سورة المائدة

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتَ اللهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ جَعَلَ فِيكُمْ أَنْبِياءَ وَ جَعَلَكُمْ مُلُوكاً [Remember the favor of Allah upon you when He raised prophets among you and made you kings] means among the Children of Israel. Allah did not grant prophethood and kingship together to one household, but He combined these two ranks for our Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Sulayman Daylami said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the verse: إِذْ جَعَلَ فِیکُمْ أَنْبِیَاءَ وَجَعَلَکُمْ مُلُوکاً [when He raised prophets among you and made you kings]. He said: "The prophets are the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), Ibrahim, Ismail and his descendants, and the kings are the Imams." I said: "And what kingdom has been given to you?" He said: "The kingdom of Paradise and the kingdom of al-Karra (the Return)."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Ziyad ibn al-Mundhir said: I heard Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) saying: We are a tree whose root is the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), whose trunk is Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (peace be upon him), whose branches are Fatimah (peace be upon her) the daughter of Muhammad, and whose fruit is Hasan and Husayn (peace be upon them). They are the tree of prophethood, the household of mercy, the key of wisdom, the mine of knowledge, the seat of the message, the place of the coming and going of the angels, the treasury of Allah's secrets and His trust, and the trust that was offered to the heavens and the earth. We are the greatest sanctuary of Allah, His Ancient House and His sanctuary. With us is the knowledge of deaths (al-manaya), afflictions (al-balaya), wills (al-wasaya), fasl al-khitab (the decisive judgement), the birth of Islam and the lineages of the Arabs. They were a shining light around the Throne of their Lord. Allah commanded them and they glorified Him, and the dwellers of the heavens learned glorification from them. Then they were brought down to the earth, and there He commanded them to glorify, and the people of the earth glorified through their glorification. They are the ones standing in the service of Allah, and the glorifiers mentioned in the Qur'an are this household. Whoever fulfils his covenant with them has fulfilled his covenant with Allah, and whoever recognises their right has recognised the right of Allah. They are the executors of Allah's command, the treasurers of His revelation, the inheritors of the Book of Allah, the chosen ones for His secrets, and the trustees over Allah's revelation. These are the Ahl al-Bayt of prophethood and the mine of the message, and the ones who take intimate delight in the fluttering of the wings of the angels — those whom Jibra'il, from Allah, nourished with the revelation and the interpretation of the Qur'an. This is a household whom Allah honoured with His secrets, distinguished with His nobility, exalted with guidance, made firm with revelation, and made them the leaders of guidance and the light of deliverance in the darkness. He singled them out for His religion, gave them preference through His knowledge, and gave them ما لَمْ یُؤْتِ أَحَداً مِنَ الْعالَمِینَ [what He had not given to anyone among the worlds].

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): O people! Allah has ennobled the Ahl al-Bayt of your Prophet with His generosity, granted them honor through His guidance, singled them out for His religion, given them excellence through His knowledge, made them the keepers [of His secrets], and made them the guardians and trustees of His knowledge of the unseen. So they are the pillars of His religion and the witnesses over it, the means of stability in His earth and those who uphold His command. He created them before His creation as lights on the right side of His Throne. They are noble in His knowledge. He chose them, selected them, and was pleased with them; and so He made them a sign of guidance for His servants and guides for them upon His path. They are the summoning imams, the guiding leaders, the ruling judges, the stars of guidance, the chosen family, the purified household, the middle nation [in the measure of moderation], the more knowledgeable path, the more firmly-established way, the adornment of the noble ones and the heirs of the prophets. They are the kinship that is joined, the fortified refuge for the believers, and the light of the eyes of the rightly-guided. For whoever seeks refuge with them, they are a shelter and a protector; for whoever seeks their aid, they are a source of safety; and for whoever follows them, they are deliverance. Whoever supports them rejoices, whoever shows enmity toward them perishes, and whoever holds fast to them attains salvation. Whoever turns away from them is astray and outside the religion, and whoever cleaves to them joins [them]. They are the gates of trial [for the people]; whoever comes to them is saved, and whoever refuses falls. There is a shedding [of sins] for whoever enters through them, and they are a proof against whoever abandons them. They call to Allah and [constantly] act by His command. They judge by His Book and guide by His signs. Allah's message was sent down among them, His angels descended upon them, and Jibra'il al-Amin breathed into them — this being a favor and mercy from Allah — and He gave them what He had not given to any of the worlds.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): O people! Allah has distinguished the household of the Prophet with His generosity and entrusted them with His secrets and His knowledge. They are the foundations of the religion and the witnesses of His knowledge. He created them before the people and placed them in the shade of His Throne. He chose them and made them a guide for people and made them acquainted with His path. They are the imams of guidance (and the pure leaders and the middle nation, a refuge for whoever takes shelter with them and a means of deliverance for whoever relies upon them. Whoever loves them becomes a place of envy and regret for his opponents, and whoever shows enmity toward them perishes, and the one who holds fast to them is saved. The message was sent down among them, the angels descended upon them, and al-Ruh al-Amin cast revelation upon them. Allah gave them what He had not given to any of the worlds.

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): When Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him) was brought together with the head of his father to Yazid in Sham, he said... O people! Allah is the Exalted and praise belongs to Him. He tested us, the Ahl al-Bayt, with a fair trial, when He placed the banner of guidance, justice and taqwa (piety) among us, and placed the banner of misguidance and destruction in others. He favoured us, the Ahl al-Bayt, with six qualities; He favoured us with knowledge, forbearance, courage, nobility, love, and a place in the hearts of the believers, and He gave us blessings which He had not given to any of the worlds.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Yunus ibn Zabyan narrates: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: O Yunus! Whenever you want sound knowledge, take it from the Ahl al-Bayt of the Prophet! Knowledge has been given to us, wisdom has been expounded for us, and the decisive speech — Allah has chosen us and given us blessings which He had not given to any of the worlds.