Ahl al-Bayt
Ahl al-Bayt (Arabic: أهل البيت, Turkish: Ehl-i Beyt) is a phrase meaning, literally, "People of the House" or "Family of the House". Within the Islamic tradition, the term refers to the family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad.
In Shia Islam and Alevism, the Ahl al-Bayt are central to Islam and interpreters of the Quran and sunnah. Shias believe they are successors of Muhammad and consist of Muhammad, Fatimah, Ali, Hasan and Husayn, Muhammad ibn al Hanafiyyah (Muuzairhammad akbar ibn Ali) (known collectively as the Ahl al-Kisa, "people of the mantle") and the Imams. There are differing opinions on the scope and importance of Ahl al-Bayt.[
In Sunni Islam, Muhammad's household refers to Muhammad himself; his wives and daughters, including Fatimah; his cousin and son-in-law Ali; and their two children, Hasan ibn Ali, Husayn ibn Ali and Muhammad_ibn_al-Hanafiyyah (Muhammad akbar ibn Ali) and all Muhammad's descendants. Sometimes the descendants of his paternal uncles, Abu Talib and al-‘Abbas are included as well. Some Sunnis consider only the family up until Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali to be members of the Ahl al-Bayt. In Sunni and Shia thought, every Muslim has the obligation to love the Ahl al-Bayt.
