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■i
The Verse of Purification (ayah al-tathir), Surah Ahzab verse 33, is likely
one of the most controversial theological verses in the history of Islam.&
Namely, the dispute has centered around this key question: who are the
“People of the House” (Ahl al-Bayt) mentioned in this verse and what
is God specifically saying about them? In this research, we have sought
to present the various views espoused by commentators regarding this
question while weighing the lexical, semantic, contextual, and tradi-
tionist (hadith) corroborators. We demonstrate that all the evidence
points towards these individuals being none other than the Holy Imatns
of the Prophetic lineage; in turn, this verse serves to substantiate their ‘
infallibility. After presenting this answer to this question, we endeavor
to present and refute the myriad contentions often raised by critics A
against this thesis. This book is the first of its kind in the English
language, extensively citing dozens of Arabic, Persian, and Urd
resources. We pray it may be beneficial to those who seek a deep*
Quranic-based understanding about the identity of the Ahl al-BaytJan
their status in Islam. -is
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The Family
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An Exegetical Study of the

Verse ofPurification
Dr. M.H. Jaffer

Foreword by Shaykh Azhar Nasser
ISBN: 979-8-3626-0354-0
The Family of the Prophet: An Exegetical Study of the Verse of
Purification
Written by Dr. M.H. Jaffer

Edited by Arifa Hudda
Published by
Tasneem Institute
tasneeminstitute.org
admin@tasneeminstitute.org
Copyright © 2022 Tasneem Institute
Text Layout by Islamic Publishing House (www.iph.ca)
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of

this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a
retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior
written permission of both the copyright owner and the publishers of this
book.
Contents
Foreword . ..i
Introduction iii
1. An In-Depth Analysis of Ayah al-Tathir. Who are the Ahl al-

Bayt? 7
A Lexical Discussion Analyzing the Meaning of the Words... 10
Understanding the Syntax 13
Exclusivization (Al-Hasr) 13
The Particle of Causation (Lam al-Ta’lil) 13
Precedence of the Preposition (Taqdim al-Jarr wa al-Majrur)
14
The Definite Article of Categorical Inclusion (Lam al-
Istighraq) ) 15
The Definite Article of Recognition (Lam al-cAhd) 15
Accusative Particularization vs. the Vocative Accusative
(Ikhtisasvs. al-Nida*) 16
The Cognate Accusative of Emphasis (Al-Maf’ul al-Mutlaq)
16
What do the Contextual Clues Imply? 17
I
A. Within the Same Verses 18
The Parenthetical Sentence (Al-Jumlah al-Mu3taridah) 19
F
Prescriptive Will vs. Existential Will (Iradah al-TashrViyyah wa
Iradah al-Takwiniyyah)................................................................ .20
I
Your Houses vs. The House (Buyutikunna wa al-Bayt) .21
A Change in Pronouns (Al-Iltifat) .22
Argumentum A Fortiori (Al-Awlawiyyah al-Qat’iyyah) .25
1
B. In the Specific Passage......................................................... 28
The Volition (al-Iradah) of the Wives.............................. 28
The Harmony of the Context (Al-Siyaq al-Munsajim)... 29
Are tlie Wives Being Praised in this Passage?................ 30
Other Verses of the Quran that are Relevant...................... 32
What do the Ahadith and History Specifically Tell Us? 35
The Narration of the Cloak (Hadith al-Kisa3)...................... 35
Zayd ibn Arqam’s View of the Ahl al-Bayt.......................... 38
The Prophet Commands the Ahl al-Bayt towards Salat.... 40
The Event (Hadith) of Mubahalah................................................. 41
The Narration (Hadith) of Thaqalayn........................................... 42
The Wives Never Used this Verse to Prove their Superiority ..43
The Imams of Ahl al-Bayt used this Verse to explain their Merit
45
2. Answering Certain Contentions about the Verse of Tathir..... 53 il

Contention #1 - The Problem of Context: It Does Not Support
this View........................................................................................... 53
Response...................................................................................... 54 I
Contention #2 - The Verse Includes all of the Banu Hashim....61
Response...................................................................................... 62
Contention #3 - This Verse does not Prove Infallibility 64
Response...................................................................................... 65
Contention #4 - This Verse is Actually about the Wives, and
Hadith al-Kisd3 is Just a Particularization (al-Misdaq).............. 71
Response........................................................................................ 72
Contention #5 - The Actions of the Wives have No Bearing on
the Prophetic Household................................................................. 75
Response 75
i
?
Contention #6 - What about the Other Uses of Ahl al-Bayt in
the Quran?........................................................................................ 78
Response....................................................................................... 80
Contention #7 - Flow does the Verse of TaithIr subsume the
other Imams if it is restricted to the Ahl al-Kisa3?................... 86
Response, 86
Epilogue.......... 107
Index........................ 109
Other Publications 113
Foreword
The Quran is an endless ocean of spiritual secrets and moral
lessons. For over a millennia, Muslim scholars and thinkers from
all theological persuasions have produced works that explore the
various aspects and dimensions of the Quran. Some have
contributed voluminous commentaries covering the totality of its
chapters, while others have provided detailed analyses of single
chapters, and in some cases, individual verses.
The book before you is an exegetical study of one of the most
contentious verses in the Quran, generating centuries of rich
debate and dialogue. The Verse of Purification, as it is popularly
known, represents a significant diverging point between Shlcah
and Sunni Muslims.
While both schools express deep reverence for the Ahl al-Bayt
S-, there is much dispute regarding the identity of its members and
their role in the spiritual and political lives of Muslims.
I had the opportunity to review the manuscript of, The Family
of the Prophet: An Exegetical Study of The Verse of Purification, and
it delights me to say that, to date, it is the most thorough treatment
of this Quranic verse available in the English language. I commend
the author for his meticulous research, and I pray that readers find
this work instructional and enlightening. May Allah continually
bless all of those who contributed to the completion of this work
and may we all strive to be perpetual students of the Quran.
Shaykh Azhar Nasser

Founder of Tasneem Institute
October 8th, 2022
I
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Introduction
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Praise be to Allah, Lord of the creations.

And upon Muhammad be the best of salutations,
And upon his Noble Household, the Ship of Salvation.
There is little doubt that the Verse of Purification [Ayah al-Tathir
- Surah al-Ahzab (33), verse 33] is considered among the doctrinal
verses for the Shi'ah. Since the inception of this creed until today,
it is recited in nearly every one of our sermons (khutbahs) and is
featured prominently in the various supplications from our
immaculate Imams 22A.
While the Shi'ah almost unanimously take this verse to imply
the immaculate purification and infallibility of the noble Five
Personalities (Ashab al-Kisd3), and by extension the other nine
Imams from the progeny of Prophet Muhammad many of our
brethren from the Ahl al-Sunnah do not take this verse to mean as
such.
Naturally, this has resulted in a very extensive exegetical
discussion between the Shl'ah and Ahl al-Sunnah about the
importance of this verse. While this verse (ayah) has already been
subjected to exhaustive analysis within the Shlcah scholarly circles
in Arabic, Persian, and Urdu languages, it is unfortunate that a
thorough analysis of this verse is lacking in the English language.
Of course, there have been admirable, albeit incomplete,
initiatives carried out by the likes of the late Sayyid Akhtar Rizvi
and Shaykh Mansour Leghaei, may Allah reward them both. The
translation of some of Tafsir al-Mizdn by the great ‘Allamah
Taba’taba’i has been a milestone as well; however, the wide-
iv Introduction
reaching nature of his work prevented the respected ‘Allamah

from a thorough exposition of this verse as one may have desired.
Among Sunni polemicists, this relative vacuum has been seized
upon to cast aspersions and contentions against the ShFah
interpretation of this verse. In the wake of this influence, it
occurred to me that a proper understanding of this verse was
sorely lacking, even among some of our very well-learned Shfah
constituents. This was further reinforced to me when I discovered
that some of our own people had inadvertently come to
acknowledge that the purification mentioned in this verse
subsumes the wives of the Prophet! This was naturally very
alarming, especially given that this verse is a credal text used to
substantiate our theological tenets.
After encountering this trend, I thought it was necessary for me
to first obtain personal conviction regarding the validity of the
Shi'ah interpretation for myself; therefore, I sought to research this
verse over the course of a month, taking copious notes and
attempting to assimilate the various research endeavours of our
impeccable scholars, may Allah reward them generously. In this
process, I attempted to pay special attention to the contentions
raised by our Sunni brethren about the Shi'ah interpretation of this
verse and searched for answers as to how they should be
addressed.
It was only after obtaining this personal satisfaction in
understanding the verse that I decided to transcribe these
thoughts; and I realized it would indeed be amiss for me to not
consolidate the various efforts already expended by our ShFah
'ulamff and present it as a cogent thesis for the English-speaking
audience.
Thus, what you find before you - dear readers - is my humble
effort in attempting to present the conclusions of my research. We
have employed a two-pronged approach, whereby in the first
section we set out to establish a robust understanding of the verse.
In doing so, we adopted a traditional exegetical approach
An Exegetical Study of the Verse of Purification v
employed by many of the great commentators (mufassirun)

whereby one examines the verse at the level of its lexicon, then its
syntax, then its context clues within the Quran, and finally extra-
textual clues derived from the traditionist (hadith) corpus. After
reading this analysis with deep reflection, the esteemed reader will
find the second part of the analysis, which contains a detailed
treatment of the various contentions raised against the significance
of this verse.
We would like to make two observations here: first of all,
although we do not claim that our analysis is exhaustive, we have
endeavoured to the extent of our abilities to subsume as much of
the detailed research as we could. Of course, any shortcomings in
the analysis and presentation are completely my own. Secondly,
the nature of this topic does lend itself to a polemical overtone,
although this is not at all our intention; rather, we hope that the
preponderance of evidence presented will convince any truth
seeking reader that our thesis is correct, regardless of what sect
one adheres to.
We hope that this book will serve to strengthen the beliefs
faqidah) of our youth and pave the way for future initiatives in
this vein.
I would like to acknowledge my family, especially my wife
Fatemah and my mother Latifa, who supported me in this project
as I spent many hours in research and writing.
I would furthermore like to thank Sayyid Ali Imran, a great
friend who assisted in publicizing this work to a wider audience.
Finally, I would also like to thank Tasneem Institute for their
assistance in publishing this booklet.
We sincerely hope that Allah accepts our humble effort
expended in the cause of defending His creed and elucidating the
status and position of the Ahl al-Bayt Finally, we dedicate this
writing to the Imam of our Age, Imam al-Mahdi and make us
from among his helpers upon his return.
vi Introduction
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O the most noble! We and our family have been struck with
afflictions, and have come to you with a few worthless
provisions; so, grant us full measure and be charitable to us.
Indeed, Allah rewards the charitable ones! (Surah Yusuf (12),
verse 88)
dij di 'Ji ^55

And my success is through none other than Allah, upon Him
I trust, and to Him I turn. (Surah Hud (11), verse 88)
Dr. M.H. Jaffer

July 9th, 2022
10,h of Dhul Hijjah, 1443 AH
1
An In-Depth Analysis of Ayah, al-
Tathlr’. Who are the Ahl al-Bayt?.
In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate
Allah Jw says in the Noble Quran:
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And abide (O wives of the Prophet) quietly in your homes,

and do not flaunt your charms as they used to flaunt them
in the Days of Ignorance; and be constant in prayer, and
render the purifying dues, and pay heed unto Allah and His
Apostle: for Allah only wants to remove from you all
that might be loathsome, O Ahl al-Bayt (People of the
8 Section 1: Who are the Ahl al-Bayt?
Household), and to purify you with an utmost purity.1

(Surah al-Ahzab (33), verse 33)
Among the most disputed verses of the Quran is the ending portion
of Surah al-Ahzab, verse 33, known colloquially as the “Verse of
Purification” (Ayah al-Tathir).2 This verse has been a cause of
dispute among the ShVahs and Sunnis, specifically regarding who
the “Ahl al-Bayt” (People of the Household) are that are mentioned
in this verse. In general, the commentators of the Quran have
diverged about the meaning of Ahl al-Bayt, and these can be
divided into three major camps:
1. The Ahl al-Bayt is a term which includes the wives, the Five
Personalities (those whom the Prophet gathered under the cloak,
namely himself, Imam ‘All S, Imam Hasan Imam Husayn O,
and Lady Fatima $&), and the Banu Hashim.3,4
1 We have adopted the translation of Muhammad Asad for this verse for
the sake of clarity for an English-speaking audience, although we will
examine the verse in detail in the coming sections.
2 Although the term ayah (verse) is used for the ending portion of Chapter
33, verse 33, the reader will observe that it is technically only a fragment
of the verse in the actual writing (mushaf). Nonetheless, it is popularly
referred to as the Verse of Purification (Ayah al-Tathir), and we have
therefore adopted this convention in this article.
3 Tkrimah al-Barbari and Muqatil ibn Sulayman are known to have
endorsed that the term Ahl al-Bayt only subsumes the wives of the
Prophet. Many Sunni scholars are of the opinion that the term Ahl al-
Bayt incorporates the wives of the Prophet $£, as well as the Five
Personalities, although explicit textual evidence for this viewpoint does
not exist among the early generations of Muslims (one of the first
commentators (mufassirin) of the Quran to propose this was al-Fakhr al-
Razi in his commentary Al-Tafslr al-Kabir on this verse).
4 Among the Shi'ah scholars, Ayatullah Salehi Najafabadi controversially
took the position that this Verse of Tathir includes both the wives, and
the Five Personalities in his work Ta’ammuli dar Aye-ye-Tathir. He
An Exegetical Study of the Verse of Purification 9
2. The Ahl al-Bayt is a term which includes all of relatives of

Prophet Muhammad from the Banu Hashim for whom charity
(sadaqah) was prohibited.5
3. The Ahl al-Bayt is a term which is specific for the Five
Personalities along with the remaining Shl'ah Imams.6
In the following book, we would like to examine the Verse of
Purification as exhaustively as possible to arrive at the viewpoint
which is the most consistent with evidence. We will endeavour to:
1. Examine the import of the words used.
2. Discuss syntactic features of this verse and their
connotations.
3. Discuss the verse in context (i.e. al-qara’in al-
dakhiliyyah).
4. Delve into the historical and narrational reports (i.e. al-
qara’in al-kharijiyyah) in order to derive to a
conclusion.
Then, we will analyze and refute several prominent
contentions/counterarguments to the views that we will present.
As far as we are aware, an exhaustive analysis of the Verse of
Purification to the extent that we endeavour to present has not
received a scathing critique for this work from many prominent Shfah
scholars, one of them being Ayatullah Sadeqi Tehran!.
5 This opinion was particularly attributed to Zayd ibn Arqam that we will
discuss later.
6 The opinion that the term Ahl al-Bayt is specific for the Five
Personalities was attributed to Umm Salamah, Wathilah ibn Asqa*,
‘A’ishah, and Abu Sa'id al-Khudri. The Shi'ah commentators are almost
unanimous on this term being specific for these Five, and several
prominent Sunni scholars also agree with this (Abu Jacfar al-Tahawi, ‘All
ibn Ahmad al-Samhudl, Yusuf ibn Musa al-Hanafi, etc). There are also
traditions (riwayat) that the Shl'ah scholars adhere to which include all
the Twelve Shi'ah Imams in the term Ahl al-Bayt.
been done to date in the English language.7 In this article, I am

highly indebted to the excellent works of Sayyid JaTar Murtada al-
‘Amili, and Sayyid Muhammad 'All Muwahhid al-Abtahi (may
Allah have mercy on both of them) in regard to the Verse of
Purification (Ayah al-Tathlr).s
i
A Lexical Discussion Analyzing the Meaning of
the Words9
First off, we would like to present a word-by-word breakdown of
the root meanings in this Verse of Purification as follows:
iji (Innama)
This is an Arabic particle composed of ji and u which implies

‘exclusivization’ (al-hasr). In other words, it is a word which enters
upon either a verbal sentence (jumlah al-fi’liyyah), or a nominal
sentence (jumlah al-ismiyyah) and has the primary role of
affirming the word that follows it to the exclusion of all other
possibilities.
ibi (Yuridu Allahu)
7 There have been some great explanations on this Verse (such as the one
presented by Shaykh Mansour Leghaei entitled: A Discourse on Ayah al-
Tathir, although this was apparently a transcript of a lecture he gave, and
thus took the form of a very rough note-like format), but they have left a
lot to be desired. Owing to the importance of this Verse in Shicah
theology, we have aimed to present a more exhaustive analysis here.
8 Al-'Amili’s work is entitled Ahl al-Bayt fl Ayat al-Tathir (The People of
the House in the Verse of Purification) and al-Abtahi’s work is called Ayat
al-Tathir ft Ahadlth al-Fariqayn (The Verse of Purification in the
Narrations of the Two Sects).
9 The analysis that we exposit here is derived from the famous Quranic
dictionary Al-Mufradatfi Gharlb al-Quran (Regarding the Words Specific
to the Quran) of Raghib al-Isfahani.
This word in its root (al-iradah) implies ‘a faculty that is comprised

of desire, want, and hope - an inclination of the soul towards
something.’ This inclination could be an unactualized desire (al-
mabda’i), or an actualized decree (al-muntahd). When Allah is the
Doer (al-Fa’il), it means that He has ordained or judged for
something to be a certain way - for Allah obviously transcends
unactualized inclinations.10
Si (Yudhhiba cAri)
A verb which is in the form (pattern IV) that means ‘to make
something go away from someone.’ This word has a subtle
connotation of the fact that the doer removes the object without
accompanying it oneself (i.e., without istishab).11 The Arabic
particle (ean) is used to imply ‘transcendence’ (al-mujawazah).
(Al-Rijs)
This word is used to imply ‘every type of uncleanliness’ and
includes innate filth (tab’l), rational filth (‘aqli), and religiously
deemed filth (shar'i). Additionally, it can also be abstracted to mean
Divine punishment, as well as religious doubts.12 In conjunction
10 As evidenced by Quran, Surah Yasin (36), verse 82:
His (Allah’s) command when He ordains something is only to say

to it ‘Be’ and it is.
11 This contrasts with the phrase - “to go away with something” -
which implies that the doer leaves with the object. An example of this can
be seen in Quran, Surah al-Baqarah (2), verse 17, where Allah states that:
“Allah takes away their light” from the disbelievers <uji This
implies that light accompanies Allah.
12 Such as in the respective statements of Prophet Hud to his people
in Quran, Surah al-Acraf (7), verse 71:
with the preceding verb, there is a powerful personification being

used here in this verse, as though filth is an individual being chased
away.
cjJi JaI (Ahl al-Bayt)

The word “ahi”means ‘those with whom one is together,’ whether
this connection be one of kinship, religion, or locality; nonetheless,
the root meaning is ‘a connection of kinship.’ The root meaning of
“bayt” is ‘a shelter that is sought by night,’ although it was then
abstracted by usage to mean ‘a dwelling,’ and then even further to
mean ‘a place’ in general. In this phrase, we find the term being 1
used in a possessive (idafah) construction meaning more literally:
“The people of the house (brought together).” As we will discuss
i
later, this phrase should not be understood on the level of
superficial meaning only, it is a specialized Quranic expression (al-
istilah).
(Tathir)
This word is a Jis (form II) derived verbal noun from the root word
(masdar) of purity (taharah). The import of taharah is two-fold, and
based on the context it could imply:
1. External cleanliness of the body, whether in a physical, or
ritual sense; and/or
2. Spiritual/moral cleanliness.
Tathir has a transitive meaning as a verbal noun, and thus implies
the “process of purification.”
Punishment and wrath have already descended upon you from

your Lord.
As well, Allah mentions about the disbelievers in Quran, Surah al-Tawbah
(9), verse 125:
But as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it has (only) increased

them in doubt upon their doubt.
Understanding the Syntax

After discussing the meaning of the words individually, the next
step in understanding the Verse of Purification is to examine the
words in conjunction with those which they govern and their
grammatical function. It is recommended that the reader has the
verse in front of them when reading this portion to better
understand the grammatical points being conveyed.
Exclusivization (Al-Hasr)
The sentence here, as was mentioned starts with “innamd,” which
implies that there is only one single reason for Allah’s ordinance
(iradah). It should be noted that the verb which it governs is in the
present tense which indicates ‘persistence’ (al-istimrariyyah),
meaning that Allah’s ordinance is for one reason, and it remains
persistent, it is not attached to a specific timeframe.
The Particle of Causation (Lam al-Ta’ltf)

The letter lam in is known as the ‘particle which expresses
purpose.’ Therefore, the implication is that everything which
comes after this particle (i.e., to purify the Ahl al-Bayt from filth,
and completely purify them) is the purpose of Allah’s ordinance
(iradah). The ordinance which Allah has decreed is therefore left
implied by what came before in this verse: namely, the various
orders and prohibitions given to the women. Therefore, the
implication is that: “Allah only decrees (these commands and
prohibitions on the wives) in order to repel from you filth, O Ahl
al-Bayt, and purify you completely.”
This is of course a significant difference from the common
translation, which is that “Allah only desires to repel from you
filth, O Ahl al-Bayt, and completely purify you.” This translation is
blatantly incorrect. It would only be correct had the verse used the
non-adverbial infinitive particle ji - in lieu of lam.13 Therefore, the

use of lam is very important here: It serves to indicate that the
purification of the Ahl al-Bayt is the purpose of Allah’s
ordinances upon the wives.14
Precedence of the Preposition (Taqdtm al-Jarrwa al-

Majrur)
It should be noted that - ankum - comes before the object
- al-rijs - here, which is opposite to the default order. Normally in
Arabic, the object J4-J1 should precede the preposition This
indicates a special degree of Divine attention, exclusivity, and
prioritization of the party from whom all filth is being negated. The
particle fan) instead of j* (min) is used, which is also significant:
the former is used for transcendence (al-mujawazah), while the
latter is used to indicate origination (ibtida* li al-ghayah). In other
words, if Sx was used here, the meaning would be that ‘filth was
initially attached to the Ahl al-Bayt and was then driven away (al-
raf).' However, the use of suggests the possibility that filth was
never attached to the Ahl al-Bayt to begin with; it has the meaning
of deflection (al-daf).
This is extremely significant because it points towards the fact
that filth has never been attached to those being addressed in this
13 In Arabic, this type of particle is known as “an al-masdariyyah,” which

taken together with the verb that comes after it has the syntactic
significance of Lhe verbal noun.
14 This is an important discussion which should be pursued in the books
of Arabic grammar, as it is quite difficult to fully exposit in English. For
advanced readers, please review aPAmill’s Ahl al-Bayt fl Ayat al-Tathlr,
Pp. 65-69.
verse. This is an important syntactic clue which serves to indicate

infallibility.15
The Definite Article of Categorical Inclusion {Lam al-

Istighraq'))
“Rijs” here is attached to “al” (the definite article), and this word is
thus used for the purposes of categorical inclusion (al-istighraq)
meaning a complete subsumption of all forms of filth. Therefore,
al-rijs is being categorically implied, and all the forms of
repugnance (innate, rational, and religious) are being absolutely
negated by Allah in bearing any connection to the addressees. In
addition, this word also includes the secondary indications of the
word al-rijs, such as Divine punishment and doubt, as we discussed
in our lexical discussion.
The Definite Article of Recognition {Lam al-Ahd)

The definite article “al”which is used in “al-bayt” is used in Arabic
to specify a house that is already known to the listeners (al-cahd)
either because they know of it externally (al-cahd al-khariji), or
because it was mentioned earlier in the discussion (al-cahd al-
madhkur). Therefore, there are two possibilities here: Either “al-
bayt”is a reference to Umm Salamah’s house (bayt al-sakna) where
the Five Personalities were dwelling when this Verse of Tathir was
revealed, or it refers to the Prophetic house (bayt al-nubuwwah wa
15 As we will discuss more later, this is an important word to suggest that

the wives were excluded, because they had certainly been touched by filth
- either before their marriage to the Prophet & or afterwards (consider
the Verses of Surah al-Tahrim against Wishah and Hafsah, as well as
‘A’ishah’s revolt against Imam cAli B, who was the Caliph of the nation
at that time).
al-risalah).16 This is another important contextual clue, as it

indicates that the “people of the house” (ahi al-bayt) is ‘a
specialized expression with a specific meaning,’ as we will see later
on when we discuss the narrations on this topic.
Accusative Particularization vs. the Vocative

Accusative (Ikhtisas vs. al-Nidd*)
The word “ahi al-bayt” is in the accusative case in this verse,17 and
there is a difference of opinion regarding why that is. The first
opinion is that it is a case of particularization (al-ikhtisds) whereby
there is an implied (muqaddar) verb to the effect of “(I mean)
the People of the House.” This is often done in the Quran for the
purpose of praise.18 The second opinion is that there is an implied
u (the vocative particle) meaning “(O) People of the House.” In
either case, the purpose of this syntactical construction is to make
it clear that a specific group is being referenced, and to make it
clear that they are worthy of laudation.
The Cognate Accusative of Emphasis (Al-Mafid al-

Mutlaq}
The verse ends with a special construction called a cognate
accusative (al-maful al-mutlaq) which is used for emphasis; in
English, it would be best rendered as “and purify you with (an
16 If “al-bayt” here is taken to mean ‘the place of dwelling,’ then this is in

reference to the occasion of revelation for the Verse of Purification (al-
cahd al-khdriji); but if “al-bayt” is taken to mean ‘the Prophetic house,’
then this is in reference to the fact that the Prophet had already been
mentioned earlier in the passage (al-cahd al-madhkur).
17 In other words, there is afathah on the word ‘ahi’ (i.e., it is mansub).
18 A very detailed discussion about this syntactic phenomenon can be
found in the book Ma’ani al-Nahw, by Dr. Fadil al-Samarra’i, Vol. 2, Pg.
118.
utmost or thorough) purification.” This categorical construction

indicates purification on all levels: physical, mental, and spiritual.
It is as if what is being said is that after repelling all the filth from
you, O Ahl al-Bayt, Allah is bestowing you with the epitome of
purity.
From the above analysis thus far, it becomes clear that this verse
is specifically meant for the purpose of immense praise (al-madh);
its construction therefore lies in the face of the previous verses
wherein there is rebuke or admonishment towards piety. Rather, a
careful reader should note that an endorsement of infallibility is
quite plausible here, especially based on how the syntax is
constructed.19
What do the Contextual Clues Imply?

After discussing the verse from a linguistic and syntactical
standpoint, we have laid the groundwork to begin discussing the
verse from a contextual point of view. It should be said that many
commentators of the Quran believe that the apparent reading of
verse 33 of Surah al-Ahzab (33) in its entirety supports the view
that the referents in this Verse of Purification include the wives of
the Prophet; in doing so, they rely upon a notion derived from the
Islamic Jurisprudence known as “hujjiyah. al-zuhur” (the
probativity of the apparent meaning).20 In other words, they say
that the fact this verse came during a series of commandments and
prohibitions to the wives supports that it is inclusive of them.
We will examine this contention in-depth later in our
discussion; however, for now, let us review the Quranic contextual
clues (al-qara’in al-dakhiliyyah) on the backdrop of what the
previous linguistic analysis of the verse already revealed. We will
19 We will discuss the contentions raised by some critics about this later
in our discussion.
20 That is, the prima facie meaning has evidentiary import.
proceed with our contextual observations on three levels: firstly,

from within the same verse; secondly, from within the same
passage; thirdly, from within the same chapter and other Quranic
verses.
A. Within the Same Verses

Initially, we will post some English translations as adapted from
Muhammad Asad, with slight corrections based on the above
linguistic analysis; this will facilitate the contextual discussion for
the reader:
oSLzJi 3^(5 V5 05^5^

Alii Ia5J. iJ(3*^5
And abide (O wives of the Prophet) quietly in your homes,

and do not flaunt your charms as they used to flaunt them
in the Days of Ignorance; and be constant in prayer, and
render the purifying dues, and pay heed to Allah and His
Apostle: for Allah only ordains (these commands to the
wives) in order to remove from you all that is
repugnant, O Ahl al-Bayt (People of the Household),
and to purify you with (utmost) purity. (Surah al-Ahzab
(33), verse 33)
And bear in mind all that is recited in your homes of Allah’s

messages and [His] Wisdom: for Allah is Unfathomable [in
His Wisdom], All-Aware. (Surah al-Ahzab (33), verse 34)
The Parenthetical Sentence {Al-Jumlah al-

Mu daridah)
When a person observes verse 33 of Surah al-Ahzab (33), and then
verse 34 directly afterwards, it is clear some of the wives of the
Prophet were being rebuked and commanded to adhere to Allah’s
orders in no flattering language. This observation has been noted
by ‘Allamah MajlisI when he says:
Ca-mJI JaI C>L>3y)l cuLjLxa qI
jlxJI (jtaxjl Jlszj UlLxLJI 6^bxx>
LbJjzj I05 L&E-9 b> ij djobJI 4Jbld>l
The address to the wives is mixed with rebuke, repudiation,

and admonishment, whereas the address to the Ahl al-Bayt
is couched in various forms of (Divine) favour and
laudation. It will not be lost on those imbued with insight
that there must be a clear contextual difference between this
portion of the verse and what preceded it.21
Therefore, it is more apparent that the Verse of Tathir occurs as a
parenthetical sentence amidst the caveats being issued to the
wives. It is as if Allah is turning away from the wives for a moment
to issue a high form of laudation to a specific group, then returning
to admonish them once again. However, this does not mean that
the laudation of the Ahl al-Bayt has occurred out of context.
Rather, one of the reasons why Allah is ordaining these commands
and prohibitions to the wives of the Prophet is to protect this
special group - the Prophetic Household - from being maligned
through association with them. We will expand upon this point
later.
21 Bihar al-Anwar, Vol. 35, Pg. 235.

Prescriptive Will vs. Existential Will {Iradah al-

Tashri’iyyah wa Iradah al-Takwlniyyah)
There is a long discussion between the commentators of the Quran
and various scholars regarding whether the Divine Ordinance
(iradah) mentioned explicitly in this verse is existential
(takwiniyyah) or prescriptive (tashrViyyah)22 Many commentators
fall into a grave mistake while analyzing this verse.23 As discussed
in the previous sections, the Divine ordinance mentioned in this
verse is specifically tied to the commandments and prohibitions
given to the wives of the Prophet & (i.e. tashri’iyyah). In other
words, Allah only ordained these religious prescriptions and
expectations upon the wives; however, what was the reason for
this?
The answer comes in the remainder of verse 33, whereby Allah
states that the reason for this prescription on the wives is
because He has ordained that the Ahl al-Bayt should remain utterly
purified and completely removed of all filth. As per the Principle
of Implicit Understanding (Mafhum al-Muwafaqah), there is a
second implied Divine ordinance being mentioned in this clause
which is existential (takwlni), implied by the fact that the agent
doer (al-fa’il) of the verbs ‘to remove’ (yudhhiba) and ‘to purify
you’ (yutahhirakum) is Allah ^Himself. In other words, Allah’s
ordinances upon the wives are derived from an existential
ordinance that the Ahl al-Bayt should be devoid of all filth. More
directly, it is as if the verse is saying: “Allah has only prescribed
these commandments and prohibitions on the wives (because of
22 In theology, Allah’s ordinances are divided into two types: The first
type is known as an existential (takwiniyyah) ordinance, whereby Allah
decrees for something to be in a certain manner by His Own Providence;
and the second type is known as a prescriptive (tashrPiyyah) ordinance
whereby Allah legislates others to act in accordance with His Will.
23 This is discussed in great depth in Al-'Amili’s work, Pp. 65-69.
His existential ordinance) to remove all filth from you, O People of

the Household, and to purify you with an utmost purification.”
This Divine ordinance that the Ahl al-Bayt should remain pure
does not imply predestination or compulsion. It implies that Allah
has specifically provided the existential potentialities and the
Divine Grace to the Ahl al-Bayt to willfully attain to the station of
complete purity. Hence, Fie is separating the behaviour and
conduct of the wives very decisively and making it clear that their
actions are not to sully or contaminate the reputation of the
Prophetic Household.
Your Houses vs. The House {Buyutikunna wa al-

Bayt)
There is another very important contextual indicator here that can
be gleaned when looking at this verse in totality. One should note
that the houses of the wives are specifically mentioned earlier in
the verse with the word “buyutikunna” (lit. “your houses” in the
feminine plural); whereas in the Verse of Tathlr we see that the
word used is “al-bayt” (lit. “the house”) in the singular. This
contradistinction should strike the reader as strange should the
wives be included in the term Ahl al-Bayt} to the contrary, it serves
as a deliberate indication that they are not included under the
umbrella of this group. Rather, they have their own multiplicity of
houses; and the People of that One House - a House which was
already known to the listeners24 - is different. Otherwise, one
would very well have expected the verse to say “ahi al-buyut”
which means “people of the houses” instead of “ahi al-bayt. ” The
stark change from plural to singular is even further accentuated by
the fact that in verse 34, the address to the wives’ homes again
returns to “buyutikunna” - “their houses” in the feminine plural
24 Recall the discussion on lam al-eahd in our syntactical notes.

form. Tins is a clear contextual challenge for those who assert that
the wives are the referents of this passage.
A Change in Pronouns (Al-ILtifat)

Another veiy important contextual clue as alluded to by several
commentators is that the pronoun changes within this verse from
the feminine second-person plural pronoun - “kunna” (referring
to ‘you’ in the sense of more than two females), to the
masculine/general second-person plural pronoun “kum” (which
is used when addressing more than two men and/or a combination
of more than two men and women). This serves an important
purpose of including the menfolk (idkhal al-rijal) in the term “Ahl
al-Bayt”25
Who are these menfolk which are included in this verse? Those
who believe that the wives are being addressed in this verse have
proposed many options, most saying that the verse has switched
25 There are those who have argued that the only reason for the change
in pronouns is because the word “ahr is masculine, and therefore the
pronoun change is simply lafzl (only on a word level), having nothing to
do with the meaning of including menfolk. However, this is only a
descriptive explanation and does not explain why the verse changes the
address to uAhl al-Bayt.” Between the clear uses of the feminine I
I
pronouns, why is there a sudden masculine plural sandwiched between
them if it truly has no function in the meaning?
Some have retorted that it is for the purpose of respect of the women I
(al-ta’zim), however this is also a poor argument because this change
happens clearly in the context of several feminine pronouns; so why is
there suddenly added respect when the other pronouns are clearly I
feminine? This is not to mention the fact that some commentators such
as al-Zamakhshari have stated that ahi can be a masculine or a feminine
word (see his Tafsir al-Kashshdf on Quran, Surah al-Nisa’ (4), verse 75).
Therefore, this explanation leaves much to be desired. We will treat this
issue in more depth in our “Contentions” section.
pronouns to include the Prophet $5, and some also add that it
includes the fathers of the wives of the Prophet ^.26 This would
supposedly be a simple solution to solve the problem of the change
in pronouns. In other words, they are proposing that the verse
means: “Allah only ordains these prohibitions and commandments
on the wives so that the wives, the Prophet, and the fathers-in-law
(of the Prophet) may all be purified.”
However, on a more detailed analysis, it becomes clear that this
is a very clunky and linguistically inelegant position; in addition
to not being supported by the context, it suffers from several
deficiencies from the standpoint of Quranic eloquence. Let us
suppose that we accept this theory for the sake of argument, the
deficiencies are as follows:
1. Tie first problem has been pointed out by Sayyid ‘All Qadi
al-Taba’taba’i where he states:
«CcuJI Jjbl» qx Jjb
ijSJ d! - JdAll (>£■ JlS jls

J5UI Ja □OaSpco Ms <JIDI JIS jlj d 64^
diszdl JuS M (jSJ 4jl9 tijSlI qX dill
ddols fLbJisu
Ms <i3l35Mb IszlaS 4jS)I (j 4JUI ijl ^z-o

J5MI O-*19 qX ’-Sc? dJJI J3-U9
LdaS 4jS)I ^5Ls>-
Is the meaning of warding off filth (idhhab al-rijs) from the
Ahl al-Bayt here in the sense of repelling it from ever
touching them (al-daf), or alleviating it from them after
they had already been sullied (al-raf)? If one adopts the
former meaning, then the wives are automatically excluded
from this verse because most, if not all of them, were in a
26 See Ibn ‘Asakir’s Tahdhib Tdrikh Madmah Dimishq, (An Abridged

History of the City of Damascus), Pg. 209.
state of spiritual filth before Islam. If one should adopt the

latter meaning, then one must remove the Prophet from
the import of this verse because all Muslims are unanimous
that he was never sullied with any form of filth - either
before or after his appointment to Prophethood (al-bi’thah).
However, the Prophet & is included in the import of this
verse by the agreement of all Muslims; therefore, it is not
possible to exclude the Prophet. It thus becomes clear then
that the meaning is ‘the repelling of all filth (al-daf),’ and
the wives therefore are definitively excluded from this
verse.27 & 28
2. The second problem has been pointed out by Sayyid al-cAmili

in his book when defining the definition of purification. Is this
essential purification (al-tathir al-jawharl), or is it by accident (al-
tathir al-caradl)? How are the menfolk (the Prophet and the
fathers of his wives) being purified by the prescriptive ordinances
that the wives of the Prophet are carrying out? The answer of
course is that the purification of these menfolk is indirect by
marital association (i.e., ‘aradi), while the wives are being purified
directly by their obedience. Therefore, one is again utilizing a
single shared word with multiple meanings (isti’mal al-mushtarak
fi akthar min ma’naf which is reprehensible in this case, given that
a single pronoun is used for the Ahl al-Bayt and there is no
contextual indicator (qarinah) to specify a difference between its
members.29 In other words, one is saying that the purification
27 Ta’liqdt of Sayyid ‘All Qadi Taba’taba’i on Jawamic al-Jami', Pg. 372.

28 This contention of Taba’taba’i only applies if someone believes that the
Prophet was completely infallible, as do the Shi'ahs and many Sunnis.
However, it would obviously be lost for those who believe that he was
not. Nonetheless, the second argument still holds validity.
29 A discussion on this principle in Foundations ofJurisprudence (Usui al-
Fiqh) is beyond the scope of this article, but advanced readers may find a
more detailed discussion on this topic at: tinyurl.com/4js8xkcp.
mentioned in these verses has two separate significations for two

separate groups of individuals (i.e., the menfolk by association, and
the womenfolk directly), although the verse indicates that the
purification applies equally to the entire group of the Ahl al-Bayt.
Therefore, it becomes clear from the above that the change in
pronoun presents a strong case for excluding the wives from the
Ahl al-Bayt-, otherwise, the meaning of the verse becomes
nebulous, and the eloquence is negatively impacted. Instead, the
meaning here is: “Allah only desires by commanding and
prohibiting the wives of the Prophet to repel from you - O the
Household of the Prophet - all filth and to purify you completely.”
This results in a clear and elegant understanding of the verse: Allah
cfe is placing the wives in a station of rebuke and admonishment to
protect the reputation of the Ahl al-Bayt (i.e., the Five
Personalities) from being sullied by marital association. In essence
then, the meaning of this Verse of Tathir becomes Allah’s
absolving the Ahl al-Bayt of any defamation or blame - should the
wives of the Prophet not observe the dictates of piety.
Argumentum A Fortiori (Al-Awlawiyyah al-

Qat’iyya/i)
There is a specific rule in Foundations of Jurisprudence (Usui al-
Fiqh) that should be used to understand this verse. It implies that
when subjects of small significance are being addressed, then it
automatically implies that subjects of greater significance are
included as well. For example, when Allah states in the Quran:
“Whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it”30 this
automatically implies that anything greater or larger than an
atom’s weight will also be seen.
Allah’s address to the wives before switching to the Ahl al-
Bayt is of this nature; an analogy may be prudent here. Suppose
30 Quran. Surah al-Zalzalah (99), verse 7.

you have a friend whom you respect, but he has a mischievous son
who will sully the father’s reputation by his devious actions.
Therefore, you reprimand the child to behave properly to preserve
the honour of his father. The child himself may not really be a
cause of concern for you, but it is his association and relationship
with the father that drives you to reprimand him. The Verse of
Tathir is of similar significance here: It means that Allah & is only
rebuking and commanding the wives to behave well because
otherwise their disobedience will reflect negatively on the Ahl al-
Bayt. He is giving them double punishment for committing grave
immorality, and double reward for obedience because their actions
will have a bearing on the Prophetic Household. The Ahl al-Bayt
are the ones whom Allah is concerned about, and He does not
want them to be touched by even the smallest iota of filth from
those marginally associated with them. Therefore, Allah goes so
far as to prescribe duties and responsibilities to others (i.e., the
wives) in order to preserve the integrity of the Prophetic
Household.
In turn, it follows that since Allah wants to protect the Ahl
al-Bayt from even such a secondary and accidental attribution of
filth, they must be purified in the primary and essential
significance within themselves already, based on this very
principle.
Our scholars have expounded on this idea in their writings,
which we translate below:
1. Al-Shahid al-'Allamah al-Tustarl writes:
QJO OlAJSlI 1^1*9 U> 4jT kJMlsd jl JlraJ M
J! sbjSlI J JI
CaaJI jjbi i>o iixuJij
djiszJI JI £^3' S-^J Jbu d-Ul JI Jx- dAll ^Jaj J^LxS
jl CccJI Jjbl b qvc^jzxra ^5JLs32?o jl JjMI J oljl Is] djL
qvJalJ CjLJqJI^ Jis US UJlo tttxAf- ^âszXI J] U5^S

It is not far-fetched that the digression in the form of address

from the wives to the Ahl al-Bayt in the Verse of Tathir is
for this purpose: Reprimanding the wives and encouraging
them towards piety is a concomitant of warding off filth and
uncleanliness from the Ahl al-Bayt^. Therefore, the import
of this verse becomes that Allah is encouraging the wives of
the Messenger to be chaste and righteous because He has
preordained that the Ahl al-Bayt are infallible; therefore, it
behooves one who is tied to an infallible to be chaste and
righteous - as (the Quran) states [in Surah al-Nur (24), verse
26] that: ‘The pure men are for the pure women.’31
2. In the same vein, ‘Allamah Muzaffar states the following:

djl Jx- jSd etui (j 4jS)I 0jjb Ujs
(jl ^4^ j-^3 '—*^-11 <3^ ^'-3

3^ bz9j3 <jl (jx. ^4) 135^53 <4^23
eLuj b^ UJ3 ^>42
M <4113 ^xiJb <JLoAU 3A L^j Ijj2> (jl oj3j^ ^cLmajJI As>-lS
Ml <€jSUl 4JSII CaauJ 9 <y>T (j CaaJI (Jjfels cJÔO (J 349
<(5jvm*53 (jmLJI jjLm CaaaJ (jMs d£>3j b iJjIoJI J34S

(jubdMI ijxj dUI Jujj Caaj db>3j l$l <(Jbu dJUl
qojUlJI Jp ^433^3
Allah, the Almighty has only placed this verse amidst
mentioning and addressing the wives to allude that He
commanded, prohibited, and disciplined them out of respect
for the Ahl al-Bayt, to ward off any aspersion of being sullied
by their misdeeds, to protect them from being associated
with their deficiencies, and to elevate them above the station
of those who may disobey Allah. It is as such that Allah
addresses them as: ‘O wives of the Prophet, you are not like
31 Al-Sawa’iq al-Muhriqah, Pg. 147.

other women,’ because their association with the Prophet

and his family made them distinct - not because of their own
merit, but because of the Ahl al-Bayt’s merit. The verse’s
import does not exceed what one may say: ‘O wife of so-
and-so: you are not like the wives of other men so be chaste,
be modest, and obey Allah - for you are the wife of a man
from a purified Household, which Allah has ordained for
purity from all deficiencies and repugnance.’32
B. In the Specific Passage

The Volition (al-IradaK) of the Wives
Another very important point that can be gleaned from reading the
entire passage in context is that the existential ordinance (al-iradah
al-takwiniyyah) mentioned for the Ahl al-Bayt is that they be
completely removed from all filth and be absolutely purified. In
contrast, Allah sfe did not have such a Will for the wives as is made
clear in the very first verse of the passage, known as Ayah al-
Takhyir, where He says:
5^1ji J ’^\
uAh oJj ^==^y^j3
IjJ 3^ C>£ V*^>
O Prophet! Tell your wives: Tf you desire (turidna) this

world and its glitter, then come I shall provide for you and
then release you (from matrimony) graciously. But if you
desire (turidna) Allah, and His Messenger, and the Hereafter,
then Allah has prepared for those among you (minkunna)
32 Ihqaq al-Haqq, Vol. 2, Pg. 570.

who are virtuous a great reward. (Surah al-Ahzab (33),

verses 28-29)
Notice that the wives are not mentioned in these verses in a way
that indicates a special Divine ordinance that establishes their
righteousness. Rather, they are being told by Allah that it is
completely up to them and their desires if they want to be affiliated
with the Prophet > or not. As for those of them who choose the
path of Allah Jfe, they will be rewarded for their good deeds.
Nonetheless, notice that the verse uses the partitive preposition -
minkunna - implying that there are only some among the
wives of the Prophet $5 who will deserve a great reward due to
their virtuosity. This is an implicit acknowledgement that there
will be some wives of the Prophet who will not receive the
Divine reward due to their lack of virtuosity, which would again
exclude them from the elevated purified rank of the Ahl al-Bayt.
The Harmony of the Context (Al-Siyaq al-Munsajim)

When one reads the verses in context starting from verse 28, it
becomes clear that the original address in these verses is Prophet
Muhammad $5, and that he is being commanded to tell his wives
all the subsequent ordinances. In fact, this whole chapter is built
on this theme, starting from the very first verse which is addressed
directly to the Prophet $5:
Lit o' Slj &\ && ufisp
O Prophet! Remain conscious of Allah and defer not to the

deniers of the truth and the hypocrites: for Allah is truly All
Knowing, All-Wise. (Surah al-Ahzab (33), verse 1)
Therefore, although verses 29-34 appear to directly be addressing

the wives they are in fact a continuation of the address to Prophet
Muhammad in verse 28 with the implied command “Say” (Qul).
In essence, Allah is telling the Prophet & to tell his wives the
following commands:
1. To choose between Allah and the glitter of this world.
2. That they are not like other women.
3. Not to be flirtatious in their speech.
4. To speak with civility.
5. To stay in their houses.
6. Not to be ostentatious like the ostentatiousness of the
people during the Era of Ignorance.
7. To establish prayers and pay alms.
8. To obey Allah and His Messenger
Thereafter, Allah turns his address back to the Household of

Prophethood and addresses them saying: “Allah is only prescribing
these commands on the wives in order to ward off filth from you -
O Ahl al-Bayt - and utterly purify you.” Then Allah £&> turns back
to the wives of the Prophet in verse 34 to again remind them
about the stature of the Five Personalities, calling them to bear in
mind that they have Divine Revelation and Prophetic Wisdom
being expounded in their midst. This makes it clear that the whole
passage is dedicated to absolving the Ahl al-Bayt, at whose head
lies Prophet Muhammad from any of the possible misdeeds that
may issue from his wives.
Are the Wives Being Praised in this Passage?
U IL/ liU, jjdj

4 5^ & &£\ ji \14j15;
4 4/3 ^5^ 5^3
idl 4AJ1 jlLIj Jiilj sSUJI ^3\j J_$l iiMil
Slj l^jlaj J-*'
^5jJ- dJJ Jis' 4^1 Jl V^J-lj 4AJl otfl 4 cpe

O wives of the Prophet! Whosoever of you commits
manifest abomination, the punishment for her will be
doubled, and that is easy for Allah. And whosoever of you is
submissive to Allah and His Messenger and does right, We
shall give her reward twice over; and We have prepared for
her a rich provision. O wives of the Prophet! You are not like
other women: if you keep your duty (to Allah), then do not
be soft in (your) speech, such that he in whose heart is a
disease aspire (to you), but (rather) utter customary speech.
And abide quietly in your homes, and do not flaunt your
charms as they used to flaunt them in the Days of Ignorance;
and be constant in prayer, and render the purifying dues,
and pay heed to Allah and His Messenger: for Allah only
ordains (these commands to the wives) in order to
remove from you all that is repugnant, O Ahl al-Bayt
(People of the House), and to purify you to (utmost)
purity. And remember all that is recited in your homes of
Allah’s messages and [His] Wisdom: for Allah is
Unfathomable [in His Wisdom], All-Aware. (Surah Ahzab
(33), verses 30-34)
Another very important contextual clue is that the wives are not
being praised in the entirety of this passage. As we mentioned
before, the syntax of the Verse of Tathlr (which is bolded above)
makes it clear that all filth is being repudiated from the Ahl al-Bayt
and they are identified as being completely purified. Meanwhile,
Allah & is acknowledging the possibility that the wives could
commit abominable sins (fdhishah mubayyinah)-, they are being
told not to be ostentatious like during the times of the Era of
Ignorance; they are being commanded not to speak in a flirtatious
manner; and they are being promised double punishment or double

reward depending on their actions. When the likelihood of the
wives falling into such sins is being acknowledged, would any
intelligent reader really believe that it fits the context for Allah &
to then ordain repelling all uncleanliness from them? Rather, it is
clear from the passage itself that they are being warned to behave
properly so that they do not cast any aspersions on the reputation
of the Household.
Another delicate point is that the word al-rijs as we alluded to
earlier also subsumes the meaning of Divine Punishment, which is
completely being negated from the Ahl al-Bayt in this passage. In
contrast, the wives are being threatened with “double punishment”
if they commit a sin (fahishah). This indicates even further that
they cannot be the addressees of the purification that Allah & is
referring to in this Verse of Tathlr.
Other Verses of the Quran that are Relevant

A. “That is purer for their hearts and your hearts.”
I(31 ^*=>1 jit

^LLp 4AjI axe & list 5jAS
...And when you (O believers) ask them (the wives)
regarding something you need, then ask them from behind
a veil. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.
Moreover, it is not for you to give offence to Allah’s Apostle
- just as it is not for you to ever marry his widows after he
passes away: that verily, would be an enormity in the sight
of Allah. (Surah al-Ahzab (33), verse 53)
This verse is clear in showing that the purification of the wives is
not one of “complete and superlative purification” as alluded to in
the Verse of Tathir, rather it is only a matter of relative purity

(athariyyah), and not absolute purity (tathir mutlaq). Thus, Allah
places the matter of the wives’ purification on the same pedestal
as the purification of the believers in this verse, lending support to
the fact that there is nothing exclusive about the purification of the
wives. There is furthermore an indication here that talking to the
wives of the Prophet freely without a veil can affect the purity
of their hearts - and this does not match the spirit of an existential
Divine decree of purification. One may retort that the whole affair
of placing a veil indicates a special sanctimony for the wives of the
Prophet but reading the verse in context again reveals that the
focus of this ordinance is to protect the Prophet’s $$ reputation and
integrity, and not for the wives in themselves. Considering these
factors, when this verse 53 is closely analyzed and compared to the
Verse of Tathir, a clear difference becomes apparent in the way that
the wives’ purification is being discussed, and the way the Ahl al-
Bayt’s purification had been presented.33
B. “If he (the Prophet) should divorce you all, perhaps Allah

will replace him with better wives.”
ijxu 34=4 \y^ 14.55! J&

4-4^ 4^1 4^
44 4-44 4~4y
Perhaps his Lord, if he (the Prophet) divorces you (wives),
will give him in your place wives better than you -
submissive (to Allah), believing, devoutly obedient,
repentant, worshipping, inclined to fasting - both (from the)
widows and virgins. (Surah al-Tahrlm (66), verse 5)
This verse alludes to the fact that there were women who were
better than the wives of the Prophet $5 and precludes their
inclusion in the verse of tathir, since the latter verse indicates a
33 Al-Amili, Ahl al-Bayt fi Ayah al-Tathir, Pg. 273.

superlative and exclusive merit of being completely cleansed of all

filth (i.e. absolute purification). Given that the wives of the Prophet
(namely ‘A’ishah and Hafsah) are being reprimanded in the
above verse, there is a powerful indication here that they are not
the intended group for the Divine Purification alluded to in the
Verse of Tathir. Rather, this verse completely negates the notion of
Allah ordaining superlative purification of the wives from its
very core. This verse indicates that the purity of the wives of the
Prophet is just like any other Muslim, and that there were other
women who far exceeded their virtues. However, as previously
stated they were held to a higher standard only as far as the fact
that they were the wives of the most purified man to walk on this
Earth, and in-laws of his immaculate Household.
C. “You may defer whichever of them you wish and receive

any of them you wish.”
64^' <45 J ^3 &
You (O Muhammad) may defer whichever of them (your

wives) you wish and receive any of them you wish; and you
may call back any of those whom you had (temporarily) set
aside: there will be no blame on you (on this account). (Surah
al-Ahzab (33), verse 51)
This verse demonstrates that the Prophet had complete
jurisdiction to separate himself from his wives; and their being part
of the Prophet’s life was also completely up to his own
discretion. This is in stark contrast to the Ahl al-Bayt mentioned in
the Verse of Tathir, who are part and parcel of the Prophet’s &
Household and are not separated from him no matter what. This
will become clearer in the next discussion when we look at the
opinion of Zayd ibn Arqam, who points out this exact fact to
disqualify the wives of the Prophet & from being included in the
term Ahl al-Bayt.
What do the Ahadlth and History Specifically Tell Us?

We previously discussed how the language and the contextual
clues in this Verse of Tathlr support the exclusion of the wives and
make it clear that the Ahl al-Bayt are a very exceptional group who
have been exclusively selected by Allah & for the highest
laudation. We will now discuss the traditionist (naqll) sources, and
what they specifically reveal to us about who the addressee are in
the Verse of Tathlr. This is by far the strongest piece of evidence in
supporting the exclusion of the wives. Of course, Prophet
Muhammad ® is the most knowledgeable about the Quran, and his
words supersedes everything else when it comes to interpreting
who the Ahl al-Bayt are.
The Narration of the Cloak {Hadith. al-Kisd')

The famous Narration of the Cloak has been narrated in both Sunni
and ShFah sources and is generally accepted as very reliable
(mutawatirf4 by all. It is reported in a copious number of sources,
and we have selected just one version of the story here as follows:
U> Jis $ 4Jx- dJJl dx-Lû

dJJl UJ/* duAf> dill (^jJI (jtc- djJI
34 Mutawatir is perhaps best translated as “hyper-corroborated” in

English, and is a term used to describe ‘a narration that is abundantly
narrated and attested to in the hadith corpus.’ The implication is that it is
virtually impossible for the narrators to have conspired in its fabrication.
There are two types of hyper-corroborated narrations: those which attain
this status at the textual level (al-lafzl), and those which attain it only at
the level of implication (al-ma’nawl). A detailed exposition of mutawatir
is beyond the scope of this humble piece.
LLuaaaJ7 J LLaaU> 3 duxbls tC-JS ct&JLu C-U ) ^Sjfllo>3 C-aaJI J-G>l
Jjbl Jis ^5 ^LLx9 o^k> ClLp- l-jLp 3 cL*aSJ ÎLpiS
b bl$ dxJU CJIs Ijr^bu ^Jb^k>3 O**^^ S-4-0*^ cAp
Cuij eblSLo Cui Jis SdUI
On the authority of ‘Umar ibn Abi Salamah, the foster-son

of the Prophet who said: “When the verse: ‘Allah only
intends but to keep (all) impurity away from you, O Ahl al-
Bayt, and to purify you absolutely’ was revealed upon the
Messenger ® in the house of Umm Salamah, he called
Fatima, Hasan, and Husayn, and spread a cloak over them,
while ‘All was behind him. Then, he covered them all with a
cloak. Then he said: ‘O Allah! These are my Ahl al-Bayt.
Keep impurity away from them and purify them absolutely.’
Umm Salamah then said: ‘Am I with them, O Prophet of
Allah?’ He replied: ‘You remain in your place, and you are
upon goodness.’”35
This hadlth has so many chains that it is generally accepted as a
reliable and well-established narration (mutawatir hadith) among
all Muslims. In this regard to this, ‘Allamah Taba’taba’i states in
his commentary of the Quran about this verse:
Jjkl J-° Cbljj
OjyS 4LaaJI Jail jCs <3qjo l^Lo dj3 lo 4JLaaJI
cljXkpJI (jlj 4BI33 Juâa>3 Justxv (3I3 duiult^ 4xJLa> jjx-
J-j q-**<sJI3 cP J3-0 Jb^j^ cP^"^ cP’-9
.IajjL crppj cP3 S?
4>J_aa> ^3 LojJl3 i3^baJl3 ^L-ll3 Jx- l$J3J3
jJ Jj Jjixa,3 ^3^)1 JjAua (j-> 3>°-£'5 ^3-^1 3I3 J-J ^3)3 ji (3I3
35 Al-Jami3 al-Sahlh Sunan al-Tirmidhl, Vol. 5, Pg. 351.

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cultured and refined in the very highest degree; still I admit that there is
some truth in your estimate, unflattering though it seems. But I hope you do
not intend to put yourself out of touch with us, Celia. I consider that you,
especially, will have your duty to perform to your own people.”
“Why me, especially?” asked the girl, with interest.
“Because, with your voice and your wealth, there is every chance of
your attaining a certain amount of fame,” answered her hostess, earnestly.
“And I trust that we shall consider you a credit to our race. And don’t you
think, Celia, that if such should be the case, and knowing that a certain
amount of narrow-minded prejudice always exists against our People, don’t
you think that it will be your duty to ever stand up for the race to which you
belong, and to say to those Gentiles who admire your talents and your
beauty, ‘I, who have won such golden opinions from you all, I am a Jewess,
and I glory in it’?”
Her words rang with enthusiasm, yet they awakened only a feeble
response in Celia’s heart. The girl’s mind was troubled and perplexed, and
she could not endorse a sentiment which was not honestly her own. Her
eyes sought the ground, and she remained silent for a moment.
“Are you really proud of being a Jewess?” she asked suddenly, with shy
diffidence. “Honestly glad and proud, I mean? I try to be, but somehow I—I
can’t!”
She blushed as she made the confession. Mrs. Cohen regarded her
musingly. Her sombre mourning-gown threw into relief the brilliancy of her
hair and complexion. Her eyes were deeply thoughtful, and her face glowed
with the health and ingenuousness of girlhood. It was a pity, the elder lady
thought, that this sweet and beautiful girl should have picked up such
strangely unconventional ideas.
“Don’t you think, dear child,” she said slowly, “that we have a right to
be proud of our ancient Race? Think of our great and glorious past. What
other nation has been through the vicissitudes and misfortunes which have
afflicted us, and yet come through them all uncrushed as we have done?
Surely you have read our history in the Old Testament—how we were made
the chosen people of God in Abraham’s time; and although the other
nations which surrounded us gave themselves over to idolatry and
lasciviousness, we ever remained faithful to our divine heritage, until our
pure Monotheism became the religion of the civilized world.
“Think of our great men of bygone days—Moses, who received the
Decalogue, which is as potent to-day as when it was given on Mount Sinai;
Joshua, the mighty leader; David, the soldier-poet; Solomon, the wise king;
Elijah, the prophet. Is it not something to belong to a race which has
produced such men as those—a race upon whom God has set His seal, and,
in spite of assimilation, has kept a peculiar people unto Himself?”
But Celia still looked doubtful. “You are like my brother,” she said. “You
look at Israel through a veil of idealism. I can only think of what we are to-
day. We have had a great past—yes; but what have we to link us with that
past? Our glory departed when Jerusalem was destroyed, and since the
dispersion we have surely fallen into disrepute. I always feel, in reading
over our history, that, from the call of Abraham, we were working up to a
climax, and no climax came, unless ’twere overlooked; as if we were, so to
speak, a building without a coping-stone. We were established as a nation,
we throve and grew great; but our greatness was overthrown, and we
toppled over from the eminence on which we stood, with our divine
purpose but half fulfilled. And we cannot live in the past, grand though it
may have been. It seems to me that we must have degenerated greatly since
then. Our national characteristics of to-day are not such as should give us
cause for pride; and even though they have undoubtedly been exaggerated
by our Gentile neighbours, we cannot deny that there is some foundation for
the unfortunate reputation we bear.”
“That may be so,” rejoined Mrs. Cohen, impressed by her young friend’s
earnestness. “But you must not forget that for generations past our people
abroad have been persecuted and oppressed, and that the sinister effects of
that persecution will yet take many years to eradicate. How could we
develop our higher and nobler qualities whilst the heel of the despot was
upon our necks? Are we not redeeming our character here in England,
where, thank God, we are free? Look how steadily Jews are coming to the
fore in all the higher walks of life—in commerce, in politics, in what we
term high society, and in the fine arts. There is scarcely a cause of national
import in which our people do not participate; and where will you find a
more thrifty, sober, responsible, law-abiding citizen than the modern
English Jew? You see, Celia, I am optimistic. I believe that there is a great
future for us yet; and that is why I am so anxious to encourage you, who are
full of the impetuosity of youth, to make up your mind to defend all that is
highest in our Jewish life, and to be an example of what the true type of a
Jewess should be. Then both Jews and Christians will respect you, and you
will feel that you have not lived in vain!”
She paused, for the tinkle of Mr. Cohen’s bell warned her that her
services were required. She had said quite enough, however, to give Celia
food for a wider range of thought. The girl began to wonder if, after all, her
own outlook upon Judaism were not a very limited one; and when she left
Mrs. Cohen that afternoon she resolved to try and cherish more loyal
feelings towards her own people.
It was a pity, perhaps, that so much of her life had been spent amongst
Gentiles, for she had unconsciously been educated in a non-Jewish school
of thought. She was unable as yet to discern the real goodness of heart
underlying the apparent self-interest and occasional vulgarity of the average
Jew of her acquaintance. She was not able, either to look below the surface
of the many Jewish rites and observances which struck her as so
meaningless and irksome; but she was a conscientious little soul, and meant
to persevere until her Judaism should give her the happiness and
contentment that she sought. Mrs. Cohen’s words had done her good.
BOOK II
THREE YEARS AFTER
CHAPTER I
CELIA MAKES HER PROFESSIONAL DÉBUT IN LONDON
It was the height of the season, and London was very full. One had only to
take a stroll “down west” to be convinced of the fact, for there was scarcely
a house to be seen in any of the squares that did not display the window-
boxes and sun-blinds, which signified that the owners were in residence.
The fashionable hotels were crowded, the restaurants thronged; and big
social functions were the order of the day.
A stream of carriages and hansoms rolled down Regent Street, giving the
weary pedestrian a panorama of gaily-trimmed hats and dainty sunshades.
Portly dowagers accompanied beautiful girls; and it was a noticeable fact
that whilst the dowagers sat bolt upright, alert and on the qui vive, most of
the débutantes leant languidly against the cushions with an air of
supercilious boredom, the exacting demands of the season combined with
the oppressive heat having apparently drained their vitality.
All roads seemed to lead to the Queens Hall that afternoon, and judging
by the ornate escutcheons on the panels of some of the equipages, there
were great people on the road. The occasion was the much-advertised
charity matinée, organized by the popular dramatist, Guy Haviland, in aid
of a well-known London hospital. Society had been pleased to bestow its
patronage, and as the tickets had been disposed of at fancy prices, it was
sufficiently select for the élite to honour with their presence.
The function promised to be a highly interesting and successful one, for
Haviland had prevailed upon several stars of the musical and dramatic
professions to give their services in the cause of charity. Moreover, the
gifted young singer, Celia Franks, who had made her début in Paris—where
she had finished her studies—was to make her first appearance before the
English public; and as her wealth, beauty, and attainments had been so fully
discussed in the society papers, society was curious to see whether the
numerous eulogies of her merits were justified.
The hall was packed long before the concert began. Stalls and balconies
were filled with women of fashion and men of note. Those who knew said it
was one of the most brilliant gatherings of the season, and that the names of
some of those present would have made a condensed edition of Debrett.
Everybody seemed to know everybody else; and the hum of conversation
buzzed loud and strong.
A well-groomed man of forty, with a gardenia in his button-hole,
sauntered leisurely about the hall, stopping every now and then to greet an
acquaintance, and chat about the weather and the opera. He was a popular
man about town, being a peer in fairly prosperous circumstances, and still
unmarried. Anxious mothers, with several daughters on their hands, made
much of him, and the girls themselves declared him “so interesting, don’t
you know.” But the wiles of the mothers, and the charms of the daughters
were alike of no avail, for wherever he went he proclaimed himself a
confirmed bachelor.
As he was about to return to his seat, a lady sailed up to him, her long
silken skirts trailing on the ground. She was a regal-looking woman,
magnificently dressed with perfect taste; and her bearing indicated that she
was fully conscious of her own importance.
With a bewitching smile she invited the noble lord to buy a programme;
she had only three left, she said, and was very anxious to sell them before
the concert began.
“Mrs. Neville Williams a vendor of programmes!” exclaimed the peer
with mock astonishment. “I am indeed sorry that it should have come to
this!”
“One can do anything for such a good cause,” she answered
sententiously; and then, with a coquettish glance from her dark eyes, “Of
course I cannot hope to compete with the pretty actresses who are my
colleagues, but will you buy a programme, Lord Bexley?”
She spoke with a slightly foreign accent, and had a peculiar way of
pronouncing her “r’s.” There was a suggestion of artificiality about her
voice, as there was also about the brilliancy of her eyes, the bloom of her
complexion, and the whiteness of her teeth. Bexley did not consider her
beautiful, for what good points she possessed were due to art—the art of her
French maid; but he admired her personality, albeit there was some thing
about it which repelled him.
“Where have you been hiding yourself all the season?” he asked, when
he had allowed her to sell him a programme for sixpence and keep the
change out of a sovereign. “I really believe this is the first time I have seen
you since we met in Cairo last winter.”
“Yes, I have been abroad for some time,” she replied, trying to cool
herself with a small ivory fan. “I was in retreat at a convent near Cimiez for
nearly three months, and since then I have been to Paris and Trouville. You
see, the poor Duke’s death upset me terribly—we were to have been
married a fortnight later, you know—and so I thought that a few months
spent right away from society would prove beneficial to my health. My
nerves seemed quite unstrung.”
“Yes, I understand,” said Bexley, sympathetically. “It was very sad about
poor Wallingcourt’s death. I never had the slightest idea that he was
consumptive. Do you feel better after your period of seclusion?”
“Oh yes. It was so quiet and restful at the convent. The very atmosphere
breathed unworldliness and sanctity. I read no books and attended to no
correspondence whilst I was there, but, in company with the Sisters, passed
my time in prayer and meditation. It was quite a delightful change.”
Lord Bexley turned away his face to hide a smile. The idea of Mrs.
Neville Williams as a kind of temporary nun tickled him immensely. He
was far more inclined to think that her absence from society had been in
order to undergo a treatment of rejuvenescence at the hands of a Parisian
beauty doctor. However, it would never do to doubt the word of a lady.
“It must indeed have been delightful,” he said, glancing at her again, and
noting the unwonted demureness of her countenance. “But I am glad that
they have allowed you to return to the world. By-the-by, your niece, Miss
Gladys Milnes, is here. She is up on a visit to my sister. Won’t you come
and speak to her?”
Mrs. Neville Williams frowned. “No, thanks,” she answered tersely. “I
scarcely know her. She is a gauche little country wench, is she not? My late
husband’s relations have not treated me very kindly, and we are not on the
best of terms.”
Her gaze suddenly became riveted on two gentlemen who were passing
in front of the stalls to the artists’ room. They seemed to possess some
fascination for her, for she stopped fanning herself, and her eyes dilated.
Her expression reminded Bexley of a warhorse, when it scents the battle-
field; he did not quite know what to make of it. In another moment,
however, her sudden agitation had passed; she was demure and calm again.
“Those gentlemen,” she murmured, having noticed Bexley look over to
them and bow—“you know them?”
“Yes. The one is Mr. Haviland, the giver of this concert.”
“And the other?”
“The other is Herbert Karne.”
“Ah!” The exclamation was short and sharp. Bexley was not sure
whether it implied surprise or relief.
“I dare say you have seen his ‘Farewell to the World’ at the Academy?”
he inquired. “It is a beautiful picture.”
“No,” she replied nervously. “I have not been to the Royal Academy this
season. I have only just returned to town.”
She toyed absently with her long neck-chain, from which were
suspended, in cheerful incongruity, a small ebony and silver crucifix, a tiny
ivory death’s-head with diamonds set in the eye-holes, a miniature horse-
shoe, and a diminutive champagne-bottle designed in solid gold. Bexley
wondered why she wore them; they were certainly not pretty, and, as
charms, he considered them out of place.
“Mr. Karne is the half-brother of Miss Celia Franks,” he informed her.
“Did you hear Miss Franks sing in Paris? She made her début there.”
“Yes, I heard her sing. She sang very well. I had no idea, though, that she
was Herbert Karne’s half-sister. I was not aware that he had a half-sister.”
“Then you do know him?” Bexley interpolated quickly.
“I just know him, that is all,” she answered evenly. “I do not suppose,
however, that he remembers me. Our introduction took place many years
ago.”
The performers were taking their places for the trio with which the
concert opened. Mrs. Neville Williams bowed and swept away. She carried
herself with more hauteur than usual, and there was a bright spot, which
was not rouge, on either of her cheeks.
Lord Bexley returned to his seat, and affected not to notice his sister’s
expression of disapproval. He passed the programme to Gladys Milnes, and
then leant back and appeared absorbed in the music. The trio was one
composed by Beethoven for piano, violin, and ’cello, all three performers
being skilled executants. When the second movement came to a close, Lady
Marjorie spoke.
“You seem to have found plenty to say to that woman,” she remarked
caustically. “I should advise you to be careful, Bexley, or you will find
yourself the next on her list.”
Bexley shrugged his shoulders. When one lady designates another fair
dame as “that woman,” it is an infallible sign that there is no love lost
between the two.
“I presume you mean Mrs. Neville Williams,” he answered sotto voce. “I
am sure I don’t know why you are so dead against her. It is not like you to
be uncharitable, Marjorie.”
“I remember Dr. Williams, and I remember the poor infatuated Duke of
Wallingcourt,” she returned in a whisper. “They were good men in their
way, and she ruined them both. I don’t like to see good men ruined,
therefore I am uncharitable.”
The musicians struck up the third movement of the trio. Bexley was
silent, and his sister gave her attention again to the music.
Gladys Milnes, who sat the other side of Lady Marjorie, also listened
attentively, her face aglow with interest and excitement. She might have
been what her aunt had termed her, a gauche little country wench, but she
was very charming for all that. There was no deception about her wavy
golden hair and peach-like complexion; they were the gifts of Nature—
which her aunt’s were not. And if she were not a fashionable young lady
with the fashionable affectation of ennui, at least she was genuinely healthy
in body, mind, and soul—which, too, her aunt was not. It was her first visit
to the metropolis, and she had come for the sole purpose of attending this
concert. She was greatly impressed by all that she saw; the brilliancy of the
audience almost took her breath away. Never before had she seen such a
galaxy of fair women, such a profusion of beautiful dresses and magnificent
jewels. She began to wonder if this were what her father meant, when from
the pulpit he denounced the “pomps and vanity of this wicked world;” for
the elegant “creations” and “confections” represented an amount of money
which, it seemed to her, might have been devoted to a much more useful
purpose than the display of dress. She enjoyed watching them, nevertheless,
and was keenly observant of all that went on around her.
The trio was followed by a vocal duet, after which came a humorous
duologue. Gladys enjoyed them both, but she was longing impatiently for
Celia’s contribution to the programme, which did not come until just before
the interval. She had not seen Celia for nearly a year, and wondered if her
professional début had changed her in any way. She could not imagine how
her friend could have the courage to face that vast audience. Her heart beat
quite fast when the short wait before Celia’s appearance occurred.
By the steps at the side of the platform stood M. Lambert, the professor
of singing. He wore an antiquated opera-hat rakishly tipped on one side,
and a yellow rose in his dress-coat. Lambert always made a point of getting
into evening dress as soon as the clock chimed the midday hour, and loftily
refused to comply with the conventions of what he termed “tin-pot” society.
He was a Bohemian to his finger-tips. At a given sign he took off his hat,
and, having placed it carefully on the floor, made way for the accompanists
—there were three of them—to pass to their respective instruments. Then
with great dignity he himself escorted the fair singer on to the platform,
and, having favoured the audience with a bow all on his own account, took
his seat by the piano in order to turn over the music.
“Isn’t she sweet!” exclaimed Lady Marjorie, almost tenderly. “She looks
for all the world as if she had just stepped out of a picture.”
Her remark was justified. Attired in a prettily made frock of shimmering
white silk, with roses at her belt and in her Gainsboro’ hat, Celia stood, a
charming representation of feminine beauty. She held herself erect, with
gracefully poised head and loosely clasped hands; and, looking straight over
the heads of her audience, awaited with composure the close of the
instrumental prelude to the French ballad, “La Voix d’un Ange.”
It was the story of a forsaken and poverty-stricken mother, who, as she is
rocking her weakly babe to sleep one stormy night in her miserable garret,
receives an angelic visitation. Being asked to choose whether the babe shall
be left to grow up in puny ill-health, or whether the angel shall take it
before it knows aught of sorrow, she—although the babe is the one bright
spot in her life—chooses the latter alternative, and with patient resignation
watches the angel carry it away.
It was a dramatic little poem, and Celia told it well. Beginning in a low
but well-modulated voice, accompanied only by the low rumbling of the
organ, which depicted the approaching storm, she recited with unaffected
gesture the opening verses. It was the more difficult for her, being in
French, but she had acquired a good accent, and spoke distinctly.
When, accompanied by the rippling arpeggi of the piano and harp, and
the melting notes produced by the vox humana stop of the organ, her
glorious voice burst forth in all its rich fulness—“La Voix d’un Ange”—a
thrill of pleasure ran through the audience, and with almost breathless
tension, they drank in every note.
Higher and with more intensity rose the voice, deeper swelled the organ,
more celestial sounded the sweet notes of the harp; the effect was almost
entrancing. Then, in a little minor melody of exquisite beauty, the
enchanting voice gradually died away; the organ resumed its low rumbling,
and a few lines of recitative brought the ballad to a close.
A sigh of keen enjoyment broke from the listening crowd, and, after a
moment’s silence, the hall reverberated with applause. There was not
another number on the programme which elicited such enthusiasm as this.
For once society was taken out of itself, for once it forgot its usual placid
indifference, and forebore to grudge the singer her success.
Again and again she reappeared to bow her acknowledgments, and still
the audience clamoured and thumped for an encore.
“You must sing something else,” Haviland said excitedly. “Quick! what
shall it be?”
“Sing ‘Allerseelen,’ ” suggested Herbert Karne.
“No; give ’em something popular. They are just in the mood for it,” put
in Lambert with authority. “Sing ‘Killarney’—that’s sure to take.”
He hastily found the music; then, turning round to the young singer, gave
an exclamation of dismay.
“The heat and the excitement have been too much for her,” said
Haviland, regretfully.
Celia had fainted.
CHAPTER II
A NEW PROJECT DISCUSSED
Celia’s début was followed by engagements to sing at several concerts, and

numerous invitations to great ladies’ receptions. She was a decided success,
and became the fashion, at least, for that season. It was not her voice alone
—for many a singer has possessed one equally as good as hers and yet has
languished in obscurity; but her attractive personality and her fortune
combined, gained for her the good will of society, and she was made much
of in consequence.
Under the chaperonage of Lady Marjorie Stonor, herself the leader of a
certain “set,” she underwent the routine of fashionable life; and attended
functions to which, without Lady Marjorie’s influence, it would have been
impossible, at the outset, to gain the entrée. Luncheon and dinner-parties,
receptions and balls, followed each other in rapid succession, until Celia’s
dreams at night began to consist of a blurred panorama of red carpet and
striped awnings, flower-decked halls and plant-lined stairs, crowded rooms
and lamp-lit conservatories. She seemed to live in one constant whirl of
excitement, and her pretty head was almost in danger of being turned by the
attention and adulation she received.
Herbert Karne had intended to stay in town for the season, but he very
soon wearied of hotel life, and fashionable London possessed no attractions
for him. He remained just long enough to be present at Celia’s début, to
escort her to an artists’ soirée, and to see his picture on view at the
Academy. Then, considering that he had done his duty, he returned to his
quiet home at Durlston, leaving his half-sister at Lady Majorie’s house in
Great Cumberland Place, until the end of July.
Celia had no qualms now about staying in a non-Jewish house, and of
partaking of food not prepared according to Jewish law. She had apparently
left her Judaism where she had found it—in Maida Vale. Had she been truly
convinced of the faithfulness of its tenets she would no doubt have adhered
to it with untiring zeal, but she had found much that was unsatisfactory and
inconsistent in its multitudinous laws and regulations; and when there was
no longer any incentive for her to keep it up, she gradually let it slide. In
Paris her religious observances had been allowed to fall into laxity, until at
last she ceased to observe anything at all. Instead, she adopted the art
religion of her brother—the worship of God as seen in the Beautiful alone;
and if it were not so satisfying as true Judaism might have been had she
been able to discover of what true Judaism really consists, at least it
entailed no inconvenient obligations, and, in its vague indefiniteness, was
an easy creed to follow.
There was one person to whom Celia’s present mode of living gave
ample cause for dissatisfaction, and that was her fiancé, David Salmon. He
had been engaged to her for over three years now, and considered it high
time for the marriage to take place. He had scarcely seen her more than a
dozen times since she had returned from Paris, for her engagements were so
numerous that he seemed crowded out. He was at present employed as
manager in one of the departments of the Acme Furnishing Company, of
which Mike Rosen was the proprietor. It was a fairly remunerative post, but
David rebelled against having to plod on at business every day from nine
o’clock until six, when, as Celia’s husband, he might assume the habits of a
gentleman of means and leisure.
Besides, he did not feel secure of her now that she had launched forth
into smart society—in which he himself had no place. Lady Marjorie had
given him an invitation to come and see her at Great Cumberland Place. He
went occasionally, but he never seemed to be able to make himself at home
there. From the moment the powdered footman opened the great hall door,
he felt a sense of constraint creeping over him like a vice; and it never
relaxed until his visit came to an end. Surrounded by the grandeur of Lady
Marjorie’s establishment, hedged in by the rules of social etiquette, Celia
seemed a different being to the frankly ingenuous girl he had known at Mrs.
Friedberg’s house. She had, unconsciously perhaps, imbibed something of
the ultra high-bred manner of the grande dame. She was very dignified,
very graceful, very charming, but she made him feel, in some indefinable
way, that she was moving in a different sphere to his own: he liked her
better as she had been before.
One day, as he was strolling down Oxford Street in his luncheon hour, a
neat victoria drove past him, just as he was about to cross the road. A
sudden instinct made him pause and look up, and with mixed feelings he
recognized the two occupants—Celia and Lord Bexley. It was the first time
he had encountered them together in this way, and a feeling of annoyance
took possession of him as he watched them. Celia was chatting with evident
enjoyment, her face lit up with animation. When she caught sight of her
fiancé she bowed, and favoured him with the shadow of a smile, but
apparently did not deem it necessary to stop the carriage in order to speak to
him.
David strode on with resentment, whilst the first pangs of jealousy
awakened in his breast. In a thoroughly bad temper he sauntered over to his
customary restaurant, and, having given vent to his feelings by swearing at
the waiter’s dilatoriness, took up a paper to beguile the time. It happened to
be a popular journal descriptive of the doings of society, and the first thing
he opened it at was an account of church parade in Hyde Park on the
previous Sunday.
He did not trouble to read the list of social celebrities who had been
there, but two familiar names caught his eye—
“ ... Miss Celia Franks, accompanied by her favourite Yorkshire terrier,
and looking delightfully fresh and cool in a gown of white mousseline de
soie, sat under the trees on the ‘quiet side,’ talking to Lord Bexley....”
“That reads all right,” he said to himself. “But I’ll take jolly good care
that I’m there next Sunday. I wonder if they will put ‘talking to her intended
husband, Mr. David Salmon’?”
He turned over the pages. A description of Lady de Smythe’s ball next
claimed his attention—
“ ... Lady Marjorie Stonor, gowned in ivory satin covered with old lace,
and wearing a magnificent diamond pendant, brought Miss Celia Franks,
the gifted singer, who afterwards joined in the cotillion, with Lord Bexley
as her partner....”
He flung down the paper with an impatient exclamation. Celia Franks
and Lord Bexley—how he hated to see the two names coupled together. A
sudden premonition of danger came over him. What if Lord Bexley should
try to oust him from his place in Celia’s affections? Where would he be
then? He was obliged to acknowledge that the peer was a more desirable
parti, from a worldly point of view, than himself, and he did not credit Celia
with being altogether above worldly considerations.
After some amount of cogitation, he came to the conclusion that the
sooner he and Celia were married the better, and he made up his mind to
confer with her on the subject at the first opportunity.
He managed to get away from his office an hour earlier that afternoon,
and, having smartened himself up, went in the direction of Great
Cumberland Place. He arrived at the house just in time to see Lord Bexley
leave it. With some misgivings, Salmon noted the peer’s military bearing,
his patrician face with its iron-grey moustache, his decidedly aristocratic
appearance. This man had apparently everything in his favour except
Celia’s promise of betrothal. David possessed that, and he hoped and
believed that Celia would not break it now.
By a favourable chance she was at home. David followed the footman
through the spacious hall with lightening heart. His spirits sank, however,
when he arrived at the great drawing-room to find Lady Marjorie and Guy
Haviland there also. Celia was leaning against the arm of Lady Marjorie’s
chair with her hand resting lightly on her hostess’s shoulder. They appeared
to be discussing something of importance, and Haviland hailed his
appearance with satisfaction.
“Ha, here’s Mr. Salmon!” he exclaimed, as David came forward to shake
hands. “I say, Salmon, you haven’t any objection to your intended going on
the stage for a short time, have you?”
“The stage?” repeated David, as he sank on to the chair which Lady
Marjorie offered. “That is a new idea, isn’t it?”
“Not exactly: I have just written a play for her—a capital play, though I
say it myself; and now that it is all done, Mr. Karne won’t allow her to act
in it, or at least he doesn’t approve, which comes to the same thing. Isn’t
that hard lines?”
David looked dubious. “This is the first I have heard of it,” he said, a
little frown appearing on his forehead. “To tell you the truth, I should hardly
care to see my intended on the stage either. What do you think about it
yourself, Celia?”
“I rather like the idea,” she answered readily. “I am very fond of acting,
as you know, though I am not sure how I should like it as a regular
occupation. However, as Herbert has put his veto on it, there is nothing
more to be said. I would not do it against his wish.”
“Quite right,” agreed David, with approval. A dutiful sister makes a
dutiful wife.
“I cannot understand why Mr. Karne objects so strongly,” said Lady
Marjorie, with a thoughtful expression on her bright face. “He seems to
have taken a positive antipathy to the dramatic profession. I told you so,
ages ago, didn’t I, Haviland? I have always found him amenable to reason
in everything but this. Of course I can understand his feelings in some
measure. He does not like the idea of Celia laying herself open to receive
the cheap compliments of any one who chooses to pay to see her act. He
doesn’t like the associations of the theatre, either, and thinks they might
have a deleterious effect. The life of an actress is different to that of a public
singer. He may be right, after all.”
Haviland rose from his seat, and folded his arms dramatically.
“ ‘Et tu, Brute?’ ” he exclaimed reproachfully. “Lady Marjorie, this is
too bad of you. I had quite relied on your co-operation in this matter. Look
here; I’ve set my heart on having this play produced. I wrote it purposely
for Miss Franks, and the part will suit her down to the ground. It is called
‘The Voice of the Charmer,’ and Miss Franks is to be the charmer. She has
to look pretty with her hair down, to act, and to sing, all of which she can
do very well indeed. It’s a play that will set off her talents to perfection.
Now, as to the questionable associations of the stage, and all that kind of
nonsense, I’ll cast the play myself, and every member of the company shall
be of good repute; I can arrange all that with the manager. I will also take
the responsibility of Miss Franks’s well-being on my own hands. Surely her
brother cannot object if I promise all that? I intend taking a special trip to
Durlston next week to tackle him on the subject myself, and I shall be very
much surprised if I do not succeed in overruling his protestations. Mr.
Karne is not an obstinate man, I am sure.”
“No, he is not obstinate,” said Lady Marjorie, decidedly; “but he is very
determined, and when he once makes up his mind to anything, he is almost
immovable. However, you have my best wishes; I hope you will succeed.”
“If you do manage to obtain his consent, when do you think the play will
be produced?” asked David Salmon.
“Ah, that is more than I can tell you,” replied the dramatist, smiling. “It
depends on a good many things. Once we put the machinery in motion,
though, it will not take us so very long. We might have everything ready by
October, or we may have to wait until the pantomime season is over. It
entirely depends on the manager who takes it up, and on what his
arrangements for the coming months may be.”
David was not sure that the project pleased him. He intended asking
Celia to marry him as soon as the arrangements for the wedding could be
made, and this theatrical scheme might be an obstacle in the way.
When Haviland took his leave, the younger man lingered behind to try
and persuade her to give up the idea; but Lady Marjorie gently reminded
Celia that it was time to go and dress for a dinner-party to which they were
going, so that David was reluctantly compelled to leave also.
He strode out of the house, and passed the Marble Arch, deep in thought.
He was beginning to pity himself for being engaged to such a beautiful and
gifted girl; for, were she unattractive and dull, she would be easier to
manage—they would have been married long ago. He resented, also, the
influence which Lady Marjorie evidently possessed over her, and
determined that after the wedding he would treat her with coolness, and try
to make Celia do the same. It never occurred to him to be glad that Celia
should have such a good friend: instead of that, he was mean-spirited
enough to find at the bottom of Lady Marjorie’s friendship a motive of self-
interest; he knew that Herbert Karne would not allow his sister to partake of
her chaperone’s hospitality without making some adequate return.
As he turned into Edgware Road, David became aware that somebody
was walking alongside him, and, looking up, he recognized, with
disagreeable surprise, Myer Apfelbaum, a man whose acquaintance he
tolerated only because he owed him money. Apfelbaum carried on business
in the city as a wholesale furrier, and had become rich by sweating his
workpeople. He loved his business, especially when opportunity occurred
for him to get the better of any one; he loved to boast about it, too. David
did not care to be seen walking with him—he never looked presentable
except on Sabbaths and holy-days,—but he was compelled to put up with
his society, and listen to an account of the stock he had sold for the last
week, and the bargains he had made. When Myer Apfelbaum was not
threatening to send him a writ—which happened about three times a week
—he was very friendly indeed.
“If any one t’inks they can swindle Myer Apfelbaum, they are moch
mistaken,” he wound up by saying. “Why, only last Friday, just before
Shabbos[11] came in, I sold a man a hundert pounds’ verth of stock, blind,
and he had the cheek to say——”
“Excuse me, this is my turning; I must go,” interrupted David,
impolitely. They had arrived at the corner of Hall Road.
“Oh yes, you live up here somewheres, don’t you? You’re a young swell,
you are.” He chuckled as if the thought amused him, and continued in a
wheedling tone, “Ain’t it about time you paid me the geld[12] you owe me?
Two hundert pound, and twenty-five pound interest; it’s been going on a
long time now. I can’t afford to lose two hundert and twenty-five pound.
Better give me five pound now on account.”
David glanced at him in contempt. “I am not in the habit of discussing
my business affairs in the street,” he answered shortly. “You shall have
every farthing of it if you will have a little more patience; if you press for it
now, you won’t get anything at all. It will be to your own interest to wait
two or three months longer; I am going to be married soon.”
“That’s what you’ve said before,” returned the other, complainingly. “I
should t’ink it’s about time it came off now. If I were you, I wouldn’t shilly-
shally over it so long. I ‘spec’ there’s others waiting for their money besides
me.”
“That’s not your business,” said David, sharply. He was getting cross.
“No, that’s not my business, but the geld is, though,” retorted
Apfelbaum. “And if I don’t get it soon, we’ll see what the law can do.” He
turned on his heel and walked away.
David marched up the Hall Road in high feather, and, when he arrived at
the top, gave vent to a vigorous expletive beginning with the letter “D.”
Then he felt better.
CHAPTER III
FITZJOHN’S AVENUE, HAMPSTEAD,—OR JERUSALEM?
On the following Sunday, David Salmon called at Great Cumberland Place

to take his beloved to an evening party, which Mrs. Mike Rosen was giving
in her honour. Mrs. Rosen possessed a large circle of friends, and
entertained with lavish hospitality, especially on the first Sunday in the
month, when her house was thrown open from three o’clock until midnight
for the reception of her guests. On this occasion, being an off Sunday, the
guests had been specially invited “to meet my friend Miss Celia Franks,”
and Celia had received a particular request to bring her music and her voice
—as though she were in the habit of leaving the latter at home.
The opportunity which David sought had now arrived. As the hansom
bowled smoothly along the wood-paved streets he pressed his claim, and
urged Celia to name an early date for the wedding. He had waited so long,
he said, because he did not wish to interfere with the musical studies
necessary to her professional career; but there was now no longer any
reason for delay that he could see, and he was tired of being an engaged
man; he was anxious to marry and settle down.
His desire was reasonable, and Celia admitted that it was perfectly just.
She had been expecting him to introduce the subject for some time past, and
should have been prepared. She was prepared in a sense, and yet—
“Can’t you wait a little longer, David?” she pleaded diffidently, looking
into his face with troubled eyes.
“There is nothing to wait for now,” he answered. “It is only natural that I
should wish to claim my bride.”
He was quite right; there was nothing to wait for. Celia admitted that too,
with a little tightening at her heart. Gazing straight in front of her at the
trotting horse and dusty road, she tried to find some excuse for asking for a
further delay, but except the possible production of Guy Haviland’s play, no
excuse was forthcoming. She could not tell him, very well, that the thought
of marriage awakened no joyful anticipation of future bliss, and that she
would much prefer the freedom of spinsterhood for, say, another five years.
Nor could she still plead her youth—she was twenty-three now; quite old
enough to be married.
“Say September,” he urged, as the cab turned into Fitzjohn’s Avenue.
“That will give you plenty of time to make all arrangements, won’t it?”
“Oh no. Why, it’s July already. I must ask Herbert and Lady Marjorie
——”
“What has Lady Marjorie to do with it?” he broke in almost petulantly.
“Whenever I ask you to decide anything, you always put it on to Lady
Marjorie. She seems to have got you completely under her thumb. There is
no need to ask her advice in everything.”
Celia’s courage returned. “Why not?” she said warmly. “Lady Marjorie
is about the truest friend I have. She has known me since I was quite a little
girl, and has almost taken the place of the mother whom I lost. I shall never
do badly if I take her advice; she is quite the cleverest and the dearest
woman I know.”
David saw that he had better leave Lady Marjorie out of the question.
“Well, can’t you give me any idea of the date?” he said, determined not
to be put off this time. “The Rosens are sure to ask us about it to-night; they
always do. Such a long engagement as ours is quite exceptional amongst
Jewish people. They will begin to think there is something fishy about it
soon.”
Celia shrugged her shoulders; it was a regular little Jewish shrug.
“It doesn’t matter to us what they think,” she replied, as the cab drew up
before a pretentious-looking red-brick house half-way up the hill. “But you
can tell them that it will take place next spring, if you like. When we have
consulted Herbert we shall be able to say more definitely.”
And with that David was obliged to be content; but he made up his mind
to write to Herbert Karne without delay. He would not rest until the actual
date was fixed.
Mrs. Rosen’s house presented quite a festive appearance. Although it
was not quite dark, lights gleamed from every window, and the front door,
which stood invitingly open, disclosed a profusion of plants and flowers in
the hall.
Inside the porch stood Mike Rosen himself. He was in evening dress, an
ample expanse of shirt-front being adorned by a large and dazzling diamond
stud. When he caught sight of Celia alighting from the hansom, he came
down the steps to greet her, and leaving David to settle with the perspiring
Jehu, escorted her gallantly into the house.
“Well, I am pleased to see you, my dear,” he said, as a maid relieved her
of her wraps. “I’ve just been reading about you in the Society Gossip. Good
gracious me, the number of lords and ladies you’ve been hobnobbing with!
It will be a wonder if it doesn’t make you proud. I suppose you haven’t
brought an earl or a duke in your pocket now, have you? We might exhibit
him behind the nursery guard, penny a view.”
Celia did what was expected of her; she laughed, then followed her host
into the dining-room to have some iced coffee. There were others there for
the same purpose, including Lottie Friedberg, now Mrs. Woolf; and in a
high chair, playing with an indiarubber dog, sat Adeline’s son and heir, aged
eighteen months. Mike adored the baby even more than his beloved
“ferniture,” and had kept him up past his bedtime on purpose to show him
off before his guests: to hear them praise his little son was like music to his
ears.
Celia again did what was expected of her; she said he was the finest boy
for his age that she had ever seen, and kissed him on the top of his head,
and allowed him to play with her tiny jewelled watch. Mike’s face
positively beamed with good humour. He wanted his son to exhibit his
infantile accomplishments, to call the pussy, and clap hands, and various
other things which he had taught him; but his wife suddenly appeared upon
the scene, and commanded him to give the baby over to his nurse.
“They are making up the tables for us in the library,” she said, when she
had given Celia an effusive welcome. “You had better join the gentlemen in
the smoke-room, Mike; they are playing bluff. Celia dear, you don’t play
cards, do you? Will you watch David for a little while—they want him for a
fourth until Mrs. Joseph comes—or would you like to join the young folks
in the drawing-room? We shall all come in to hear you sing a little later on.”
Celia did not mind either way, so at David’s request she went with him
to the library. A number of small tables covered with white damask cloths
filled the room; and at each table sat four players, ready to start their usual
game of solo whist. They all seemed to be talking at once, apparently
indifferent as to whether any one listened to them or not; but a sudden
silence fell as Celia entered. They had heard so much about her that they
knew by instinct who she was, and did not scruple to favour her with a
prolonged stare, which might have embarrassed her, had she been less self-
possessed.
Mrs. Friedberg, resplendent in black satin and Guipure lace, received her
with a kindly dignity assumed for the occasion, and having given a general
introduction, invited her to sit at her own table and watch the play.
Solo whist is undoubtedly a fascinating game to those who take part in
it, but to an outsider it has not much charm. Celia’s interest soon flagged,
and she found herself watching the players rather than the game itself. Most
of them were buxom matrons of comely appearance and cheerful manner.
Their fingers were covered with rings, which flashed and sparkled as they

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An Exegetical Study of the Verse of

Purification The Family of the Prophet

Prophetic Traditions in Islam - On the Authority of the

The Large Family System An Original Study in the

An Introduction to the Study of the Pentateuch An

The Mevlidi Sherif The Nativity of The Prophet Muhammad

The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the

Life of the Prophet in Makkah 1st Edition Zakaria

The Study of Words: An Introduction 1st Edition Lewis

An Exegetical Study of the

Dr. M.H. Jaffer

Written by Dr. M.H. Jaffer

Copyright © 2022 Tasneem Institute

Text Layout by Islamic Publishing House (www.iph.ca)

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of

1. An In-Depth Analysis of Ayah al-Tathir. Who are the Ahl al-

2. Answering Certain Contentions about the Verse of Tathir..... 53 il

Shaykh Azhar Nasser

6LxJI <Uxi*u 4jT (jlc-j

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the creations.

reaching nature of his work prevented the respected ‘Allamah

employed by many of the great commentators (mufassirun)

llU) jljf dilj IdS jejdl

dij di 'Ji ^55

Dr. M.H. Jaffer

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate

Allah Jw says in the Noble Quran:

And abide (O wives of the Prophet) quietly in your homes,

Household), and to purify you with an utmost purity.1

2. The Ahl al-Bayt is a term which includes all of relatives of

been done to date in the English language.7 In this article, I am

This is an Arabic particle composed of ji and u which implies

ibi (Yuridu Allahu)

This word in its root (al-iradah) implies ‘a faculty that is comprised

10 As evidenced by Quran, Surah Yasin (36), verse 82:

His (Allah’s) command when He ordains something is only to say

with the preceding verb, there is a powerful personification being

cjJi JaI (Ahl al-Bayt)

Punishment and wrath have already descended upon you from

But as for those in whose hearts is a disease, it has (only) increased

Understanding the Syntax

The Particle of Causation (Lam al-Ta’ltf)

non-adverbial infinitive particle ji - in lieu of lam.13 Therefore, the

Precedence of the Preposition (Taqdtm al-Jarrwa al-

13 In Arabic, this type of particle is known as “an al-masdariyyah,” which

verse. This is an important syntactic clue which serves to indicate

The Definite Article of Categorical Inclusion {Lam al-

The Definite Article of Recognition {Lam al-Ahd)

15 As we will discuss more later, this is an important word to suggest that

al-risalah).16 This is another important contextual clue, as it

Accusative Particularization vs. the Vocative

The Cognate Accusative of Emphasis (Al-Mafid al-

16 If “al-bayt” here is taken to mean ‘the place of dwelling,’ then this is in

utmost or thorough) purification.” This categorical construction

What do the Contextual Clues Imply?

proceed with our contextual observations on three levels: firstly,

A. Within the Same Verses

oSLzJi 3^(5 V5 05^5^

And abide (O wives of the Prophet) quietly in your homes,

And bear in mind all that is recited in your homes of Allah’s

The Parenthetical Sentence {Al-Jumlah al-

jlxJI (jtaxjl Jlszj UlLxLJI 6^bxx>

LbJjzj I05 L&E-9 b> ij djobJI 4Jbld>l