Allah (Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala) has commanded us to love the Family of the Holy prophet

(Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) i.e. through the Holy Quran – (Surah Shu'ra-23).

It is mentioned in the Hadith, "You instruct your children in 3 things: love o...f the Holy
Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), love of His Ahle Bait and the recitation of the Holy
Quran. As Allah says in Surah Ahzaab

This verse of the Holy Quran establishes that the Ahle Bait are shielded from all kinds of
blemishes, whether they are intellectual blemishes or blemishes of belief.

The background of the revelation of this verse, Hadhrat Umme Salma (May Allah Ta’ala
be well pleased with her) relates, "This verse was revealed when the Holy Prophet
(Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was present in my house. After this verse was revealed, the
Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) summoned Hadhrat Fatima (May Allah Ta’ala
be well pleased with her), Hadhrat Ali (May Allah Ta’ala be well pleased with him),
Imam Hasan (May Allah Ta’ala be well pleased with him) and Imam Hussain (May Allah
Ta’ala be well pleased with him). Then the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)
said: These are my Ahle Bait. Hadhrat Umme Salma (May Allah Ta’ala be well pleased
with her) entreated: O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam): Am I not from the
Ahle Bait? He (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Certainly, you are also from My Ahle
Bait."

LOVE OF THE PROPHET'S AHLE BAIT AND HIS COMPANIONS IS A SIGN OF

THE AHLE SUNNAH:

There is a Hadith in Jame Tirmidhi. It has been narrated on the authority of Hadhrat
Abdullah bin Abbas (May Allah Ta’ala be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet
(Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "Love Allah Ta’ala as He grants you bounties (ni'mah).
Love Me to love Allah Ta’ala and love my Ahle Bait to love Me."

The grace and benevolence of Allah Ta’ala demand that we should love Him. To be able
to love Allah Ta’ala , we should love the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and
to be able to love the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), the Ahle Bait of the
Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) should be loved.

It is as if the love of the Ahle Bait of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) is a
step towards the love of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). Whoever desires
proximity (closeness) with Allah Ta’ala and wants to be s...ummoned unto His presence,
the only way for this is to love the Prophet's Ahle Bait. This love will grant proximity
with the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and through the proximity of the
Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), the person will attain proximity of Allah.

There is a Hadith in Sunan Ibn Majah and Jame Tirmidhi.

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "By Him, who holds My life in His
hands, Iman cannot even enter the heart of the person, who does not love you" (Ahle
Bait).

In the Hadith of Ibn Majah, the words are "Until he loves them for the sake of Allah
Ta’ala and because of My relationship with them."

DEGREE OF LOVE:

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) gave the command to love them and also
described the degree of love.

Love makes a person blind and deaf i.e. the lover can neither see nor hear of any defect in
his/her beloved.

The zenith of love is that the lover cannot notice any defect in the beloved even when it
exists. These personalities whom Allah Ta’ala and His Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam) have commanded us to love, they themselves have vouched for their virtuousness
and have negated the possibility of every blemish about them.

Even after this declaration by Allah Ta’ala , if anyone attributes something inappropriate
towards then, then that person is not raising objections against Imam Hussain (May Allah
Ta’ala be well pleased with him), instead that person is raising objections against the
Holy Quran itself. Besides, that person is breaking the rules of love and is moving out of
its pale.

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has not only commanded us to love His
Ahle Bait, but has also given glad tidings of Jannah and intercession to those who love
his Ahle Bait. My intercession is for those privileged people of th...e Ummah, who love
My Ahle Bait.

There are 4 lucky people for whom I will intercede on the Day of Judgment.

1. One who respects My Ahle Bait

2. One who offers them what they need.

3. One who manages their affairs when they need it

4. One who loves them with his tongue and heart

There is a Hadith in Zujajatul Masabeeh on the authority of Musnad Ahmed.

Hadhrat Abuzar Ghifari says: "While I held the door of the Ka'aba, I heard the Holy
Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) say: Behold! Verily, the example of My Ahle Bait
among you is like the ark of Prophet Nooh (Alaihis salam). Whoever boards it, is saved
and whoever stays back is destroyed."