GENEALOGIES OF TRUST, LOVE AND UNITY: KINSHIP BETWEEN THE PROPHET’S FAMILY AND HIS COMPANIONS

Abstract

Shi‘i theological narratives often portray early Islamic history as marked by deep and irreconcilable conflict between the Ahl al-Bayt (the family of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) and the Sahabah (the Prophet’s Companions). Shi‘ite often employ such claims to argue that early Islamic political authority was established at the expense of the Prophet’s kin. This paper challenges such argument by presenting genealogical and historical evidence of widespread intermarriage, mutual respect, and sociopolitical cooperation between Ahl al-Bayt and the Sahabah. Marriage alliances, in particular, functioned as expressions of social legitimacy and trust, thus undermining narratives of hostility and disunity. Focusing on documented matrimonial relationships, especially those involving the children of Ali ibn Abi Ṭalib, Hasan ibn Ali, and Ḥusayn ibn Ali, this paper argues that kinship served as a bridge of alliance and affection, not a symbol of betrayal and hatred. Ultimately, using a historical-sociological approach to early Islamic history, the paper contends that early Islamic society was characterised by cohesion, reverence, and shared theological harmony rather than conflict between the Prophet’s family and his Companions.