Ahl al-Kisa

Ahl al- Kisa (Arabic أهل الكساء, DMG ahl al- Kisa ʾ ), the " people of the mantle ". Are used interchangeably ahl al- ʿ ABA / أهل العبا or ashab al - kisa / أصحاب الكساء / Ashab al - Kisa ʾ /, owner of the jacket '. This term refers to the closest relatives of the Prophet Muhammad: his daughter Fatima, her husband Ali and their sons Hasan and Husain. Background of this concept is the following Islamic tradition: In the year 10 AH ( 631/632 AD Christ ), at the time of the visit of a delegation of Christians of Najran, who had come to negotiate a treaty of protection to Medina to Mohammed said family members under have taken his coat. He had recited the following verse:

God wants (so that he adopts such commandments and prohibitions) remove the ( Pagan ) uncleanness from you, make you people of the house, and you really pure. ( Quran 33:33 )

According to Shi'ite tradition considers this justified the special status of Ali and his descendants, and in particular their right to the Imamate.