By Irshad Soofi
A spiritual affiliation with the members of the household of the beloved Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which is characterised by love for his noble family is an aspect of islamic tradition which has largely been ignored, unconciously largely to a dissemination of a secterian brand of Islam, that have been purchased and controlled by a particular sect in the modern muslim world after the closure of the political Caliphate. Love and reverance for Ahl al Bayt seems to have been confined to a ceremonial acknowledgement in salawat or during the friday sermon.
This is not the role envisioned by ALLAH(SWT) and the Holy Prophet Muhammad(PBUH). Indeed their active role in shaping Islamic political history, the monumental contributions of the al-Khulafaa ur-Raashidun(the righteous caliphs) in maintaining the political and religious stability, the noble blessed wives to the intellectual tradition and love for Sayyiduna Ali, Sayyida Fathima, Imam Hassan and Imam Husayn - in particular as a means of spiritual elevation are perpetuating legacies within dynamic orthodox Islam as opposed to conservatism and modernism.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad(pbuh1400 years ago laid down the law that all human beings are born free and equal preaching the doctrine of universalism of divine guidnce. These prooud arabs shook with anger when he said this. They took up arms when he preached all those global principles.The Holy Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) wrote the most illuminated chapter in human history, where tribalism, capitalism, caste, serf and master and all these things were wiped off.
Eight years after his migration he conquered Makkah, the only conquest in history where not a drop of blood was shed. Sixty one years after the migration his grandson gave his life and the life of his family, the family of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) the first protest march in the history of the world.Imam Husayn carried the message of his grandfather from Madinah to Karbala watering the tree of liberty with his holy blood.
