Ahlulbait(as) superior to parents

Following is taken from Tafseer of Imam Hasan Askari (as) under the Tafseer of verse 2: 83

Allah(swt) has said in Holy Quran, Sura Baqara, Verse 83:

.............And do good to your parents and near ones........

The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) said: Muhammad and Ali are more rightful to get your thanks than your parents.

Imam Ali Ibne Abi Talib (a.s.) has narrated, that he heard the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) say: Ali (a.s.) and I are two fathers of this Ummah, and our rights are more than those of the biological parents; because if they obey us, we would get them released from fire of Hell and get them admitted to Paradise which is an abode and we shall take them out of slavery and join them with the noblest and righteous people.

Lady Fatima Zahra (s.a.) said: Muhammad and Ali (a.s.) are the two fathers of this Ummah, who correct their deviation and if they obey them, they save them from everlasting punishment and if they agree with them, they make the everlasting bounties of Paradise lawful for them.

Imam Zainul Aabideen (a.s.) said: If parents have rights on their children because of their favors, Muhammad and Ali’s (a.s.) favors are more and greater on this nation. That is why they are more worthy of being their fathers and it is very important to fulfill their rights.

Imam Muhammad Baqir (a.s.) said: One who wants to know his value near Allah, should take into consideration that Muhammad and Ali (a.s.) are the two fathers of this Ummah, so what their respect and status should be in his view (that is as much their status is greater according to him, as much is his status great near Allah).

Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) said: One who is accommodating to the rights of his two superior fathers, Muhammad and Ali (a.s.), his shortcomings in fulfilling the rights of his biological parents and other people does not cause him any harm because on Judgment Day those two gentlemen, through their efforts, make all of them satisfied from this person.

Imam Ali Naqi (a.s.) said: One in whose view his two religious fathers i.e. Muhammad and Ali (a.s.) do not command more respect than his biological parents, will not get an iota of respect from Allah.

Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) said: To one who takes up the obedience of his two religious fathers over that of his biological parents, Allah the exalted says: I have chosen you just as you have chosen them, I honor you with the company of your two religious fathers just as you preferred their love over the love of your biological parents and honored your soul.

After that Imam (a.s.) said: In the following verse, Allah means the near relatives of the parents. That is, man is commanded to recognize their rights. Thus Allah had made a covenant with Bani Israel regarding this and, O the nation of Muhammad, a covenant has been taken from you that you must recognize the rights of the near relatives of Muhammad (s.a.w.s.) and the near relatives of Muhammad are the Purified Imams (a.s.) who succeeded the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and also those great personalities of religion who are associated with them.

Lady Fatima (s.a.) said to a woman: Please your two religious fathers, Muhammad and Ali (a.s.), even though your biological parents may be displeased and do not please your biological parents by angering your two religious fathers. Because if your biological parents become unhappy, Muhammad and Ali (a.s.) will give them a ten thousandth part of the reward of their devotional acts and make them agreeable. But if your two religious fathers are displeased with you, your biological parents cannot make them pleased. Rewards of all the obediences of the world cannot equal their displeasure.

Imam Hasan Mujtaba (a.s.) said: It is compulsory to do good to the relatives of two religious fathers, Muhammad and Ali (a.s.), even though you may trespass the rights of near relatives of your parents. And beware that in fulfilling the rights of the relatives of your biological parents, you must not trespass the rights of the relatives of your two religious fathers; their being thankful to you before your two fathers, Muhammad and Ali (a.s.) is better than the thankfulness of the near relatives of your parents before your parents. Because when the relatives of your two religious fathers would be thankful to you before them, merely a look of affection will cause all your sins to vanish though they may be so many as to fill the space between the earth and the heavens. And if you leave the rights of the relatives of the two religious fathers and fulfill the rights of the relatives of your parents, their gratitude will be of no use to you.

Imam Zainul Aabideen (a.s.) said: It is more important to fulfill the rights of the relatives and friends of our two religious fathers than to fulfill the rights of the relatives of our parents; because our two religious fathers, Muhammad and Ali (a.s.) will make our biological parents satisfied whereas our biological parents are not capable of making our two religious fathers pleased with us.

Imam Ja’far Sadiq (a.s.) said: If one, due to his poverty, cannot fulfill the rights of both, the relatives of his religious fathers as well as the relatives of his biological parents, one should accord preference to the fulfillment of the rights of the relatives of the religious fathers over that of the relatives of ones parents. On Judgment Day, Allah will say to the angels: Just as he gave priority to the relatives of his two religious fathers over the relatives of his biological parents, give him priority like the dwellers of My gardens. Thus he would be given a million times more than what was stored for him.

Imam Ali Naqi (a.s.) said: According priority to the relatives of the two religious fathers, Muhammad and Ali (a.s.) over the relatives of ones own parents, is included in the respect of divine majesty and according priority to the relatives of ones parents over the relatives of the two religious fathers is included in dishonoring Allah’s majesty.

Imam Hasan Askari (a.s.) said: There was a person whose family was in need of food, so he left his house to earn something for them, and he earned a dirham. He purchased food and was returning home when he met a man and a woman from the relatives of Muhammad and Ali (a.s.), and they were hungry. Thinking that they were more deserving of that food than his own family members, he gave them the food he had purchased. But after that he was confounded: What explanation would he give to his family members? He was taking slow steps in this worry when he met a messenger who was searching for him. Upon knowing his identity, the messenger gave him a letter and a purse containing 500 gold coins. And he said that it was from the inheritance of his cousin who has expired in Egypt, and besides that some traders of Mecca and Medina owed him a hundred thousand gold coins and he had also left much landed property. So the man took the gold coins, went home and procured the essentials for his family members.

When he went to sleep that night, he saw Muhammad and Ali in dream who told him that since he had preferred their relatives over his family members, they had also made him so rich. After that, Muhammad and Ali appeared in the dream of those who owed money to the deceased cousin. They warned the debtors that if they do not return the debt by next morning they would be doomed to worldly and other worldly perdition. So the next morning, all of them returned the loans and this man now had another hundred thousand dinars. Muhammad and Ali (a.s.) also appeared in the dreams of all those in Egypt, who owed some amount to the deceased cousin and told them to repay as soon as possible.

Later, the two (Muhammad and Ali) appeared in his dream and said: “How did you find the divine decree about yourself? We have ordered all Egyptians who owe you something to repay you as soon as possible. If you like, we can tell the governor of Egypt to purchase your landed property and send you cash to Medina so that you can invest it in real estate here itself?” He answered positively to this. So Muhammad and Ali appeared in the dream of the governor of Egypt and told him to purchase the lands and remit cash. The ruler bought all the landed property in three hundred thousand dinars and sent the money to this man. He became the richest man of Medina.

After that again the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) appeared in his dream and said: This is your reward in the world for the preference you showed to my relatives, but as for the hereafter, I will give you in it for each piece of this, a thousand palaces in Paradise, the smallest of whom would be bigger than this world and a part of them as small as a needlepoint would be better than the world and whatever is there in it.

[Source: Tafseer-e-Askari, Sura Baqara, Verse 83]