of the Sunnah and upright upon the creed, just as their predecessors were—such as al-ʿAbbās and his sons, and ʿAlī and his sons. Whoever deviates from the Sunnah and fails to stand firm upon the religion may not be taken as an ally, even if he belongs to the Prophet’s Household.

Accordingly, the stance of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamāʿah toward the Household is one of moderation and fairness: they show loyalty to those among them who are devout and steadfast, and they disavow anyone who opposes the Sunnah and strays from the religion, even if he is a member of the Household. Mere kinship with the Household and blood-ties to the Messenger will not benefit a person in the least until he adheres to Allah’s religion.

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “When the verse, ‘And warn your closest kinsfolk’ (al-Shuʿarāʾ 26:214), was revealed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ stood and said, ‘O clan of Quraysh’—or words to that effect—‘save yourselves, for I can avail you nothing against Allah. O ʿAbbās son of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, I can avail you nothing against Allah. O Ṣafiyyah, aunt of the Messenger of Allah, I can avail you nothing against Allah. And O Fāṭimah daughter of Muhammad ﷺ, ask me of my wealth whatever you wish, yet I can avail you nothing against Allah.’”