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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