Ranks of Ahl al-Bayt (A.S.)

Beyond doubt, the prayer of those who have such capacity and devotion cannot be compared with anyone else in a way that one second of their prayer is better than the prayer of men and jinn together. In this relation, the Holy Prophet says:
One blow of Ali’s sword in the Battle of the Ditch is better than the prayer of men and jinn.56
Ahl Al-Bayt(A.S.), The Holy Quran’s Counterpart
A duty undertaken by all human beings especially Muslims is to understand the Holy Quran and to put into practice its teachings, which is the same as shown by lives of Ahl al-Bayt. The Holy Prophet during an illness, which led to his passing away, came out of his house while leaning on Imam Ali and Ibn Abbas. Leaning on one of the pillars of Medina Mosque, which was then the trunk of a palm tree, said to the people who were gathered in the mosque:
No prophet has passed away without leaving something behind him. I too leave behind me for you two valuable things, namely the Book of Allah and my Ahl al-Bayt. Be aware, whoever ignores them will be ignored by Allah.57
Imam Ali (a.s.) too has said:
Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has purified us from uncleanness making us infallible. He made us the witness upon people setting us as a proof on the earth. He placed us with the Holy Quran and placed the Holy Quran with us. We will never part company with the Holy Quran nor will the Holy Quran part company with us.58
Ahl al-Bayt (a.s.) are the protected Quran, containing all meanings of the Book of Allah, aware of the manifest and hidden verses and the ones practicing the Quranic teachings. They are the practical examples of the Holy Quran and the full manifestation of the Book of Allah. Therefore, people should be, especially the Muslims, dutybound to the Holy Quran, then they would be dutybound to Ahl al-Bayt as well.
As for how the ummah took heed of the Holy Prophet’s recommendation about the Holy Quran and its counterpart, that is the Ahl al-Bayt, we should be aware of Ibn Dharr’s answer to Imam al-Baqir’s question:
One day, Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) asked Ibn Dharr if he had heard some hadiths. Ibn Dharr said, “O Son of Allah’s Messenger, the Holy Prophet said, “I am leaving among you two valuable things; one is greater than the other; the Book of Allah and my Ahl al- Bayt. If you resort to then, you will never go astray.”
Imam al-Baqir (a.s.) said, “O Ibn Dharr, if you ever meet Allah’s Messenger and he asks you what you have done about these two valuable things, what will your answer be?”
Ibn Dharr started weeping bitterly and said,
“Alas! We have torn apart the Greater one and killed the smaller one.”59
Ahl al-Bayt are the Holy Quran’s counterpart hence they have all the features of the Book:
The Holy Quran is full of knowledge. So are the Ahl al-Bayt.
The Holy Quran is light. So are the Ahl al-Bayt.
The Holy Quran is balance. So are the Ahl al-Bayt.
The Holy Quran is pure. So are the Ahl al-Bayt.
The Holy Quran is guidance. So are the Ahl al-Bayt.
The Holy Quran is an intercessor on the Judgment Day. So are the Ahl al- Bayt.
Ahl al-Bayt(A.S.) And Knowledge
The Holy Quran says that when Prophet Sulayman (Solomon) sent back the emissaries of Queen Sheba, he said to the chiefs of his court:
He said: O chiefs! Which of you can bring to me her throne before they come to me in submission? One audacious among the Jinn said: I will bring it to you before you rise up from your place; and most surely I am strong and trustworthy of it. One who had the knowledge of the Book said: I will bring it to you in the twinkling of an eye. Then when he saw it settled besides him, he said: This is of the grace of my Lord that He may try me whether I am grateful or ungrateful; and whoever is ungrateful, then surely my Lord is Self sufficient, Honoured, (27:38-40)
In another place of the Holy Quran, we read about one who has the knowledge of the Book:
And those who disbelieve say, “You are not a messenger.” Say,“Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you. So is he who has knowledge of the Book.”13:43)
In the earlier verse, the Arabic preposition min (of) that comes between ilm (knowledge) and kitab (Book) means “part of”, whereas in the latter verse, there is nothing between these two words, meaning one who has the entire knowledge of the Book; one whose witness to Prophethood is the same as the witness of Allah. This one must be the most knowledgeable after the Holy Prophet. This person – as the grand Shiite commentators relying on narrations related to Ahl al-Bayt and great Sunni commentators relying on their own narrations state – is no one but the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s) who was not older than twenty!
Abu-Said Khidri, a reporter of hadith accepted by Sunni scholars, says:
I asked Allah’s Messenger, Who is the one intended by Allah’s saying, ‘so is he who the knowledge of the Book’” The Holy Prophet answered,“He is my brother, Ali ibn Abi-Talib.”60
Imam Ali (a.s.), having been asked about the meaning of the same verse, has said:
I am the one with whom is the knowledge of the Book.61
When Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) was asked by Abd al-Rahman ibn Kuthayr about the meaning of the following verse,
“One who had the knowledge of the Book said: I will bring it to you in twinkling of an eye” -,
the Imam, spreading his fingers and putting them on his chest, said:
By Allah, the entire knowledge of the Book is with us.62
Referring to Ahl al-Bayt, Allah’s Messenger said:
Allah has told me: They are the treasurers of My Knowledge after you.463
Imam Zayn al-Abidin (a.s) has said:
We are the gates to Allah; the straight path; the container of His knowledge; the interpreters of His revelation; the pillars of monotheism; and the closet of His secrets.64
Imam Ali Amir al-Muminin (a.s.) has said:
Beware! The knowledge brought down by Adam and the excellent deeds of the Prophets, up to the last one of them, is with the Progeny of the seal of the Prophets. So to which deviated way are you pushed and where are you going?65
The Holy Prophet (S) has said:
We, the Ahl al-Bayt, are the keys of Mercy, the destination of the Prophetic mission, the haunt of angels, and the source of knowledge.66
Imam Zayn al-Abidin has said:
Why do people harbor grudge against us? By Allah, we are the tree of Prophethood, the house of mercy, the source of knowledge and the haunt of angels.67
Ahl al-Bayt know the Chief Name (al-ism al-a’dham) of Allah; they are familiar with all languages; they are aware of the past and the future; they have the knowledge of the Divine Books and they see what has happened and what will happen. Ahl al-Bayt are the House of Allah, Noah’s Ark, the Quran’s counterpart, the excellent people, those who are in authority, people of Reminder, roots of truth, source of Divine mission, pillars of world and the guardians of faith.
Notes:
50. Al-Iqbal:296, Bihar al-Anwar 106/99
51. Nahjul-Balaghah, Sermon 234
52. Al-Kafi, 98/1, H. 6
53. Ghurar al-Hikam, 119, H. 2086
54. Awali al-La’ali: 124/4, H. 221
55. Nahj al-Balaghah, Sermon: 1
56. Al-Iqbal: 467, Awali al-La’ali: 86/4, H. 102
57. Al-Ihtijaj, 70/1
58. Al-Kafi, 191/1, H. 5
59. Rijal al-Khashshi, 219′ Bihar al-Anwar: 159/10, H. 12
60. Shawahid al-Tanzil: 400/1
61. Basa’ir al-Darajat: 216, H.21
62. Al-Kafi, 229/1, H. 5
63. Al-Kafi: 193/1, H. 4
64. Ma’ani al-Akhbar: 35, H. 5
65. Tafsir al-Qummi, 368/1
66. Fara’id al-Simtayn, 44/1
67. Al-Kafi, 222/1, H. 1.