Research Article

Ahl al-Bayt According to Medina Historian Samhûdî

Number: 12 December 15, 2025
EN TR

Ahl al-Bayt According to Medina Historian Samhûdî

Abstract

In the early period of Islam, political disputes involving some members of the Ahl al-Bayt led to the emergence of theological sects in later periods. Under the influence of religion and politics, the concept of Ahl al-Bayt, who it encompassed, and ideas about them gradually diverged and took shape. Some Umayyad rulers claimed to be members of the Ahl al-Bayt because they belonged to the Quraysh tribe. The Abbasids, on the other hand, were descendants of Abbas, the uncle of the Prophet Muhammad. The descendants of Ali, both from Fatima and his other wives, also considered themselves to be Ahl al-Bayt. Conversely, some Muslim state rulers viewed those belonging to the Ahl al-Bayt as rivals and a threat to their power because of their closeness to the Prophet. Those who believed that no harm would come from the Ahl al-Bayt showed them closeness and respect. Some, however, wanted to exploit the closeness of the descendants of Ali and Fatima to the Prophet Muhammad. The attitudes and stances of Muslim rulers towards the Ahl al-Bayt also influenced the scholars of the time. During times when negative attitudes towards the Ahl al-Bayt were displayed, some Ahl al-Sunnah scholars were more sensitive on the subject of the Ahl al-Bayt. Semhûdî, one of the prominent Mamluk scholars of the 15th century, is among the aforementioned Sunni scholars. This article examines Semhûdî's perspective on the Ahl al-Bayt. To this end, it focuses particularly on his books on the history of Medina, scholars, and the Ahl al-Bayt. The study reveals that there is no general consensus among the Ahl al-Sunnah regarding who is included in the concept of Ahl al-Bayt, their virtues, and the rulings concerning them. Regarding who is included in the Ahl al-Bayt, with the exception of the Abbasid period, the male children of Ali and Fatima have largely been emphasised, along with theoretical disagreements. Semhûdî, like many Shiites, defended that the sons of Ali and Fatima were Ahl al-Bayt on both their father's and mother's sides. Unlike many Sunnis and Shiites, he defended that Imam Mahdi would be from the lineage of Hasan instead of Hussein. The stance of scholars such as Semhûdî on the Ahl al-Bayt contributed to the strengthening of moderate Shiism and moderate Sunnism, their mutual influence, and their occasional convergence. Naturally, it also contributed to the marginalisation and weakening of the Ghulat al-Shi'a and the Nasibis.

Keywords

References

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Details

Primary Language

Turkish

Subjects

Political and Civilization History of Islam

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

December 15, 2025

Submission Date

September 4, 2025

Acceptance Date

November 25, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 1970 Number: 12

ISNAD
Barca, İbrahim - Akbarzadeh, Hadi. “Medine Tarihçisi Semhûdî’ye Göre Ehl-I Beyt”. Akademik Siyer Dergisi. 12 (December 1, 2025): 51-73. https://doi.org/10.47169/samer.1777962.