Rights of Every Muslim
By Shaykh `Abdur-Rahmaan as-Sa'dee
Taken from: Bahjatu Quloob il-Abraar wa Qurratu `Uyoon il-Akhyaar
fee Jaami' il-Akhbaar, Pgs. 65-67, No. 29
Abu Hurayrah (radee Allaahu `anhu) narrated that the Messenger of
Allaah (sall-Allaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
"The rights of the Muslim upon the Muslim are six." It was
said: "And what are they O Messenger of Allaah?" He replied: "When
you meet him, give him the greeting of peace, when he invites you,
respond to his invitation, when he seeks your advice, advise him,
when he sneezes and praises Allaah, supplicate for mercy upon him,
when he becomes ills, visit him, and when he dies follow him (i.e.
his funeral)."
This hadeeth was reported by Muslim. These 6 rights, whoever
establishes them in dealing with the Muslims, then his establishing
things other than them (from the obligations) are even more
important (or necessary). And his doing these things results in him
fulfilling these obligations and rights, which contain an abundance
of good and tremendous reward from Allaah.
The First Right:
"When you meet him, give him the greeting of peace." For verily the
greeting of peace is a cause of love, which results in producing
faith (al-Eemaan), which results in the person entering the
Paradise. This is as Prophet (sall-Allaahu `alayhi wa sallam) said:
"By the o¬ne in Whose Hand is my soul, you all will not enter into
the Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you
love each other. Shall I not direct you to something that if you do
it, you will love each other? Spread the greeting of peace amongst
yourselves."
The greeting of peace is from the virtuous characteristics of
Islaam. For verily each of the two people who meet each other
supplicates for the other for safety from evils, and mercy, and
blessing that brings about every good. And what follows this is a
cheerful face and appropriate words of greeting which result in
unity and love, and it removes feelings of estrangement and cold
disassociation. Thus, giving the greeting of peace is the right of
the Muslim, and it is obligatory upon the person who is greeted to
return greeting with a similar greeting or o¬ne that is better than
it. And the best of the people are those who start the greeting of
peace first.
The Second Right:
"When he invites you, respond to his invitation." This means that
when he invites you with an invitation to some food and drink, then
fulfil the request of your brother who has drawn near to you and
honoured you with the invitation. Respond to his invitation (i.e.
accept it), unless you have an excuse.
The Third Right:
"And when he seeks your advice, advise him." This means that if he
seeks consultation with you regarding some action, as to whether he
should do it or not, then advise him with that which you would like
for yourself. Thus, if the action is something that is beneficial in
all aspects, then encourage him to do that, and if it is something
harmful, then warn him against it. And if the action contains both
benefit and harm, then explain that to him and weigh the benefits
against the harms. Likewise, if he consults with you concerning some
dealing with someone among the people, or whether he should marry a
woman off to someone, or whether he should marry someone, then
extend your pure and sincere advice to him, and deal with him from
the view point of what you would do for you own self. And avoid
deceiving him in any matter of these things. For verily whoever
deceives the Muslims, then he is not of them, and indeed he has left
off the obligation of being sincere and advising. And this sincerity
and advising is absolutely obligatory, however it becomes more
emphasised when the person seeks your advice and he requests from
you that you give him a beneficial opinion. For this reason the
Prophet (sall-Allaahu `alayhi wa sallam) specifically mentioned it
in this important situation. The explanation of the hadeeth: "The
religion is sincerity", has already been mentioned previously (in
this book) in a manner that suffices without us having to repeat the
discussion here.
The Fourth Right:
"And when he sneezes and praises Allaah, then pray for mercy upon
him." This is due to the fact that sneezing is a favour from Allaah,
in the expelling of this congested air that is blocked in certain
parts of the body of the human being. Allaah makes it easy for this
air to have a passage out where it can exit, and thus the sneezing
person feels relief. Thus, the Prophet (sall-Allaahu `alayhi wa
sallam) legislated that the person praise Allaah for this favour,
and he legislated for his (Muslim) brother to say to him: "May
Allaah have mercy upon you." He also commanded the person who
sneezed to answer his (Muslim) brother by saying to him: "May Allaah
guide you and set right your affairs." Therefore, whoever does not
praise Allaah, then he does not deserve for others to pray for mercy
upon him, and in this case he cannot blame anyone except himself.
For he is the o¬ne who has caused himself to lose the two blessings:
the blessing of praising Allaah, and the blessing of his brother's
supplication for him that is a result of the praising.
The Fifth Right:
"And when he becomes ill, visit him." Visiting the sick is from the
rights of the Muslim, and especially for the person who has a highly
stressed and emphasised right upon you, like the relative, and the
friend, and so forth. It is from the best of the righteous deeds.
And whoever visits his Muslim brother, he remains engulfed in the
mercy (of Allaah), and when he sits with him the mercy (of Allaah)
covers him. And whoever visits the sick Muslim at the beginning of
the day, the Angels send prayers of blessing upon him until evening
comes, and whoever visits him at the end of the day, the Angels send
prayers of blessing upon him until morning comes. It is desired for
the person who visits the sick to supplicate for him to be cured and
to make him feel at ease. He should ease his worries by giving him
glad tidings of well-being and recovery (i.e. be positive). He
should remind him of repentance and turning to Allaah, and he should
give him beneficial admonition. He should not sit with him too long
(i.e. over staying his welcome), rather he should o¬nly sit with him
long enough fulfil the right of visiting, unless the sick person is
positively effected by many people coming in to see him and many
people coming to sit with him. Thus, for each situation there is a
different statement (i.e. advice o¬n how to deal with it).
The Sixth Right:
"And if he dies, follow him (his funeral)." For verily whoever
follows the funeral until the deceased's body is prayed over, then
he will receive a Qeeraat of reward. (Translator's note: A Qeeraat
is an amount equivalent to the size of the Mountain of Uhud in
Madeenah.) And if he follows the funeral procession until the body
is buried, then he will receive two Qeeraats of reward. And
following the funeral procession contains (fulfilment of) a right
for Allaah, a right for the deceased, and a right for the living
relatives of the deceased.
Source:
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