Salman the Persian
The definition of the phrase in this verse has been subject to a variety of interpretations. According to one tradition (in which Muhammad's companion Salman the Persian is included), it distinguishes "muhajirun" (emigrants from Mecca) from "ansar" (residents of Medinan who took them in). According to Sunni doctrine attributed to ibn 'Abbas and Ikrimah ibn Abi-Jahl (companions of Muhammad), the phrase includes his wives and dependents. This is supported by traditions, attributed to Muhammad, where he addresses each of his wives as "Ahl al-Bayt". Other members of the household include Ali, Fatimah, Hasan and Husayn; some versions of the tradition recognise Umm Salamah, a wife of Muhammad, as a part of the household. According to the "Encyclopaedia of Islam", "the current orthodox view is based on a harmonizing opinion, according to which the term "ahl al-bayt" includes the "ahl al-ʿabāʾ", i.e. the Prophet, ʿAlī, Fāṭima, al-Ḥasan, and al-Ḥussain, together with the wives of the Prophet."