AYAT TATHEER

If one checks verse 5:6 and 8:11, you will see that Allah wanted to remove al-rijs from
everybody and He wanted to purify everybody.
Surah 5:6
Allah does not desire to put on you any difficulty, but He wishes to purify you and
that He may complete His favor on you, so that you may be grateful.
Surah 8:11
When He caused calm to fall on you as a security from Him and sent down upon you
water from the cloud that He might thereby purify you,
So what is special about 33:33? Why do Shias think it is different?
There are 2 reasons:
1. All Muslims consider this verse (ie. 33:33) to be a virtue. When you go to the other
verses mentioned above (5:6 and 8:11), it is not considered to be a virtue for
everyone. For eg. Allah wanted to purify Sharun etc and other oppressors but they
themselves did not want to purify their own self. When speaking about Ahlulbayt,
why is it considered a virtue? The reason why this is a virtue is because it is a special
kind of purification mentioned in 33:33, unlike 5:6 or 8:11
2. Allah used the word Innama which means only in Arabic.
Thus, it concludes, this must mean that the verse talks about a special kind of purification.
Why else would Allah state that he ONLY wishes to purify Ahlulbayt (a.s) if he had wished
such a purification for all human beings?
Next, we have to understand the different kinds of desires (wishes) to comprehend the
meaning stated in the verse 33:33. Lets cite some examples to understand this:
a) If I want my hands to move, then it will happen. If I want to blink, or sit down or get up,
such actions will take place when I desire. This is one type of desire or wish. Such a desire,
the possession of which, the acts desired roll into action or take place, is known as Erada
Taqwinia (Universal Will)
b) The other type of desire is when I want somebody else to blink, or sit down or get up or
leave the room. Now this may or may not happen. Thus, it is a different type of desire or
wish. Such a desire, the possession of which, the acts desired may or may not roll into
action or take place, is known as Erada Tashriia (Legislative Will)
When Allah wanted to remove rijs from Sharoon and other oppressors, which type of desire
was it? It was obviously Erada Tashriia, because the oppressors remained oppressors even
though Allah desired they give up their bad deeds. But when Allah wanted to remove alrijs from Ahlulbayt as stated in the verse 33:33, it was a different type of desire which is
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Erada Taqwinia (Allah wants it and it will happen) because of the 2 reasons mentioned
earlier.
Example: When Allah wanted to cool the fire, the fire became cool for Prophet Ibrahim.
Thus, such a wish by Allah is Erada Taqwinia.
Other orders in the Quran like praying salat, fasting etc are not Taqwinia but Tashriia since
people miss their salat and skip their fasts although Allah desires they pray and fast.
So, we can see that the order in the verse 33:33 is Taqwinia and not Tashriia.

WHAT DOES RIJS MEAN?

The Holy Quran uses the word rijs (impurities) in many different ways.
1. Shirk as mentioned in 22:30
2. Sin as mentioned in 5:90 and 6:145
3. Misguidance as mentioned in 6:125 and 9:125 and 10:100
4. Dirtiness as mentioned in 9:95
5. Punishment as mentioned in 7:71
and it has other meanings as well.
So, when Allah was speaking of al-rijs in the verse33:33, which meaning was Allah
speaking about? He was speaking about all the possible meanings of the word al-rijs.
Now, somebody may ask how is it so? It is because Allah (swt) used the word al which
roughly translates as the in English.
Thus, using the word al-rijs, Allah included all kinds of impurities to be kept away from
Ahlulbayt. This has been noted by both Sunnis and Salafi scholars:
Al Rijs mean dirtiness, sins, punishment, najasah, naqaas (things which make a person
bad). He said the meaning in this verse is all of them.
Reference: Al Aloosi in his tafseer Ruh Al Maani vol 22, page 12
Rijs mean dirtiness, sin, forbidden issues, dirty things, any action which cause punishment,
doubt, angriness etc.
He said it means all types of rijs because of the use of the word al
Reference: Ibn Taymiyyah in Minhajj us Sunnah Vol. 4 page 23
To explain his point, Ibn Taymiyyah then gave an example: If a person is clean in one
aspect and impure is another aspect, then you cannot tell that the person is pure.
Therefore, according to Ibn Taymiyyah, if you have to call a person pure, then he has to
be pure in ALL aspects. This is what we mean when we say that Ahlulbayt (a.s) are pure
in all aspects body, actions, idealogy, thoughts etc. Thus, all the types of rijs/impurities
do not reach Ahlulbayt (a.s) and they are kept away from them.
What do we conclude from the information provided?
1. It means that Ahlulbayt are pure from al-rijs which means shirk, misguidance, sin,
dirtiness, any action which will lead to punishment and all other types of rijs.
2. Such a thing of keeping them pure is through the universal will of Allah (Erada
Taqwinia)
In other words, it means that Ahlulbayt (a.s) are infallible. They do not sin due to Allahs
will, they are not misguided due to Allahs will etc.
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SUNNI OBJECTIONS AND REFUTING THEM

We will now look at the objections, Ahlus Sunnah has towards the noble verse 33:33 and
the issue of infallibility derived from it.
I) Sunnis say, that this verse contradicts the Shia aqidah. Shia says that Ahlulbayt (a.s) do
not sin, however, the verse says that the impurity was removed from them. Thus the Shia
argument that Ahlulbayt (a.s) are pure from the time they are born is not possible, they (ie.
Ahlulbayt) must have sinned first and Allah must have removed the sins from them at a
later stage. Hence the usage of the word removed in the verse.
Our Response:
When one looks at the verse 33:33, it says Ankum which means kept away. It does not
say minkum which means removed. Thus Allah kept the impurities away from them,
rather than removing from them as the Sunnis claim.
II) Sunnis argue that wives are included. On demanding proofs, they base their argument
on the context of the verse.
Our Response:
The word Ahl includes wives and slaves too! Nonetheless, what we say is the following:
Yes, Allah was speaking about the wives, but Allah (swt) changed the direction of speech
in the verses and was addressing a different group of people who were not the wives of the
Prophet. So who were the new target? We can prove it through 4 proofs:
1. When you go to the verses, Allah used the word Nun 20 times in the verses. Each
time he used the alphabet Nun, it means Allah was speaking to the wives of the Prophet.
However, once He (swt) used the alphabet Meem. In Arabic language, when you use the
alphabet Meem, it is either directed to only men OR men and women both. It is not used
when one is speaking to the women only. Even if it just one man, the meen al jama is
used.
Thus there was a clear change in the direction of speech. There is still a possibility that the
wives are included in the verse with the meem as well.
2. Allah used the word Buyut house in plural sense. Buyutikunna means houses.
However in the verse 33:33, Allah used the word Bayt which means only one house.
In the other verses, He (swt) was speaking about all the wives since each wife lived in a
separate house. However, in the verse 33:33, He was speaking only about one house. So
the purified house is only one and not other houses.
3. The tone of speech: Allah in the rest of the verses has a warning tone. For example, when
one checks these verses:
Surah 33 verse 29:
But if ye seek Allah and His Messenger, and the Home of the Hereafter
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Surah 33 verse 30:

O Consorts of the Prophet! If any of you were guilty of evident unseemly conduct, the
Punishment would be doubled to her, and that is easy for God.
Surah 33 verse 32:
O Consorts of the Prophet! Ye are not like any of the (other) women: if you fear
(God)
Here Allah used the word En which translates to the word if in English. In Arabic,
there are two ways one can write the word if En and Edha.
En When someone uses this, it means that he is questioning, in a way that he knows or
believes a particular thing will not happen. In the verses stated above, Allah was
questioning whether the wives were really fearing Allah. This is evident by the usage of
the word En and is thus a clear warning tone.
However in 33:33, it is not a warning tone. He was infact stating a virtue. It comes to light
that there is no relation in between the other verses and the verse 33:33. In the previous
verses, Allah (swt) questions the wives if they really seek Him and the Prophet (s), and if
they commit a sin then He (swt) will double the punishment. In the next moment and verse,
how can one conclude that Allah in his infinite wisdom, addresses the same group (of
wives) and says that He has never purified anybody except them?!
Therefore, we see that He (swt) was speaking to two different group one He was warning
(ie wives), and the other He was stating their virtue (ie Ahlulbayt)
4. We shall present two verses of the Holy Quran:
Surah 66:4
If you both turn to Allah, then indeed your hearts are already inclined (to this); and
if you back up each other against him, then surely Allah it is Who is his Guardian,
and Jibreel and -the believers that do good, and the angels after that are the aiders.
Surah 66:5
Maybe, his Lord, if he divorce you, will give him in your place wives better than you,
submissive, faithful, obedient, penitent, adorers, fasters, widows and virgins.
Here Allah (swt) is speaking about the two wives of Prophet Ayesha and Hafsa. They
had sinned by opposing the Prophet and Allah wanted them to repent.
In volume 6 of the Arabic-English version of Sahih al-Bukhari, in a chapter titled: "It may
be, if he divorces you, that his Lord (Allah) will give him, instead of you, wives better than
you ... (66:5)," we read:

Sahih Bukhari Hadith: 6.438

Narrated Umar:
The wives of the Prophet out of their jealousy, backed each other against the Prophet, so I
said to them, "It may be, if he divorced you all, that Allah will give him, instead of you
wives better than you." So this Verse (66.5) was revealed.
Sahih Bukhari Hadith: 6.436
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
I intended to ask Umar so I said, "Who were those two ladies who tried to back each other
against the Prophet?" I hardly finished my speech when he said, They were Aisha and
Hafsa."
It means that the wives are not included in 33:33 since we have proved already that
Ahlulbayt (a.s) are purified and all impurities are kept away from them.
Surah 66:5
Maybe, his Lord, if he divorce you, will give him in your place wives better than you,
submissive, faithful, obedient, penitent, adorers, fasters, widows and virgins.
In the context of the verse above, if a teacher says that he will change his students for other
students who attend classes. What does it mean? Does it mean virtue for the students or
does it mean otherwise? Logic dictates that it means that the students whom the teacher is
talking to do not attend classes and this by no means is a virtue for the students. Allah (swt)
thus cautions the wives that they should conduct themselves properly lest He (swt) replaces
them with better ones who are obedient and dutiful.
III) Sunnis say that there cannot be a shifting in the direction of speech
Our Response:
1. Holy Quran states in Surah 12:29
O Yusuf! turn aside from this; and (O my wife)! ask forgiveness for your fault, surely
you are one of the wrong-doers.
In the above verse, one clearly notices the way the speech is directed to two different
people. In the first part of the verse, it is directed towards Prophet Yusuf (a.s), it then
suddenly changes direction and speaks to the wife of the king, commanding her to ask
forgiveness for the sin she committed.
If Sunnis say that there cannot be a shifting in the direction of speech, then how does this
Quran translator insert the words O my wife in the verse above? How did he conclude
the latter part of the verse is not directed to Prophet Yusuf (a.s) but to Zulekha, the wife of
the king?

2. The verse was revealed separately and no one doubts it.

All Muslims believe that only the verse 33:33 was revealed that day and not all the verses
as is evident from the hadith below:
When the Messenger of Allah noticed that a blessing from Allah was to descent, he told
Safiyya (one of his wives): "Call for me! Call for me!" Safiyya said: "Call who, O the
Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Call for me my Ahlul-Bayt who are Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan,
and al-Husain." Thus we sent for them and they came to him. Then the Prophet
(PBUH&HF) spread his cloak over them, and raised his hand (toward sky) saying: "O
Allah! These are my family (Aalee), so bless Muhammad and the family (Aal) of
Muhammad." And Allah, to whom belong Might and Majesty, revealed: "Verily Allah
intends to keep off from you every kind of uncleanness O' People of the House (AhlulBayt), and purify you a thorough purification (Quran, the last sentence of Verse 33:33)".
Reference: al-Mustadrak by al-Hakim, Chapter of "Understanding (the virtues) of
Companions, v3, p148. The author then wrote: "This tradition is authentic (Sahih)
based on the criteria of the two Shaikhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim).
IV) Sunnis may claim that the verse 33:33 has both parts for wives and Ahlulbayt. Thus
shias should not say that it has nothing to do with the rest of the verses.
Our Response:
It is true that it has nothing to do with the rest of the verses. The sunni hadith states clearly
that it was revealed separately. Nowhere does it state that it is a continuation of the previous
verse or has a continuation to itself. There are clear ahadith which state that the part
Innama Yuridullahu Liyudhhiba Ankumu Ar-Rijsa Ahla Al-Bayti Wa Yuahhirakum
Tahiraan was revealed separately.
V) Someone may ask: If the verse was revealed separately, then why did the Holy Prophet
(s) place it in the middle of the other verses?
Our Response:
Since the verses were warning his wives/relatives, the Prophet (s) wanted to ensure that all
Muslims know that he is not warning ALL the relatives. There are other relatives of Prophet
who are not being warned and Prophet wanted to clearly inform the Muslims regarding
them.
Also, if the verse was put somewhere else, there is a possibility that the enemies of
Ahlulbayt (a.s) like Khawarij, deny the verse altogether. Thus to protect the verse, it was
placed with the other verses so that the Khawarij may state that the verse is not talking
about Imam Ali (a.s) but about Ayesha. This ensures that the verse stays intact and could
still be used as a proof.

FINALLY, WHO ARE THOSE WHO ARE INCLUDED IN 33:33?

The Prophet clearly states through his words and actions, that it is Ahlulbayt (a.s) according
to Hadith al Kisa.
1. Sahih Muslim, hadith number 4450
One day the Prophet (PBUH&HF) came out afternoon wearing a black cloak (upper
garment or gown; long coat), then al-Hasan Ibn Ali came and the Prophet accommodated
him under the cloak, then al-Husain came and entered the cloak, then Fatimah came and
the Prophet entered her under the cloak, then Ali came and the Prophet entered him to the
cloak as well. Then the Prophet recited: "Verily Allah intends to keep off from you every
kind of uncleanness O' People of the House (Ahlul-Bayt), and purify you a perfect
purification (the last sentence of Verse 33:33)."
2. Sunan at Tirmidhi, hadith number 3806
Prophet brought Imam Ali, Fatima, Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain and says: Haola
Ahlebayti wa khaffati.. (those are my Ahlulbayt and my special ones)
Umm Salamah says in this hadith: Am I with them (Ahlulbayt)? Prophet said: You are fine
(which means You are on the good path but not included in Ahlulbayt)
3. Sunan at Tirmidhi, hadith number 3129
The verse "Verily Allah intends to ... (33:33)" was revealed to the Prophet (PBUH&HF) in
the house of Umm Salama. Upon that, the Prophet gathered Fatimah, al-Hasan, and alHusain, and covered them with a cloak, and he also covered Ali who was behind him. Then
the Prophet said: "O' Allah! These are the Members of my House (Ahlul-Bayt). Keep them
away from every impurity and purify them with a perfect purification." Umm Salama (the
wife of Prophet) asked: "Am I also included among them O Apostle of Allah?" the Prophet
replied: "You remain in your position and you are toward a good ending."
4. Sunan at Tirmidhi, hadith number 3719
Same as above
5. Sunan at Tirmidhi, hadith number 3130
It is a famous hadith in which Prophet stands at the door of Fatima (s.a) and recites the
verse: Innama Yoridollahu.. every morning.

CONCLUSION
1. The verse states that Ahlulbayt (a.s) are free from impurities. Thus Ahlulbayt (a.s) are
able to enter the mosque without ritually purifying themselves (unlike other people)
2. Ahlulbayt (a.s) are better than other Prophets (a.s) except Prophet Mohammed (s). There
is a verse in the Quran which states that Sayyeda Maryam (s.a) is purified, however in the
verse 33:33 Allah states that He only purified Ahlulbayt. Is this a contradiction? It is not
a contradiction because Allah is speaking of a very high level of purification in the verse
33:33 which is only reserved for Ahlulbayt. Other Prophets (a.s) are also purified but not
to the extent of Ahlulbayt.
3. Imam Hasan and Hussain (a.s) reached this level of purification when they were 3-4
years old. They are thus are more purified than other Prophets. Those who say that Prophet
Mohammed became infallible when he turned 40, such a claim is not possible since Imam
Hasan and Hussain (a.s) are infallible when they are 3-4 years old.
The same can be said about the other Imams (a.s), that they are infallible before they are
born. Thus it proves that Prophet (s), Imam Ali (a.s) and others were infallible before they
are born.