Nasb-and-the-Nawasib

The Ahl al-Bayt and their Status according to the Ahl al-Sunnah
The Root Letters of the word Āl:
The scholars have differed as to the root letters of the word Āl; there are two
views in this regard:
The first view
The root letters are Ahl, on the scale of Faʿl, i.e. with a Fatḥah which is followed by
a Sukūn. The letter Hāʾ was changed to a Hamzah making the word Aʾl (with two
Hamzahs coming together). Due to two Hamzahs coming together, the first one
having a Fatḥah and the second one a Sukūn, the second one was changed to an
Alif, making the word Āl. This is the viewpoint of most of the linguistics. 1
This view has, however, been deemed weak, due to the many differences which
exist in the usage of both words. If the word Ahl was the original of Āl they both
would have been the same completely. 2
The second view
The root letters are Awala, on the scale of Faʿala. Due to the Waw having a short
vowel sign and the letter before it having a Fatḥah it was changed to an Alif. 3 It
is thus derived from the verb Āla Yaʾūlu which means ‘to return’. The Āl of a man
would thus mean: those who return to him and are attributed to him. Likewise
Yaʾūluhum means: ‘he governed them’; and the word Iyālah also means ‘to govern’.
Hence the Āl of a person are his subordinates whom he governs and takes care of.
Yes of course, he himself is more deserving of his care and governance, therefore,
he himself will also be included in his Āl. 4
1 Lisān al-ʿArab 11/30; Jilāʾ al-Afhām p. 203; al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ p. 1245; al-Qawl al-Badīʿ p. 191.
2 Majmūʿ Fatāwā Shaikh al-Islām 22/463; Jilāʾ al-Afhām p. 203; ʿUmdah al-Ḥuffāẓ 1/140.
3 Al-Bayān wa al-Taʿrīf 1/31.
4 Jilāʾ al-Afhām p. 204.
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