Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Sacred Effusion Volume 1 Chapter 2: Peace be on you, O son of the Messenger of Allah أَلسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ ياَ بْنَ رَسُوْلِ الله Peace be on You, O son of the Messenger of of Allah Commentary ياَ بْنَ رَسُوْلِ اللهِ O son of the Messenger of Allah Ibnu Rasulillah is a patronym[^1]. Imam al-Husayn (AS) in this verse is introduced as the son of the Holy Prophet (S). There has been a controversy in the past about this bond and relationship.
The enemies of the (AS) throughout history would try to denounce it and declare that the Imams of the (AS) are not from the progeny of the Holy Prophet (S) but rather only from the progeny of Amir al-Mu’minin ‘Ali (AS). The (AS), however, would cogently prove to them the veracity of their relationship with the Holy Prophet (S).
In fact the most cogent of all proofs is the well-known verse of mubahala (imprecation), where Almighty Allah says to His Apostle (S): فَمَنْ حَاجَّكَ فيهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ ما جاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعالَوْا نَدْعُ أَبْناءَنا وَأَبْناءَكُمْ وَنِساءَنا وَنِساءَكُمْ وَأَنْفُسَنا وَأَنْفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَلْ لَعْنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَى الْكاذِبينَ Should anyone argue with you concerning him, after the knowledge that has come to you, say, “Come!
Let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, our souls and your souls, then let us pray earnestly and call down Allah’s curse upon the liars.” (3:61) This verse speaks of the Holy Prophet (S)’s confrontation with the Christians of Najran in the well-known incident of mubahala (imprecation), when just beholding the brilliant faces of the Ahl al-Kisa (AS) overwhelmend the Christians and made their bishop say: إِنِّيْ لأَرَى وُجُوْهًا لَوْ سَأَلُوا اللّهَ أَنْ يُزِيْلَ جَبَلاً مِنْ مَكَانِهِ لاَزَالَهُ بِهَا فَلاَ تُبَاهِلُوْا فَتُهْلِكُوْا وَلاَ يَبْقَى عَلىَ وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ نَصْرَانِيٌّ إِلى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ.
Indeed I am seeing faces, who if ask Allah to uproot a mountain from its place, He would surely do so. Therefore do not imprecate, for if you do so you will perish, and there would remain no Christian on the face of the earth until the Judgment Day.[^2] In the aforementioned verse we clearly find the phrase “ Let us call our sons (abna’ana) and your sons (abna’akum)...” .
Muslim historians have unanimously narrated that the Holy Prophet (S) had brought Imam al-Hasan (AS) and Imam al-Husayn (AS) as his sons for this event[^3].