Re: Sects of Islam
I take it for the first two caliphs you’re saying that because the Prophet married their daughters? Do you realize then that by that standard, Abu Sufyan would thus be part of the Ahl al-Bayt?
I take that you are quite familiar with Quran and Hadiths. Quran obviously places great emphasis on maintaining blood relations and being kind to them and paying their dues and so on. That is a general rule and applies to every believer. However when the term Ahl al-Bayt is mentioned then the idea is of the chosen family members who have an elevated position above the rest of the faithful, similar to the position of the early Prophets highlighted all over by Quran. If you wish then I can go in more details and provide you references from Quran but this concept is quite well understood by scholars of all schools in Islam. You may refer to hadiths in your books where usually there is a separate chapter dedicated to the selected few members of the household of Rasool Allah saw. I use the word ‘selected’ before because not everyone in family of Prophets becomes a spiritual heir double ch and as you pointed God promises double chastiment and punishment for members who go against God such as paternal uncle of Rasool Allah, Abu Lahab.
Love and respect is not subjective to the school one follows, I agree, and we are not discussing that. But two people can not be right at the same time specially if both of them come to war with each other. And what makes it more is serious of God and his apostle has ordered you to love and follow one of them.