سورة الفرقان

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Regarding the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: رَبَّنا هَبْ لَنا مِنْ أَزْواجِنا وَ ذُرِّیَّاتِنا قُرَّةَ أَعْیُنٍ وَ اجْعَلْنا لِلْمُتَّقِینَ إِماماً [Our Lord! Grant us from our wives and offspring the coolness of our eyes, and make us a leader for the Allah-fearing] — the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: "O Jibra'il! Who is meant by مِنْ أَزْواجِنا [from our wives]?" He said: "Khadijah." The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "And who is meant by وَ ذُرِّیَّاتِنا [and our offspring]?" He said: "Fatimah (peace be upon her)." He said: "Who is meant by قُرَّةَ أَعْیُنٍ [the coolness of our eyes]?" He said: "Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them)." He said: "وَ اجْعَلْنا لِلْمُتَّقِینَ إِماماً [and make us a leader for the Allah-fearing]?" He said: "Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him)."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Aban ibn Taghlib said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about this verse وَ الَّذِینَ یَقُولُونَ رَبَّنا هَبْ لَنا مِنْ أَزْواجِنا وَ ذُرِّیَّاتِنا قُرَّةَ أَعْیُنٍ وَ اجْعَلْنا لِلْمُتَّقِینَ إِماماً [And they who say: O our Lord! grant us in our wives and our offspring the joy of our eyes, and make us guides to those who guard (against evil)]. He said: "We, the Ahl al-Bayt, are they."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Abu al-Jarud narrates from Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) regarding the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: وَ الَّذِینَ یَقُولُونَ رَبَّنا هَبْ لَنا مِنْ أَزْواجِنا [And they who say: O our Lord! grant us in our wives] up to His words وَ اجْعَلْنا لِلْمُتَّقِینَ إِماماً [and make us guides to those who guard against evil], that he said: "They are guides through whom guidance is received, and this is exclusively for the family of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)."

Ibn Abbas: وَ الَّذِینَ یَقُولُونَ رَبَّنا هَبْ لَنا مِنْ أَزْواجِنا [And those who say: Our Lord, grant us from our wives...] was revealed concerning Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): وَ الَّذِینَ یَقُولُونَ رَبَّنا هَبْ لَنا مِنْ أَزْواجِنا وَ ذُرِّیّاتِنا قُرَّةَ أَعْیُنٍ وَ اجْعَلْنا لِلْمُتَّقینَ إِماماً [And those who say: Our Lord, grant us from our wives and offspring the joy of our eyes, and make us guides for the Allah-fearing]. This verse was revealed concerning us alone.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Sa'id ibn Jubayr narrates: The verse وَ الَّذِینَ یَقُولُونَ رَبَّنا هَبْ لَنا مِنْ أَزْواجِنا وَ ذُرِّیَّاتِنا [And those who say: Our Lord, grant us from our wives and offspring...] — this verse is specifically about Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him). Most of the supplications of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) were that he would say: 'رَبَّنا هَبْ لَنا مِنْ أَزْواجِنا [Our Lord, grant us from our wives],' by which he meant Fatimah (peace be upon her), 'وَ ذُرِّیَّاتِنا قُرَّةَ أَعْیُنٍ [and from our offspring the joy of our eyes],' by which he meant Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them). Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) would say: 'By Allah! I did not ask Allah to give me children of handsome stature. Rather, I asked Him to grant me children who would be obedient to Allah and would fear Allah, so that whenever I looked at them at the time of their worship of Allah, my eyes would be gladdened.' And what is meant by His words وَ اجْعَلْنا لِلْمُتَّقینَ إِماماً [and make us guides for the Allah-fearing] is that we follow the Allah-fearing who came before us, and the Allah-fearing who come after us follow us.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) [Allah's address to Dawud (peace be upon him)]: It is forbidden for Me that I should make a scholar whose heart is a lover of desires a leader and guide for the Allah-fearing.

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Set right the affairs of my children and family, and enrich me and them from Your treasures, the abundance of Your provision and Your bounty. Grant me continence and chastity in Your religion, and give me a share of that with which You have benefited Your servants whom You are pleased with. And make me — like Ibrahim — وَ اجْعَلْنِی لِلْمُتَّقِینَ إِماماً [and make me a guide for the Allah-fearing], for it is only by Your enabling that the Allah-fearing attain success, and the repentant repent, and the worshippers fall to worship, and the righteous — by Your guidance and direction — are saved from the Fire of Your wrath.