Several ayāt of the Quran and innumerable ahadīth have been narrated on the countless virtues of the Prophetic Household (Ahl al-Bayt) and the necessity of loving, respecting, and honouring them. Considering that the pure name of the Ahl al-Bayt has been hijacked and misrepresented by some groups, and grossly understated by others, it is important to be aware of the Aqida of the Ahl al-Sunna regarding the Pure Household, as well as what has been narrated about them in the Sunni books of Hadith and Theology.
In the Arabic language the number of titles in this regard would be beyond count. Very little has been translated or written in English however there are a few notable books which are important and essential for English speaking Muslims to own and read. I have highlighted three below:
1 – The Perfect Family – Virtues of the Ahl al-Bayt (translated by Khalid Williams)
This beautiful book is a compilation of various chapters from works by a number of legendary scholars of this Ummah including Imam as-Suyuti, Imam al-Nas’ai, Imam al-Bukhari, Imam Muslim, Imam al-Nawawi, and Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani. It is divided into six parts including a wonderful introduction by Dr Mostafa al-Badawi (mentioned again below) which itself is worth the price of the book.
2 – The Musnad of Ahl al-Bayt (by Sheikh Gibril Fouad Haddad)
To call this work unique would be an understatement. The author (a student of many of the masters of Hadith in our time and a master of Hadith in his own right) has compiled forty full chained Hadiths on the Ahl al-Bayt, narrated from forty separate books of Hadith, narrated to him from forty individual Sayyid scholars belonging themselves to Ahl al-Bayt! One half of the book is the original Arabic and the other half has the English translation.
Each Hadith, in true Gibril Fouad Haddad style, is fully sourced and comes with extensive notes mentioning other chains, hadiths with similar wording, and the grading of the narration according to various Hadith masters. This is a rare type of book, one which Ulema can benefit from, students of knowledge cannot do without, and the awām are advised to own even if only to bring baraka into their homes.
3 – A Blessed Valley by Dr. Mostafa Badawi
This gem of a book primarily deals with the Ba Alawi Sayyids who are descendants of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from the valley of Hadramawt in Yemen. The Ba Alawi tradition has produced countless Ulema and Awliya over the centuries, great men who spread Islam throughout the world, and still do. The book begins with biographies of the early famous Imams of Ahl al-Bayt including Imam Zayn al-Ābidīn, Imam al-Bāqir, and Imam Ja’far al-Sādiq.
This book contains a chapter called ‘The Moroccan Pilgrim’ which is one of the most fascinating and wonderful chapters of any book I have ever read. The work comes in two volumes.
O Allah, send countless blessings on al-Mustafa ﷺ, his pure family, and his noble companions. May Allah Most High grant us their love, their intercession, and their company in the dunya and ākhira.
اَللّهُمَّ بِحُرْمَةِ الْحَسَنِ وَاَخِيْهِ وَجِدِّهِ وَبَنِيْهِ وَاُمِّهِ وَاَبِيْهِ نَجِّنا مِنَ اَلْغَمِّ الَّذِيْ نَحْنُ فِيْهِ
“O Allah, by the honour of Hasan, his brother, his grandfather ﷺ, his children, his mother, and his father, save us from the sorrow that we are in!”
Orthodox Muslim 