Mohammad Ibn Majah Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol.

Mohammad Ibn Majah Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, hadith No.904. D. Al-Termathi, hadith No. 483, Part No. 1. Other hadiths are reported by Abu-Sa-eed Abu Mas-ood Talhah and Ibn Mas-ood. All Acoord with the above-mentioned hadith of Kaab Ibn Ujrah. (3)Chapter 53, verse 4-5. (4)The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 49 verse 13. God does not penalize or reward a servant of His for the sins or good deeds of his parents or his close or distant relatives.

From the Holy Qur'an: "And beware a day on which no parent avails his child; nor will a child avail his parent."(5) God does not penalize nor reward a human being for what is beyond his ability and without his choice. Being related or unrelated to the Prophet is not a matter of personal choice. None of us chose before our birth to be related or unrelated to a particular family nationality or race.

Therefore it would be very difficult for Muslims to believe that they should include Mohammad's relatives in their prayers simply because they are his relatives. It Is Due to Their Merits Not Their Inheritance To dispel this apparent conflict it is important to know that the word "Aal Mohammad " which is repeatedly mentioned in the daily prayers does not include all his relatives. Only a very small number of them are included.

Had they all been included it would be a clannish or a tribal discrimination because many of them did not walk in the path of Mohammad and to place them above others is to advocate a clannish supremacy. Kinship to the Prophet Mohammad does not mean acceptance by God; nor does it secure for his relatives a place in Paradise or insure them against Divine punishment.

God according to Islamic teachings has created Paradise for whoever obeys Him and the place of punishment for whoever disobeys Him regardless of family affiliation nationality or race. The Holy Qur'an even contains a chapter defaming Abu Lahab who was an uncle of the Prophet Mohammad. "Perish the two hands of the Father of Flame and per- (5)The Qur'an Chapter 31 verse 33. ished he. His wealth and whatever he gained did not avail him....

"(6) The truth is that the word Aal Mohammad means only the "chosen" relatives of Mohammad. These chosen individuals are not chosen nor honored because of their relationship to Mohammad but because of their virtues. They lived the true Islamic life followed the instructions of the Holy Qur'an and the Messenger and never parted with them in word or deed.