To what extent is it valid to draw near to Allah through love of the Family of the Prophet (Ahl al-Bayt), and what is our duty towards them? Is it true that they are dead and can neither harm nor benefit? And what is the difference between Wahhabism and Ahl al-Sunnah wal Jama'ah?

Love for the family of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is an act of worship through which a Muslim draws closer to his Lord. This is indicated by the words of Allah Almighty: "Say, 'I ask not of you for it any reward, save affection for [my] kin,'" and by Prophetic narrations that commend them, such as the hadith of Zayd ibn Arqam in Sahih Muslim: "I remind you by Allah concerning my Ahl al-Bayt (family)," and the saying of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq: "Observe Muhammad (peace be upon him) through his Ahl al-Bayt." Love and veneration for the Ahl al-Bayt are part of the creed of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, as mentioned by Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, and they are among their rights upon us, which include supporting them, honoring them, and sending blessings upon them in the Tashahhud. One must be wary of exaggeration in loving them, for the Ahl al-Bayt are human beings who possess neither benefit nor harm, and exaggeration concerning them is a forbidden innovation.