Ahl al-Bayt and Islamic History

All the Imams are equally beloved, because they are alike. If our love for Imam Husayn (AS) and Imam al-Mahdi (AS) feels stronger, it is because we know more about them. As we come to know the other Imams better, our love for them all will become equally deep and sweet.

We can love the Imams without ever having seen them because God, in His mercy, places their love and their spiritual, celestial image in our hearts. Those whose hearts are pure feel this love more deeply.

According to the Quranic verses, the command to prostrate was given only in relation to Adam, peace be upon him, and Eve was created later from Adam himself. Therefore, the angels prostrated only to Adam, while Iblis refused to prostrate out of arrogance.

The hadith “Most goodness is found in women” refers to the good a woman brings to herself, like a flower that bears nectar: the first benefit is hers. A believing woman possesses every kind of goodness, and through her others, too, attain goodness and virtue. Other women may also have the potential for goodness, but may be unable to bring it to fruition.

Imam Husayn (AS) is a guide and proof leading to God and to winning His pleasure—not in the sense of reaching the nature and essence of the Divine Being. This virtue is also mentioned in connection with Imam Ali (AS), who was uncompromising in the cause of God. In such contexts, “dhāt” means God’s direction, path, way, or pleasure.