Political Application
The hadith of the cloak and the purification verse was utilized at various times by the Ahl al-Bayt to assert their claims to political and spiritual leadership of the Muslim community. For example, at the gathering that was convened after the death of Umar in 644 to select a caliph, Ali made the following argument: "Is there any among us apart from myself concerning whom the "purification verse" was revealed?" When they answered "no" he proceeded:"The People of the House are overflowing with abundant virtue, for the Quran says, "God wishes to remove all filth and impurity from you O House of the Prophet, and to render you utterly free of pollution." (33:33) God has therefore removed from us all evil, outer and inner, and placed us firmly on the path of truth and righteousness.
Read more about this topic: Ahl Al-Kisa
Famous quotes containing the words political and/or application:
“No political party can ever make prohibition effective. A political party implies an adverse, an opposing, political party. To enforce criminal statutes implies substantial unanimity in the community. This is the result of the jury system. Hence the futility of party prohibition.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“Science is intimately integrated with the whole social structure and cultural tradition. They mutually support one other—only in certain types of society can science flourish, and conversely without a continuous and healthy development and application of science such a society cannot function properly.”
—Talcott Parsons (1902–1979)