‘Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, invoke blessings upon him and greet him with peace.’

[Surah al-Ahzāb: 56]

In Sahīh al-Bukhārī, Kaʿb ibn Ujra said: ‘We asked the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and said (1): “O Messenger of Allah, how are we to invoke blessings upon you, the members of the Household? Allah has taught us how to greet you with peace.”

He said, “Say: O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon Muhammad’s family.” In Sahīh Muslim (2), we said: “O Messenger of Allah, we already know how to greet you with peace, but how are we to invoke blessings upon you?”

He replied, “Say: O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon Muhammad’s family (3), as You sent blessings upon Abraham and upon Abraham’s family.”’ There is no doubt that Alī is the foremost member of Muhammad’s family and is therefore the one most entitled to the imamate.”

The response is that there is no doubt that this hadith is authentic and recorded by both al-Bukhārī and Muslim, and that Alī is among the family of Muhammad included in the words:

“O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon Muhammad’s family” (4).

However, this is not exclusive to him, for all of Banū Hāshim are included, such as al-Abbās and his offspring, al-Hārith ibn Abd al-Muttalib and his offspring (5), as well as the Prophet’s daughters—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—who were Uthmān’s two wives, Ruqayya and Umm Kulthūm, and his daughter Fātima. Likewise,