For members of his family were the sources and guardians of his practices, and were charged with complying with them in every respect. This is why the Hadith was inspired intending adherence to the Book and his (PBUH) practices. That is to say, what was required from the Prophet's Family in respect of the function of messengership were the Prophet's practices. Just as someone who abandoned his practices could not truly be a member of his Family, so he could not be a true friend to them.

Another reason he desired his community to rally round his Family was that, with God's permission, he knew it was going to become very numerous with the passing of time, and that Islam was going to become weak. Therefore, an extremely strong and numerous mutually supportive group of people was necessary so that it could be the mainspring and cen­tre of the spiritual and moral progress of the Islamic world. With divine permission, he thought of this, and desired that his community should gather round his Family.

Indeed, even if the members of the Prophet's Family were not greatly in advance of others in mat­ters of belief and faith, they were still greatly ahead of them in regard to submission, partiality, and parti­sanship. For they were followers of Islam by nature, birth, and temperament. Even if natural partiality is weak and unworthy, or unjustifiable even, it cannot be given up. Would it therefore be possible for a person to give up his support for a truth to which all his forefathers - who were most strong, constant and true, and most illustrious - had been bound, and through which they had won glory, and for which they had sacrificed their lives, a truth he felt clearly to be so fundamental and natural? Thus, due to this intense partiality and natural submission, the Prophet's Family accepted the least hint in favour of the religion of Islam as though it were a powerful proof. For they were partial by nature. Others become partial after some powerful proof.