The Reward of Loving Ahlul-Bayt

I found the following astonishing tradition in one of the most famous Tafsir book of the Sunni brothers, that is, "Tafsir al-Kabir", by Fakhr al-Razi who is a leading Sunni scholar with multiple specialties in Tafsir, Fiqh, and theology. This tradition can also be found in other Sunni commentary books of Quran, "Tafsir al-Kashshaf," written by al-Zamakhshari, as well as "Tafsir al-Tha'labi." 

 I will  present some  traditions transmitted by the Sunnis which clearly specify the individuals whose love is obligatory.

The Messenger of Allah said:

He who dies with love of the family of Muhammad is a Martyr.

And behold! He who dies with love of the family of Muhammad is forgiven.

And more! The one who dies with love of the family of Muhammad is died repented.

Lo! He who dies with love of the family of Muhammad is died as a believer with a COMPLETE belief.

And no doubt! The one who dies with love of the family of Muhammad, the angle of death gives him the glad tiding of Paradise, and so do the two angels who question him (Munkar & Nakeer).

And verily he who dies with love of the family of Muhammad, will be led toward the Paradise as the bride is led to the house of her husband.

Behold! And he who dies with love of the family of Muhammad, for him there will open two gates in his grave toward the Paradise.

Lo! And the one who dies with love of the family of Muhammad, Allah will make his grave a sacred place of visit for the angels of mercy. And verily he who dies with love of the family of Muhammad, has died on Sunnah.

And no doubt! The one who dies with the HATE of the family of Muhammad, will arrive in the day of
judgment while it is printed on his forehead that he is desperate from the Mercy of Allah.

Behold! He who dies with the HATE of the family of Muhammad, has died unbeliever.

And verily he who dies with the HATE of the family of Muhammad, will never hear the smell of Paradise.

Sunni references:
Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-Din Muhammad Ibn Umar al-Razi, Pub. in Egypt (1357/1938), under commentary of verse 42:23, Part 27, pp. 165-166.
Tafsir al-Kashshaf, by al-Zamakhshari
Tafsir al-Kabir, by al-Tha'labi

Fakhr al-Razi and others mentioned the above tradition under the commentary of the following verse of Quran, in which Allah tell his Messenger:

"(O Prophet) tell (people) I don't ask you any wage (in return for my prophethood) except to love my near kin. And if anyone earns any good We shall give Him an increase of good (in return for it)" (Quran 42:23).

It has been widely reported by the Sunni commentators of the Holy Quran that:

Ibn Abbas narrated: When the above verse (42:23) was revealed, the companions asked: "O' the Messenger of Allah! Who are those near kin whose love Allah has made obligatory for us?" Upon that the Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "Ali, Fatimah, and their two sons." He (PBUH&HF) repeated this sentence thrice.

Sunni references:
1. Tafsir al-Kabir, by Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, Part 27, pp 165-166
2. Tafsir al-Tha'labi, under the commentary of verse 42:23 of Quran
3. Tafsir al-Tabari, by Ibn Jarir al-Tabari, under verse 42:23
4. Tafsir al-Qurtubi, under commentary of verse 42:23 of Quran
5. Tafsir al-Kashshaf, by al-Zamakhshari, under commentary of verse 42:23
6. Tafsir al-Baidhawi, under the commentary of verse 42:23 of Quran
7. Tafsir al-Kalbi, under commentary of verse 42:23 of Quran
8. al-Madarik, in connection with verse 42:23
9. Dhakha'ir al-Uqba, by Muhibbuddin al-Tabari, p25
10. Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal,
11. al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p259
12. Shawahid al-Tanzeel, Hakim Hasakani, al-Hanafi, v2, p132
13. Many others such as Ibn Abi Hatam, al-Tabarani, etc.

Then the Prophet (PBUH&HF) continued:

"Verily Allah has dedicated my wage (of prophethood) to love of my Ahlul-Bayt, and I shall question you about it on the day of judgment."

Sunni references:
Dhakha'ir al-Uqba, by Muhibbuddin al-Tabari, p26
lal-Sirah, by al-Mala

In another tradition, we read:

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HF) said: "I advice you to be kind to my Ahlul-Bayt for verily I will dispute you about them on the day of Judgment, and whoever I dispute him shall enter the Fire." He (PBUH&HF) also said: "One who regards me by regarding my Ahlul-Bayt, he has taken a promise from Allah (to enter the Paradise)."

 

Sunni references:
l al-Tabaqat, by Ibn Sa'd
l al-Sirah, by al-Mala
l al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p231

Furthermore, al-Kateeb and Ibn Hajar narrated on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik saying:

The Prophet (PBUH&HF) said: "The title of the Book (Saheefah) of believer is love of Ali  Ibn Abi Talib."

Sunni references:
Tarikh, by al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi
al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 9, section 2, p193

In the above tradition, "The Book of believer" refers to the way a believer conducts the affairs, i.e., his daily life, and his diary.

On the commentary of the Quranic verse: "Lo! those who believe and do good, the Beneficent will appoint for them love (Quran 19:96)," al-Hafidh al-Salafi wrote: Muhammad Ibn Hanafiyyah said: "There will not be a believer unless in whose heart love of Ali and his family exists." In this connection, al-Bayhaqi, Abu al-Shaikh, and al-Daylami reported that the Messenger of Allah said: "A servant (of God) will not be a (true) believer unless he loves me more than his own soul, and loves my progeny more than his own soul and his own family." See al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, pp 261-262 quoted from al-Hafidh al-Salafi, al-Bayhaqi, Abu al-Shaikh, and al-Daylami).

al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad narrated:

The Messenger of Allah said: "He who loves me and loves these two: al-Hasan and al- Husain, and loves their father and mother, he will be with me in Paradise."

Sunni reference:
Sahih al-Tirmidhi, v5, p641
Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, on the authority of Imam Ali (AS)
Fadha'il al-Sahaba, by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v2, p693, Tradition #1185
al-Sawa'iq al-Muhriqah, by Ibn Hajar al-Haythami, Ch. 11, section 1, p264

It is also narrated that:

The Messenger of Allah said: "Verily the prosperous and the only prosperous and the true prosperous is he who loves Ali in his lifetime and in his hereafter."

Sunni reference:
Fadha'il al-Sahaba, by Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, v2, p658, Tradition #1121
al-Riyadh al-Nadhirah, by Muhibbuddin al-Tabari, v3, p176
Majma' al-Zawa'id, by al-Haythami, v9, p132
Sharh Ibn Abil Hadid, v2, p429