Who are the Ahlul Bayt?

Who does the Quran refer to when it says Ahlul Bayt? Sheikh Azhar Nasser compares Sunni and Shia viewpoints based on hadit from Sunni sources.

The three main perspectives are:
- It includes the Prophet's wives, Bani Hashim, and the Holy Five (Ali, Fatima, Hassan, Hussain, and Prophet Muhammad)
- It includes just Bani Hashim and the Holy Five
- It includes just the Holy Five (shia perspective)

Sheikh Azhar discusses arguments for and against the verse of Purity (Quran 33:33) applying the wives as well as the Holy Five, looking at the verse in context with the surrounding verses.

The discussion covers:
- Why are wives referenced before and after this verse?
- Are wives actually being praised?
- Changes in pronouns
- Meaning of "warding off filth"
- Context changing from "Your houses" to "The house"

Lecture notes available at http://www.why-quran.org/?p=546.

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Video recording of this lecture + Q&A available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUEGYtgQxOs&list=PLpkB0iwLgfTat-Pgh4W3WFmupPamiC9UT.