Sending blessings (Durood) upon the purified wives of the Holy Prophet ﷺ is also permissible, because according to the Quran and Sunnah, they are also included among the Ahl al-Bayt, as:
In the Light of the Holy Quran
Addressing the purified wives of the Holy Prophet ﷺ, Allah the Exalted says:
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
“O Ahl al-Bayt! Indeed, Allah desires to remove all impurity from you, O people of the [Prophet’s] household, and to purify you with a thorough purification.”
① In the exegesis of this verse, the scholar of the Ummah, the interpreter of the Quran, and the commentator among the Companions, Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) states:
نزلت فى نساء النبى صلى الله عليه وسلّم خاصة.
“This verse was revealed specifically concerning the wives of the Holy Prophet ﷺ.”
② Ikramah, may Allah have mercy on him, a student of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, says:
من شاء باهلته أنها نزلت فى أزواج النبى صلى الله عليه وسلّم.
“Whoever wishes to engage in Mubahala, I am also ready to engage in Mubahala with him, for this verse was revealed concerning the purified wives of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم.”
③ In the exegesis of this verse, the famous Sunni commentator, Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
وهذا نص فى دخول أزواج النبى صلى الله عليه وسلّم فى أهل البيت هاهنا، لأنهنّ سبب نزول هذه الآية.
“This verse is a clear indication that the wives of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم are included among the Ahl al-Bayt, because it was the purified wives who were the cause of the revelation of this verse.”
He also says:
فإن كان المراد أنهن كن سبب النزول دون غيرهن فصحيح، وإن أريد أنَّهُنَّ المُراد فقط دون غيرهنّ، ففي هذا نظر؛ فإنه قد وردت أحاديث تدل علىٰ أنّ المُراد أعم من ذلك.
“If the meaning is that no one other than the purified wives was the cause of the revelation of this verse, then this is correct, but if someone means that the concept of Ahl al-Bayt does not include anyone other than the purified wives, then this is debatable, because many hadiths indicate that the meaning of Ahl al-Bayt is broader than this.”
This means that although this verse describes the inclusion of the purified wives among the Ahl al-Bayt, based on authentic hadiths, the relatives of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are also included in the Ahl al-Bayt. In fact, if the wives are part of the Ahl al-Bayt, then the close relatives are also included in the Ahl al-Bayt.
In this regard, Hafiz Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
ثم الذي لا يشك فيه من تدبر القرآن أن نساء النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم داخلات في قوله تعالى : ﴿إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا ﴾ , for the context of the speech is with them; therefore, Allah Almighty said after all this: ﴿And remember what is recited in your houses of the verses of Allah and wisdom﴾, meaning: act upon what Allah reveals to His Messenger in your houses from the Book and the Sunnah. This was said by Qatadah and several others. Remember this blessing that you have been specially given among people, that revelation descends in your houses unlike others. Aisha, the truthful daughter of the truthful, was the foremost in this blessing, the most fortunate in this bounty, and the most special in this vast mercy, for revelation did not descend on the bed of any woman other than her, as the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him have explicitly stated. Some scholars, may Allah have mercy on them, said: this is because he did not marry any virgin other than her, and no man slept with her in her bed except him, so it was appropriate that she be given this distinction and be singled out with this high rank. But if his wives are from his household, then his relatives have more right to this designation, as mentioned earlier in the hadith: “And my household have more right.” This is similar to what is established in Sahih Muslim: when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was asked about the mosque that was founded on piety from the first day, he said: “It is my mosque.” This is of the same kind, for the verse was revealed about the Mosque of Quba, as mentioned in other hadiths, but since that mosque was founded on piety from the first day, the mosque of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, is more deserving of being called by that name. And Allah knows best.
“Then, what a person who reflects on the Noble Qur’an cannot doubt is that the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him, are included in Allah’s command: ﴿إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا ﴾ ‘O Ahl al-Bayt! Indeed, Allah desires to remove from you impurity and purify you thoroughly,’ because the context of the speech is with the purified wives, may Allah be pleased with them. This is why after all this Allah Almighty said: ﴿وَاذْكُرْنَ مَا يُتْلَى فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَالْحِكْمَةِ﴾ ‘O wives of the Prophet! Remember what is recited in your houses of the verses of Allah and wisdom,’ meaning act upon the texts of the Book and Sunnah that Allah reveals upon His Messenger in your houses. Imam Qatadah, a follower, may Allah have mercy on him, and many scholars have interpreted it this way. The meaning is: O wives of the Prophet! Remember this blessing that you have been specially given compared to others, that revelation descends only in your houses. Lady Aisha Siddiqah, may Allah be pleased with her, was foremost in this blessing, the greatest beneficiary of this bounty, and the one who received the most of this immense mercy. The reason is that revelation did not come upon the bed of any wife of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, except Lady Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, as the Prophet himself explicitly stated. Some scholars say that this distinction was because the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, did not marry any virgin other than her, and likewise, Lady Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, did not share intimacy with any man other than him, so her personality was more fitting to be special with this distinction and unique in this high rank. But when his wives are from his household, then his relatives have more right to be called Ahl al-Bayt, as the hadith of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, has already stated that my household have more right. This matter is similar to what is mentioned in Sahih Muslim: when the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, was asked about the mosque mentioned in the Qur’an that was founded on piety from the first day, he said: ‘It is my mosque (the Prophet’s Mosque).’ Although the verse was revealed about the Mosque of Quba, since the Prophet’s Mosque was founded on piety from the first day, it is more deserving of that name. The matter of Ahl al-Bayt is similar (that although the purified wives are called Ahl al-Bayt in the Qur’an, the relatives of the Prophet, peace be upon him, are also included among Ahl al-Bayt due to being his household).”
In the Light of Authentic Hadiths
① It is mentioned in the story of the disassociation of Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said while delivering a sermon:
يا معشر المسلمين، من يعذرني من رجل قد بلغني أذاه فى أهل بيتي، فوالله ما علمت على أهلي إلا خيرًا.
“O community of Muslims! Who will take revenge from the one who caused me pain regarding my Ahl al-Bayt (family)? By Allah! I know nothing but good about my household.”
② Haseen bin Sabrah, a Tabi’i (may Allah have mercy on him), asked Sayyidina Zaid bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him):
ومن أهل بيته يا زيد؟ أليس نساؤه من أهل بيته؟
“O Zaid! Who are the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم? Are not the wives of the Prophet included in his Ahl al-Bayt?”
To this, Sayyidina Zaid bin Arqam (may Allah be pleased with him) replied:
نساؤه من أهل بيته.
“The wives of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم are included in his Ahl al-Bayt.”
③ Sayyida Umm Salama رضي الله عنها narrates that when the mentioned verse of Surah Al-Ahzab was revealed:
فأرسل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلّم إلى على وفاطمة والحسن والحسين رضي الله عنهم أجْمَعينَ، فقال : ”اللَّهُمْ هولاء أهل بيتيي“ قالت أم سلمة : يا رسول الله، ما أنا من أهل البيت ؟ قال: ”إنك أهلي خير، وهؤلاء أهل بيتيي، اللَّهُمْ أهليي أحق“
“The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم called Sayyidina Ali, Sayyida Fatimah, and Sayyidina Hasan and Husayn رضي الله عنهم. Then he said: O my Allah! These are my family. Sayyida Umm Salama رضي الله عنها said: O Messenger of Allah! Am I not included among the Ahl al-Bayt? He said: You are from my household and are of goodness, while these are my Ahl al-Bayt. O Allah! My household are more deserving (of being called Ahl al-Bayt).”
Imam Hakim رحمه الله declared this hadith “Sahih according to the condition of Imam Bukhari رحمه الله,” while Hafiz Dhahabi رحمه الله said it is “Sahih according to the condition of Imam Muslim رحمه الله.”
④ In a narration, Sayyida Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) also said:
قلت: يا رسول اللہ، ألست من أهلك؟ قال: ”بلٰى، فادخلي فى الكساء“، قالت : فدخلت فى الكساء بعد ما قضٰى دعائه لابن عمه علي وابنيه وابنتيه فاطمة رضى الله عنهم .
“I said: O Messenger of Allah! Am I not among your Ahl (family)? The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Why not, you also enter under the cloak. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had prayed for his cousin Sayyidina Ali, his grandsons (Sayyidina Hasan and Husayn), and his daughter Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with them), I also entered under the cloak.”
It is established that the Ahl al-Bayt of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) are of two types; according to the language of the Qur’an, the purified wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) are Ahl al-Bayt, while according to the language of Prophethood, the relatives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) are also included in the Ahl al-Bayt.
Since the purified wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) are also Ahl al-Bayt, sending blessings upon them is also prescribed, as mentioned in the hadith:
⑤ Sayyiduna Abu Humaid Saadi رضي الله عنه narrates:
انهم، قالوا: يا رسول الله، كيف نصلي عليك؟ فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: قولوا اللهم صل على محمد و ازواجه و ذريته كما صليت على آل إبراهيم، وبارك على محمد و ازواجه وذريته كما باركت على آل إبراهيم إنك حميد مجيد
“The Companions asked: O Messenger of Allah! How should we send blessings upon you? The Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: Say: O Allah! Send mercy upon Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, your wives, and your offspring, as You sent mercy upon the family of Ibrahim عليه السلام. Also, send blessings upon Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, your wives, and your offspring, as You sent blessings upon the family of Ibrahim عليه السلام. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.”
