Are the wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, part of the Ahl al-Bayt (People of the House)? And are hadiths taken from them and from the Companions simply because they are deemed trustworthy, or by command of revelation? And is the narration that denies the wives of the Prophet being part of the Ahl al-Bayt considered abrogating of the verses of the Quran, or is it possible to reconcile between the two narrations as Al-Nawawi did, and is this reconciliation merely an act of ijtihad (independent reasoning)?

"Ahl al-Bayt" (People of the House) has several applications: those among the Prophet's relatives for whom charity is forbidden; his family in general, such as his wives and daughters; and specifically the People of the Cloak (Ahl al-Kisa'). The wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, are explicitly included among his household in the Holy Quran. As for the hadith of Zayd ibn Arqam, it contains his ijtihad (independent reasoning), and what does not contradict the verse is accepted from him. The doctrine of Ahl al-Sunnah (Sunnis) is that all the Companions are trustworthy, and their narrations are accepted. As for those after the Companions, their status is examined in terms of their uprightness and precision.