The Status of the Ahl al-Bayt in the Quran and the Hadiths

The Muslim ummah disagree over the case of the Ahl al-Bayt. Hence, the two major denominations of Shia and Sunnite hold two views regarding their status before God and their role in the creation system. These two views are as follows: a) Exaggeratory view that regards them superhuman beings, with some Divine characteristics; and b) Negligentview that regards them on a par with ordinary Muslims and sometimes excommunicates them. Research into hadith sources provides a point between these two extremes in that their status is characterized by their admission of being servants of God, while they are deserved to enjoy such positions as caliphatehood, supremacy, imamate, infallibility, and so on. Religious documents and references prove that such ranks and status are granted to them by God; they are not instinctive or inborn of them, however. A study of the religious sources indicate that the Ahl al- Bayt´s status stands in proportion to people´s needs. The present study provides instances of their real status, with hadiths from both denominations plus the reasons for the standpoints and examples mentioned.