and purify them completely.” He repeated (1) that.
She said: I leaned my head in and said, “And am I with them (2), O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “You are headed toward (3) good.”’
This verse indicates infallibility, reinforced by the word “only,” the inclusion (4) of the letter lām in the predicate, and the restriction of the address through His words: [“People of the Household”; the repetition in His words, “and purify you”; and the emphasis in His word] (5), “completely.” Others are not infallible, so the imamate (6) must belong to Alī. This is also because he (7) claimed it in several of his statements, such as:
“By Allah, Ibn Abī Quhāfah donned it (8), even though he knew (9) that I stand in relation to it as the axle stands to the millstone.”
It has been established that he is free of defilement; therefore, he is truthful and thus is the Imam.”
The response is that this hadith (10) is authentic in its overall substance. It is established that the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said to Alī, Fātimah (11), Hasan, and Husayn (12): “O Allah, these are the members of my household, so remove defilement from them and purify them completely.” (13)