“Hussein is from me, and I am from Hussein. Whoever loves Hussein, Allah loves him. Hussein is a grandson of the Prophets.”[1]
This hadith is one of the most famous narrations from Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about his beloved grandson, Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon them both)[2]. It has been narrated by both Shia and Sunni scholars. This hadith is reported by Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and other prominent Sunni scholars, as well as by reliable Shia sources like Kamil al-Ziyarat, Irshad by Shaykh Mufid, and Al-Amali by Shaykh Tabrisi. It is said that one day, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was going to a gathering and encountered Imam Hussein (peace be upon him) who was playing with a group of children. The Prophet (peace be upon him) affectionately followed him and, when he caught up, took him in his arms. He placed one hand under his chin and the other on the back of his head, lifting his face between his hands, kissing him, and then said, “Hussein is from me, and I am from Hussein. Whoever loves Hussein, Allah loves him. Hussein is a grandson of the Prophets.”
The term “asabt” refers to the descendants of Jacob (peace be upon him), who were prophets themselves according to the Qur’an[3]. In this context, the meaning of the hadith is that Hussein, like the asabt of Jacob, is part of the Prophet’s lineage and, in terms of faith, purity, and the reception of divine revelations, is equal to the Prophets and those divinely chosen. In this regard, the debate between Amir al-Mu’minin Ali (peace be upon him) and a Jewish scholar is also noteworthy. During the debate, the Jewish scholar remarked that Jacob had received great blessings through his descendants and that Maryam (the daughter of Imran) was also one of them. Amir al-Mu’minin (peace be upon him) replied that indeed, but Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had received even greater blessings, for Fatimah, the Lady of the Worlds, was his daughter, and Hasan and Hussein were her grandsons.[4]
In another narration from the Prophet (peace be upon him), it is said that Allah sent four thousand prophets, and they each had four thousand successors and eight thousand grandsons. The Prophet (peace be upon him) swore by the One who holds his soul that he is the best of the Prophets, his successor is the best of the successors, and his two grandsons are the best of the grandsons. Hasan and Hussein are the grandsons of this nation. The asabt (descendants) of Prophet Jacob were twelve, and after me, there will be twelve Imams from my family. The first of them is Ali, the middle one is Muhammad, and the last one is Muhammad, who is the Mahdi of this nation, the one behind whom Jesus son of Mary will pray. Verily, whoever holds fast to them after me is holding fast to the rope of Allah, and whoever turns away from them has abandoned Allah.[5]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) in the statement “Hussein is from me, and I am from Hussein” expressed the profound spiritual unity, connection, and emotional bond between himself and Hussein ibn Ali (peace be upon them). Among the Sunni scholars, Qadi Iyad [6] clarifies the original meaning of this hadith and explains that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was aware, through the light of revelation, of the trials that would befall Hussein (peace be upon him) and his martyrdom. Therefore, he specifically mentioned Hussein (peace be upon him), indicating that the love and protection of Hussein are integral to the love and protection of the Prophet. He emphasized that whoever loves Hussein loves the Prophet, and whoever loves the Prophet loves Allah.[7]
Taken from the book “Encyclopedia of Shiaism” by Bahauddin Khormashahi.
Footnotes:
[1] Sources in Sunni books: Sunan Ibn Majah, vol. 1, p. 51, Hadith 144; Sunan Tirmidhi, vol. 5, p. 324, Hadith 3864; Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal, vol. 4, p. 172, Dar al-Saad; Sources in Shia books: Kamil al-Ziyarat, p. 117; Jami’ Ahadith al-Shi’a, vol. 21, p. 417. “The narration in Sunan Ibn Majah Qazwini: Ya’qub ibn Hamid ibn Kasib narrated to us, from Yahya ibn Suleim, from Abdullah ibn Uthman ibn Khathim, from Sa’id ibn Abi Rashid, who reported that Ya’la ibn Murrah said that they went out with the Prophet (peace be upon him) to a banquet. When they arrived, Hussein was playing in the street. The Prophet (peace be upon him) approached him with open arms, and the boy ran here and there, playing with him, until the Prophet took him in his arms. He placed one hand under his chin, the other on the back of his head, and kissed him. He said, ‘Hussein is from me, and I am from Hussein. Whoever loves Hussein, Allah loves him. Hussein is a grandson of the Prophets.’” The chain of narration is sound, and its narrators are trustworthy.
[2] Sahih Tirmidhi and Sunan Ibn Majah are part of the six most authentic collections in Sunni traditions.
[3] Surah Aal-e-Imran, verse 84.
[4] This debate is recorded in the Ihtijaj of Tabrasi.
[5] The full text of the narration can be found in Kifayat al-‘Athar.
[6] Qadi Iyad, a famous Maliki jurist and historian, is the author of the well-known Ash-Shifa.
[7] Al-Hafiz al-Ahwazi, vol. 10, p. 190, Hadith 3775 and Fayd al-Qadir, vol. 3, p. 387, Hadith 3727.