that are righteous, yet it does not entail the occurrence of what He wills. This differs from the creational will, which entails the occurrence of what He, exalted is He, wills, though it is general and encompasses both good and evil, as in His saying: “His command, when He wills a thing, is only to say to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” (Ya-Sin 36:82)

Accordingly, if the will in the Verse of Purification is a legislative will, it does not entail the actual occurrence of the purification intended; rather, it means that Allah loves for the Prophet’s Household to purify themselves. Were it a creational will, however, it would mean that their purification is an inevitable reality. This is the basis on which the Shi‘ah maintain the infallibility of the Prophet’s Household. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, has thoroughly demonstrated their error in this matter in several passages of his book Minhaj al-Sunnah. Since it is closely relevant to our present subject, I shall cite for the esteemed readers a portion of it. In refuting the Shi‘ite who asserts Ali’s infallibility on the basis of the preceding verse, he said:

“As for the verse, ‘and purify you completely’ (al-Ahzab 33:33), it does not state that impurity has been removed from them or that they have been purified. Rather, it commands them to do that which brings about both, just as Allah says: ‘Allah does not intend to place any hardship upon you, but He intends to purify you’ (al-Ma’idah 5:6); and: ‘Allah intends to make clear to you and guide you’ (al-Nisa’ 4:26); and: ‘Allah intends to lighten your burden’ (al-Nisa’ 4:28). The will here entails command, love, and approval; it is not the kind that necessarily entails the occurrence of what is willed. Were it so, everyone whom Allah intended to purify would indeed be purified.

“This argument is all the more compelling according to the doctrine of the Shi‘ah of our time, for they are Mu‘tazilites who say that Allah wills what does not occur. Thus, if His saying, ‘Allah intends to remove impurity from you,’ is through doing what has been commanded and abstaining from what has been prohibited, then this depends upon their own wills and actions. If they do what they have been commanded, they will be purified. Further evidence that this is something they were commanded to do, rather than something whose occurrence was announced, is that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, draped the cloak over Ali, Fatimah, al-Hasan, and al-Husayn, then said: ‘O Allah, these are my Household, so remove…’