Taqwa (Piety): Advice of Ahl al-Bayt (Examples of Piety in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah)

Taqwa (Piety): Advice of Ahl al-Bayt (Examples of Piety in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah)20%

Taqwa (Piety): Advice of Ahl al-Bayt (Examples of Piety in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah) Author:
Translator: Ali Akbar Aghili Ashtiani
Publisher: Ansariyan Publications – Qum
Category: Miscellaneous Books
ISBN: 978-964-219-069-0

Taqwa (Piety): Advice of Ahl al-Bayt (Examples of Piety in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah)
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Taqwa (Piety): Advice of Ahl al-Bayt (Examples of Piety in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah)

Taqwa (Piety): Advice of Ahl al-Bayt (Examples of Piety in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah)

Author:
Publisher: Ansariyan Publications – Qum
ISBN: 978-964-219-069-0
English

33) Telling Lies

Another factor that causes division in a society is the indecent habit of telling lies which is prohibited by the Holy Quran, the Sunnah, consensus, and reason.

Telling lies is a major sin which disgraces and discredits human beings. It is a source of scandal, shame and misfortune.

A liar is miserable, impious and faithless. In this connection, God says: “Only they forge the lie who do not believe in Allah’s communication.”1 He also says: “Woe to every sinful liar.”2

A liar has been described as cursed, a dweller of hell, oppressor, misled and ruined by the Quranic verses.

When telling lies is so horrible, it requires the observing of Taqwa.

Imam Sajjad (AS) used to say to his son: “Keep away from little and big lies whether you are serious or kidding! Whoever tells lies in childhood, will do so in adulthood. Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) has said: ‘A servant may keep on speaking truthfully until God records him as a very truthful one, and a servant may keep on telling lies until God records him as a very lying one.’”3

It is inferred that one must not tell a lie even for fun, for he shall be considered as a liar.

In traditions, two kinds of lies are mentioned; the small lie and big lie. Perhaps, it is meant by a big lie that when one tells a lie about God, a prophet, or an infallible Imam. It is a major sin which makes fasting invalid. Such a lie is blameworthy and causes a society to dismember. This happened in the early days of Islam and its consequences have continued to exist until our time. Whatever losses Muslims suffer today arise from the same liars who created deviation in people’s beliefs.

If ordinary lies cause division, bloodletting, and destruction, telling lies about God and the Messenger of Allah have not only the consequences of ordinary lies, but they ruin the beliefs and faith. An example is the fabrication of traditions by certain narrators.

Telling lies is worse than other sins and it is more harmful than the others are.

Imam Baqir (AS) has been reported as saying: “God Almighty has made locks for evils and has made the drinking of wine as the keys to these locks. Telling lies is worse than the drinking of wine is.”4

Commenting on this tradition, the late Allamah Majlesi says: “Wine here means all the intoxicants and locks here mean all that which prevents us from committing evils. Drinking wine makes intellect and thinking perish. What is worse than the drinking of wine is to tell lies about God, and about His proofs (authorities) which is equal to disbelief.”

Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “No God’s servant will enjoy the taste of faith, unless he abandons lying, both seriously and jokingly.”5

Imam Sadiq (AS) narrated that Jesus (AS) said: “Whoever tells many lies, shall lose his worth and dignity.”6

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Whenever a believer tells a lie without having any excuse, seventy thousand angels will curse him. A bad smell comes out of his stomach which will reach the heaven. Those who carry the Throne (angels) will curse him. God will write for him the sin of seventy commitments of adultery…”7

Some man came to the Messenger of Allah (SAW) saying: “Tell me about a virtue which entails the good of this world and the hereafter.” The Holy Prophet (SAW) said: “Do not tell a lie!” The man said: “I was in a state (of disobedience) that God was not pleased with me. I used to do all evil things, but I abandoned them all lest someone may ask me: did you commit so-and-so evil act? I had either to commit sin and say “yes” and be disgraced, or I had to tell a lie which was against the instruction of the prophet. So, I abandoned all the kinds of sin.”8

Therefore abandoning lies means abandoning all sins. Evidently, by abandoning sins, human beings will gain a lot whereas one who tells lies will not only suffer losses in the hereafter, but will suffer in this world and be ruined.

In the annotation of Makhlat, on page 174, it has been narrated: “Ahmed ibn Touloun was still a child when he came to his father, saying: ‘There are some poor people at the door. Write something for them.’ The father said: ‘Fetch me a pen and ink.’ When he went to bring a pen and ink, he saw one of the slave girls of his father having an indecent relation with one of the servants. Saying nothing, he brought the pen and ink for his father. The slave girl said to herself: ‘Ahmad will certainly tell the whole story to his father.’ So, she went to Touloun, saying: ‘Ahmad has molested me.’

Touloun accepted what she had said without making any investigation. He wrote a letter as follows: ‘As soon as you receive the letter, kill the one who carries the letter! He handed it over to Ahmad, saying to him: ‘Give it to so-and-so servant!’

Ahmad, who was unaware of the content of the letter, took hold of the letter. On the way, he met the slave girl who asked: ‘What is the letter about?’ Ahmad said: ‘It is very important. The Amir has given it to me.’ The slave girl took the letter and gave it to the same person with whom she had had sexual relation. She meant to increase the Amir’s anger. The servant took the letter by accident and gave it to the meant person, who, after reading the letter, beheaded the servant immediately and brought his head to the Amir.

The Amir called Ahmad and asked him to tell what he had seen. Ahmad told the story of the servant with the slave girl. The Amir ordered the slave girl to be killed. Ahmad found a good position with the Amir where he was appointed as the governor of Egypt and Damascus.”9

Telling lies affects speech as well as deeds and character. Sometimes, a human being does something that indicates his good nature, whereas his intention is not good. May God save us from such people who are like hypocrites.

Sometimes, a man may pretend to be God-fearing, one who remembers God a lot, who asks for forgiveness, who thanks God, who surrenders himself to God, who is a man of knowledge and piety, whereas he is really not so.

It is for the same reason that when some man, in the presence of Imam Ali (AS), said: “I seek forgiveness of Allah”. Imam Ali (a.s.) said to him: You’re your mother lose you! Do you know what the asking for Allah’s forgiveness is? It is the degree of the exalted ones (in Paradise).”10

Sometimes, one may give a false testimony, may pretend not to know what he knows and has not to conceal, may break his promise, may take a false oath, and may deny the truth, though he has seen it with his own eyes. All these cases will disrupt the society. Social ‘Taqwa’ requires man to refrain from practicing such acts; otherwise, he has not observed ‘Taqwa’.

It is worth mentioning that sometimes telling a lie is permissible and even necessary. The late Allamah Majlisi has written: “Some scholars have said: telling lies is not forbidden by itself, rather it is forbidden because it entails losses. Hence, if it entails no loss, or if it entails benefits for human beings, it is not only not unlawful, but recommended and sometimes obligatory. Examples on this are that when you make peace between two persons. When you play a trick on the enemy in Jihad … and when you ward off a loss from yourself or another Muslim whether it is a life loss or something financial or related to the honor of some one. Moralists have considered all these cases as exceptions.

Man can also use equivocation if the situation requires that, in a way that you both convince the other party and do not tell him a lie.

To sum it up, every Muslim’s duty is to refrain from telling lies about God or people. When, in prayer, one says: “You do we serve and You do we beseech for help” he must truthfully say it.

When he says: “I have turned my face to the One who originated the heavens and the earth”, he must truthfully say it and should do away with anything other than God.

One of the other issues, which receive little attention while they are noteworthy, is the listening to backbiting, slander and lies as, unfortunately, a source of amusement. Imam Sadiq (AS) said: “If someone listens to a speaker, (as if) he worships him; if the speaker speaks of God, he (the listener) worships God, and if he speaks of Satan, he worships Satan”.11

Imam Sadiq (AS) was asked about the meaning of this saying of God: “And as to the poets, those who go astray follow them.”12 The Imam (AS) said: “They are story-tellers.”13

Imam Sadiq (AS) said: “Finding a storyteller in the mosque, Imam Ali (AS) sent him out.”14

It is inferred that as telling lies is not praiseworthy, listening to false statements is not praiseworthy as well. In this respect, one must observe piety (Taqwa).

Notes

1. Qur'an, 16:105.

2. Qur'an, 45:7.

3. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 234.

4. Ibid., p. 236.

5. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 249.

6. Ibid., p. 250.

7. Ibid., p. 263.

8. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69 p. 362, Anwar an-Nu’maniyyah, p. 274.

9. Al-Kalam Yajurr al-Kalam, vol. 2, pp. 144, 145.

10. Nahj al-Balaghah, vol. 2, p. 1281.

11. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 246

12. Qur'an, 26:224.

13. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 69, p. 264.

14. Ibid., p. 265

34) The Difference of Opinions and Creeds

One of the issues, which have to be avoided and in relation to which Taqwa has to be exercised, is divergence of opinions and sects. Since Adam was created, all differences, conflicts, wars, bloodletting and disputes have come about as a result of diversity in opinion and sects.

See what the idolatry has done! The idols were Lat, Ozza, Ba’al, Hobal, Zul Khalasah, Nawa’, Widd, Fals, Yaquth, Ya’quq, Nasr and the like! Dualism, the concept of the existence of many gods, six-fold gods, god of domestic and white animal, god of fire, god of metals, god of earth, god of waters, god of plants, god of heavenly planets and stars and fire-worshipping!

Different philosophical schools like of skeptics, cynics, stoics, and sophists have emerged. Several creeds like Yoga, Lokayata, Sankhya and Nyaya have come into existence.

Chinese and Japanese faiths, Buddhism and other faiths prevailing in Asia, Europe and Africa have appeared.

Islam and its division into Shiism and Sunnism and their subdivisions into seventy-three sects are also there.

In his book al-Milal wen-Nihal, Shahrestani has mentioned fifty-three sects of Sunnism as follows:

1- Mo’tazilah

2- Wasiliyyah

3- Motheiliyyah

4- Nidhamiyyah

5- Khabtiyyah

6- Boshriyyah

7- Mo’ammariyyah

8- Mardariyyah

9- Thumamiyyah

10- Hishamiyyah

11- Jahidhiyyah

12- Khayyatiyyah

13- Juba’iyyah

14- Bahshamiyyah

15- Jabriyyah

16- Jahmiyyah

17- Najjariyyah

18- Dhirariyyah

19- Sifatiyyah

20- Ash’ariyyah

21- Moshabbihah

22- Karamiyyah

23- Khawarij (Kharijites)

24- Azariqah

25- Najdat Aathiriyyah

26- Bayhasiyyah

27- Ajadah

28- Saltiyyah

29- Hamziyyah

30- Khalafiyyah

31- Rasheediyyah

32- Maymooniyyah

33- Atrafiah

34- Jazimiyyah

35- Tha’alibah

36- Rashediyyah

37- Akhnasiyyah

38- Shaybaniyyah

39- Makrumiyyah

40- Ma’loomiyyah

41- Majhooliah

42- Abadhiyyah

43- Hafsiyyah

44- Harithiyyah

45- Yazeediyyah

46- Safariyyah

47- Morji’ah

48- Yoonusiyyah

49- Ubaydiyyah

50- Ghassaniyyah

51- Tharbaniyyah

52- Tomeniyyah

53- Salehia

The sects of Shiism are as follows: Kayssaniyyah, Harithiyyah, Bayaniyyah, Razamiyyah, Zaydiyyah, Jaroodiyyah, Solaimaniyyah, Tabariah, Baqiriyyah, Ja’fariyyah, Fatahiyyah, Shamatiyyah, Mousawiyyah, Isma’eeliyyah, Batiniyyah, Imamiyyah, Nawoosiyyah, Hashimiyyah, Mahdawiyyah and Alawiyyah.

Beyond doubt, the straight path of God is a single path and other schools of thought are misleading.

There is a book entitled, Elzam al-Nawasb whose author was non-Muslim, and then, God had guided (to Islam). The late Allamah Hajj Aqa Bozorg Tehrani in his book al-Tharee’ah says: “The author of the book is unknown, though the book is attributed to Sayyed ibn Tawoos and others. It is a precious book. The author writes: ‘I have studied many religions, but when I came to study Islam, I found it the most comprehensive religion. I realized that the followers of Islam were either Shiite or Sunni.

Studying about their leaders, I found out that the hagiology of Shiite leaders is found in both the Shiite and Sunni books, but I did not find anything about Sunni leaders except in the Sunni books. Furthermore, eulogies found in the Sunni books were few and fake. Besides this, their blameworthy qualities were abundant in the books of both Shiite and Sunnis. I realized that the Shiites were rightful.’”

Then, he elaborates on Imam Ali (AS) and proves that he is the immediate successor of the Holy Prophet (SAW). He chooses the title “Elzam an-Nawasib” to prove the caliphate of Ali ibn Abi Talib. At the end of the book, he resorts to the tradition of “The truth is with Ali wherever he is.”

All theologians, in their theological books, have proved the right of the caliphate of Ameerul Mo’minin Ali (AS) with strong proofs. The best of them is the book, Kefayat al-Mowahhideen, by Noori Tabarsi.

The author of this book has written a treatise entitled, “Debate between Father and Son”. Some part of the book reads: “Even if there is no proof to show that Ali was the immediate successor to the Holy Prophet, such praiseworthy qualities of Imam Ali as knowledge, forbearance, courage, bravery, patience, steadfastness, piety, eloquence, generosity, devotion and statesmanship were sufficient to prove his vicegerency. Let alone the fact that God addressed the Holy Prophet when saying, “O Apostle! Deliver what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message.”1

God has also said: “This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion.”2

There are other verses in which the obedience to Ali (AS) is considered the same as the obedience to God and the Holy Prophet (SAW): “O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those in authority from among you.”3

In another verse, God has appointed Ali as an authority after Himself and His Messenger: “Only Allah is your guardian and His Apostle and those who believe, those who keep up prayers and pay the poor-rate while they bow.”4 Here, the reference is to no one but Imam Ali (AS).

In the successively transmitted traditions of Shiite and Sunni Muslims, we read that the Holy Prophet (a.s.) has repeatedly announced the appointing of Imam Ali (AS) as his successor: “Surely my successor is Ali ibn Abi Talib and after him my grandson, Hassan and Hossain and following them, the nine Imams from the progeny of Imam Hossain (a.s.), who are the leaders of the believers.” “The most knowledgeable among you in judgment is Ali.” “You (Ali) are my vicegerent and heir.” “I am leaving among you two weighty things; the Book of Allah and my progeny, my household.” “You (Ali) are to me as was Aaron to Moses except that there is no prophet after me.” “The example of my household is like the example of Noah’s ark and Bab Hittah (gate of forgiveness) in the Children of Israel.” “I am the city of knowledge and Ali is its gate.” “Surely, my vicegerents and successors and the proofs of Allah to people after me are twelve. The first of them is Ali and the last of them is my son, Mahdi.” All these quotations can be found in the books, Yanabee’ al-Mawaddah by Sheikh Suleiman al-Balkhi, Ethbaat al-Hudaat and other books written by Shiite and Sunni scholars.

Therefore, if one wishes to have social piety, to seek unity and to enjoy purity, he must put aside his bias, open the eyes of his heart, listen with the ears of his heart, put aside Satanic temptations, fight against falsehood, seek assistance from God, not fear crowds of people, observe the truth and not see his own relatives and kin. He must be attracted by the truth and not be by falsehood.

I would like to draw the attention of dear readers to an interesting tradition mentioned by Tabarsi in his book, Dala’il al-Imamah, which conveys both the praiseworthy qualities of the Ahlul Bayt (AS) and the harms of the enmity against them. It is then that the harms of diversity of opinions and sects and the truth of Islam become clear.

Imarah ibn Zeid reports: “When Hisham ibn Abdul Melik ibn Marwan had gone to perform the Hajj, Imam Baqir and Imam Sadiq (AS) were there to perform the Hajj too. Imam Sadiq (AS) delivered a sermon as follows: “Praise be to Allah who appointed Mohammad as prophet and honored us by his prophethood. Therefore, we are the chosen ones among the people and the selected among His servants. Therefore, happy is one who follows us and wretched is one who is our enemy. Some people say that they love us, but they love our enemies. One who follows and assists them is our enemy. Such a person has not listened to the words of our Lord nor has he acted to them.”

(Imam) Abu Abdullah Ja’far ibn Mohammad (as-Sadiq)(AS) said: “Mosaylamah ibn Abdul Melik reported to his brother what he had heard. He did not show any reaction until he went to Sham and we went to Medina. Then, he sent a herald to the governor of Medina, asking him to send my father and me to Sham.

When we reached Sham, he did not give us permission to go to the court of Hisham (the Umayyad caliph). After three days, we were given permission to go to the court. We found him sitting on his royal throne and armed courtiers were standing in front of him. The noblemen of his tribe were shooting their arrows at the mark they had put opposite to them. At this time, Hisham said to my father: “Try shooting with the noblemen of your tribe.” By saying these words, he intended to dishonor my father. He thought that my father was not able to shoot arrows and was in need of consolation.

My father said: “Well, I have grown old. You would better exempt from it.” Hisham said: “By God Who has honored us with His religion and His Messenger, I will not exempt you.”

Referring to one of the Sheikhs of the Umayyads , he said: “Give your bow to him!”

Taking the bow and one arrow from him, my father put the arrow in the bowstring, drew and hit the target. He did the same successively with nine arrows. Sign of anger could be seen on Hisham’s face. He could not but say: “O Abu Ja’far! You have done well. You are the best archer among the Arabs and non-Arabs! Why did you say you had grown old?”

Regretting for what he had asked, Hisham was about to order the killing of my father. He had lowered his head while my father and I were standing before him.

As our standing lasted long, I could see the sign of anger in my father’s face, for whenever he got angry, he would give an abrupt look at the sky. Seeing this state of my father, Hisham called: ‘O Mohammad! Come up!

My father went up and I followed him too. Hisham hugged my father, making him sit on his right side and then hugged me, making me sit on his left side. Turning to my father, Hisham said: ‘The tribe of Quraish should take pride over the Arabs and the non-Arabs for having you among them. But tell me who has taught you the art of archery and how long it took you to learn it?’

My father said: ‘As you know, archery is prevailing among the people in Medina. I learnt it in my childhood and then gave it up. As Ameerul Mo’minin has asked me, I took the bow and shot the arrows.’

Hisham said: ‘I have not seen such archer since I have known myself. I do not think there is anyone on the earth with such a skill. Is Ja’far too as good as you are?’

My father said: ‘We are the heirs of the religion that God has described as the following: “This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion.”5 The earth is never emptied of one of us who are perfect when others are imperfect.’

Imam Baqir (AS) says: ‘Hearing this from my father, Hisham’s right eye transformed. He was red with anger. He lowered his head, kept silent for a moment and asked my father: ‘Are our ancestors, the sons of Abd Manaf, and yours not the same?’

My father said: ‘It is so, but God Almighty, be highly praised, has made us exclusive with His own knowledge and not others.’

Hisham said: ‘Has God Almighty not sent Mohammad from the tree of Abd Manaf to all people? How have you inherited what others have been deprived of? This is while the Messenger of Allah has been ordained for all people and that is the words of Allah: “And there is nothing concealed in the heaven and the earth but it is in a clear book.”6 How is it that you are the heir of that knowledge when there is no prophet after Mohammad and you are not a prophet either?’

My father said: ‘It is according to the words of Allah to the Messenger: “Do not move your tongue with it to make haste with it.”7 What the Messenger of Allah (SAW) revealed was for all people and what he did not reveal, was exclusively for us. It is for the same reason that he talked privately with his brother Ali and not with his other companions. On this basis, God sent down the Holy Quran: “… and that the retaining ear might retain it.”8

Addressing his companions, the Messenger of Allah (a.s.) said: ‘I asked God to make it be your ear, O Ali.’ It is for the same reason that in Kufa, Ali ibn Abi Talib said: ‘The Messenger of Allah taught me a thousand gates of knowledge, from each one of which a thousand other gates open. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) taught him the hidden things making it exclusive to him. In the same way that God made his knowledge exclusive to His most honorable one of His people, His Messenger too made Ali exclusive with the hidden secrets and taught him what no one of his tribe knew. It was in this way that we inherited the hidden secrets.’

Hisham ibn Abdul Melik said: ‘Ali claimed to know the unseen whereas God had not made anyone aware of His invisible knowledge. How can he claim such a thing?’ My father said: ‘God, be highly praised, sent down a book to His Messenger, in which He has explained everything that has been, is or will be until the Day of Judgment: “We have revealed the Book to you explaining clearly everything”,9 and “and a guidance and an admonition to those who guard (against evil)”,10 and “…and We have recorded everything in a clear register.”11 and “We have not neglected anything in the Book.”12 and “And there is nothing concealed in the heaven and the earth but it is in a clear book.”13

God revealed to His Messenger not to leave anything of the hidden secrets unsaid unless he would make Ali familiar with them, to order Ali alone to collect the Holy Quran after him, and to enshroud and bury him.

The Messenger of Allah told his companions that it was forbidden for them and his household except Ali to look at his private parts, for Ali was from him and he was from Ali. Whatever was (lawful) for him was (lawful) for Ali, and whatever was against Ali, would be against him. It was Ali who would fulfill his mission and would keep his promises.

Addressing his companions, the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib is fighting for the exegesis of the Quran as I was fighting for its revelation. The perfect exegesis of the Quran is only with Ali and with no one else.’

It was for the same reason that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said to his companions: ‘The most knowledgeable in judgment is Ali.’ Umar ibn al-Khattab used to say: ‘If Ali was not there, Umar would perish.’”

At this moment, Hisham thought for a while and after a long pause said: ‘Ask what you need.’ Imam Baqir (AS) said: ‘I left my family while they were in fear.’ Hisham said: ‘May Allah keep them safe from fear with your going back!’

My father hugged him, prayed for him and said goodbye to him. I too did what my father did. Then, we went out. Opposite to his court, there was an open field on one side of which people were sitting. My father asked: ‘Who are those people?’ The doorkeeper of Hisham said: ‘They are priests and monks and one who will come soon is a scholar who holds a gathering once a year for people to come and ask their religious questions.’

My father wrapped his head with a piece of cloth and I did the same. He moved towards and sat near them. I sat behind my father. This news reached Hisham. He ordered his agents to attend the gathering and inform him of what my father would do. A group of Muslims circle round my father.

The Christian scholar, who had fastened a yellow silk ribbon around his head, came in. All the priests and monks rose up for him. They greeted him until he reached the chief seat of the gathering. He looked at all those who were present, and then asked: ‘Are you from us or from the mercified nation?’ My father said: ‘From this mercified nation.’ He asked: ‘Are you from their scholars or from their unlearned ones?’ My father said: ‘I am not from their unlearned ones.’ Being shaken up and anxious, he said: ‘I am going to ask you a question.’ My father said: ‘Ask your question!’ He said: ‘How do you claim that the dwellers of Paradise eat and drink, but they do not urinate or defecate? What proof do you have for that from this world?’ My father said: ‘Our proof is invisible and cannot be denied is foetus in the mother’s womb. A foetus eats, but does not defecate.’

The Christian scholar became more anxious and said: ‘Why did you not say you were one of their scholars?’ My father answered: ‘I said I was not from their unlearned ones.’ In the meantime, Hisham’s agents were closely watching the scene.

The Christian scholar said to my father: ‘I am going to ask you another question.’ My father said: ‘Ask your question!’ He said: ‘How do you claim that the fruits of Paradise are always fresh and whatever the inhabitants eat from them, they are not diminished. What proof do you have for this claim?’

My father said: ‘The proof is our Quran which is always fresh. It is something imperishable with all Muslims.’

The Christian scholar became very upset, saying: ‘You did not say you were one of their scholars.’ My father said: ‘And not from their unlearned ones.’ Then, the Christian scholar said: ‘I will now ask you a question (as if it was very important).’ My father said: ‘Ask your question!’ He said: ‘Tell me about an hour which is neither the hour of night nor the hour of day.’

My father said: ‘It is an hour between the dawn and the sunrise during which a sick person calms down, one who has a pain goes to sleep and an unconscious one comes to consciousness. God has set it as a delight for the people of delight and people of deed in the hereafter, a clear proof and a veil for unbelievers and those who do not worship.’

The Christian scholar gave a loud cry and said: ‘There is one more question. By God, I will ask you a question that you cannot answer.’ My father said: ‘Ask your question. I know that you will break your oath!’ He said: ‘Tell me about infants who were born on the same day and died on the same day. One of them lived as long as a hundred and fifty years and the other one lived for fifty years.’

My father said: ‘They are Uzair and Uzairah. They were born on the same day. They reached the age of maturity. Being twenty-five, Uzair passed by a cemetery. He was riding on his ass. He asked himself: ‘How will God raise the dead when their bones are decayed?’ When Uzair, whom God had chosen and guided, said such words, God was angry with him, and He hence made him die for a hundred years. Then He raised him to life. When Uzair went back to his home, he did not even recognize his own brother Uzairah. He sent for his son and grandson who had grown old while he himself was a young man of twenty-five.

They asked: ‘Are you a man of heaven or the earth?’ Uzair said to his brother: ‘I am Uzair! God was angry with me because of what I had said, though He had chosen and guided me. So, he made me die and then raised me to life to make me certain that He has power over everything. This is the food, drink and the ass with which I left you. They are as they were before so that you will believe in God with certainty.’ Uzair lived for another twenty-five years with them and God made him and his brother die on the same day.

The scholar, and all the other Christians, rose up while addressing the people: ‘You have brought here someone more knowledgeable than me so as to disgrace me! Muslims should know that they have a person who has a comprehensive knowledge about our religion and the knowledge that he has we do not have. By God, I will speak no more with you nor will I sit here!’

All people left, but my father sat in his place. I was with him too.

The news reached Hisham. We returned home. Hisham sent us a prize and ordered us not to stay there, but to go back to Medina. Since the news had spread among people, Hisham sent a book to the city of Madyan, reading: “The two magicians, sons of Abu Torab, Mohammad ibn Ali and Ja’far ibn Mohammad, whom I summoned to Sham, have converted to Christianity, and hence they are apostates. Whoever greets them, sells anything to them, or shakes hand with them is sentenced to death.”

When we arrived in the city of Madyan, people closed the doors before us, cursed us and cursed Ali ibn Abi Talib. They did not sell food to us.

My father spoke to them softly, saying: ‘Fear Allah, and do not err! We are not so as what you have been falsely told, nor as what you are saying about us. Treat us as you treat the Jews, the Christians and the Zoroastrians!’ They said to us: ‘You are worse than the Jews, the Christians and the Zoroastrians, for they pay poll tax (Jizyah), but you do not pay it.’

My father said: ‘Open the doors and charge us with poll tax as you charge them.’ They said: ‘We will not open the doors until you starve to death on your horses, and your horses will starve to death under your feet.’

My father advised them, but it was useless. He went up the mountain. Reaching the top, he put his fingers into his ears and loudly cried: “And to Madyan, their brother, Shu’aib…”14 until he reached this verse: “What remains with Allah is better for you if you are believers.”15

Then, the Imam said: ‘By God! We are the remainder of Allah on His earth.’

God sent a black wind which made the voice of my father be heard by women, men, and children who went up to the roofs to watch my father. An old man from Madyan, who had come up to the roof, loudly said: ‘Fear Allah, O people of Madyan!’

They all felt fear. So, they opened the doors and received us. This news reached Hisham. The following day, we moved towards Medina. Hisham wrote to the governor of Madyan to kill the old man who had asked people to help us. He had also written a letter to the governor of Medina to have my father poisoned, but before he did it, Hisham had died.”16

Truly, social piety requires every individual to refrain from creating division in society. A society would never be corrupt if Taqwa would be followed and people walk in the straight path. Even if there was a little difference among people, the divine rule of “make peace between brethren” could be a solution; “The believers are but brethren, therefore make peace between your brethren and be careful of (your duty to) Allah that mercy may be had on you.”17

Were it not for divergence of ideologies and sects, there would be no wars, conflicts, bloodlettings, poverty, sanctions, insecurity, high prices, hoarding, despotism, opportunism, and individual and social deprivations.

Notes

1. Qur'an, 5:67.

2. Qur'an, 5:3.

3. Qur'an, 4:59.

4. Qur'an, 5:55.

5. Qur'an, 5:3.

6. Qur'an, 27:75.

7. Qur'an, 75:16.

8. Qur'an, 69:12.

9. Qur'an, 16:89.

10. Qur'an, 3:138.

11. Qur'an, 36:12

12. Qur'an, 6:38.

13. Qur'an, 27:75.

14. Qur'an, 11:84.

15. Qur'an, 11:86.

16. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 181, 189.

17. Qur'an, 49:10.

35) Choosing of Companions

One of the other issues in which man has to observe Taqwa is the matter of choosing friends. If one is indifferent, he shall suffer losses in this world and the hereafter. One should make friend with those who are Godly, whose speech and whose deeds are accepted by Allah. In this relation, God says:

“And withhold yourself with those who call on their Lord morning and evening desiring His goodwill, and let not your eyes pass from them, desiring the beauties of this world’s life; and do not follow him whose heart We have made unmindful of Our remembrance, and he follows his low desires and his case has gone beyond all bounds.”1

From this Quranic verse, it is inferred that we should associate with people who call God morning and evening, and who seek God’s pleasure and not the people of pleasures who are unmindful of God.

Ibn Abbas relates: “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) was asked: ‘Which friends are the best?’ He said: ‘One whose sight reminds you of God, whose saying adds to your knowledge, and whose deeds remind you of the hereafter.”2

The same tradition has been related on the authority of Prophet Jesus (AS) who has said: “Get close to God and away from people of sins. Befriend God by enmity with them and seek God’s pleasure at the cost of their anger.”3

Imam Ali (AS) advises us in this way: “It is incumbent on you to be truthful to your friends! Make friends as many as you can, for they are your power at the time of ease and a shield in trials. Counsel those who fear Allah. Love your brethren as much as you love Taqwa. Beware of bad women, and be careful even before the good ones.”4

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) has been reported by Imam Sadiq (AS) as saying: “Every man follows the faith of his friends. Therefore, each of you should take care whom he befriends.”5

A friend has great influence on his friends. Most of human sufferings and losses arise from friends. It is a friend who pushes one to addiction and causes him misfortune in this world and the hereafter. It is a friend who makes one a hypocrite, makes him enter battle against God, makes him corrupt and deviant. It is on this basis that the Messenger of Allah (a.s.) has said: “Every man follows the religion of his friend.”

Therefore, we should be very careful in choosing our friends. Any negligence results in misfortune. One hour of friendship with a deviated friend might change our fate and cause a lot of regrets.

In traditions, it has been advised not to associate with fool, miser, timid, liar, astray, wrongdoer, adulterer, tyrant king, deceitful friend, wealthy oppressor, enemy, one who has no love for relatives, evildoers, women, people of heresies, and those who curse the friends of God. Addressing his son Imam Hassan (AS), Imam Ali (AS) says: “My son! Avoid making friend with a fool, for he intends to benefit you, but he will harm you. Avoid making friend with a miser, for he prevents you from getting what you need. Avoid making friend with a wrongdoer, for he betrays you out for a little. Avoid making friend with a liar, for he is like a mirage that makes far things appear close to you and makes close things appear far to you .”6

Imam Ali (AS) has been reported as saying: “Keep away from those whom your hearts do not like.”

Evidently, the Lord of the universe has naturally created all human beings pure and innocent. The conscience, which is the inner ruler of man, can say what is praiseworthy and what is blameworthy. Hence, a pure heart is not pleased with vices and does not approve any indecency.

Mostafa Lotfi, in his book Ghorfat al-Ahzan (chamber of sorrows), relates an admonitory story as follows: “I had a friend whom I loved very much. He was the only friend who never hurt me. I never hurt him either. I had to go on a long journey. Hence, I left Cairo and said farewell to my dear friend. We wrote to each other for a long time, but all of a sudden all the correspondence stopped. There was no news of him anymore. When I went back to Cairo, I went to his house, but I was said he had moved to a new place. I was very sad and did my best to find his address, but it was useless.

One night when I was going home, I got lost and found myself in a faraway neighborhood of the city. I felt I was being drowned in a black sea between two high mountains when I heard the moaning of a man. I said to myself: ‘How strange that this dark night has hidden the secrets of the miserable man in it.’ I had vowed to help any misfortunate man I found. The moaning came from a house. I knocked the door. A small girl in shabby dress opened the door. I asked her if there was a sick person at home. She said that her father needed help. I entered the house, feeling that I was going to the world of the dead from the world of living ones. I went near the sick person and sat beside him. He was nothing but skin and bones.

He looked at me for a long time, moving his lips and finally said: ‘Thanks God, I finally found my friend!’ He was my old friend! I became very upset and my heart stood still. I asked him surprisingly: ‘What is this condition?’ With a gesture, he suggested I should raise him to a sitting position. I did so. He started to talk with a weak voice, telling his story: ‘I was living with my mother for ten years. A wealthy man living in a splendid palace was our next-door neighbor. I was enchanted by his beautiful girl. I made friend with her with the promise of marrying her, but before marriage, she became pregnant. I was double-hearted as to whether I should marry or leave her.

Finally, I made up my mind to leave her. I moved to a new house without any information. One day, I received a letter from the girl to whom I had lied about marriage. The letter greatly shook me.’ My friend stretched his hand and took out a letter from under the pillow. He gave the letter to me to read it.

The letter started with these words: ‘If I am writing to you, it is not because I love you, for your deceitful behavior is not important. When you left me, you did not think about the fate of me and the child I had with me. I cannot call you a human being with your merciless and inhumane behavior. You said you loved me, but you were lying. You seduce me and broke your promise! The result was that I escaped from home and took residence in a poor district of the city. My parents died frustrated in their hopes. I am in my deathbed in the last days of my life. You are a liar, deceitful, a criminal! I do not think that God will let you free and let you go unpunished! I am not writing this letter to express my love, for you are too mean to be loved. You have a trust with me and that is your innocent daughter. If you have a bit of fatherly love, come and take this miserable child!’

I had hardly finished the letter when I realized that he was bitterly weeping. He said: ‘When I read this letter, I was about to die. I speedily went to her place which is this very house. I found her lying motionless on this bed with her daughter sitting next to her. Seeing the girl weeping, I became unconscious. When I came to consciousness, I had the feeling that my inhumane crimes had turned into ferocious beasts which were about to attack me.

Therefore, I decided to live and die like her in the same room which I called the ‘chamber of sorrows’. Now my death has come and an inner call says to me that God has forgiven me.’ When he said this, he stopped talking and fell down on the bed. The last thing he said was: ‘I entrust my daughter to you, my friend.’”7

We can say that most of misfortunes, good or bad fate of human beings depend on friend and someone with whom we associate. Hence, we should observe Taqwa in relation to that.

Notes

1. Qur'an, 18:28.

2. Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 71, p. 186.

3. Ibid., p. 189.

4. Ibid., p. 187.

5. Ibid., p. 192.

6. Nahj al-Balaghah Faiz, vol. 2, p. 1094

7. Javan, vol. 1, p. 322 quoted from Al-Nadharat, vol. 1, p. 245

The Treatise On Rights

In the Name of Allah, the All-merciful, the All-compassionate

Know - God have mercy upon you - that God has rights against you and that these encompass you in every movement through which you move, every rest through which you rest, every way-station in which you reside, every limb which you employ, and every instrument which you put to work. Some of these rights are greater and some less.

بسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

إعْلَمْ رَحِمَكَ اللهُ أَنَّ للهِ عَلَيْكَ حُقُوقًا مُحِيطَةً بكَ فِي كلِّ حَرَكَةٍ تَحَرَّكْتَهَا، أَوْ سَكَنَةٍ سَكَنْتَهَا، أَوْ مَنْزِلَةٍ نَزَلْتَهَا، أَوْ جَارِحَةٍ قَلَّبْتَهَا وَآلَةٍ تَصَرَّفْتَ بهَا، بَعْضُهَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْ بَعْضٍ.

The greatest of God's rights against you is the right which He has made incumbent upon you for Himself and which is the root of all rights, then those which He has made incumbent upon you in yourself, from your crown to your foot, in keeping with the diversity of your organs.

وَأَكْبَرُ حُقُوقِ اللهِ عَلَيْكَ مَا أَوْجَبَهُ لِنَفْسِهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مِنْ حَقِّهِ الَّذِي هُوَ أَصْلُ الْحُقُوقِ وَمِنْهُ تَفَرَّعَ. ثُمَّ أَوْجَبَهُ عَلَيْكَ لِنَفْسِكَ مِنْ قَرْنِكَ إلَى قَدَمِكَ عَلَى اِختِلافِ جَوَارِحِكَ.

He has given your tongue a right against you, your hearing a right against you, your sight a right against you, your hand a right against you, your leg a right against you, your stomach a right against you, and your private part a right against you. These are the seven organs through which acts (af'al) take place.

فَجَعَلَ ِلِلِسَانِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِسَمْعِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وِ لِبَصَرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِيَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِرِجْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِبَطْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِفَرْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، فَهَذِهِ الْجَوَارِحُ السَّبْعُ الَّتِي بهَا تَكُونُ الأَفْعَالُ.

Then He gave your acts rights against you: He gave your ritual prayer a right against you, your fasting a right against you, your charity a right against you, your offering a right against you, and your acts a right against you.

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لأَفْعَالِكَ عَلَيْكَ حُقُوقًا فَجَعَلَ لِصَلاتِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِصَوْمِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِصَدَقَتِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِهَدْيِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلأَفعَالِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا.

Then these rights extend out from you to others who have rights against you. The most incumbent of them against you are the rights toward your leaders (a'imma), then the rights toward your subjects (ra'iyya), then the rights toward your womb [relatives] (rahim).

ثُمَّ تَخرُجُ الْحُقُوقُ مِنْكَ إلَى غَيْرِكَ مِنْ ذَوِي الْحُقُوقِ الْوَاجِبةِ عَلَيكَ. وَأَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حُقُوقُ أَئِمَّتِكَ ثُمَّ حُقُوقُ رَعِيَّتِكَ ثُمَّ حُقُوقُ رَحِمِكَ.

From these rights branch out other rights. The rights of your leaders are three: The most incumbent upon you is the right of him who trains you through authority, then of him who trains you through knowledge, then of him who trains you through property.

فَهَذِهِ حُقُوقٌ يَتَشَعَّبُ مِنْهَا حُقُوقٌ: فَحُقُوقُ أَئِمَّتِكَ ثَلاثَةٌ أَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالسُّلْطَانِ ثُمَّ سَائِسِكَ بالْعِلْمِ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالْمُلْكِ.

The rights of your subjects are three: The most incumbent upon you is the right of those who are your subjects through authority, then the right of those who are your subjects through knowledge - for the man of ignorance is the subject of the man of knowledge - then the right of those who are your subjects through property, such as wives and what is owned by the right hand.

وَحُقُوقُ رَعِيَّتِكَ ثلاثَةٌ أَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حَقُّ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالسُّلْطَان، ثُمَّ حَقُّ رعِيَّتِكَ بالْعِلْمِ، فَإنَّ الْجَاهِلَ رَعِيَّةُ الْعَالِمِ، وَحَقُّ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالْمُلْكِ مِنَ الأَزْوَاجِ وَمَا مَلَكْتَ مِنَ الأَيْمَانِ.

The rights of your womb relatives are many; they are connected to you in the measure of the connection of the womb relationship. The most incumbent upon you is the right of your mother, then the right of your father, then the right of your child, then the right of your brother, then the next nearest, then the next nearest - the most worthy, then the next most worthy.

وَحُقُوقُ رَحِمِكَ كَثِيرَةٌ مُتَّصِلَةٌ بقَدْرِ اتِّصَالِ الرَّحِمِ فِي الْقَرَابَةِ فَأَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حَقُّ أُمِّكَ ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَبيكَ ثُمَّ حَقُّ وَلَدِكَ ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَخِيكَ ثُمَّ الأَقْرَبُ فَالأَقْرَبُ وَالأَوَّلى فَالأَوَّلى.

Then there is the right of your master who favours you [by freeing you from slavery], then the right of the slave whose favours reach you [by the fact that you free him], then the right of him who does a kindly act toward you, then the right of the mu’adhdhin who calls you to the ritual prayer, then the right of the imam who leads the prayer, then the right of your sitting companion, then the right of your neighbour, then the right of your companion, then the right of your partner, then the right of your property, then the right of him who has a debt he must pay back to you, then the right of him to whom you owe a debt.

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَوْلاكَ الْمُنْعِمِ عَلَيْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَوْلاكَ الْجَارِيَةُ نِعْمَتُكَ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ ذِي الْمَعْرُوفِ لَدَيْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مُؤَذِّنُكَ بالصَّلاةِ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ إمَامِكَ فِي صَلاتِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ جَلِيسِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ جَارِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ صَاحِبكَ،

Then the right of your associate, then the right of your adversary who has a claim against you, then the right of your adversary against whom you have a claim, then the right of him who asks you for advice, then the right of him whom you ask for advice, then the right of him who asks your counsel, then the right of him who counsels you, then the right of him who is older than you, then the right of him who is younger than you.

ثُمَّ حَقُّ شَرِيكِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَالِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ غَرِيمِكَ الَّذِي تُطَالِبُهُ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ غَرِيمِكَ الَّذِي يُطَالِبُكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ خَلِيطِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ خَصْمِكَ الْمُدَّعِي عَلَيْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ خَصْمِكَ الَّذِي تَدَّعِي عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مُسْتَشِيرِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ الْمُشِيرِ عَلَيْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مُسْتَنْصِحِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ النَّاصِحِ لَكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَنْ هُوَ أَكْبَرُ مِنْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَنْ هُوَ أَصْغَرُ مِنْكَ،

Then the right of him who asks from you, then the right of him from whom you ask, then the right of him who does something evil to you through word or deed, or him who makes you happy through word or deed, intentionally or unintentionally, then the right of the people of your creed, then the right of the people under your protection, then all rights in the measure of the causes of the states and the occurrence of events.

ثُمَّ حَقُّ سَائِلِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَن سَأَلْتَهُ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَن جَرَى لَكَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ مَسَاءَةٌ بقَوْلٍ أَو فِعْلٍ أَوْ مَسَرَّةٍ بذَلِكَ بقَوْلٍ أَوْ فِعْلٍ عَنْ تَعَمُّدٍ مِنْهُ أَوْ غَيْرِ تَعَمُّدٍ مِنْهُ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَهْلِ مِلَّتِكَ عَامَّةً ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ، ثُمَّ الْحُقُوقُ الْجَارِيَةُ بقَدْرِ عِلَل الأَحْوَالِ وَتَصَرُّفِ الأَسْبَاب.

Therefore happy is he whom God aids in the rights which He has made incumbent upon him and whom He gives success therein and points in the proper direction!

فَطُوبَى لِمَنْ أَعَانَهُ اللهُ عَلَى قَضَاءِ مَا أَوْجَبَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ حُقُوقِهِ وَوَفَّقَهُ وَسَدَّدَهُ.

The Rights of Allah against oneself

1. The Greatest Right of Allah

The greatest right of God against you is that you worship Him without associating anything with Him. When you do that with sincerity (ikhlas), He has made it binding upon Himself to give you sufficiency in the affair of this world and the next.

حقوق الله

1. حق الله الأكبر

فأَمَّا حَقُّ اللهِ الأَكْبَرُ فَإنَّكَ تَعْبُدُهُ لا تُشْرِكُ بهِ شَيْئاً، فَإذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ بإخلاصٍ جَعَلَ لَكَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَنْ يَكفِيَكَ أَمْرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَيَحْفَظَ لَكَ مَا تُحِبُّ مِنْهَما.

2) The Right of your self

The right of your self (nafs) against you is that you employ it in obeying God; then you deliver to your tongue its right, to your hearing its right, to your sight its right, to your hand its right, to your leg its right, to your stomach its right, to your private part its right, and you seek help from God in all that.

2. حق النفس

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ نَفْسِكَ عَلَيْكَ فَأَنْ تَسْتَوْفِيَهَا فِي طَاعَةِ اللهِ فَتُؤَدّي إلَى لِسَانِكَ حَقَّهُ وَإلَى سَمْعِك حَقَّهُ وَإلَى بَصَرِكَ حَقّهُ وَإلَى يَدِكَ حَقَّهَا وَإلَى رِجْلِك حَقَّهَا وَإلَى بَطْنِكَ حَقَّهُ وَإلَى فَرْجِكَ حَقَّهُ وَتَسْتَعِينَ باللهِ عَلَى ذَلِك.

3) The Right of the Tongue

The right of the tongue is that you consider it too noble for obscenity, accustom it to good, refrain from any meddling in which there is nothing to be gained, express kindness to the people, and speak well concerning them.

3. حق اللسان

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ اللّسَان فَإكْرَامُهُ عَنِ الْخَنَى وتَعْوِيدُهُ الْخَيْرِ وَ تَرك الْفُضُول الَّتي لا فائِدَةِ لَها و البِرُّ بالنَّاسِ و حُسْن القَولِ فيهم.

4) The Right of the Hearing

The right of hearing is to keep it pure from listening to backbiting (ghiba) and listening to that to which it is unlawful to listen.

4. حق السمع

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ السَّمْعِ فَتَنْزِيهُهُ عَنْ سَماع الغيبةِ و سَماعِها لا يحِلّ سَماعه.

5) The Right of the Sight

The right of sight is that you lower it before everything which is unlawful to you and that you take heed whenever you look at anything.1

5. حق البصر

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ بَصَرِكَ أن تُغْمِضَهُ عَمَّا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ و تَعْتَبِر بالنَّظَرِ بِهِ.

6) The Right of the Hand

The right of your hand is that you stretch it not toward that which is unlawful to you.

6. حق اليد

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ يَدِكَ فَأَنْ لا تَبْسُطَهَا إلَى مَا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ.

7) The Right of the Legs

The right of your two legs is that you walk not with them toward that which is unlawful to you. You have no escape from standing upon the narrow bridge (al-sirat [over hell]), so you should see to it that your legs do not slip and cause you to fall into the Fire.

7. حق الرجلين

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ رِجْلَيْكَ فَأَنْ لا تَمْشِي بهِمَا إلَى مَا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ فيهما، تقف على الصراط فانظر أن لا تزل بك فتتردى في النار.

8) The Right of the Stomach

The right of your stomach is that you make it not into a container for that which is unlawful to you and you eat no more than your fill (shib').

8. حق البطن

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ بَطْنِكَ فَأَنْ لا تَجْعَلَهُ وِعَاءً لِلْحَرَامِ وَلا تَزيد على الشَّبْعَ.

9) The Right of the Private part

The right of your private part (farj) is that you protect it from fornication and guard it against being looked upon.

9. حق الفرج

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ فَرْجِكَ انْ تُحْصِنَهُ عَن الْزِّنا و تَحْفِظَهَ مِن أنْ يُنْظَر الَيْهِ..

The Rights of Acts

10) The Right of the Prayer

The right of your ritual prayer (salat) is that you know that it is an arrival before God and that through it you are standing before Him. When you know that, then you will stand in the station of him who is lowly, vile, beseeching, trembling, hopeful, fearful, and abased, and you will magnify Him who is before you through stillness and dignity. You will approach the prayer with your heart and you will perform it according to its bounds and its rights.

ثم حقوق الأفعال

10.حق الصلاة

فَأَمَّا حَقُّ الصَّلاةِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنّهَا وِفَادَةٌ إلَى اللهِ وَأَنَّكَ فيها قَائِمٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللهِ، فَإذَا عَلِمْتَ ذَلِكَ قُمْتَ مَقَامَ الذَّلِيلِ الْحَقيرِ الرَّاغِب الرَّاهِب الرَّاجِي الْخَائِفِ الْمِسْتَكِينِ الْمُتَضَرِّعِ الْمُعَظِّمِ لِمَنْ كانَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بالسُّكُونِ و الوقارِ و تقبل عليها بِقَلبِكَ و تقيمها بِحُدُودِها و حُقوقِها.

11) The Right of the Hajj

The right of the hajj is that you know it is an arrival before your Lord and a flight to Him from your sins; through it your repentance is accepted and you perform an obligation made incumbent upon you by God.

11. حق الحج

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ الحَجّ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنّه وِفادةٌ إلى رَبّكَ، و فِرارٌ إليه من ذُنوبكَ و بهِ قبولُ تَوبتِكَ وقَضاءُ الفَرضِ الَّذي أوجَبَه الله عَليك.

12) The Right of the Fast

The right of fasting is that you know it is a veil which God has set up over your tongue, your hearing, your sight, your stomach, and your private part to protect you from the Fire. If you abandon the fast, you will have torn God's protective covering away from yourself.

12. حق الصوم

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ الصَّوْمِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنَّهُ حِجَابٌ ضَرَبَهُ اللهُ عَلَى لِسَانِكَ وَسَمْعِكَ وبَصَرِكَ وَفَرْجِكَ وبَطْنِكَ لِيَسْتركَ بهِ مِن النَّارِ. فان تركتَ الصومَ خرقتَ ستر الله عليك.

13) The Right of Charity

The right of charity (sadaqa) is that you know it is a storing away with your Lord and a deposit for which you will have no need for witnesses. If you deposit it in secret, you will be more confident of it than if you deposit it in public.2 You should know that it repels afflictions and illnesses from you in this world and it will repel the Fire from you in the next world.

 13. حق الصدقة

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ الصَّدَقَةِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنَّها ذُخرُكَ عِنْدَ رَبكَ وَوَديعَتُكَ الَّتِي لا تَحْتَاجُ إلَى الإشْهَادِ عَليها، و كُنْتَ بمَا تَسْتَودِعُهُ سِرًّا أَوْثقَ مِنْكَ بمَا تَسْتَوْدِعُهُ عَلانِيَةً، و تعلم أنَّها تَدْفَعُ البلايا و الأسقام عنك في الدنيا، وتَدفَعُ عنك النار في الآخرة.

14) The Right of the Offering

The right of the offering (hady)3 is that through it you desire God and you not desire His creation; through it you desire only the exposure of your soul to God's mercy and the deliverance of your spirit on the day you encounter Him..

14. حق الهدي

وحق الهدي أن تريد به الله عز وجل ولا تريد به خلقه ولا تريد به إلا التعرض لرحمة الله ونجاة روحك يوم تلقاه.

Rights of Leaders

15) The Right of the Possessor of authority

The right of the possessor of authority (sultan) is that you know that God has made you a trial (fitna) for him. God is testing him through the authority He has given him over you. You should not expose yourself to his displeasure, for thereby you cast yourself by your own hands into destruction4 and become his partner in his sin when he brings evil down upon you.5

ثم حقوق الأئمَّة

15. حق السلطان

فأَمَّا حَقُّ السُّلْطَانِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنّكَ جُعِلْتَ لَهُ فِتنَةً وأنَّهُ مُبْتَلىً فِيكَ بمَا جَعَلَهُ اللهُ لَهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ السُّلْطَانِ وأن عليك أن لا تتعرض لسخطه، فتلقي بيديك إلى التهلكة، وتكون شريكا له فيما يأتي إليك من سوء.

16) The Right of One who Trains through Knowledge

The right of the one who trains you (sa'is) through knowledge is magnifying him, respecting his sessions, listening well to him, and attending to him with devotion. You should not raise your voice toward him. You should never answer anyone who asks him about something, in order that he may be the one who answers. You should not speak to anyone in his session nor speak ill of anyone with him. If anyone ever speaks ill of him in your presence, you should defend him. You should conceal his faults and make manifest his virtues. You should not sit with him in enmity or show hostility toward him in friendship. If you do all of this, God's angels will give witness for you that you went straight to him and learned his knowledge for God's sake, not for the sake of the people.

16. حق سائسك بالعلم

وأَمَّا حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالعِلْمِ التَّعْظِيمُ لَهُ والتَّوْقِيرُ لِمَجْلِسِهِ وَحُسْنُ الاسْتِمَاعِ إليهِ وَالإقْبَالُ عَلَيْه وأن لا ترفع عليه صوتك، ولا تجيب أحدا يسأله عن شئ حتى يكون هو الذي يجيب، ولا تحدث في مجلسه أحدا ولا تغتاب عنده أحدا وأن تدفع عنه إذا ذكر عندك بسوء وأن تستر عيوبه وتظهر مناقبه ولا تجالس له عدوا ولا تعادي له وليا فإذا فعلت ذلك شهدت لك ملائكة الله بأنك قصدته، وتعلمت علمه لله جل اسمه لا للناس.

17) The Right of One who trains through Property

The right of him who trains you through property is that you should obey him and not disobey him, unless obeying him would displease God, for there can be no obedience to a creature when it is disobedience to God.

17. حق السائس بالملك

وأمَّا حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالمِلْكِ فأن تطيعه ولا تعصيه إلا فيما يسخط الله عز وجل فانه لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق.

Rights of Subjects

18) The Rights of Subjects through Authority

The right of your subjects through authority is that you should know that they have been made subjects through their weakness and your strength. Hence it is incumbent upon you to act with justice toward them and to be like a compassionate father toward them. You should forgive them their ignorance and not hurry them to punishment and you should thank God for the power over them which He has given to you.

ثم حقوق الرعية

18. حق الرعية بالسلطان

فأَمَّا حُقُوقُ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالسُّلْطَانِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنهم صاروا رعيتك لضعفهم قوتك فيجب أن تعدل فيهم وتكون لهم كالوالد الرحيم، وتغفر لهم جهلهم، ولا تعاجلهم بالعقوبة، وتشكر الله عز وجل على ما آتاك من القوة عليهم.

19) The Rights of Subjects through Knowledge

The right of your subjects through knowledge is that you should know that God made you a caretaker over them only through the knowledge He has given you and His storehouses which He has opened up to you. If you do well in teaching the people, not treating them roughly or annoying them, then God will increase His bounty toward you. But if you withhold your knowledge from people or treat them roughly when they seek knowledge from you, then it will be God's right to deprive you of knowledge and its splendour and to make you fall from your place in people's hearts.

19. حق الرعية بالعلم

وأمَّا حَقُّ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالعِلْمِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أن الله عز وجل إنما جعلك قيما لهم فيما آتاك من العلم وفتح لك من خزائنه فان أحسنت في تعليم الناس، ولم تخرق بهم، ولم تضجر عليهم، زادك الله من فضله، وإن أنت منعت الناس علمك أو خرقت بهم عند طلبهم العلم منك كان حقا على الله عز وجل أن يسلبك العلم وبهاءه ويسقط من القلوب محلك.

20) The Right of the Wife

The right of your wife (zawja) is that you know that God has made her a repose and a comfort for you; you should know that she is God's favour toward you, so you should honour her and treat her gently. Though her right toward you is more incumbent, you must treat her with compassion, since she is your prisoner (asir) whom you feed and clothe. If she is ignorant, you should pardon her.

20. حق الزوجة

وأما حق الزوجة فأن تعلم أن الله عز وجل جعلها لك سكنا وأنسا فتعلم أن ذلك نعمة من الله عليك فتكرمها وترفق بها، وإن كان حقك عليها أوجب فان لها عليك أن ترحمها لأنها أسيرك وتطعمها وتكسوها وإذا جهلت عفوت عنها.

21) The Right of the Slave

The right of your slave (mamluk) is that you should know that he is the creature of your Lord, the son of your father and mother, and your flesh and blood. You own him, but you did- not make him; God made him. You did not create any one of his limbs, nor do you provide him with his sustenance; on the contrary, God gives you the sufficiency for that.

Then He subjugated him to you, entrusted him to you, and deposited him with you so that you may be safeguarded by the good you give to him. So act well toward him, just as God has acted well toward you. If you dislike him, replace him, but do not torment a creature of God. And there is no strength save in God.6

21. حق الرعية بملك اليمين

وأما حق مملوكك فأن تعلم أنه خلق ربك وابن أبيك وأمك ولحمك ودمك تملكه،لا أنت صنعته من دون الله ولا خلقت شيئا من جوارحه، ولا أخرجت له رزقا ولكن الله عز وجل كفاك ذلك ثم سخره لك وائتمنك عليه واستودعك إياه، ليحفظ لك ما تأتيه من خير إليه فأحسن إليه كما أحسن الله إليك، وإن كرهته استبدلت به، ولم تعذب خلق الله عز وجل ولا قوة إلا بالله.

Rights of Womb Relatives

22) The Right of the Mother

The right of your mother is that you know that she carried you where no one carries anyone, she gave to you of the fruit of her heart that which no one gives to anyone, and she protected you with all her organs. She did not care if she went hungry as long as you ate, if she was thirsty as long as you drank, if she was naked as long as you were clothed, if she was in the sun as long as you were in the shade. She gave up sleep for your sake, she protected you from heat and cold, all in order that you might belong to her. You will not be able to show her gratitude, unless through God's help and giving success.7

حقوقّ الرّحم

22. حق الأم

و أما حَقُّ أُمِّكَ، فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنَّهَا حَمَلَتكَ حَيْثُ لا يحتمل أحدٌ أحداَ، وأعْطَتْكَ مِن ثَمْرَةِ قَلبِها ما لا يُعطي أحدٌ أحداَ، ووَقَتْكَ بِجَمِيعِ جَوارحِها، ولَمْ تبال أن تجوع وتطعمك، وتعطش وتسقيك، وتعرى وتكسوك، وتضحى وتظلك، وتهجر النوم لأجلك، ووَقَتْكَ الحَرَّ والبَردَ، لتكون لها، فانك لا تُطيق شُكرها إلّا بِعَونِ اللهِ وتَوفيقه.

23) The Right of the Father

The right of your father is that you know that he is your root. Without him, you would not be. Whenever you see anything in yourself which pleases you, know that your father is the root of its blessing upon you. So praise God and thank Him in that measure. And there is no strength save in God.

23. حق الأب

وَأمَّا حَقُّ أَبيكَ فان تَعْلَمَ أنَّهُ أَصْلُكَ، وَأَنَّهُ لَوْلاهُ لَمْ تَكُنْ. فَمَهْمَا رَأيْتَ فِي نفْسِكَ مِمَّا يُعْجِبُكَ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ أَبَاكَ أَصْلُ النِّعْمَةِ عَلَيْكَ فِيهِ وَاحْمَدِ اللَّهَ وَاشْكُرْهُ عَلَى قَدْرِ ذَلِكَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إلاّ باللهِ.

24) The Right of the Child

The right of your child is that you should know that he is from you and will be ascribed to you, through both his good and his evil, in the immediate affairs of this world. You are responsible for what has been entrusted to you, such as educating him in good conduct (husn al-adab), pointing him in the direction of his Lord, and helping him to obey Him. So act toward him with the action of one who knows that he will be rewarded for good doing toward him and punished for evildoing.

24. حق الولد

وَأمَّا حَقُّ وَلَدِكَ فَان تَعْلَمَ أنَّهُ مِنْكَ وَمُضَافٌ إلَيكَ فِي عَاجِلِ الدُنْيَا بخَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ، وَأَنَّكَ مَسْئولٌ عَمَّا ولِّيتَهُ بِهِ مِنْ حُسْنِ الأَدَب وَالدّلالَةِ عَلَى رَبهِ وَالْمَعُونةِ لَهُ عَلَى طَاعَتِهِ فَاعْمَلْ فِي أَمْرِهِ عَمَلَ من يعلم أنه مثاب على الإحسان إليه مُعاقِب على الإساءةِ إليه.

25) The Right of the Brother

The right of your brother is that you know that he is your hand, your might, and your strength. Take him not as a weapon with which to disobey God, nor as equipment with which to wrong God's creatures. Do not neglect to help him against his enemy or to give him good counsel. If he obeys God, well and good, but if not, you should honour God more than him. And there is no strength save in God.

25. حق الأخ

وَأَمّا حَقُّ أَخِيكَ فَأن تَعْلَمَ أَنّهُ يَدُكَ وَعِزُّكَ وَقُوَّتُكَ ، فَلا تَتَّخِذْهُ سِلاحًا علَى مَعصيةِ اللَّهِ ولا عُدَّةً لِلظُّلْمِ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ، ولا تَدَعْ نُصْرتَهُ عَلَى عَدُوِّهِ، والنَّصِيحَة لَهُ فَاِنْ أطاعَ اللهَ وإلا فلْيَكُنِ الله أكرم عليك منه ولا قوة إلا بالله.

Rights of Others

26) The Right of the Master on his Slave

The right of your master (mawla) who has favoured you [by freeing you from slavery] is that you know that he has spent his property for you and brought you out of the abasement and estrangement of bondage to the exaltation and comfort of freedom. He has freed you from the captivity of possession and loosened the bonds of slavehood from you.

He has brought you out of prison, given you ownership of yourself, and given you leisure to worship your Lord. You should know that he is the closest of God's creatures to you in your life and your death and that aiding him with your life and what he needs from you is incumbent upon you. And there is no strength save in God.

حقوق الآخرين

26. حق المنعم على مولاه

وأما حق مولاك المنعم عليك فأن تعلم أنه أنفق فيك ماله وأخرجك من ذل الرق ووحشته إلى عز الحرية وانسها، فأطلقك من أسر الملكة، وفك عنك قيد العبودية، وأخرجك من السجن، وملكك نفسك، وفرغك لعبادة ربك وتعلم أنه أولى الخلق بك في حياتك وموتك، وأن نصرته عليك واجبة بنفسك، وما احتاج إليه منك، ولا قوة إلا بالله.

27) The Right of the Freed Slave

The right of the slave (mawla) whom you have favoured [by freeing him] is that you know that God has made your freeing him a means of access to Him and a veil against the Fire. Your immediate reward is to inherit from him- if he does not have any maternal relatives- as a compensation for the property you have spent for him, and your ultimate reward is the Garden.

27. حق المولى الذي أنعمت عليه

وأما حق مولاك الذي أنعمت عليه فأن تعلم أن الله عز وجل جعل عتقك له وسيلة إليه وحجابا لك من النار، وأن ثوابك في العاجل ميراثه، إذا لم يكن له رحم مكافأة بما أنفقت من مالك، وفى الأجل الجنة.

28) The Right of One who does a Kindly Act

The right of him who does a kindly act (dhu l-ma'ruf) toward you is that you thank him and mention his kindness; you reward him with beautiful words and you supplicate for him sincerely in that which is between you and God. If you do that, you have thanked him secretly and openly. Then, if you are able to repay him one day, you repay him.

28. حق ذي المعروف

وَأمّا حَقُّ ذِي المَعْرُوفِ عَلَيكَ فَأَنْ تَشْكُرَهُ وتَذْكُرَ مَعْرُوفَهُ وتَنْشُرَ لَهُ الْمَقَالَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ، وَتُخلِصَ لَهُ الدُّعَاءَ فِيمَا بَينَكَ وبَيْنَ اللَّهِ عز وجل ، فَإنّكَ إذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ كُنْتَ قَدْ شَكَرْتَهُ سِرًّا وَعَلانِيَةً. ثُمَّ إنْ قدرت على مكافأته يوماً كافأته.

29) The Right of the Mu’adhdhin

The right of the mu’adhdhin is that you know that he is reminding you of your Lord, calling you to your good fortune, and helping you to accomplish what God has made obligatory upon you. So thank him for that just as you thank one who does good to you.

29. حق المؤذن

وَأمّا حَقُّ الْمُؤَذِّنِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنّهُ مُذَكِّرُ لَكَ برَبكَ وداعٍ لك إلى حَظِّكَ وعَونُكَ على قضاء فرض الله عليك، فَاشْكُرْهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ شُكْرَكَ لِلْمُحْسِنِ إلَيكَ.

30) The Right of the Imam in the Ritual Prayer

The right of your imam in your ritual prayer is that you know that he has taken on the role of mediator between you and your Lord. He speaks for you, but you do not speak for him; he supplicates for you, but you do not supplicate for him. He has spared you the terror of standing before God. If he performs the prayer imperfectly, that belongs to him and not to you; but if he performs it perfectly, you are his partner, and he has no excellence over you. So protect yourself through him, protect your prayer through his prayer, and thank him in that measure.

30. حق الإمام في الصلاة

وحق إمامك في صلاتك فأن تعلم أنه تقلد السفارة فيما بينك وبين ربك عز وجل وتكلم عنك ولم تتكلم عنه ودعا لك ولم تدع له وكفاك هول المقام بين يدي الله عز وجل، فإن كان نقص كان به دونك، وإن كان تماما كنت شريكه، ولم يكن له عليك فضل، فوقى نفسك بنفسه وصلاتك بصلاته فتشكر له على قدر ذلك.

31) The Right of the Sitting Companion

The right of your sitting companion (jalis) is that you treat him mildly, show fairness toward him while vying with him in discourse, and do not stand up from sitting with him without his permission. But it is permissible for him who sits with you to leave without asking your permission. You should forget his slips and remember his good qualities, and you should tell nothing about him but good.

31. حق الجليس

وأما حق جليسك فأن تلين له جانبك، وتنصفه في مجاراة اللفظ، ولا تقوم من مجلسك إلا بإذنه، ومن يجلس إليك يجوز له القيام عنك بغير إذنه، وتنسى زلاته وتحفظ خيراته، ولا تسمعه إلا خيرا.

32) The Right of the Neighbour

The right of your neighbour (jar) is that you guard him when he is absent, honour him when he is present, and aid him when he is wronged. You do not pursue anything of his that is shameful; if you know of any evil from him, you conceal it. If you know that he will accept your counsel, you counsel him in that which is between him and you. You do not forsake him in difficulty, you release him from his stumble, you forgive his sin, and you associate with him generously. And there is no strength save in God.

32. حق الجار

وأما حق جارك فحفظه غائبا وإكرامه شاهدا ونصرته إذا كان مظلوما، ولا تتبع له عورة، فإن علمت عليه سوءا سترته عليه، وإن علمت أنه يقبل نصيحتك نصحته فيما بينك وبينه، ولا تسلمه عند شديدة، وتقيل عثرته، وتغفر ذنبه، وَتُعَاشِرَهُ مُعَاشَرَةً كَرِيمَةً. وَلا قُوَّةَ إلا باللهِ.

33) The Right of the Companion

The right of the companion (sahib) is that you act as his companion with bounty and in fairness. You honour him as he honours you and you do not let him be the first to act with generosity. If he is the first, you repay him. You wish for him as he wishes for you and you restrain him from any act of disobedience he might attempt. Be a mercy for him, not a chastisement. And there is no strength save in God.

33. حق الصاحب

وأما حق الصاحب فأن تصحبه بالتفضل والإنصاف، وتكرمه كما يكرمك ولا تدعه يسبق إلى مكرمة، فان سبق كافأته، وتودّه كما يودك، وتزجره عما يهم به من معصية، وكن عليه رحمة ولا تكن عليه عذابا ولا قوة إلا بالله.

34) The Right of the Partner

The right of the partner (sharik) is that if he should be absent, you suffice him in his affairs, and if he should be present, you show regard for him. You make no decision without his decision and you do nothing on the basis of your own opinion, but you exchange views with him. You guard his property for him, and you do not betray him in that of his affair which is difficult or of little importance, for God's hand is above the hands of two partners as long as they do not betray each other. And there is no strength save in God.

34. حق الشريك

وأما حق الشريك فإنْ غابَ كَفَيتَهُ، وإن حضر رعيتَهُ، ولا تحكم دون حكمه، ولا تعمل برأيك دون مناظرته، وتحفظ عليه ماله، ولا تخونه فيما عز أو هان من أمره فإن يد الله تبارك وتعالى على أيدي الشريكين ما لم يتخاونا ولا قوة إلا بالله.

35) The Right of Property

The right of your property (mal) is that you take it only from what is lawful and you spend it only in what is proper. Through it you should not prefer above yourself those who will not praise you. You should act with it in obedience to your Lord and not be miserly with it, lest you fall back into regret and remorse while suffering the ill consequence. And there is no strength save in God.

35. حق المال

وأما حق مالك فأن لا تأخذه إلا من حله، ولا تنفقه إلا في وجهه، ولا تؤثر به على نفسك من لا يحمدك، فاعمل فيه بطاعة ربك ولا تبخل به فتبوء بالحسرة و الندامة مع التبعة ولا قوة إلا بالله.

36) The Right of the Creditor

The right of him to whom you owe a debt (al-gharim alladhi yutalibuka) is that, if you have the means, you pay him back, and if you are in straitened circumstances, you satisfy him with good words and you send him away with gentleness.

36. حق الغريم الطالب

وأما حق غريمك الذي يطالبك فإن كنت موسرا أعطيته وإن كنت معسرا أرضيته بحسن القول ورددته عن نفسك ردا لطيفا.

37) The Right of the Associate

The right of the associate (khalit) is that you neither mislead him, nor act dishonestly toward him, nor deceive him, and you fear God in his affair.

37. حق الخليط

وحق الخليط أن لا تغره ولا تغشه ولا تخدعه وتتقي الله تبارك وتعالى في أمره.

38) The Right of the Adversary who has a claim against you

The right of the adversary (khasm) who has a claim against you is that, if what he claims against you is true, you give witness to it against yourself. You do not wrong him and you give him his full due. If what he claims against you is false, you act with kindness toward him and you show nothing in his affair other than kindness; you do not displease your Lord in his affair. And there is no strength save in God.8

38. حق الخصم المدعي عليك

وحق الخصم المدعي عليك، فإن كان ما يدعي عليك حقا كنت شاهده على نفسك، ولم تظلمه وأوفيته حقه، وإن كان ما يدعي به باطلا رفقت به ولم تأت في أمره غير الرفق، ولم تسخط ربك في أمره ولا قوة إلا بالله.

39) The Right of the Adversary against whom you have a claim

The right of the adversary against whom you have a claim is that, if your claim against him is true, you maintain polite moderation in speaking to him and you do not deny his right. If your claim is false, you fear God, repent to Him, and abandon your claim.

حق الخصم تدعى عليه

وحق خصمك الذي تدعي عليه إن كنت محقا في دعواك أجملت مقاولته، و لم تجحد حقه وإن كنت مبطلا في دعواك اتقيت الله عزوجل وتبت إليه وتركت الدعوى.

40) The Right of one who seeks advice

The right of him who asks you for advice (mustashir) is that, if you consider that he has a correct opinion, you advise him to follow it, and if you do not consider it so, you direct him to someone who does consider it so.

39. حق المستشير

وحق المستشير إن علمت له رأيا حسنا له رأيا أشرت عليه وإن لم تعلم أرشدته إلى من يعلم.

41) The Right of one whose Advice you seek

The right of him whom you ask for advice (mushir) is that you do not make accusations against him for an opinion which does not conform to your own opinion. If it conforms to it, you praise God.

41. حق المشير

وحق المشير عليك أن لا تتهمه فيما لا يوافقك من رأيه وإن وافقك حمدت الله عز وجل.

42) The Right of one who asks your Counsel

The right of him who asks your counsel (mustansih) is that you give him your counsel, but you conduct yourself toward him with compassion and kindness.

42. حق المستنصح

وحق المستنصح أن تؤدي إليه النصيحة، وليكن مذهبك الرحمة له والرفق به.

43) The Right of the Counselor

The right of your counselor (nasih) is that you act gently toward him and give ear to him. If he presents you with the right course, you praise God, but if he does not agree with you, you show compassion toward him and make no accusations against him; you consider him to have made a mistake, and you do not take him to task for that, unless he should be deserving of accusation. Then attach no more importance to his affair. And there is no strength save in God.

43. حق الناصح

وحق الناصح أن تلين له جناحك وتصغي إليه بسمعك، فان أتى بالصواب حمدت الله عز وجل وإن لم وافق رحِمته ولم تتهمه وعلمت أنه أخطأ ولم تؤاخذه بذلك إلا أن يكون مستحقا للتهمة، فلا تعبأ بشيء من أمره على حال ولا قوة إلا بالله.

44) The Right of the one Older than you

The right of him who is older than you (kabir) is that you show reverence toward him because of his age and you honour him because he entered Islam before you. You leave off confronting him in a dispute, you do not precede him in a path, you do not go ahead of him, and you do not consider him foolish. If he should act foolishly toward you, you put up with him and you honour him because of the right of Islam and the respect due to it.

44. حق الكبير

وحق الكبير توقيره لسنه، وإجلاله لتقدمه في الإسلام قبلك، وترك مقابلته عند الخصام، ولا تسبقه إلى طريق، ولا تتقدمه، ولا تستجهله وإن جهل عليك احتملته وأكرمته لحق الإسلام وحرمته.

45) The Right of the one Younger than you

The right of him who is younger (saghir) is that you show compassion toward him through teaching him, pardoning him, covering his faults, kindness toward him, and helping him.

45. حق الصغير

وحق الصغير رحمته في تعليمه والعفو عنه والستر عليه والرفق به والمعونة له.

46) The Right of the one who asks

The right of him who asks (sa'il) from you is that you give to him in the measure of his need.

46. حق السائل

وحق السائل إعطاؤه على قدر حاجته.

47) The Right of the one who is asked

The right of him from whom you ask is that you accept from him with gratitude and recognition of his bounty if he gives, and you accept his excuse if he withholds.

47. حق المسؤول

وحق المسؤول إن أعطى فاقبل منه بالشكر والمعرفة بفضلة، وإن منع فاقبل عذره.

48) The Right of one through whom God makes you happy

The right of him through whom God makes you happy (surur) is that you first praise God, then you thank the person.

48. حق من سرك الله به

وحق من سرك الله تعالى به أن تحمد الله عزوجل أولا ثم تشكره.

49) The Right of one who does evil to you

The right of him who does evil to you is that you pardon him. But if you know that your pardon will harm him, you defend yourself. God says,

Whosoever defends himself after he has been wronged - against them there is no way (42:41).

49. حق من ساءك

وحق من ساءك أن تعفو عنه وإن علمت أن العفو يضر انتصرت قال الله تبارك وتعالى "ولمن انتصر من بعد ظلمه فأولئك ما عليهم من سبيل" (الشورى/41).

50) The Right of the People of your Creed

The right of the people of your creed (milla) is harbouring safety for them, compassion toward them, kindness toward their evildoer, treating them with friendliness, seeking their well-being, thanking their good-doer, and keeping harm away from them. You should love for them what you love for yourself and dislike for them what you dislike for yourself. Their old men stand in the place of your father, their youths in the place of your brothers, their old women in the place of your mother, and their young ones in the place of your children.

50. حق أهل ملتك

وحق أهل ملتك إضمار السلامة لهم والرحمة لهم، والرفق بمسيئهم وتألفهم واستصلاحهم، وشكر محسنهم وكف الأذى عنهم، وتحب لهم ما تحب لنفسك، و تكره لهم ما تكره لنفسك، وأن تكون شيوخهم بمنزلة أبيك، وشبابهم بمنزلة اخوتك، وعجائزهم بمنزلة أمك، والصغار بالمنزلة أولادك.

51) The Right of People under the protection of Islam

The right of the people under the protection [of Islam] (dhimma) is that you accept from them what God has accepted from them and you do no wrong to them as long as they fulfil God's covenant.

51. حق أهل الذمة

وحق الذمة أن تقبل منهم ما قبل الله عز وجل [منهم] ولا تظلمهم ما وفوا لله عز وجل بعهده

The Treatise On Rights

In the Name of Allah, the All-merciful, the All-compassionate

Know - God have mercy upon you - that God has rights against you and that these encompass you in every movement through which you move, every rest through which you rest, every way-station in which you reside, every limb which you employ, and every instrument which you put to work. Some of these rights are greater and some less.

بسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

إعْلَمْ رَحِمَكَ اللهُ أَنَّ للهِ عَلَيْكَ حُقُوقًا مُحِيطَةً بكَ فِي كلِّ حَرَكَةٍ تَحَرَّكْتَهَا، أَوْ سَكَنَةٍ سَكَنْتَهَا، أَوْ مَنْزِلَةٍ نَزَلْتَهَا، أَوْ جَارِحَةٍ قَلَّبْتَهَا وَآلَةٍ تَصَرَّفْتَ بهَا، بَعْضُهَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْ بَعْضٍ.

The greatest of God's rights against you is the right which He has made incumbent upon you for Himself and which is the root of all rights, then those which He has made incumbent upon you in yourself, from your crown to your foot, in keeping with the diversity of your organs.

وَأَكْبَرُ حُقُوقِ اللهِ عَلَيْكَ مَا أَوْجَبَهُ لِنَفْسِهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مِنْ حَقِّهِ الَّذِي هُوَ أَصْلُ الْحُقُوقِ وَمِنْهُ تَفَرَّعَ. ثُمَّ أَوْجَبَهُ عَلَيْكَ لِنَفْسِكَ مِنْ قَرْنِكَ إلَى قَدَمِكَ عَلَى اِختِلافِ جَوَارِحِكَ.

He has given your tongue a right against you, your hearing a right against you, your sight a right against you, your hand a right against you, your leg a right against you, your stomach a right against you, and your private part a right against you. These are the seven organs through which acts (af'al) take place.

فَجَعَلَ ِلِلِسَانِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِسَمْعِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وِ لِبَصَرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِيَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِرِجْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِبَطْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِفَرْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، فَهَذِهِ الْجَوَارِحُ السَّبْعُ الَّتِي بهَا تَكُونُ الأَفْعَالُ.

Then He gave your acts rights against you: He gave your ritual prayer a right against you, your fasting a right against you, your charity a right against you, your offering a right against you, and your acts a right against you.

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لأَفْعَالِكَ عَلَيْكَ حُقُوقًا فَجَعَلَ لِصَلاتِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِصَوْمِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِصَدَقَتِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِهَدْيِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلأَفعَالِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا.

Then these rights extend out from you to others who have rights against you. The most incumbent of them against you are the rights toward your leaders (a'imma), then the rights toward your subjects (ra'iyya), then the rights toward your womb [relatives] (rahim).

ثُمَّ تَخرُجُ الْحُقُوقُ مِنْكَ إلَى غَيْرِكَ مِنْ ذَوِي الْحُقُوقِ الْوَاجِبةِ عَلَيكَ. وَأَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حُقُوقُ أَئِمَّتِكَ ثُمَّ حُقُوقُ رَعِيَّتِكَ ثُمَّ حُقُوقُ رَحِمِكَ.

From these rights branch out other rights. The rights of your leaders are three: The most incumbent upon you is the right of him who trains you through authority, then of him who trains you through knowledge, then of him who trains you through property.

فَهَذِهِ حُقُوقٌ يَتَشَعَّبُ مِنْهَا حُقُوقٌ: فَحُقُوقُ أَئِمَّتِكَ ثَلاثَةٌ أَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالسُّلْطَانِ ثُمَّ سَائِسِكَ بالْعِلْمِ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالْمُلْكِ.

The rights of your subjects are three: The most incumbent upon you is the right of those who are your subjects through authority, then the right of those who are your subjects through knowledge - for the man of ignorance is the subject of the man of knowledge - then the right of those who are your subjects through property, such as wives and what is owned by the right hand.

وَحُقُوقُ رَعِيَّتِكَ ثلاثَةٌ أَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حَقُّ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالسُّلْطَان، ثُمَّ حَقُّ رعِيَّتِكَ بالْعِلْمِ، فَإنَّ الْجَاهِلَ رَعِيَّةُ الْعَالِمِ، وَحَقُّ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالْمُلْكِ مِنَ الأَزْوَاجِ وَمَا مَلَكْتَ مِنَ الأَيْمَانِ.

The rights of your womb relatives are many; they are connected to you in the measure of the connection of the womb relationship. The most incumbent upon you is the right of your mother, then the right of your father, then the right of your child, then the right of your brother, then the next nearest, then the next nearest - the most worthy, then the next most worthy.

وَحُقُوقُ رَحِمِكَ كَثِيرَةٌ مُتَّصِلَةٌ بقَدْرِ اتِّصَالِ الرَّحِمِ فِي الْقَرَابَةِ فَأَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حَقُّ أُمِّكَ ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَبيكَ ثُمَّ حَقُّ وَلَدِكَ ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَخِيكَ ثُمَّ الأَقْرَبُ فَالأَقْرَبُ وَالأَوَّلى فَالأَوَّلى.

Then there is the right of your master who favours you [by freeing you from slavery], then the right of the slave whose favours reach you [by the fact that you free him], then the right of him who does a kindly act toward you, then the right of the mu’adhdhin who calls you to the ritual prayer, then the right of the imam who leads the prayer, then the right of your sitting companion, then the right of your neighbour, then the right of your companion, then the right of your partner, then the right of your property, then the right of him who has a debt he must pay back to you, then the right of him to whom you owe a debt.

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَوْلاكَ الْمُنْعِمِ عَلَيْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَوْلاكَ الْجَارِيَةُ نِعْمَتُكَ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ ذِي الْمَعْرُوفِ لَدَيْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مُؤَذِّنُكَ بالصَّلاةِ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ إمَامِكَ فِي صَلاتِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ جَلِيسِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ جَارِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ صَاحِبكَ،

Then the right of your associate, then the right of your adversary who has a claim against you, then the right of your adversary against whom you have a claim, then the right of him who asks you for advice, then the right of him whom you ask for advice, then the right of him who asks your counsel, then the right of him who counsels you, then the right of him who is older than you, then the right of him who is younger than you.

ثُمَّ حَقُّ شَرِيكِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَالِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ غَرِيمِكَ الَّذِي تُطَالِبُهُ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ غَرِيمِكَ الَّذِي يُطَالِبُكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ خَلِيطِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ خَصْمِكَ الْمُدَّعِي عَلَيْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ خَصْمِكَ الَّذِي تَدَّعِي عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مُسْتَشِيرِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ الْمُشِيرِ عَلَيْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مُسْتَنْصِحِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ النَّاصِحِ لَكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَنْ هُوَ أَكْبَرُ مِنْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَنْ هُوَ أَصْغَرُ مِنْكَ،

Then the right of him who asks from you, then the right of him from whom you ask, then the right of him who does something evil to you through word or deed, or him who makes you happy through word or deed, intentionally or unintentionally, then the right of the people of your creed, then the right of the people under your protection, then all rights in the measure of the causes of the states and the occurrence of events.

ثُمَّ حَقُّ سَائِلِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَن سَأَلْتَهُ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَن جَرَى لَكَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ مَسَاءَةٌ بقَوْلٍ أَو فِعْلٍ أَوْ مَسَرَّةٍ بذَلِكَ بقَوْلٍ أَوْ فِعْلٍ عَنْ تَعَمُّدٍ مِنْهُ أَوْ غَيْرِ تَعَمُّدٍ مِنْهُ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَهْلِ مِلَّتِكَ عَامَّةً ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ، ثُمَّ الْحُقُوقُ الْجَارِيَةُ بقَدْرِ عِلَل الأَحْوَالِ وَتَصَرُّفِ الأَسْبَاب.

Therefore happy is he whom God aids in the rights which He has made incumbent upon him and whom He gives success therein and points in the proper direction!

فَطُوبَى لِمَنْ أَعَانَهُ اللهُ عَلَى قَضَاءِ مَا أَوْجَبَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ حُقُوقِهِ وَوَفَّقَهُ وَسَدَّدَهُ.

The Rights of Allah against oneself

1. The Greatest Right of Allah

The greatest right of God against you is that you worship Him without associating anything with Him. When you do that with sincerity (ikhlas), He has made it binding upon Himself to give you sufficiency in the affair of this world and the next.

حقوق الله

1. حق الله الأكبر

فأَمَّا حَقُّ اللهِ الأَكْبَرُ فَإنَّكَ تَعْبُدُهُ لا تُشْرِكُ بهِ شَيْئاً، فَإذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ بإخلاصٍ جَعَلَ لَكَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَنْ يَكفِيَكَ أَمْرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَيَحْفَظَ لَكَ مَا تُحِبُّ مِنْهَما.

2) The Right of your self

The right of your self (nafs) against you is that you employ it in obeying God; then you deliver to your tongue its right, to your hearing its right, to your sight its right, to your hand its right, to your leg its right, to your stomach its right, to your private part its right, and you seek help from God in all that.

2. حق النفس

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ نَفْسِكَ عَلَيْكَ فَأَنْ تَسْتَوْفِيَهَا فِي طَاعَةِ اللهِ فَتُؤَدّي إلَى لِسَانِكَ حَقَّهُ وَإلَى سَمْعِك حَقَّهُ وَإلَى بَصَرِكَ حَقّهُ وَإلَى يَدِكَ حَقَّهَا وَإلَى رِجْلِك حَقَّهَا وَإلَى بَطْنِكَ حَقَّهُ وَإلَى فَرْجِكَ حَقَّهُ وَتَسْتَعِينَ باللهِ عَلَى ذَلِك.

3) The Right of the Tongue

The right of the tongue is that you consider it too noble for obscenity, accustom it to good, refrain from any meddling in which there is nothing to be gained, express kindness to the people, and speak well concerning them.

3. حق اللسان

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ اللّسَان فَإكْرَامُهُ عَنِ الْخَنَى وتَعْوِيدُهُ الْخَيْرِ وَ تَرك الْفُضُول الَّتي لا فائِدَةِ لَها و البِرُّ بالنَّاسِ و حُسْن القَولِ فيهم.

4) The Right of the Hearing

The right of hearing is to keep it pure from listening to backbiting (ghiba) and listening to that to which it is unlawful to listen.

4. حق السمع

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ السَّمْعِ فَتَنْزِيهُهُ عَنْ سَماع الغيبةِ و سَماعِها لا يحِلّ سَماعه.

5) The Right of the Sight

The right of sight is that you lower it before everything which is unlawful to you and that you take heed whenever you look at anything.1

5. حق البصر

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ بَصَرِكَ أن تُغْمِضَهُ عَمَّا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ و تَعْتَبِر بالنَّظَرِ بِهِ.

6) The Right of the Hand

The right of your hand is that you stretch it not toward that which is unlawful to you.

6. حق اليد

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ يَدِكَ فَأَنْ لا تَبْسُطَهَا إلَى مَا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ.

7) The Right of the Legs

The right of your two legs is that you walk not with them toward that which is unlawful to you. You have no escape from standing upon the narrow bridge (al-sirat [over hell]), so you should see to it that your legs do not slip and cause you to fall into the Fire.

7. حق الرجلين

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ رِجْلَيْكَ فَأَنْ لا تَمْشِي بهِمَا إلَى مَا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ فيهما، تقف على الصراط فانظر أن لا تزل بك فتتردى في النار.

8) The Right of the Stomach

The right of your stomach is that you make it not into a container for that which is unlawful to you and you eat no more than your fill (shib').

8. حق البطن

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ بَطْنِكَ فَأَنْ لا تَجْعَلَهُ وِعَاءً لِلْحَرَامِ وَلا تَزيد على الشَّبْعَ.

9) The Right of the Private part

The right of your private part (farj) is that you protect it from fornication and guard it against being looked upon.

9. حق الفرج

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ فَرْجِكَ انْ تُحْصِنَهُ عَن الْزِّنا و تَحْفِظَهَ مِن أنْ يُنْظَر الَيْهِ..

The Rights of Acts

10) The Right of the Prayer

The right of your ritual prayer (salat) is that you know that it is an arrival before God and that through it you are standing before Him. When you know that, then you will stand in the station of him who is lowly, vile, beseeching, trembling, hopeful, fearful, and abased, and you will magnify Him who is before you through stillness and dignity. You will approach the prayer with your heart and you will perform it according to its bounds and its rights.

ثم حقوق الأفعال

10.حق الصلاة

فَأَمَّا حَقُّ الصَّلاةِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنّهَا وِفَادَةٌ إلَى اللهِ وَأَنَّكَ فيها قَائِمٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللهِ، فَإذَا عَلِمْتَ ذَلِكَ قُمْتَ مَقَامَ الذَّلِيلِ الْحَقيرِ الرَّاغِب الرَّاهِب الرَّاجِي الْخَائِفِ الْمِسْتَكِينِ الْمُتَضَرِّعِ الْمُعَظِّمِ لِمَنْ كانَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بالسُّكُونِ و الوقارِ و تقبل عليها بِقَلبِكَ و تقيمها بِحُدُودِها و حُقوقِها.

11) The Right of the Hajj

The right of the hajj is that you know it is an arrival before your Lord and a flight to Him from your sins; through it your repentance is accepted and you perform an obligation made incumbent upon you by God.

11. حق الحج

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ الحَجّ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنّه وِفادةٌ إلى رَبّكَ، و فِرارٌ إليه من ذُنوبكَ و بهِ قبولُ تَوبتِكَ وقَضاءُ الفَرضِ الَّذي أوجَبَه الله عَليك.

12) The Right of the Fast

The right of fasting is that you know it is a veil which God has set up over your tongue, your hearing, your sight, your stomach, and your private part to protect you from the Fire. If you abandon the fast, you will have torn God's protective covering away from yourself.

12. حق الصوم

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ الصَّوْمِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنَّهُ حِجَابٌ ضَرَبَهُ اللهُ عَلَى لِسَانِكَ وَسَمْعِكَ وبَصَرِكَ وَفَرْجِكَ وبَطْنِكَ لِيَسْتركَ بهِ مِن النَّارِ. فان تركتَ الصومَ خرقتَ ستر الله عليك.

13) The Right of Charity

The right of charity (sadaqa) is that you know it is a storing away with your Lord and a deposit for which you will have no need for witnesses. If you deposit it in secret, you will be more confident of it than if you deposit it in public.2 You should know that it repels afflictions and illnesses from you in this world and it will repel the Fire from you in the next world.

 13. حق الصدقة

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ الصَّدَقَةِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنَّها ذُخرُكَ عِنْدَ رَبكَ وَوَديعَتُكَ الَّتِي لا تَحْتَاجُ إلَى الإشْهَادِ عَليها، و كُنْتَ بمَا تَسْتَودِعُهُ سِرًّا أَوْثقَ مِنْكَ بمَا تَسْتَوْدِعُهُ عَلانِيَةً، و تعلم أنَّها تَدْفَعُ البلايا و الأسقام عنك في الدنيا، وتَدفَعُ عنك النار في الآخرة.

14) The Right of the Offering

The right of the offering (hady)3 is that through it you desire God and you not desire His creation; through it you desire only the exposure of your soul to God's mercy and the deliverance of your spirit on the day you encounter Him..

14. حق الهدي

وحق الهدي أن تريد به الله عز وجل ولا تريد به خلقه ولا تريد به إلا التعرض لرحمة الله ونجاة روحك يوم تلقاه.

Rights of Leaders

15) The Right of the Possessor of authority

The right of the possessor of authority (sultan) is that you know that God has made you a trial (fitna) for him. God is testing him through the authority He has given him over you. You should not expose yourself to his displeasure, for thereby you cast yourself by your own hands into destruction4 and become his partner in his sin when he brings evil down upon you.5

ثم حقوق الأئمَّة

15. حق السلطان

فأَمَّا حَقُّ السُّلْطَانِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنّكَ جُعِلْتَ لَهُ فِتنَةً وأنَّهُ مُبْتَلىً فِيكَ بمَا جَعَلَهُ اللهُ لَهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ السُّلْطَانِ وأن عليك أن لا تتعرض لسخطه، فتلقي بيديك إلى التهلكة، وتكون شريكا له فيما يأتي إليك من سوء.

16) The Right of One who Trains through Knowledge

The right of the one who trains you (sa'is) through knowledge is magnifying him, respecting his sessions, listening well to him, and attending to him with devotion. You should not raise your voice toward him. You should never answer anyone who asks him about something, in order that he may be the one who answers. You should not speak to anyone in his session nor speak ill of anyone with him. If anyone ever speaks ill of him in your presence, you should defend him. You should conceal his faults and make manifest his virtues. You should not sit with him in enmity or show hostility toward him in friendship. If you do all of this, God's angels will give witness for you that you went straight to him and learned his knowledge for God's sake, not for the sake of the people.

16. حق سائسك بالعلم

وأَمَّا حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالعِلْمِ التَّعْظِيمُ لَهُ والتَّوْقِيرُ لِمَجْلِسِهِ وَحُسْنُ الاسْتِمَاعِ إليهِ وَالإقْبَالُ عَلَيْه وأن لا ترفع عليه صوتك، ولا تجيب أحدا يسأله عن شئ حتى يكون هو الذي يجيب، ولا تحدث في مجلسه أحدا ولا تغتاب عنده أحدا وأن تدفع عنه إذا ذكر عندك بسوء وأن تستر عيوبه وتظهر مناقبه ولا تجالس له عدوا ولا تعادي له وليا فإذا فعلت ذلك شهدت لك ملائكة الله بأنك قصدته، وتعلمت علمه لله جل اسمه لا للناس.

17) The Right of One who trains through Property

The right of him who trains you through property is that you should obey him and not disobey him, unless obeying him would displease God, for there can be no obedience to a creature when it is disobedience to God.

17. حق السائس بالملك

وأمَّا حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالمِلْكِ فأن تطيعه ولا تعصيه إلا فيما يسخط الله عز وجل فانه لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق.

Rights of Subjects

18) The Rights of Subjects through Authority

The right of your subjects through authority is that you should know that they have been made subjects through their weakness and your strength. Hence it is incumbent upon you to act with justice toward them and to be like a compassionate father toward them. You should forgive them their ignorance and not hurry them to punishment and you should thank God for the power over them which He has given to you.

ثم حقوق الرعية

18. حق الرعية بالسلطان

فأَمَّا حُقُوقُ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالسُّلْطَانِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنهم صاروا رعيتك لضعفهم قوتك فيجب أن تعدل فيهم وتكون لهم كالوالد الرحيم، وتغفر لهم جهلهم، ولا تعاجلهم بالعقوبة، وتشكر الله عز وجل على ما آتاك من القوة عليهم.

19) The Rights of Subjects through Knowledge

The right of your subjects through knowledge is that you should know that God made you a caretaker over them only through the knowledge He has given you and His storehouses which He has opened up to you. If you do well in teaching the people, not treating them roughly or annoying them, then God will increase His bounty toward you. But if you withhold your knowledge from people or treat them roughly when they seek knowledge from you, then it will be God's right to deprive you of knowledge and its splendour and to make you fall from your place in people's hearts.

19. حق الرعية بالعلم

وأمَّا حَقُّ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالعِلْمِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أن الله عز وجل إنما جعلك قيما لهم فيما آتاك من العلم وفتح لك من خزائنه فان أحسنت في تعليم الناس، ولم تخرق بهم، ولم تضجر عليهم، زادك الله من فضله، وإن أنت منعت الناس علمك أو خرقت بهم عند طلبهم العلم منك كان حقا على الله عز وجل أن يسلبك العلم وبهاءه ويسقط من القلوب محلك.

20) The Right of the Wife

The right of your wife (zawja) is that you know that God has made her a repose and a comfort for you; you should know that she is God's favour toward you, so you should honour her and treat her gently. Though her right toward you is more incumbent, you must treat her with compassion, since she is your prisoner (asir) whom you feed and clothe. If she is ignorant, you should pardon her.

20. حق الزوجة

وأما حق الزوجة فأن تعلم أن الله عز وجل جعلها لك سكنا وأنسا فتعلم أن ذلك نعمة من الله عليك فتكرمها وترفق بها، وإن كان حقك عليها أوجب فان لها عليك أن ترحمها لأنها أسيرك وتطعمها وتكسوها وإذا جهلت عفوت عنها.

21) The Right of the Slave

The right of your slave (mamluk) is that you should know that he is the creature of your Lord, the son of your father and mother, and your flesh and blood. You own him, but you did- not make him; God made him. You did not create any one of his limbs, nor do you provide him with his sustenance; on the contrary, God gives you the sufficiency for that.

Then He subjugated him to you, entrusted him to you, and deposited him with you so that you may be safeguarded by the good you give to him. So act well toward him, just as God has acted well toward you. If you dislike him, replace him, but do not torment a creature of God. And there is no strength save in God.6

21. حق الرعية بملك اليمين

وأما حق مملوكك فأن تعلم أنه خلق ربك وابن أبيك وأمك ولحمك ودمك تملكه،لا أنت صنعته من دون الله ولا خلقت شيئا من جوارحه، ولا أخرجت له رزقا ولكن الله عز وجل كفاك ذلك ثم سخره لك وائتمنك عليه واستودعك إياه، ليحفظ لك ما تأتيه من خير إليه فأحسن إليه كما أحسن الله إليك، وإن كرهته استبدلت به، ولم تعذب خلق الله عز وجل ولا قوة إلا بالله.

Rights of Womb Relatives

22) The Right of the Mother

The right of your mother is that you know that she carried you where no one carries anyone, she gave to you of the fruit of her heart that which no one gives to anyone, and she protected you with all her organs. She did not care if she went hungry as long as you ate, if she was thirsty as long as you drank, if she was naked as long as you were clothed, if she was in the sun as long as you were in the shade. She gave up sleep for your sake, she protected you from heat and cold, all in order that you might belong to her. You will not be able to show her gratitude, unless through God's help and giving success.7

حقوقّ الرّحم

22. حق الأم

و أما حَقُّ أُمِّكَ، فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنَّهَا حَمَلَتكَ حَيْثُ لا يحتمل أحدٌ أحداَ، وأعْطَتْكَ مِن ثَمْرَةِ قَلبِها ما لا يُعطي أحدٌ أحداَ، ووَقَتْكَ بِجَمِيعِ جَوارحِها، ولَمْ تبال أن تجوع وتطعمك، وتعطش وتسقيك، وتعرى وتكسوك، وتضحى وتظلك، وتهجر النوم لأجلك، ووَقَتْكَ الحَرَّ والبَردَ، لتكون لها، فانك لا تُطيق شُكرها إلّا بِعَونِ اللهِ وتَوفيقه.

23) The Right of the Father

The right of your father is that you know that he is your root. Without him, you would not be. Whenever you see anything in yourself which pleases you, know that your father is the root of its blessing upon you. So praise God and thank Him in that measure. And there is no strength save in God.

23. حق الأب

وَأمَّا حَقُّ أَبيكَ فان تَعْلَمَ أنَّهُ أَصْلُكَ، وَأَنَّهُ لَوْلاهُ لَمْ تَكُنْ. فَمَهْمَا رَأيْتَ فِي نفْسِكَ مِمَّا يُعْجِبُكَ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ أَبَاكَ أَصْلُ النِّعْمَةِ عَلَيْكَ فِيهِ وَاحْمَدِ اللَّهَ وَاشْكُرْهُ عَلَى قَدْرِ ذَلِكَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إلاّ باللهِ.

24) The Right of the Child

The right of your child is that you should know that he is from you and will be ascribed to you, through both his good and his evil, in the immediate affairs of this world. You are responsible for what has been entrusted to you, such as educating him in good conduct (husn al-adab), pointing him in the direction of his Lord, and helping him to obey Him. So act toward him with the action of one who knows that he will be rewarded for good doing toward him and punished for evildoing.

24. حق الولد

وَأمَّا حَقُّ وَلَدِكَ فَان تَعْلَمَ أنَّهُ مِنْكَ وَمُضَافٌ إلَيكَ فِي عَاجِلِ الدُنْيَا بخَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ، وَأَنَّكَ مَسْئولٌ عَمَّا ولِّيتَهُ بِهِ مِنْ حُسْنِ الأَدَب وَالدّلالَةِ عَلَى رَبهِ وَالْمَعُونةِ لَهُ عَلَى طَاعَتِهِ فَاعْمَلْ فِي أَمْرِهِ عَمَلَ من يعلم أنه مثاب على الإحسان إليه مُعاقِب على الإساءةِ إليه.

25) The Right of the Brother

The right of your brother is that you know that he is your hand, your might, and your strength. Take him not as a weapon with which to disobey God, nor as equipment with which to wrong God's creatures. Do not neglect to help him against his enemy or to give him good counsel. If he obeys God, well and good, but if not, you should honour God more than him. And there is no strength save in God.

25. حق الأخ

وَأَمّا حَقُّ أَخِيكَ فَأن تَعْلَمَ أَنّهُ يَدُكَ وَعِزُّكَ وَقُوَّتُكَ ، فَلا تَتَّخِذْهُ سِلاحًا علَى مَعصيةِ اللَّهِ ولا عُدَّةً لِلظُّلْمِ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ، ولا تَدَعْ نُصْرتَهُ عَلَى عَدُوِّهِ، والنَّصِيحَة لَهُ فَاِنْ أطاعَ اللهَ وإلا فلْيَكُنِ الله أكرم عليك منه ولا قوة إلا بالله.

Rights of Others

26) The Right of the Master on his Slave

The right of your master (mawla) who has favoured you [by freeing you from slavery] is that you know that he has spent his property for you and brought you out of the abasement and estrangement of bondage to the exaltation and comfort of freedom. He has freed you from the captivity of possession and loosened the bonds of slavehood from you.

He has brought you out of prison, given you ownership of yourself, and given you leisure to worship your Lord. You should know that he is the closest of God's creatures to you in your life and your death and that aiding him with your life and what he needs from you is incumbent upon you. And there is no strength save in God.

حقوق الآخرين

26. حق المنعم على مولاه

وأما حق مولاك المنعم عليك فأن تعلم أنه أنفق فيك ماله وأخرجك من ذل الرق ووحشته إلى عز الحرية وانسها، فأطلقك من أسر الملكة، وفك عنك قيد العبودية، وأخرجك من السجن، وملكك نفسك، وفرغك لعبادة ربك وتعلم أنه أولى الخلق بك في حياتك وموتك، وأن نصرته عليك واجبة بنفسك، وما احتاج إليه منك، ولا قوة إلا بالله.

27) The Right of the Freed Slave

The right of the slave (mawla) whom you have favoured [by freeing him] is that you know that God has made your freeing him a means of access to Him and a veil against the Fire. Your immediate reward is to inherit from him- if he does not have any maternal relatives- as a compensation for the property you have spent for him, and your ultimate reward is the Garden.

27. حق المولى الذي أنعمت عليه

وأما حق مولاك الذي أنعمت عليه فأن تعلم أن الله عز وجل جعل عتقك له وسيلة إليه وحجابا لك من النار، وأن ثوابك في العاجل ميراثه، إذا لم يكن له رحم مكافأة بما أنفقت من مالك، وفى الأجل الجنة.

28) The Right of One who does a Kindly Act

The right of him who does a kindly act (dhu l-ma'ruf) toward you is that you thank him and mention his kindness; you reward him with beautiful words and you supplicate for him sincerely in that which is between you and God. If you do that, you have thanked him secretly and openly. Then, if you are able to repay him one day, you repay him.

28. حق ذي المعروف

وَأمّا حَقُّ ذِي المَعْرُوفِ عَلَيكَ فَأَنْ تَشْكُرَهُ وتَذْكُرَ مَعْرُوفَهُ وتَنْشُرَ لَهُ الْمَقَالَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ، وَتُخلِصَ لَهُ الدُّعَاءَ فِيمَا بَينَكَ وبَيْنَ اللَّهِ عز وجل ، فَإنّكَ إذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ كُنْتَ قَدْ شَكَرْتَهُ سِرًّا وَعَلانِيَةً. ثُمَّ إنْ قدرت على مكافأته يوماً كافأته.

29) The Right of the Mu’adhdhin

The right of the mu’adhdhin is that you know that he is reminding you of your Lord, calling you to your good fortune, and helping you to accomplish what God has made obligatory upon you. So thank him for that just as you thank one who does good to you.

29. حق المؤذن

وَأمّا حَقُّ الْمُؤَذِّنِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنّهُ مُذَكِّرُ لَكَ برَبكَ وداعٍ لك إلى حَظِّكَ وعَونُكَ على قضاء فرض الله عليك، فَاشْكُرْهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ شُكْرَكَ لِلْمُحْسِنِ إلَيكَ.

30) The Right of the Imam in the Ritual Prayer

The right of your imam in your ritual prayer is that you know that he has taken on the role of mediator between you and your Lord. He speaks for you, but you do not speak for him; he supplicates for you, but you do not supplicate for him. He has spared you the terror of standing before God. If he performs the prayer imperfectly, that belongs to him and not to you; but if he performs it perfectly, you are his partner, and he has no excellence over you. So protect yourself through him, protect your prayer through his prayer, and thank him in that measure.

30. حق الإمام في الصلاة

وحق إمامك في صلاتك فأن تعلم أنه تقلد السفارة فيما بينك وبين ربك عز وجل وتكلم عنك ولم تتكلم عنه ودعا لك ولم تدع له وكفاك هول المقام بين يدي الله عز وجل، فإن كان نقص كان به دونك، وإن كان تماما كنت شريكه، ولم يكن له عليك فضل، فوقى نفسك بنفسه وصلاتك بصلاته فتشكر له على قدر ذلك.

31) The Right of the Sitting Companion

The right of your sitting companion (jalis) is that you treat him mildly, show fairness toward him while vying with him in discourse, and do not stand up from sitting with him without his permission. But it is permissible for him who sits with you to leave without asking your permission. You should forget his slips and remember his good qualities, and you should tell nothing about him but good.

31. حق الجليس

وأما حق جليسك فأن تلين له جانبك، وتنصفه في مجاراة اللفظ، ولا تقوم من مجلسك إلا بإذنه، ومن يجلس إليك يجوز له القيام عنك بغير إذنه، وتنسى زلاته وتحفظ خيراته، ولا تسمعه إلا خيرا.

32) The Right of the Neighbour

The right of your neighbour (jar) is that you guard him when he is absent, honour him when he is present, and aid him when he is wronged. You do not pursue anything of his that is shameful; if you know of any evil from him, you conceal it. If you know that he will accept your counsel, you counsel him in that which is between him and you. You do not forsake him in difficulty, you release him from his stumble, you forgive his sin, and you associate with him generously. And there is no strength save in God.

32. حق الجار

وأما حق جارك فحفظه غائبا وإكرامه شاهدا ونصرته إذا كان مظلوما، ولا تتبع له عورة، فإن علمت عليه سوءا سترته عليه، وإن علمت أنه يقبل نصيحتك نصحته فيما بينك وبينه، ولا تسلمه عند شديدة، وتقيل عثرته، وتغفر ذنبه، وَتُعَاشِرَهُ مُعَاشَرَةً كَرِيمَةً. وَلا قُوَّةَ إلا باللهِ.

33) The Right of the Companion

The right of the companion (sahib) is that you act as his companion with bounty and in fairness. You honour him as he honours you and you do not let him be the first to act with generosity. If he is the first, you repay him. You wish for him as he wishes for you and you restrain him from any act of disobedience he might attempt. Be a mercy for him, not a chastisement. And there is no strength save in God.

33. حق الصاحب

وأما حق الصاحب فأن تصحبه بالتفضل والإنصاف، وتكرمه كما يكرمك ولا تدعه يسبق إلى مكرمة، فان سبق كافأته، وتودّه كما يودك، وتزجره عما يهم به من معصية، وكن عليه رحمة ولا تكن عليه عذابا ولا قوة إلا بالله.

34) The Right of the Partner

The right of the partner (sharik) is that if he should be absent, you suffice him in his affairs, and if he should be present, you show regard for him. You make no decision without his decision and you do nothing on the basis of your own opinion, but you exchange views with him. You guard his property for him, and you do not betray him in that of his affair which is difficult or of little importance, for God's hand is above the hands of two partners as long as they do not betray each other. And there is no strength save in God.

34. حق الشريك

وأما حق الشريك فإنْ غابَ كَفَيتَهُ، وإن حضر رعيتَهُ، ولا تحكم دون حكمه، ولا تعمل برأيك دون مناظرته، وتحفظ عليه ماله، ولا تخونه فيما عز أو هان من أمره فإن يد الله تبارك وتعالى على أيدي الشريكين ما لم يتخاونا ولا قوة إلا بالله.

35) The Right of Property

The right of your property (mal) is that you take it only from what is lawful and you spend it only in what is proper. Through it you should not prefer above yourself those who will not praise you. You should act with it in obedience to your Lord and not be miserly with it, lest you fall back into regret and remorse while suffering the ill consequence. And there is no strength save in God.

35. حق المال

وأما حق مالك فأن لا تأخذه إلا من حله، ولا تنفقه إلا في وجهه، ولا تؤثر به على نفسك من لا يحمدك، فاعمل فيه بطاعة ربك ولا تبخل به فتبوء بالحسرة و الندامة مع التبعة ولا قوة إلا بالله.

36) The Right of the Creditor

The right of him to whom you owe a debt (al-gharim alladhi yutalibuka) is that, if you have the means, you pay him back, and if you are in straitened circumstances, you satisfy him with good words and you send him away with gentleness.

36. حق الغريم الطالب

وأما حق غريمك الذي يطالبك فإن كنت موسرا أعطيته وإن كنت معسرا أرضيته بحسن القول ورددته عن نفسك ردا لطيفا.

37) The Right of the Associate

The right of the associate (khalit) is that you neither mislead him, nor act dishonestly toward him, nor deceive him, and you fear God in his affair.

37. حق الخليط

وحق الخليط أن لا تغره ولا تغشه ولا تخدعه وتتقي الله تبارك وتعالى في أمره.

38) The Right of the Adversary who has a claim against you

The right of the adversary (khasm) who has a claim against you is that, if what he claims against you is true, you give witness to it against yourself. You do not wrong him and you give him his full due. If what he claims against you is false, you act with kindness toward him and you show nothing in his affair other than kindness; you do not displease your Lord in his affair. And there is no strength save in God.8

38. حق الخصم المدعي عليك

وحق الخصم المدعي عليك، فإن كان ما يدعي عليك حقا كنت شاهده على نفسك، ولم تظلمه وأوفيته حقه، وإن كان ما يدعي به باطلا رفقت به ولم تأت في أمره غير الرفق، ولم تسخط ربك في أمره ولا قوة إلا بالله.

39) The Right of the Adversary against whom you have a claim

The right of the adversary against whom you have a claim is that, if your claim against him is true, you maintain polite moderation in speaking to him and you do not deny his right. If your claim is false, you fear God, repent to Him, and abandon your claim.

حق الخصم تدعى عليه

وحق خصمك الذي تدعي عليه إن كنت محقا في دعواك أجملت مقاولته، و لم تجحد حقه وإن كنت مبطلا في دعواك اتقيت الله عزوجل وتبت إليه وتركت الدعوى.

40) The Right of one who seeks advice

The right of him who asks you for advice (mustashir) is that, if you consider that he has a correct opinion, you advise him to follow it, and if you do not consider it so, you direct him to someone who does consider it so.

39. حق المستشير

وحق المستشير إن علمت له رأيا حسنا له رأيا أشرت عليه وإن لم تعلم أرشدته إلى من يعلم.

41) The Right of one whose Advice you seek

The right of him whom you ask for advice (mushir) is that you do not make accusations against him for an opinion which does not conform to your own opinion. If it conforms to it, you praise God.

41. حق المشير

وحق المشير عليك أن لا تتهمه فيما لا يوافقك من رأيه وإن وافقك حمدت الله عز وجل.

42) The Right of one who asks your Counsel

The right of him who asks your counsel (mustansih) is that you give him your counsel, but you conduct yourself toward him with compassion and kindness.

42. حق المستنصح

وحق المستنصح أن تؤدي إليه النصيحة، وليكن مذهبك الرحمة له والرفق به.

43) The Right of the Counselor

The right of your counselor (nasih) is that you act gently toward him and give ear to him. If he presents you with the right course, you praise God, but if he does not agree with you, you show compassion toward him and make no accusations against him; you consider him to have made a mistake, and you do not take him to task for that, unless he should be deserving of accusation. Then attach no more importance to his affair. And there is no strength save in God.

43. حق الناصح

وحق الناصح أن تلين له جناحك وتصغي إليه بسمعك، فان أتى بالصواب حمدت الله عز وجل وإن لم وافق رحِمته ولم تتهمه وعلمت أنه أخطأ ولم تؤاخذه بذلك إلا أن يكون مستحقا للتهمة، فلا تعبأ بشيء من أمره على حال ولا قوة إلا بالله.

44) The Right of the one Older than you

The right of him who is older than you (kabir) is that you show reverence toward him because of his age and you honour him because he entered Islam before you. You leave off confronting him in a dispute, you do not precede him in a path, you do not go ahead of him, and you do not consider him foolish. If he should act foolishly toward you, you put up with him and you honour him because of the right of Islam and the respect due to it.

44. حق الكبير

وحق الكبير توقيره لسنه، وإجلاله لتقدمه في الإسلام قبلك، وترك مقابلته عند الخصام، ولا تسبقه إلى طريق، ولا تتقدمه، ولا تستجهله وإن جهل عليك احتملته وأكرمته لحق الإسلام وحرمته.

45) The Right of the one Younger than you

The right of him who is younger (saghir) is that you show compassion toward him through teaching him, pardoning him, covering his faults, kindness toward him, and helping him.

45. حق الصغير

وحق الصغير رحمته في تعليمه والعفو عنه والستر عليه والرفق به والمعونة له.

46) The Right of the one who asks

The right of him who asks (sa'il) from you is that you give to him in the measure of his need.

46. حق السائل

وحق السائل إعطاؤه على قدر حاجته.

47) The Right of the one who is asked

The right of him from whom you ask is that you accept from him with gratitude and recognition of his bounty if he gives, and you accept his excuse if he withholds.

47. حق المسؤول

وحق المسؤول إن أعطى فاقبل منه بالشكر والمعرفة بفضلة، وإن منع فاقبل عذره.

48) The Right of one through whom God makes you happy

The right of him through whom God makes you happy (surur) is that you first praise God, then you thank the person.

48. حق من سرك الله به

وحق من سرك الله تعالى به أن تحمد الله عزوجل أولا ثم تشكره.

49) The Right of one who does evil to you

The right of him who does evil to you is that you pardon him. But if you know that your pardon will harm him, you defend yourself. God says,

Whosoever defends himself after he has been wronged - against them there is no way (42:41).

49. حق من ساءك

وحق من ساءك أن تعفو عنه وإن علمت أن العفو يضر انتصرت قال الله تبارك وتعالى "ولمن انتصر من بعد ظلمه فأولئك ما عليهم من سبيل" (الشورى/41).

50) The Right of the People of your Creed

The right of the people of your creed (milla) is harbouring safety for them, compassion toward them, kindness toward their evildoer, treating them with friendliness, seeking their well-being, thanking their good-doer, and keeping harm away from them. You should love for them what you love for yourself and dislike for them what you dislike for yourself. Their old men stand in the place of your father, their youths in the place of your brothers, their old women in the place of your mother, and their young ones in the place of your children.

50. حق أهل ملتك

وحق أهل ملتك إضمار السلامة لهم والرحمة لهم، والرفق بمسيئهم وتألفهم واستصلاحهم، وشكر محسنهم وكف الأذى عنهم، وتحب لهم ما تحب لنفسك، و تكره لهم ما تكره لنفسك، وأن تكون شيوخهم بمنزلة أبيك، وشبابهم بمنزلة اخوتك، وعجائزهم بمنزلة أمك، والصغار بالمنزلة أولادك.

51) The Right of People under the protection of Islam

The right of the people under the protection [of Islam] (dhimma) is that you accept from them what God has accepted from them and you do no wrong to them as long as they fulfil God's covenant.

51. حق أهل الذمة

وحق الذمة أن تقبل منهم ما قبل الله عز وجل [منهم] ولا تظلمهم ما وفوا لله عز وجل بعهده

The Treatise On Rights

In the Name of Allah, the All-merciful, the All-compassionate

Know - God have mercy upon you - that God has rights against you and that these encompass you in every movement through which you move, every rest through which you rest, every way-station in which you reside, every limb which you employ, and every instrument which you put to work. Some of these rights are greater and some less.

بسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

إعْلَمْ رَحِمَكَ اللهُ أَنَّ للهِ عَلَيْكَ حُقُوقًا مُحِيطَةً بكَ فِي كلِّ حَرَكَةٍ تَحَرَّكْتَهَا، أَوْ سَكَنَةٍ سَكَنْتَهَا، أَوْ مَنْزِلَةٍ نَزَلْتَهَا، أَوْ جَارِحَةٍ قَلَّبْتَهَا وَآلَةٍ تَصَرَّفْتَ بهَا، بَعْضُهَا أَكْبَرُ مِنْ بَعْضٍ.

The greatest of God's rights against you is the right which He has made incumbent upon you for Himself and which is the root of all rights, then those which He has made incumbent upon you in yourself, from your crown to your foot, in keeping with the diversity of your organs.

وَأَكْبَرُ حُقُوقِ اللهِ عَلَيْكَ مَا أَوْجَبَهُ لِنَفْسِهِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مِنْ حَقِّهِ الَّذِي هُوَ أَصْلُ الْحُقُوقِ وَمِنْهُ تَفَرَّعَ. ثُمَّ أَوْجَبَهُ عَلَيْكَ لِنَفْسِكَ مِنْ قَرْنِكَ إلَى قَدَمِكَ عَلَى اِختِلافِ جَوَارِحِكَ.

He has given your tongue a right against you, your hearing a right against you, your sight a right against you, your hand a right against you, your leg a right against you, your stomach a right against you, and your private part a right against you. These are the seven organs through which acts (af'al) take place.

فَجَعَلَ ِلِلِسَانِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِسَمْعِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وِ لِبَصَرِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِيَدِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِرِجْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِبَطْنِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِفَرْجِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، فَهَذِهِ الْجَوَارِحُ السَّبْعُ الَّتِي بهَا تَكُونُ الأَفْعَالُ.

Then He gave your acts rights against you: He gave your ritual prayer a right against you, your fasting a right against you, your charity a right against you, your offering a right against you, and your acts a right against you.

ثُمَّ جَعَلَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لأَفْعَالِكَ عَلَيْكَ حُقُوقًا فَجَعَلَ لِصَلاتِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِصَوْمِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِصَدَقَتِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلِهَدْيِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا وَلأَفعَالِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا.

Then these rights extend out from you to others who have rights against you. The most incumbent of them against you are the rights toward your leaders (a'imma), then the rights toward your subjects (ra'iyya), then the rights toward your womb [relatives] (rahim).

ثُمَّ تَخرُجُ الْحُقُوقُ مِنْكَ إلَى غَيْرِكَ مِنْ ذَوِي الْحُقُوقِ الْوَاجِبةِ عَلَيكَ. وَأَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حُقُوقُ أَئِمَّتِكَ ثُمَّ حُقُوقُ رَعِيَّتِكَ ثُمَّ حُقُوقُ رَحِمِكَ.

From these rights branch out other rights. The rights of your leaders are three: The most incumbent upon you is the right of him who trains you through authority, then of him who trains you through knowledge, then of him who trains you through property.

فَهَذِهِ حُقُوقٌ يَتَشَعَّبُ مِنْهَا حُقُوقٌ: فَحُقُوقُ أَئِمَّتِكَ ثَلاثَةٌ أَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالسُّلْطَانِ ثُمَّ سَائِسِكَ بالْعِلْمِ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالْمُلْكِ.

The rights of your subjects are three: The most incumbent upon you is the right of those who are your subjects through authority, then the right of those who are your subjects through knowledge - for the man of ignorance is the subject of the man of knowledge - then the right of those who are your subjects through property, such as wives and what is owned by the right hand.

وَحُقُوقُ رَعِيَّتِكَ ثلاثَةٌ أَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حَقُّ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالسُّلْطَان، ثُمَّ حَقُّ رعِيَّتِكَ بالْعِلْمِ، فَإنَّ الْجَاهِلَ رَعِيَّةُ الْعَالِمِ، وَحَقُّ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالْمُلْكِ مِنَ الأَزْوَاجِ وَمَا مَلَكْتَ مِنَ الأَيْمَانِ.

The rights of your womb relatives are many; they are connected to you in the measure of the connection of the womb relationship. The most incumbent upon you is the right of your mother, then the right of your father, then the right of your child, then the right of your brother, then the next nearest, then the next nearest - the most worthy, then the next most worthy.

وَحُقُوقُ رَحِمِكَ كَثِيرَةٌ مُتَّصِلَةٌ بقَدْرِ اتِّصَالِ الرَّحِمِ فِي الْقَرَابَةِ فَأَوْجَبُهَا عَلَيْكَ حَقُّ أُمِّكَ ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَبيكَ ثُمَّ حَقُّ وَلَدِكَ ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَخِيكَ ثُمَّ الأَقْرَبُ فَالأَقْرَبُ وَالأَوَّلى فَالأَوَّلى.

Then there is the right of your master who favours you [by freeing you from slavery], then the right of the slave whose favours reach you [by the fact that you free him], then the right of him who does a kindly act toward you, then the right of the mu’adhdhin who calls you to the ritual prayer, then the right of the imam who leads the prayer, then the right of your sitting companion, then the right of your neighbour, then the right of your companion, then the right of your partner, then the right of your property, then the right of him who has a debt he must pay back to you, then the right of him to whom you owe a debt.

ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَوْلاكَ الْمُنْعِمِ عَلَيْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَوْلاكَ الْجَارِيَةُ نِعْمَتُكَ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ ذِي الْمَعْرُوفِ لَدَيْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مُؤَذِّنُكَ بالصَّلاةِ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ إمَامِكَ فِي صَلاتِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ جَلِيسِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ جَارِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ صَاحِبكَ،

Then the right of your associate, then the right of your adversary who has a claim against you, then the right of your adversary against whom you have a claim, then the right of him who asks you for advice, then the right of him whom you ask for advice, then the right of him who asks your counsel, then the right of him who counsels you, then the right of him who is older than you, then the right of him who is younger than you.

ثُمَّ حَقُّ شَرِيكِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَالِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ غَرِيمِكَ الَّذِي تُطَالِبُهُ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ غَرِيمِكَ الَّذِي يُطَالِبُكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ خَلِيطِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ خَصْمِكَ الْمُدَّعِي عَلَيْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ خَصْمِكَ الَّذِي تَدَّعِي عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مُسْتَشِيرِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ الْمُشِيرِ عَلَيْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مُسْتَنْصِحِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ النَّاصِحِ لَكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَنْ هُوَ أَكْبَرُ مِنْكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَنْ هُوَ أَصْغَرُ مِنْكَ،

Then the right of him who asks from you, then the right of him from whom you ask, then the right of him who does something evil to you through word or deed, or him who makes you happy through word or deed, intentionally or unintentionally, then the right of the people of your creed, then the right of the people under your protection, then all rights in the measure of the causes of the states and the occurrence of events.

ثُمَّ حَقُّ سَائِلِكَ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَن سَأَلْتَهُ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ مَن جَرَى لَكَ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ مَسَاءَةٌ بقَوْلٍ أَو فِعْلٍ أَوْ مَسَرَّةٍ بذَلِكَ بقَوْلٍ أَوْ فِعْلٍ عَنْ تَعَمُّدٍ مِنْهُ أَوْ غَيْرِ تَعَمُّدٍ مِنْهُ، ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَهْلِ مِلَّتِكَ عَامَّةً ثُمَّ حَقُّ أَهْلِ الذِّمَّةِ، ثُمَّ الْحُقُوقُ الْجَارِيَةُ بقَدْرِ عِلَل الأَحْوَالِ وَتَصَرُّفِ الأَسْبَاب.

Therefore happy is he whom God aids in the rights which He has made incumbent upon him and whom He gives success therein and points in the proper direction!

فَطُوبَى لِمَنْ أَعَانَهُ اللهُ عَلَى قَضَاءِ مَا أَوْجَبَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ حُقُوقِهِ وَوَفَّقَهُ وَسَدَّدَهُ.

The Rights of Allah against oneself

1. The Greatest Right of Allah

The greatest right of God against you is that you worship Him without associating anything with Him. When you do that with sincerity (ikhlas), He has made it binding upon Himself to give you sufficiency in the affair of this world and the next.

حقوق الله

1. حق الله الأكبر

فأَمَّا حَقُّ اللهِ الأَكْبَرُ فَإنَّكَ تَعْبُدُهُ لا تُشْرِكُ بهِ شَيْئاً، فَإذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ بإخلاصٍ جَعَلَ لَكَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ أَنْ يَكفِيَكَ أَمْرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَيَحْفَظَ لَكَ مَا تُحِبُّ مِنْهَما.

2) The Right of your self

The right of your self (nafs) against you is that you employ it in obeying God; then you deliver to your tongue its right, to your hearing its right, to your sight its right, to your hand its right, to your leg its right, to your stomach its right, to your private part its right, and you seek help from God in all that.

2. حق النفس

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ نَفْسِكَ عَلَيْكَ فَأَنْ تَسْتَوْفِيَهَا فِي طَاعَةِ اللهِ فَتُؤَدّي إلَى لِسَانِكَ حَقَّهُ وَإلَى سَمْعِك حَقَّهُ وَإلَى بَصَرِكَ حَقّهُ وَإلَى يَدِكَ حَقَّهَا وَإلَى رِجْلِك حَقَّهَا وَإلَى بَطْنِكَ حَقَّهُ وَإلَى فَرْجِكَ حَقَّهُ وَتَسْتَعِينَ باللهِ عَلَى ذَلِك.

3) The Right of the Tongue

The right of the tongue is that you consider it too noble for obscenity, accustom it to good, refrain from any meddling in which there is nothing to be gained, express kindness to the people, and speak well concerning them.

3. حق اللسان

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ اللّسَان فَإكْرَامُهُ عَنِ الْخَنَى وتَعْوِيدُهُ الْخَيْرِ وَ تَرك الْفُضُول الَّتي لا فائِدَةِ لَها و البِرُّ بالنَّاسِ و حُسْن القَولِ فيهم.

4) The Right of the Hearing

The right of hearing is to keep it pure from listening to backbiting (ghiba) and listening to that to which it is unlawful to listen.

4. حق السمع

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ السَّمْعِ فَتَنْزِيهُهُ عَنْ سَماع الغيبةِ و سَماعِها لا يحِلّ سَماعه.

5) The Right of the Sight

The right of sight is that you lower it before everything which is unlawful to you and that you take heed whenever you look at anything.1

5. حق البصر

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ بَصَرِكَ أن تُغْمِضَهُ عَمَّا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ و تَعْتَبِر بالنَّظَرِ بِهِ.

6) The Right of the Hand

The right of your hand is that you stretch it not toward that which is unlawful to you.

6. حق اليد

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ يَدِكَ فَأَنْ لا تَبْسُطَهَا إلَى مَا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ.

7) The Right of the Legs

The right of your two legs is that you walk not with them toward that which is unlawful to you. You have no escape from standing upon the narrow bridge (al-sirat [over hell]), so you should see to it that your legs do not slip and cause you to fall into the Fire.

7. حق الرجلين

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ رِجْلَيْكَ فَأَنْ لا تَمْشِي بهِمَا إلَى مَا لا يَحِلُّ لَكَ فيهما، تقف على الصراط فانظر أن لا تزل بك فتتردى في النار.

8) The Right of the Stomach

The right of your stomach is that you make it not into a container for that which is unlawful to you and you eat no more than your fill (shib').

8. حق البطن

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ بَطْنِكَ فَأَنْ لا تَجْعَلَهُ وِعَاءً لِلْحَرَامِ وَلا تَزيد على الشَّبْعَ.

9) The Right of the Private part

The right of your private part (farj) is that you protect it from fornication and guard it against being looked upon.

9. حق الفرج

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ فَرْجِكَ انْ تُحْصِنَهُ عَن الْزِّنا و تَحْفِظَهَ مِن أنْ يُنْظَر الَيْهِ..

The Rights of Acts

10) The Right of the Prayer

The right of your ritual prayer (salat) is that you know that it is an arrival before God and that through it you are standing before Him. When you know that, then you will stand in the station of him who is lowly, vile, beseeching, trembling, hopeful, fearful, and abased, and you will magnify Him who is before you through stillness and dignity. You will approach the prayer with your heart and you will perform it according to its bounds and its rights.

ثم حقوق الأفعال

10.حق الصلاة

فَأَمَّا حَقُّ الصَّلاةِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنّهَا وِفَادَةٌ إلَى اللهِ وَأَنَّكَ فيها قَائِمٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللهِ، فَإذَا عَلِمْتَ ذَلِكَ قُمْتَ مَقَامَ الذَّلِيلِ الْحَقيرِ الرَّاغِب الرَّاهِب الرَّاجِي الْخَائِفِ الْمِسْتَكِينِ الْمُتَضَرِّعِ الْمُعَظِّمِ لِمَنْ كانَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ بالسُّكُونِ و الوقارِ و تقبل عليها بِقَلبِكَ و تقيمها بِحُدُودِها و حُقوقِها.

11) The Right of the Hajj

The right of the hajj is that you know it is an arrival before your Lord and a flight to Him from your sins; through it your repentance is accepted and you perform an obligation made incumbent upon you by God.

11. حق الحج

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ الحَجّ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنّه وِفادةٌ إلى رَبّكَ، و فِرارٌ إليه من ذُنوبكَ و بهِ قبولُ تَوبتِكَ وقَضاءُ الفَرضِ الَّذي أوجَبَه الله عَليك.

12) The Right of the Fast

The right of fasting is that you know it is a veil which God has set up over your tongue, your hearing, your sight, your stomach, and your private part to protect you from the Fire. If you abandon the fast, you will have torn God's protective covering away from yourself.

12. حق الصوم

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ الصَّوْمِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنَّهُ حِجَابٌ ضَرَبَهُ اللهُ عَلَى لِسَانِكَ وَسَمْعِكَ وبَصَرِكَ وَفَرْجِكَ وبَطْنِكَ لِيَسْتركَ بهِ مِن النَّارِ. فان تركتَ الصومَ خرقتَ ستر الله عليك.

13) The Right of Charity

The right of charity (sadaqa) is that you know it is a storing away with your Lord and a deposit for which you will have no need for witnesses. If you deposit it in secret, you will be more confident of it than if you deposit it in public.2 You should know that it repels afflictions and illnesses from you in this world and it will repel the Fire from you in the next world.

 13. حق الصدقة

وَأَمَّا حَقُّ الصَّدَقَةِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنَّها ذُخرُكَ عِنْدَ رَبكَ وَوَديعَتُكَ الَّتِي لا تَحْتَاجُ إلَى الإشْهَادِ عَليها، و كُنْتَ بمَا تَسْتَودِعُهُ سِرًّا أَوْثقَ مِنْكَ بمَا تَسْتَوْدِعُهُ عَلانِيَةً، و تعلم أنَّها تَدْفَعُ البلايا و الأسقام عنك في الدنيا، وتَدفَعُ عنك النار في الآخرة.

14) The Right of the Offering

The right of the offering (hady)3 is that through it you desire God and you not desire His creation; through it you desire only the exposure of your soul to God's mercy and the deliverance of your spirit on the day you encounter Him..

14. حق الهدي

وحق الهدي أن تريد به الله عز وجل ولا تريد به خلقه ولا تريد به إلا التعرض لرحمة الله ونجاة روحك يوم تلقاه.

Rights of Leaders

15) The Right of the Possessor of authority

The right of the possessor of authority (sultan) is that you know that God has made you a trial (fitna) for him. God is testing him through the authority He has given him over you. You should not expose yourself to his displeasure, for thereby you cast yourself by your own hands into destruction4 and become his partner in his sin when he brings evil down upon you.5

ثم حقوق الأئمَّة

15. حق السلطان

فأَمَّا حَقُّ السُّلْطَانِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنّكَ جُعِلْتَ لَهُ فِتنَةً وأنَّهُ مُبْتَلىً فِيكَ بمَا جَعَلَهُ اللهُ لَهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ السُّلْطَانِ وأن عليك أن لا تتعرض لسخطه، فتلقي بيديك إلى التهلكة، وتكون شريكا له فيما يأتي إليك من سوء.

16) The Right of One who Trains through Knowledge

The right of the one who trains you (sa'is) through knowledge is magnifying him, respecting his sessions, listening well to him, and attending to him with devotion. You should not raise your voice toward him. You should never answer anyone who asks him about something, in order that he may be the one who answers. You should not speak to anyone in his session nor speak ill of anyone with him. If anyone ever speaks ill of him in your presence, you should defend him. You should conceal his faults and make manifest his virtues. You should not sit with him in enmity or show hostility toward him in friendship. If you do all of this, God's angels will give witness for you that you went straight to him and learned his knowledge for God's sake, not for the sake of the people.

16. حق سائسك بالعلم

وأَمَّا حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالعِلْمِ التَّعْظِيمُ لَهُ والتَّوْقِيرُ لِمَجْلِسِهِ وَحُسْنُ الاسْتِمَاعِ إليهِ وَالإقْبَالُ عَلَيْه وأن لا ترفع عليه صوتك، ولا تجيب أحدا يسأله عن شئ حتى يكون هو الذي يجيب، ولا تحدث في مجلسه أحدا ولا تغتاب عنده أحدا وأن تدفع عنه إذا ذكر عندك بسوء وأن تستر عيوبه وتظهر مناقبه ولا تجالس له عدوا ولا تعادي له وليا فإذا فعلت ذلك شهدت لك ملائكة الله بأنك قصدته، وتعلمت علمه لله جل اسمه لا للناس.

17) The Right of One who trains through Property

The right of him who trains you through property is that you should obey him and not disobey him, unless obeying him would displease God, for there can be no obedience to a creature when it is disobedience to God.

17. حق السائس بالملك

وأمَّا حَقُّ سَائِسِكَ بالمِلْكِ فأن تطيعه ولا تعصيه إلا فيما يسخط الله عز وجل فانه لا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق.

Rights of Subjects

18) The Rights of Subjects through Authority

The right of your subjects through authority is that you should know that they have been made subjects through their weakness and your strength. Hence it is incumbent upon you to act with justice toward them and to be like a compassionate father toward them. You should forgive them their ignorance and not hurry them to punishment and you should thank God for the power over them which He has given to you.

ثم حقوق الرعية

18. حق الرعية بالسلطان

فأَمَّا حُقُوقُ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالسُّلْطَانِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنهم صاروا رعيتك لضعفهم قوتك فيجب أن تعدل فيهم وتكون لهم كالوالد الرحيم، وتغفر لهم جهلهم، ولا تعاجلهم بالعقوبة، وتشكر الله عز وجل على ما آتاك من القوة عليهم.

19) The Rights of Subjects through Knowledge

The right of your subjects through knowledge is that you should know that God made you a caretaker over them only through the knowledge He has given you and His storehouses which He has opened up to you. If you do well in teaching the people, not treating them roughly or annoying them, then God will increase His bounty toward you. But if you withhold your knowledge from people or treat them roughly when they seek knowledge from you, then it will be God's right to deprive you of knowledge and its splendour and to make you fall from your place in people's hearts.

19. حق الرعية بالعلم

وأمَّا حَقُّ رَعِيَّتِكَ بالعِلْمِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أن الله عز وجل إنما جعلك قيما لهم فيما آتاك من العلم وفتح لك من خزائنه فان أحسنت في تعليم الناس، ولم تخرق بهم، ولم تضجر عليهم، زادك الله من فضله، وإن أنت منعت الناس علمك أو خرقت بهم عند طلبهم العلم منك كان حقا على الله عز وجل أن يسلبك العلم وبهاءه ويسقط من القلوب محلك.

20) The Right of the Wife

The right of your wife (zawja) is that you know that God has made her a repose and a comfort for you; you should know that she is God's favour toward you, so you should honour her and treat her gently. Though her right toward you is more incumbent, you must treat her with compassion, since she is your prisoner (asir) whom you feed and clothe. If she is ignorant, you should pardon her.

20. حق الزوجة

وأما حق الزوجة فأن تعلم أن الله عز وجل جعلها لك سكنا وأنسا فتعلم أن ذلك نعمة من الله عليك فتكرمها وترفق بها، وإن كان حقك عليها أوجب فان لها عليك أن ترحمها لأنها أسيرك وتطعمها وتكسوها وإذا جهلت عفوت عنها.

21) The Right of the Slave

The right of your slave (mamluk) is that you should know that he is the creature of your Lord, the son of your father and mother, and your flesh and blood. You own him, but you did- not make him; God made him. You did not create any one of his limbs, nor do you provide him with his sustenance; on the contrary, God gives you the sufficiency for that.

Then He subjugated him to you, entrusted him to you, and deposited him with you so that you may be safeguarded by the good you give to him. So act well toward him, just as God has acted well toward you. If you dislike him, replace him, but do not torment a creature of God. And there is no strength save in God.6

21. حق الرعية بملك اليمين

وأما حق مملوكك فأن تعلم أنه خلق ربك وابن أبيك وأمك ولحمك ودمك تملكه،لا أنت صنعته من دون الله ولا خلقت شيئا من جوارحه، ولا أخرجت له رزقا ولكن الله عز وجل كفاك ذلك ثم سخره لك وائتمنك عليه واستودعك إياه، ليحفظ لك ما تأتيه من خير إليه فأحسن إليه كما أحسن الله إليك، وإن كرهته استبدلت به، ولم تعذب خلق الله عز وجل ولا قوة إلا بالله.

Rights of Womb Relatives

22) The Right of the Mother

The right of your mother is that you know that she carried you where no one carries anyone, she gave to you of the fruit of her heart that which no one gives to anyone, and she protected you with all her organs. She did not care if she went hungry as long as you ate, if she was thirsty as long as you drank, if she was naked as long as you were clothed, if she was in the sun as long as you were in the shade. She gave up sleep for your sake, she protected you from heat and cold, all in order that you might belong to her. You will not be able to show her gratitude, unless through God's help and giving success.7

حقوقّ الرّحم

22. حق الأم

و أما حَقُّ أُمِّكَ، فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنَّهَا حَمَلَتكَ حَيْثُ لا يحتمل أحدٌ أحداَ، وأعْطَتْكَ مِن ثَمْرَةِ قَلبِها ما لا يُعطي أحدٌ أحداَ، ووَقَتْكَ بِجَمِيعِ جَوارحِها، ولَمْ تبال أن تجوع وتطعمك، وتعطش وتسقيك، وتعرى وتكسوك، وتضحى وتظلك، وتهجر النوم لأجلك، ووَقَتْكَ الحَرَّ والبَردَ، لتكون لها، فانك لا تُطيق شُكرها إلّا بِعَونِ اللهِ وتَوفيقه.

23) The Right of the Father

The right of your father is that you know that he is your root. Without him, you would not be. Whenever you see anything in yourself which pleases you, know that your father is the root of its blessing upon you. So praise God and thank Him in that measure. And there is no strength save in God.

23. حق الأب

وَأمَّا حَقُّ أَبيكَ فان تَعْلَمَ أنَّهُ أَصْلُكَ، وَأَنَّهُ لَوْلاهُ لَمْ تَكُنْ. فَمَهْمَا رَأيْتَ فِي نفْسِكَ مِمَّا يُعْجِبُكَ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ أَبَاكَ أَصْلُ النِّعْمَةِ عَلَيْكَ فِيهِ وَاحْمَدِ اللَّهَ وَاشْكُرْهُ عَلَى قَدْرِ ذَلِكَ وَلا قُوَّةَ إلاّ باللهِ.

24) The Right of the Child

The right of your child is that you should know that he is from you and will be ascribed to you, through both his good and his evil, in the immediate affairs of this world. You are responsible for what has been entrusted to you, such as educating him in good conduct (husn al-adab), pointing him in the direction of his Lord, and helping him to obey Him. So act toward him with the action of one who knows that he will be rewarded for good doing toward him and punished for evildoing.

24. حق الولد

وَأمَّا حَقُّ وَلَدِكَ فَان تَعْلَمَ أنَّهُ مِنْكَ وَمُضَافٌ إلَيكَ فِي عَاجِلِ الدُنْيَا بخَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ، وَأَنَّكَ مَسْئولٌ عَمَّا ولِّيتَهُ بِهِ مِنْ حُسْنِ الأَدَب وَالدّلالَةِ عَلَى رَبهِ وَالْمَعُونةِ لَهُ عَلَى طَاعَتِهِ فَاعْمَلْ فِي أَمْرِهِ عَمَلَ من يعلم أنه مثاب على الإحسان إليه مُعاقِب على الإساءةِ إليه.

25) The Right of the Brother

The right of your brother is that you know that he is your hand, your might, and your strength. Take him not as a weapon with which to disobey God, nor as equipment with which to wrong God's creatures. Do not neglect to help him against his enemy or to give him good counsel. If he obeys God, well and good, but if not, you should honour God more than him. And there is no strength save in God.

25. حق الأخ

وَأَمّا حَقُّ أَخِيكَ فَأن تَعْلَمَ أَنّهُ يَدُكَ وَعِزُّكَ وَقُوَّتُكَ ، فَلا تَتَّخِذْهُ سِلاحًا علَى مَعصيةِ اللَّهِ ولا عُدَّةً لِلظُّلْمِ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ، ولا تَدَعْ نُصْرتَهُ عَلَى عَدُوِّهِ، والنَّصِيحَة لَهُ فَاِنْ أطاعَ اللهَ وإلا فلْيَكُنِ الله أكرم عليك منه ولا قوة إلا بالله.

Rights of Others

26) The Right of the Master on his Slave

The right of your master (mawla) who has favoured you [by freeing you from slavery] is that you know that he has spent his property for you and brought you out of the abasement and estrangement of bondage to the exaltation and comfort of freedom. He has freed you from the captivity of possession and loosened the bonds of slavehood from you.

He has brought you out of prison, given you ownership of yourself, and given you leisure to worship your Lord. You should know that he is the closest of God's creatures to you in your life and your death and that aiding him with your life and what he needs from you is incumbent upon you. And there is no strength save in God.

حقوق الآخرين

26. حق المنعم على مولاه

وأما حق مولاك المنعم عليك فأن تعلم أنه أنفق فيك ماله وأخرجك من ذل الرق ووحشته إلى عز الحرية وانسها، فأطلقك من أسر الملكة، وفك عنك قيد العبودية، وأخرجك من السجن، وملكك نفسك، وفرغك لعبادة ربك وتعلم أنه أولى الخلق بك في حياتك وموتك، وأن نصرته عليك واجبة بنفسك، وما احتاج إليه منك، ولا قوة إلا بالله.

27) The Right of the Freed Slave

The right of the slave (mawla) whom you have favoured [by freeing him] is that you know that God has made your freeing him a means of access to Him and a veil against the Fire. Your immediate reward is to inherit from him- if he does not have any maternal relatives- as a compensation for the property you have spent for him, and your ultimate reward is the Garden.

27. حق المولى الذي أنعمت عليه

وأما حق مولاك الذي أنعمت عليه فأن تعلم أن الله عز وجل جعل عتقك له وسيلة إليه وحجابا لك من النار، وأن ثوابك في العاجل ميراثه، إذا لم يكن له رحم مكافأة بما أنفقت من مالك، وفى الأجل الجنة.

28) The Right of One who does a Kindly Act

The right of him who does a kindly act (dhu l-ma'ruf) toward you is that you thank him and mention his kindness; you reward him with beautiful words and you supplicate for him sincerely in that which is between you and God. If you do that, you have thanked him secretly and openly. Then, if you are able to repay him one day, you repay him.

28. حق ذي المعروف

وَأمّا حَقُّ ذِي المَعْرُوفِ عَلَيكَ فَأَنْ تَشْكُرَهُ وتَذْكُرَ مَعْرُوفَهُ وتَنْشُرَ لَهُ الْمَقَالَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ، وَتُخلِصَ لَهُ الدُّعَاءَ فِيمَا بَينَكَ وبَيْنَ اللَّهِ عز وجل ، فَإنّكَ إذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ كُنْتَ قَدْ شَكَرْتَهُ سِرًّا وَعَلانِيَةً. ثُمَّ إنْ قدرت على مكافأته يوماً كافأته.

29) The Right of the Mu’adhdhin

The right of the mu’adhdhin is that you know that he is reminding you of your Lord, calling you to your good fortune, and helping you to accomplish what God has made obligatory upon you. So thank him for that just as you thank one who does good to you.

29. حق المؤذن

وَأمّا حَقُّ الْمُؤَذِّنِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أنّهُ مُذَكِّرُ لَكَ برَبكَ وداعٍ لك إلى حَظِّكَ وعَونُكَ على قضاء فرض الله عليك، فَاشْكُرْهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ شُكْرَكَ لِلْمُحْسِنِ إلَيكَ.

30) The Right of the Imam in the Ritual Prayer

The right of your imam in your ritual prayer is that you know that he has taken on the role of mediator between you and your Lord. He speaks for you, but you do not speak for him; he supplicates for you, but you do not supplicate for him. He has spared you the terror of standing before God. If he performs the prayer imperfectly, that belongs to him and not to you; but if he performs it perfectly, you are his partner, and he has no excellence over you. So protect yourself through him, protect your prayer through his prayer, and thank him in that measure.

30. حق الإمام في الصلاة

وحق إمامك في صلاتك فأن تعلم أنه تقلد السفارة فيما بينك وبين ربك عز وجل وتكلم عنك ولم تتكلم عنه ودعا لك ولم تدع له وكفاك هول المقام بين يدي الله عز وجل، فإن كان نقص كان به دونك، وإن كان تماما كنت شريكه، ولم يكن له عليك فضل، فوقى نفسك بنفسه وصلاتك بصلاته فتشكر له على قدر ذلك.

31) The Right of the Sitting Companion

The right of your sitting companion (jalis) is that you treat him mildly, show fairness toward him while vying with him in discourse, and do not stand up from sitting with him without his permission. But it is permissible for him who sits with you to leave without asking your permission. You should forget his slips and remember his good qualities, and you should tell nothing about him but good.

31. حق الجليس

وأما حق جليسك فأن تلين له جانبك، وتنصفه في مجاراة اللفظ، ولا تقوم من مجلسك إلا بإذنه، ومن يجلس إليك يجوز له القيام عنك بغير إذنه، وتنسى زلاته وتحفظ خيراته، ولا تسمعه إلا خيرا.

32) The Right of the Neighbour

The right of your neighbour (jar) is that you guard him when he is absent, honour him when he is present, and aid him when he is wronged. You do not pursue anything of his that is shameful; if you know of any evil from him, you conceal it. If you know that he will accept your counsel, you counsel him in that which is between him and you. You do not forsake him in difficulty, you release him from his stumble, you forgive his sin, and you associate with him generously. And there is no strength save in God.

32. حق الجار

وأما حق جارك فحفظه غائبا وإكرامه شاهدا ونصرته إذا كان مظلوما، ولا تتبع له عورة، فإن علمت عليه سوءا سترته عليه، وإن علمت أنه يقبل نصيحتك نصحته فيما بينك وبينه، ولا تسلمه عند شديدة، وتقيل عثرته، وتغفر ذنبه، وَتُعَاشِرَهُ مُعَاشَرَةً كَرِيمَةً. وَلا قُوَّةَ إلا باللهِ.

33) The Right of the Companion

The right of the companion (sahib) is that you act as his companion with bounty and in fairness. You honour him as he honours you and you do not let him be the first to act with generosity. If he is the first, you repay him. You wish for him as he wishes for you and you restrain him from any act of disobedience he might attempt. Be a mercy for him, not a chastisement. And there is no strength save in God.

33. حق الصاحب

وأما حق الصاحب فأن تصحبه بالتفضل والإنصاف، وتكرمه كما يكرمك ولا تدعه يسبق إلى مكرمة، فان سبق كافأته، وتودّه كما يودك، وتزجره عما يهم به من معصية، وكن عليه رحمة ولا تكن عليه عذابا ولا قوة إلا بالله.

34) The Right of the Partner

The right of the partner (sharik) is that if he should be absent, you suffice him in his affairs, and if he should be present, you show regard for him. You make no decision without his decision and you do nothing on the basis of your own opinion, but you exchange views with him. You guard his property for him, and you do not betray him in that of his affair which is difficult or of little importance, for God's hand is above the hands of two partners as long as they do not betray each other. And there is no strength save in God.

34. حق الشريك

وأما حق الشريك فإنْ غابَ كَفَيتَهُ، وإن حضر رعيتَهُ، ولا تحكم دون حكمه، ولا تعمل برأيك دون مناظرته، وتحفظ عليه ماله، ولا تخونه فيما عز أو هان من أمره فإن يد الله تبارك وتعالى على أيدي الشريكين ما لم يتخاونا ولا قوة إلا بالله.

35) The Right of Property

The right of your property (mal) is that you take it only from what is lawful and you spend it only in what is proper. Through it you should not prefer above yourself those who will not praise you. You should act with it in obedience to your Lord and not be miserly with it, lest you fall back into regret and remorse while suffering the ill consequence. And there is no strength save in God.

35. حق المال

وأما حق مالك فأن لا تأخذه إلا من حله، ولا تنفقه إلا في وجهه، ولا تؤثر به على نفسك من لا يحمدك، فاعمل فيه بطاعة ربك ولا تبخل به فتبوء بالحسرة و الندامة مع التبعة ولا قوة إلا بالله.

36) The Right of the Creditor

The right of him to whom you owe a debt (al-gharim alladhi yutalibuka) is that, if you have the means, you pay him back, and if you are in straitened circumstances, you satisfy him with good words and you send him away with gentleness.

36. حق الغريم الطالب

وأما حق غريمك الذي يطالبك فإن كنت موسرا أعطيته وإن كنت معسرا أرضيته بحسن القول ورددته عن نفسك ردا لطيفا.

37) The Right of the Associate

The right of the associate (khalit) is that you neither mislead him, nor act dishonestly toward him, nor deceive him, and you fear God in his affair.

37. حق الخليط

وحق الخليط أن لا تغره ولا تغشه ولا تخدعه وتتقي الله تبارك وتعالى في أمره.

38) The Right of the Adversary who has a claim against you

The right of the adversary (khasm) who has a claim against you is that, if what he claims against you is true, you give witness to it against yourself. You do not wrong him and you give him his full due. If what he claims against you is false, you act with kindness toward him and you show nothing in his affair other than kindness; you do not displease your Lord in his affair. And there is no strength save in God.8

38. حق الخصم المدعي عليك

وحق الخصم المدعي عليك، فإن كان ما يدعي عليك حقا كنت شاهده على نفسك، ولم تظلمه وأوفيته حقه، وإن كان ما يدعي به باطلا رفقت به ولم تأت في أمره غير الرفق، ولم تسخط ربك في أمره ولا قوة إلا بالله.

39) The Right of the Adversary against whom you have a claim

The right of the adversary against whom you have a claim is that, if your claim against him is true, you maintain polite moderation in speaking to him and you do not deny his right. If your claim is false, you fear God, repent to Him, and abandon your claim.

حق الخصم تدعى عليه

وحق خصمك الذي تدعي عليه إن كنت محقا في دعواك أجملت مقاولته، و لم تجحد حقه وإن كنت مبطلا في دعواك اتقيت الله عزوجل وتبت إليه وتركت الدعوى.

40) The Right of one who seeks advice

The right of him who asks you for advice (mustashir) is that, if you consider that he has a correct opinion, you advise him to follow it, and if you do not consider it so, you direct him to someone who does consider it so.

39. حق المستشير

وحق المستشير إن علمت له رأيا حسنا له رأيا أشرت عليه وإن لم تعلم أرشدته إلى من يعلم.

41) The Right of one whose Advice you seek

The right of him whom you ask for advice (mushir) is that you do not make accusations against him for an opinion which does not conform to your own opinion. If it conforms to it, you praise God.

41. حق المشير

وحق المشير عليك أن لا تتهمه فيما لا يوافقك من رأيه وإن وافقك حمدت الله عز وجل.

42) The Right of one who asks your Counsel

The right of him who asks your counsel (mustansih) is that you give him your counsel, but you conduct yourself toward him with compassion and kindness.

42. حق المستنصح

وحق المستنصح أن تؤدي إليه النصيحة، وليكن مذهبك الرحمة له والرفق به.

43) The Right of the Counselor

The right of your counselor (nasih) is that you act gently toward him and give ear to him. If he presents you with the right course, you praise God, but if he does not agree with you, you show compassion toward him and make no accusations against him; you consider him to have made a mistake, and you do not take him to task for that, unless he should be deserving of accusation. Then attach no more importance to his affair. And there is no strength save in God.

43. حق الناصح

وحق الناصح أن تلين له جناحك وتصغي إليه بسمعك، فان أتى بالصواب حمدت الله عز وجل وإن لم وافق رحِمته ولم تتهمه وعلمت أنه أخطأ ولم تؤاخذه بذلك إلا أن يكون مستحقا للتهمة، فلا تعبأ بشيء من أمره على حال ولا قوة إلا بالله.

44) The Right of the one Older than you

The right of him who is older than you (kabir) is that you show reverence toward him because of his age and you honour him because he entered Islam before you. You leave off confronting him in a dispute, you do not precede him in a path, you do not go ahead of him, and you do not consider him foolish. If he should act foolishly toward you, you put up with him and you honour him because of the right of Islam and the respect due to it.

44. حق الكبير

وحق الكبير توقيره لسنه، وإجلاله لتقدمه في الإسلام قبلك، وترك مقابلته عند الخصام، ولا تسبقه إلى طريق، ولا تتقدمه، ولا تستجهله وإن جهل عليك احتملته وأكرمته لحق الإسلام وحرمته.

45) The Right of the one Younger than you

The right of him who is younger (saghir) is that you show compassion toward him through teaching him, pardoning him, covering his faults, kindness toward him, and helping him.

45. حق الصغير

وحق الصغير رحمته في تعليمه والعفو عنه والستر عليه والرفق به والمعونة له.

46) The Right of the one who asks

The right of him who asks (sa'il) from you is that you give to him in the measure of his need.

46. حق السائل

وحق السائل إعطاؤه على قدر حاجته.

47) The Right of the one who is asked

The right of him from whom you ask is that you accept from him with gratitude and recognition of his bounty if he gives, and you accept his excuse if he withholds.

47. حق المسؤول

وحق المسؤول إن أعطى فاقبل منه بالشكر والمعرفة بفضلة، وإن منع فاقبل عذره.

48) The Right of one through whom God makes you happy

The right of him through whom God makes you happy (surur) is that you first praise God, then you thank the person.

48. حق من سرك الله به

وحق من سرك الله تعالى به أن تحمد الله عزوجل أولا ثم تشكره.

49) The Right of one who does evil to you

The right of him who does evil to you is that you pardon him. But if you know that your pardon will harm him, you defend yourself. God says,

Whosoever defends himself after he has been wronged - against them there is no way (42:41).

49. حق من ساءك

وحق من ساءك أن تعفو عنه وإن علمت أن العفو يضر انتصرت قال الله تبارك وتعالى "ولمن انتصر من بعد ظلمه فأولئك ما عليهم من سبيل" (الشورى/41).

50) The Right of the People of your Creed

The right of the people of your creed (milla) is harbouring safety for them, compassion toward them, kindness toward their evildoer, treating them with friendliness, seeking their well-being, thanking their good-doer, and keeping harm away from them. You should love for them what you love for yourself and dislike for them what you dislike for yourself. Their old men stand in the place of your father, their youths in the place of your brothers, their old women in the place of your mother, and their young ones in the place of your children.

50. حق أهل ملتك

وحق أهل ملتك إضمار السلامة لهم والرحمة لهم، والرفق بمسيئهم وتألفهم واستصلاحهم، وشكر محسنهم وكف الأذى عنهم، وتحب لهم ما تحب لنفسك، و تكره لهم ما تكره لنفسك، وأن تكون شيوخهم بمنزلة أبيك، وشبابهم بمنزلة اخوتك، وعجائزهم بمنزلة أمك، والصغار بالمنزلة أولادك.

51) The Right of People under the protection of Islam

The right of the people under the protection [of Islam] (dhimma) is that you accept from them what God has accepted from them and you do no wrong to them as long as they fulfil God's covenant.

51. حق أهل الذمة

وحق الذمة أن تقبل منهم ما قبل الله عز وجل [منهم] ولا تظلمهم ما وفوا لله عز وجل بعهده


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