   Everyone said Allaahu Akbar, and the tension began to ease.  Ali (a.s.) was the leader for the day, and it had been revealed to the Prophet by Jubra'eel that he would be victorious.  People now knew that it was Ali who loved Allah and Allah's Messenger and that Allah and the Messenger of Allah have loved him so.

ALI AND KHAYBAR  

   Once Ali was assigned the leadership he raced ahead and the Muslims had to hurry to follow him, hardly catching up.  The Jewish fighters, now very sarcastic of the Muslims, saw the Muslims outside the fortress again but with an urgency.  Immediately the fighting broke out, and xe "Marhab"Marhab the Jewish leader and hero, read a poem bragging about himself and challenging Ali.  Hardly waiting, Ali fell on him like lightning.  Ali was so overwhelming that he slew Marhab before people could recognize what was going on.  As the two sides engaged, the Muslims' morale grew quite high, they identified with Ali, the leader of the leaders, the lion of Allah!

   The Muslims pushed forward relentlessly, falling on the enemy with gusto.  The enemy retreated in disorder and confusion, with much noise, clanking of swords, shouting and running in all directions.  Then everyone saw it.  It was so startling that people looked in disbelief:

    They saw Ali holding a heavy door and using it as a shield!

   "O' Lord," each said to himself, "what a sight!"  Each Muslim felt equal to 10, with a powerful spirit inside moving him forward.  The Jewish fighters, frightened and disorderly, retreated to the fort through its gate with the Muslims close behind them.  The enemy was seized with great fear, having seen Ali with the door moving wherever Ali took it.

   By mid-day the strongest of the fortresses was in the hands of the Muslims, and the other fortresses didn't take long before they surrendered!

   This door that Ali lifted and used as a shield was so heavy it took eight people to move it, as reported by Abi Rafi, the servant of the Prophet  (Al-Mas'oodi, Murooj al-Dhahab).  Was this a power from the above that had bolstered Ali or was it not?  Was this a supernatural phenomenon or was it not?  Yes, Ali held the door as his shield because his regular shield fell, but the door of the fortress was extremely heavy and everyone knew that, how could one man carry it?  It must have been very frightening to all those fighters, no wonder the Jewish fighters gave up soon after.

   After the surrender, Khaybar no longer threatened the Muslims.  It became peaceful.

   Ali's leadership and daring spirit had subdued Khaybar, and the spirit of enthusiasm was magnetically catching, since every Muslim felt equally moved.

THE DAYS AFTER KHAYBAR  

   A treaty was signed with the Jewish people of Khaybar, allowing them to continue to practice their religion but not to carry arms.

   Immediately after Khaybar a Jewish woman served poisoned meat and almost succeeded in poisoning Prophet Muhammad and other Muslims.  One Muslim who ate the meat died because of her poison.  The rest of the poisoned meat was discarded.  The Jewish woman after being arrested admitted to her crime, giving the reason that several of her relatives had lost their lives in Khaybar battles.  Because of those circumstances the Jewish woman was forgiven!

AHLUL BAYT  

   After the Revelation about Ahlul Bayt the Prophet (pbuh) said many Hadiths on their behalf.  As we know a Hadith is a binding commitment on every Muslim.  One Hadith says: 

ألا أنَّ مثَلَ أهْلَ بَيتِي فيكم   مثْلَ سفينةِ نوح: مَنْ ركَبَها نَجى ومَنٍ تَخلَّفَ عنها غَرق

VERILY, THE SIMILITUDE OF AHLUL BAYT

IS LIKE THAT OF NOAH'S ARK,

HE WHO TAKES IT WILL HAVE SAVED HIMSELF,

AND HE WHO FORSAKES IT WILL HAVE DROWNED"

(Al-Haakim, Mustadrak, Vol. 3, Page 151.  Also Ibn Hajr, Al-Sawaa'iq Al-Muhriqa, Page 183 and 234.)

   Ahlul Bayt being compared to Noah's Ark was a great similitude.  Muhammad's teachings as transmitted by Ahlul Bayt will save us.  What this simply means is that the teachings of Ahlul Bayt are the direct teachings of Islam through Muhammad (pbuh).  These teachings are without deformity, variation, alteration, or deviation.  Ahlul Bayt's teachings are the pure and direct teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) without any change, personal reflections or elucidations. 

Another famous Hadith is quoted below:

مََنٍ أحبَّ الحسـنَ والحسـين   فقد أحبَّنِي،    ومَنٍ أبغَضَـهُما  فقد أبغَضَني

"HE WHO LOVES AL-HASAN AND AL-HUSAIN

WILL ALSO HAVE LOVED ME,

AND HE WHO DETESTS THEM

WILL HAVE DETESTED ME"

(Sunan Ibn Maajeh, Hadith 143)

   The love of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is bound to the love and affection of the teachings of Al-Hasan and Al-Husain, and it is bound to the care and attention we give them.  How we feel about them will be the same as toward the Prophet, be it:

   ·  our affection and love to them,

   ·  our honoring them,

   ·  our respect and reverence for them,

   ·  our recognition of them.

   ·  And the opposite is also true.  It seems as if the Prophet (pbuh) was saying that Ahlul Bayt were simply an extension or a portion of him, whatever feelings we have toward them will be the same as toward him, as if he and they were one unit.

Another famous Hadith in regard to Al-Hasan and Al-Husain says:

أنا سِلْمُ لِمَن سالَمتُم،   وحَربُ لِمَن حارَبْتُم

"I AM IN PEACE WITH HIM,  WHOM YOU ARE IN PEACE WITH

AND I AM IN BATTLE WITH HIM WHOM YOU ARE IN BATTLE WITH."

(Sahih Ibn Maajeh, Vol 1, Hadith 145)

   Therefore, the one who is in harmony with Ahlul Bayt is in harmony with Muhammad (pbuh) and will have befriended him.  To be in harmony with Ahlul Bayt is to follow their teachings, to give them the proper degree of love, friendship, and devotion.  They are our means of safety, they are our Ark, they had sacrificed for us so that Islam remains intact for us.

   A profound Hadith of Prophet Muhammad shows the unique place Ahlul Bayt hold in Islam:

إني تاركٌ فيكم الثقـلين، ما إنْ تَمَسَّــكتم بهما لَن تََضِلُّوا بعدي أبدا:   كتابُ الله وعِتْرَتي أهلَ بيتي

"I AM LEAVING TO YOU TWO PRECIOUS MATTERS

BY CONFORMING TO THEM

YOU WILL NEVER STRAY

THE BOOK OF ALLAH AND

MY FAMILY, AHLUL BAYT"

(Sahih Muslim, Vol. 15, Page 175 and Vol. 5, Page 122.  Also Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol. 6, Page 3.  Also Sahih Tirmidhi, Vol. 5, Page 328.  This Hadith is also narrated as:  Sunnati rather Ahlu Bayti.  This is interpreted that Ahlul Bayt are the very ones who follow and apply the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) without any modifications, in its pure form.  This is mentioned in Muslim, Ibn Maajeh, and Abu Dawood.)

   The Holy Quran is always the limelight to humanity, and its guidance will always be the gift of gifts from Allah.  The Holy Quran is the essence of Islam and its very backbone.  But for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to have put Ahlul Bayt second in importance to the Quran is most significant.

   One may ask why all this honor?  The answer is that Ahlul Bayt's instructions were the exact same as those of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), pure and without any alteration, simply clear and unchanged.  This is the reason this Hadith honors Ahlul Bayt and puts them after the Quran in significance, after the Prophet leaves the world.  Ahlul Bayt are the ones who apply the true Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh), and transmit it in a pure way.

   This Hadith is critically decisive because of the way it urges us to hold tight to the Quran and Ahlul Bayt (Sunnah of Muhammad), and to follow in their footsteps and hold to their teachings.

BACK TO MEDINA  

   After Khaybar people continued to be busy, Medina became like a beehive, full of exciting activities.  The stories of the glorious encounters against the Meccans, different tribes and now those of Khaybar were on every tongue.

   After one year a secret movement to take over Mecca was unveiled to a few.  Ali (a.s.) of course was one of those who knew about it.  Keeping it secret was exciting but essential, and each was anxiously waiting for the day to march.

   The Prophet (pbuh) told Ali that Jubra'eel had informed him that a woman was on her way from Medina to Mecca, she carried a letter to break the news to the Meccans about the Muslims' move!  Realizing the plan to conquer Mecca would be undone and tremendous casualties would result, Ali became extremely upset.  Ali (a.s.), in company of Zubair, rushed as fast as they could to catch up with the woman.  They wanted to overtake the woman and stop her.  Sure enough they saw a woman at a distance, dressed in black and traveling toward Mecca.  Upon catching up with her, they asked her to give them the message.  The woman, fearful of being discovered, kept denying she had any messages; she even swore to it.

   Zubair said to Ali, "We better go back, the poor woman is scared and is innocent.  As you can see there are no messages."  But Ali knew better, since the Prophet always told the truth.  Ali said, "Watch!"  Ali, pulling his sword, said to the woman, "If you don't give me the letter, I'll expose your lie and cut you to pieces!"  The woman, turning very pale and shaking with fear, said with a stammer, "Wait, wait, here it is!"  She handed over the paper to him.  The three returned to Medina and the letter was taken to the Prophet (pbuh).

   The message was read in the Mosque in front of the people.  The man who had written it came forward trembling, ashamed and feeling guilty.  He apologized admitting:

   "I wrote it because I was afraid that if the Muslims lose in the confrontation with the disbelievers, my family in Mecca would perish.  Thus doing this favor to the disbelievers may help preserve my family in this situation.  Please forgive me, for I am very wrong, and I did a foolish thing!"  The danger his letter could have led to became obvious to him, a danger that fortunately was forestalled in the nick of time.

QUESTIONS  

1.     The occasion of Ali and Fatima fasting and helping the disadvantaged was recognized in the Holy Quran.  Describe how Allah honored both of them.

2.     What was the role of Ali in Hudaibiya?

3.     How did the Prophet (pbuh) describe Ali's knowledge?

4.     Who was the first rate teacher to Ali?

5.     What did Omar say in regard to Ali's knowledge?

6.     Describe the occasion of the purification of Ahlul Bayt.

7.     Recite the Ayah of purification of Ahlul Bayt.

8.     What is the significance of the purification of Ahlul Bayt.

9.     Why were Ahlul Bayt purified by Allah (swt)?

10. Explain the events that took place at Khaybar.

11. What was the role of Abu Bakr (r) in Khaybar?

12. What was the role of Omar (r) in Khaybar?

13. Muhammad (pbuh) said he would give the banner next day to the one who loves Allah and his Messenger.  Who was that person?

14. Describe Ali's leadership in Khaybar.

15. What is the story of the heavy door in Khaybar?

16. What is the significance of the similitude of Ahlul Bayt to Noah's Ark?

17. Report what the Prophet (pbuh) said about Al-Hasan and Al-Husain.

18. What is the meaning of the 2 precious matters Muhammad (pbuh) highly recommended?

19. What is the relationship between the Quran and Ahlul Bayt?