into Paradise whoever amongst you is raised having testified لَا اِلٰہَ اِلَّا للہ.”’”

Hearing this, Amīr MuꜤāwiyah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ asked, “O Abū ꜤAbdullah! (i.e. Imam Ḥusayn رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ) Who are the group of Muḥammad’s family?”

Imam Ḥussayn رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ answered, “Those who do not speak ill of Abū Bakr, ꜤUmar, ꜤUthmān عَلَیْہِمُ الرِّضْوَان, my father ꜤAlī رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, and you MuꜤāwiyah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ; they are the group from the family of Muḥammad.”^[1]

سُـبْحٰـنَ الـلّٰــه! Whoever respects the noble Companions عَلَیْہِمُ الرِّضْوَان, the four close friends of the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and does not speak ill of Sayyidunā Amīr MuꜤāwiyah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, he is a true lover of the Ahl al-Bayt.

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                     صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Blessings of knowing the blessed family

Qāḍī ꜤIyāḍ al-Mālikī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه writes in his book al-Shifā:

The Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Knowing the family of Muḥammad (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم) grants salvation from Hell, love for them allows you to cross the Bridge of Ṣirāṭ with ease, and being good towards them grants safety from the punishment of Allah Almighty.”^[2]

Love for the Ahl al-Bayt increases honour

Abū Naṣr Bishr bin Ḥārith al-Ḥāfī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه said:

One night, I saw the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in a dream, and he said, “O Bishr! Do you know why Allah granted you a greater rank than the other saints of your era?”