Nasb-and-the-Nawasib

him being the relative of Rasūl Allāh H. But I would prefer falling from
the heavens to the earth than claim that ʿAlī is superior to them. 1
To sum up the stance of the Ahl al-Sunnah, the Ahl al-Sunnah associate with all
the members of the Ahl al-Bayt, the relatives of Rasūl Allāh H and his wives,
without going to extremes in doing so and falling short of fulfilling their rights.
In doing so they have treaded the middle path; they do not exaggerate in loving
them like the extremists and claim knowledge of the unseen and infallibility for
select individuals amongst them, nor do they adopt the view of the detractors
who harass the Ahl al-Bayt verbally or by action; they are the moderates amongst
the extremists on either end.
They also believe that the Ahl al-Bayt are not infallible and are thus susceptible to
sinning and faltering. Consequently they are not exempted from any punishment
in this world or the hereafter. And when it is said that amongst their rights is to
overlook the shortfalls of the wrongdoers among them, the shortfalls intended
are those which do not compromise any of the injunctions of Sharīʿah.
The evidence for this is the following address of Allah E to the Mothers of
the Believers:
مَ‏ ن يَأْتِ‏ مِنْكُ‏ ناَّ‏ بِفَ‏ احِ‏ شَ‏ ةٍ‏ مُّ‏ بَيِّنَةٍ‏ يُضَ‏ اعَ‏ فْ‏ لَهَ‏ ا الْعَ‏ ذَ‏ ابُ‏ ضِ‏ عْ‏ فَ‏ يْنِ‏
Whoever of you should commit a clear immorality - for her the punishment would
be doubled two fold. 2
1 Shuʿbah ibn ʿAyyāsh ibn Sālim al-Asadī (their client, associate), Abū Bakr al-Kūfī. A teacher of the
Qurʾān, a scholar of ḥadīth and a jurist. He was born in 95 A.H. He read the Qurʾān by ʿĀṣim and
mastered it. Ibn al-Mubārak said regarding him, “I have not seen anyone hastening more in following
the Sunnah than Abū Bakr ibn ʿAyyāsh.” Imām Aḥmad said, “A reliable narrator who errs at times.” He
passed away in 193 A.H. His narrations are cited in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, the introduction to Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim
and the four Sunan. See: Tārīkh Baghdād 14/371; Tahdhīb al-Tahdhīb 12/37; Siyar Aʿlām al-Nubalāʾ 8/495;
Tahdhīb al-Kamāl 33/129.
2 Sūrah al-Aḥzāb: 30.
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