The Sayyid, the Habib & Reflected Glory

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

I do not care for the sayyid or the habib.  No one is better by virtue of the lottery of genetics.  Neither do I believe that the descendants of the Ahl al-Bayt are particularly special.  We should acknowledge that many of their descendants were renowned scholars and pious people, but there are many more who are simply basking off reflected glory, beneficiaries of the lottery of genetics.  They were not prophets.  Even the swahabah were, but men, and they were creatures of their time.  Some of them had ideas and notions we would find objectionable in our time.  It is a mark of faith to respect them.  But we should never elevate anyone to infallibility. 

I have no issues with others venerating them, whether the swahabah, or the Ahl al-Bayt, or their lineage.  We all have our heroes.  But I do not take kindly to anyone attempting to impose their heroes and their superstitions on me.  Just because I converted to Islam, does not mean I am going to swoon over the dust of a prior generation.