You posted verse 33:33 of the Quran, but only half of it. Let us look at the rest of it:
“O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other of the women; If you will be on your guard, then be not soft in your speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease yearn; and speak a good word. And stay quietly in your houses, and make not a dazzling display, like that of the former Times of Ignorance; and establish regular Prayer, and give regular Charity; and obey Allah and His Messenger. And Allah only wishes to remove all abomination from you, you Ahlel Bayt (People of the House), and to make you pure and spotless. And recite what is rehearsed to you in your homes, of the Signs of Allah and His Wisdom: for Allah understands the finest mysteries and is well-acquainted (with them).” (Quran, 33:32-34)
When we post the entire verse, numerous things become clear among which is the fact that the verse, in fact, is addressed to the Prophet’s wives (رضّى الله عنهم)!
Similar clarifications become apparent if we read the entire narration of Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه), namely what comes before and after it. If we do so we shall see that Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) categorically declares that the Prophet’s wives are most definitely part of the Ahlel Bayt.
You have asked us to look at Sahih Muslim, Book 31, Chapter 4, Hadith-5923. We will now kindly ask you to read what comes right before it, namely Hadith-5920, 5921, and 5922. All of these are part of the same narration and event as Hadith-5923. Hadiths 5921, 5922, and 5923 are all abridged versions of Hadith 5920, which is the entire Hadith. For example, Hadith 5922 simply says:
“This hadith [5920] has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Hayyan but with this addition: ‘The Book of Allah contains right guidance, the light, and whoever adheres to it and holds it fast, he is upon right guidance and whosoever deviates from it goes astray.’”
This means that Hadith 5922 cannot stand alone without Hadith 5920, which is the entire Hadith, whereas Hadiths 5921, 5922, and 5923 are abridged versions with minor additions and the words of additional narrators.
In fact, it is stated in Hadith 5923 (the one often quoted by Shia) that it cannot stand alone without Hadith 5920. Notice the bolded part below:
Yazid b. Hayyan reported: We went to him (Zaid b. Arqam) and said to him: “You have found goodness (for you had the honour) to live in the company of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and offered prayer behind him…”, **and the rest of the Hadith is the same [as Hadith 5920] but with this variation of wording **that he said…
(Sahih Muslim, Book 31, Chapter 4, Hadith 5923)
So we see that Hadith 5923 (as quoted by the Shia) cannot stand alone without the un-abridged version of Hadith 5920.
Let us now look at Hadith 5920 which is the un-abridged version:
“He (Husain) said to Zaid: ‘Who are the members of his household? Aren’t his wives the members of his family?’ Thereupon he said: ‘His wives are the members of his family but here the members of his family are those for whom acceptance of Zakat is forbidden.’ And he said: ‘Who are they?’ Thereupon he said: ‘Ali and the offspring of Ali, Aqil and the offspring of Aqil and the offspring of Jafar and the offspring of Abbas.’ Husain said: ‘These are those for whom the acceptance of Zakat is forbidden?’ Zaid said: ‘Yes.’”
(Sahih Muslim, Book 31, Chapter 4, Hadith 5920)
In perhaps the clearest version of this Hadith, Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) says:
“His wives *are *among the people of his household, but the people of his household who are forbidden to receive sadaqah (charity) after his death are the family of ‘Ali, the family of ‘Aqeel, the family of Ja’far and the family of ‘Abbaas. All of these are forbidden to receive sadaqah.”
So of course the Prophet’s wives are part of the Prophetic family, but Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) was simply talking about those members of the family who were forbidden Zakat. Here he was only talking about a specific sub-group within Ahlel Bayt. This is why he said “his wives are the members of his family but here the members of his family are those for whom acceptance of Zakat is forbidden.”
An example of this is if a dying woman tells her friend: “Please take care of my children after I am dead.” The friend replies: “You have five children–two of them are already married. Do you mean them too?” Then, the dying woman responds: “No, they will be taken care of by their husbands, so I am only (here) talking about the three children of mine who are not married.” This does not mean that the two married children are not still part of her family, but all it means is that she is right now specifically worried about those members of her family who will have no means of support. Likewise, in the Hadith narrated by Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه), a group of Muslim soldiers had criticized Ali (رضّى الله عنه) and the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) reprimanded these men and warned them to take care of his Ahlel Bayt (i.e. referring to Ali who was an honorary member of the Ahlel Bayt). To this, the people asked: But doesn’t Ahlel Bayt equal wives? And to this, Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) made the clarification that here the Ahlel Bayt was in regards to those parts of the Ahlel Bayt who could not recieve Zakat: the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) was about to die and he worried about those parts of his family who would not have the luxury of being supported by Zakat. This is similar to the analogy of the dying woman: there is more concern for those members of the family who have no other source of financial support.
This Hadith narrated by Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) is also narrated in Musnad Ahmad (Hadith no. 18464). Hence, there should be absolutely no confusion on this issue since we can find this same narration in more than one book. In Musnad Ahmad (Hadith no. 18464), Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) says:
“His wives are the members of his family but here the members of his family are those for whom acceptance of Zakat is forbidden.” (Ahmad, Hadith no. 18464)
Zaid (رضّى الله عنه) says “His wives are among the people of his household.” He further emphasized: “His spouses are a fiber of his household.”
Furthermore, since when has Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) turned into the authorative source of the Islamic belief system? Since when has the word of Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) become superior to the speech of Allah, namely verse 33:32-34 in which Allah Almighty addresses the Prophet’s wives as Ahlel Bayt? Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) was not even narrating the word of the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) when he was conjecturing on who is and who is not part of the Ahlel Bayt; rather, he was speaking of his own accord.
Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) said in the same narration that along with Ali (رضّى الله عنه) and his family there are other families included in the Prophetic household, including the family of Aqil (رضّى الله عنه), the offspring of Jafar (رضّى الله عنه), and the offspring of Abbas (رضّى الله عنه). It is our understanding that the Shia do not accept these individuals and their offspring as part of the Ahlel Bayt. So then how can this Hadith be used as proof for the Shia? With this logic, it may seem that the verse 33:33 was actually revealed to all of these families. Contrary to the expectations of many Shia, this Hadith actually helps elucidate the status of the wives of the Prophet (رضّى الله عنهم) as part of the Ahlel Bayt and helps discredit the idea that they are somehow distinct from the Ahlel Bayt.
The same Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) says in the preceeding part of Sahih Muslim:
“I have grown old and have almost spent my age and I have forgotten some of the things which I remembered in connection with Allah’s Messenger.”
How then can we take this Hadith, appear to change its meaning, and place it above the Word of Allah in the Quran in which He specifically addresses the Prophet’s wives (رضّى الله عنهم) as Ahlel Bayt. Not a million Hadith or Tafseer or Fatawa could change this fact.
How then can we take this Hadith, appear to change its meaning, and place it above the Word of Allah in the Quran in which He specifically addresses the Prophet’s wives (رضّى الله عنهم) as Ahlel Bayt. Not a million Hadith or Tafseer or Fatawa could change this fact.
The Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) did divorce some of his wives. These wives ceased being part of Ahlel Bayt upon divorce, and thus the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) stopped providing for them financially. As such, the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) could not promise their financial well-being and they may even need Zakat to maintain themselves as single divorced women. Furthermore, after the Prophet’s death, his widows were forbidden to re-marry (this injunction is in the Quran). Thus, it would be unfair to them to prohibit them from Zakat since they have no husband to care for them. Obviously, the option of Zakat in dire need could then not be taken away from them.
It should be noted that the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) never divorced Aisha (رضّى الله عنها) or Hafsa (رضّى الله عنها). This should be something for our Shia brothers to ponder upon since it is a testament to how much the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) loved these women and how loyal he was to them–the same women that the Shia Ayatollahs slander.
We shall take the opportunity to quote another Hadith in Sahih Bukhari in which the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) himself refers to Aisha (رضّى الله عنها) as being Ahlel Bayt. Therefore, even if we accepted the Shia proposition that Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) denied that the Prophet’s wives were Ahlel Bayt, then his opinion would have to be rejected because nobody’s word can be taken above that of the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم). In Sahih Bukhari, we see a narration in which the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) himself addresses Aisha (رضّى الله عنها) as part of Ahlel Bayt:
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 316
Narrated Anas:
A banquet of bread and meat was held on the occasion of the marriage of the Prophet to Zainab bint Jahsh. I was sent to invite the people (to the banquet), and so the people started coming (in groups). They would eat and then leave. Another batch would come, eat and leave. So I kept on inviting the people till I found nobody to invite.
Then I said, “O Allah’s Prophet! I do not find anybody to invite.”
He (the Prophet) said, “Carry away the remaining food.” Then a batch of three persons stayed in the house chatting. The Prophet left and went towards the dwelling place of Aisha and said, “Peace and Allah’s Mercy be on you, Ya Ahlel Bayt (O the people of the house)!”
She replied, “Peace and the mercy of Allah be on you too. How did you find your wife? May Allah bless you.”
Then he went to the dwelling places of all his other wives and said to them the same as he said to Aisha and they said to him the same as Aisha had said to him.
Therefore, we hope it becomes apparent that the claim that Sunni Hadith exclude the Prophet’s wives (رضّى الله عنهم) from Ahlel Bayt is incorrect.
In conclusion, the Shia who use this Hadith of Zaid ibn Arqam (رضّى الله عنه) to “prove” their claims are doing what we like to call “Half Hadith-ing.” You will notice this same approach taken by the Shia with certain verses of the Quran as well. As a side-note, it should be asked: why are the Shia so adamant in denying the Prophet’s wives the position of Ahlel Bayt? Do they really hate the beloved of the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) so much? These are the women that the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) was intimate with; not a single person alive today can claim this honor. So why this undying hatred for the women in the Prophet’s life? Why the need to go to such great lengths to misinterpret seemingly straight-forward verses in the Quran?
