This poem recounts Prophet Muhammad's (ﷺ) love for his family, particularly his grandsons al-Hasan and al-Husain and explains each aspect of the love in light of the Quran and hadith.

He was gifted the most comprehensive of speech¹
which he gladly interrupted²

To pluck the one whose fragrance³ adorned

the garden⁴ between the chambers and the pulpit

The most cherished of his progeny, the ones who took turns

to mount the most noble of necks⁵ and shoulders⁶

Chiefs of the youth of paradise,⁷

most noble of descendants

Worthy of the exalted household⁸

Sons of Al Zahraa Fatima⁹ and Haroon Ali¹⁰

By love enamored, betrothed with an armor,¹¹

Protecting from what corrodes the heart¹²

By Divine will purified, cleansed from all that is vile,¹³

Illuminating the path from a niche¹⁴ sublime

For them the Book was twinned with Wisdom¹⁵

Seek it where their trace is found!¹⁶

Beloved in the heavens,

recipients of peace and salutations

How could I not love them for his love,¹⁷ and not

love him for the love of the One above?

Another poem by Salah Dandan: Spiritual Distancing

All sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) found using IslamiCity’s hadith search tool, https://www.islamicity.org/hadith/search/ and all Qur’anic references using IslamiCity’s Quran SmartSearch tool: https://www.islamicity.org/quransearch

¹ Sahih al-Bukhari 7273 (Book 96, Hadith 6) #6981 Narrated Sa'id bin Al-Musaiyab: Abu Huraira said that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "I have been sent with 'Jawami-al-Kalim' (the shortest expression with the widest meaning) and have been made victorious with awe (cast in my enemy's hearts), and while I was sleeping, I saw that the keys of the treasures of the world were placed in my hand."

² Jami at-Tirmidhi 3774 (Book 49, Hadith 173) #29435 Narrated Buraidah: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was delivering a Khutbah to us when Al-Hasan and Al-Husain (peace be upon them) came, wearing red shirts, walking and falling down. So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) descended from the Minbar and carried them, and placed them in front of him. Then he said: 'Allah spoke the Truth: Indeed, your wealth and your children are a trial (64:15). I looked at these two children walking and falling down, and I could not bear patiently anymore until I interrupted my talk and picked them up".

³ Sahih al-Bukhari 3753 (Book 62, Hadith 98) #3581 Narrated Ibn Abi Nu'm: A person asked 'Abdullah bin 'Umar whether a Muslim could kill flies. I heard him saying (in reply), "The people of Iraq are asking about the killing of flies while they themselves murdered the son of the daughter of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "They (ie, Hasan and Husain) are my two sweet Basils in this world."

⁴ Sahih Muslim 1390b (Book 15, Hadith 573) #10508 Abdullah b. Zaid al-Ansari heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: "That which exists between my pulpit and my house is a garden from the gardens of Paradise." and Sahih al-Bukhari 1196 (Book 20, Hadith 8) #1150 Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Between my house and my pulpit there is a garden of the gardens of Paradise, and my pulpit is on my fountain tank (ie, Al-Kauthar)."

⁵ Sunan an-Nasai 1141 (Book 12, Hadith 113) #15749 It was narrated from 'Abdullah bin Shaddad, that his father said: "The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to us for one of the nighttime prayers, and he was carrying Hasan or Husain. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came forward and put him down, then he said the Takbir and started to pray. He prostrated during his prayer and made the prostration lengthy." My father said: "I raised my head and saw the child on the back of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) while he was prostrating so I went back to my prostration. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) finished praying, the people said: 'O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), you prostrated during the prayer for so long that we thought that something had happened or that you were receiving a revelation'. He said: 'No such thing happened. But my son was riding on my back, and I did not like to disturb him until he had enough'."

⁶Jami at-Tirmidhi 3783 (Book 49, Hadith 182) #29444 Narrated Al-Bara bin 'Azib: "I saw the Prophet (ﷺ) placing Al-Hasan bin 'Ali upon his shoulder while saying: 'O Allah, I love him, so love him'." and Jami at-Tirmidhi 3784 (Book 49, Hadith 183) #29445 Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was carrying Al-Hasan bin 'Ali upon his shoulder, so a man said: "What an excellent mount you are riding, O child." So the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "And what an excellent rider he is."

⁷Sunan Ibn Majah 118 (Book) #37020 It was narrated that Ibn 'Umar said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'Hasan and Husain will be the leaders of the youth of Paradise, and their father is better than them." and Jami at-Tirmidhi 3768 (Book 49, Hadith 167) #29429 Narrated Abu Sa'eed: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Al-Hasan and Al-Husain are the chiefs of the youths of Paradise."

⁸Jami at-Tirmidhi 2999 (Book 47, Hadith 51) #28648 Narrated 'Amir bin Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas: from his father who said: "When this Ayah was revealed: 'Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women. (3:61)' the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called 'Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husain and said: 'O Allah! This is my family'."

⁹Jami at-Tirmidhi 3868 (Book 49, Hadith 268) #29530 Narrated Buraidah: "The most beloved of women to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was Fatimah and from the men was 'Ali." and Jami at-Tirmidhi 3872 (Book 49, Hadith 272) #29534 Narrated 'Aishah: "I have not seen anyone closer in conduct, way, and manners to that of the Messenger of Allah in regards to standing and sitting, than Fatimah the daughter of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)." She said, "Whenever she would enter upon the Prophet (ﷺ), he would stand for her and kiss her, and he would seat her in his sitting place. Whenever the Prophet (ﷺ) entered upon her, she would stand from her seat, and kiss him and seat him in her sitting place. So when the Prophet (ﷺ) fell sick, and Fatimah entered, she bent over and kissed him. Then she lifted her head and cried, then she bent over him and she lifted her head and laughed. So I said: 'I used to think that this one was from the most intelligent of our women, but she is really just one of the women'. So when the Prophet (ﷺ) died, I said to her: 'Do you remember when you bent over the Prophet (ﷺ) and you lifted your head and cried, then you bent over him, then you lifted your head and laughed. What caused you to do that?' She said: 'Then, I would be the one who spreads the secrets. He (ﷺ) told me that he was to die from his illness, so I cried. Then he told me that I would be the quickest of his family to meet up with him. So that is when I laughed'."

¹⁰Sahih Muslim 2404a (Book 44, Hadith 47) #13298 Amir b Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas reported (on the authority of his father that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) addressing 'Ali said: "You are in the same position with relation to me as Aaron (Harun) was in relation to Moses but with (this explicit difference) that there is no prophet after me." Sa'd said: "I had an earnest desire to hear it directly from Sa'd, so I met him and narrated to him what (his son) Amir had narrated to me, whereupon he said: 'Yes, I did hear it. I said: Did you hear it yourself?' Thereupon he placed his fingers upon his ears and said: 'Yes, and if not, let both my ears become deaf'." and Sunan Ibn Majah 121 (Book) #37023 It was narrated that Sa'd bin Waqqas said: "Mu'awiyah came on one of his pilgrimages and Sa'd entered upon him. They mentioned 'Ali, and Mu'awiyah criticized him. Sa'd became angry and said: 'Are you saying this of a man of whom I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: "If I am a person's close friend, 'Ali is also his close friend". And I heard him say: "You are to me like Harun was to Musa, except that there will be no Prophet after me". And I heard him say: "I will give the banner today to a man who loves Allah and His Messenger."

¹¹Sunan an-Nasai 3376 (Book 26, Hadith 181) #17988 It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said: "When Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, married Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, the Messenger of Allah said to him: 'Give her something.' He said: 'I do not have anything.' He said: 'Where is your Hutami armor?'"

¹²Qur’an, Ch. 83, verse 14: “Nay, but their hearts are corroded by all [the evil] that they were wont to do!” (trans: Muhammad Asad)

¹³Qur’an, Ch. 33, verse 33 (in part): "for God only wants to remove from you all that might be loathsome, O you members of the [Prophet’s] household, and to purify you to utmost purity." (trans.: Muhammad Asad) and Sahih Muslim 2424 (Book 44, Hadith 91) #13342 'A'isha reported that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) went out one morning wearing a striped cloak of the black camel's hair that there came Hasan b. 'Ali. He wrapped him under it, then came Husain and he wrapped him under it along with the other one (Hasan). Then came Fatima and he took her under it, then came 'Ali and he also took him under it and then said: "Allah only desires to take away any uncleanliness from you, O people of the household, and purify you (thorough purifying)."

¹⁴ Qur’an, Ch. 24, verse 35:  “God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His light is, as it were,  that of a niche containing a lamp; the lamp is [enclosed] in glass, the glass [shining] like a radiant star:  [a lamp] lit from a blessed tree - an olive-tree that is neither of the east nor of the west the oil whereof [is so bright that it] would well-nigh give light [of itself] even though fire had not touched it: light upon light!  God guides unto His light him that wills [to be guided];  and [to this end] God propounds parables unto men, since God [alone] has full knowledge of all things.” (trans.: Muhammad Asad)

¹⁵ Qur’an, Ch. 33, verse 34:  “And bear in mind all that is recited in your homes of God’s messages and [His] wisdom: for God is unfathomable [in His wisdom], all-aware.”   (trans.:  Muhammad Asad)

¹⁶Sahih Muslim 2408a (Book 44, Hadith 55) #13306 Yazid b. Hayyan reported, "I went along with Husain b. Sabra and 'Umar b. Muslim to Zaid b. Arqam and, as we sat by his side, Husain said to him: 'Zaid. you have been able to acquire a great virtue that you saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) listened to his talk, fought by his side in (different) battles, offered prayer behind me. Zaid, you have in fact earned a great virtue. Zaid, narrate to us what you heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).' He said: 'I have grown old and have almost spent my age and I have forgotten some of the things which I remembered in connection with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), so accept whatever I narrate to you, and which I do not narrate do not compel me to do that.' He then said: 'One day Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) stood up to deliver sermon at a watering place known as Khumm situated between Mecca and Medina. He praised Allah, extolled Him and delivered the sermon and. exhorted (us) and said: Now to our purpose. O people, I am a human being. I am about to receive a messenger (the angel of death) from my Lord and I, in response to Allah's call, (would bid good-bye to you), but I am leaving among you two weighty things: the one being the Book of Allah in which there is right guidance and light, so hold fast to the Book of Allah and adhere to it. He exhorted (us) (to hold fast) to the Book of Allah and then said: The second are the members of my household I remind you (of your duties) to the members of my family'."

¹⁷Jami at-Tirmidhi 3782 (Book 49, Hadith 181) #29443 Narrated Al-Bara: that the Prophet (ﷺ) saw Hasan and Husain, so he said: "O Allah, I love them, so love them." See also, Sunan Ibn Majah 143 (Book) #37045 It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever loves Hasan and Husain, loves me; and whoever hates them, hates me'."