Ahl al-Kisa
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Part of a series on Shi'a Islam The verse of purification |
In Shi'a Islam, the term Ahl al-Kisa, meaning People of the Cloak, refers to the founder of Islam Muhammad, his daughter Fatimah, his cousin and son-in-law Ali, and his two grandsons Hasan and Husayn. Its origin is in the Hadith of the Event of the Cloak and the Hadith of Mubahala, hadith which are both accepted as authentic by Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, with differences only in interpretation. It is one of the foundations of the Shi'a conception of Imamate, which states that a male descendant of Muhammad has special rule over the Muslim community. The Ahl al-Kisa along with the Imams form the Shi'a definition of Ahl al-Bayt, a term used to designate the family of Muhammad.
The three branches of Shi'a differ on the nature of the Ahl al-Kisa and Imams. The two largest branches, the Twelver and the Ismaili, consider them to be in a state of ismah, meaning infallibility, a belief originating from the verse of purification in the Muslim holy book, the Qur'an. In contrast, the third branch, the Zaidi, view them only as political figures with the duty to lead revolts against corrupt rulers and governments.
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