SIX RIGHTS OF EVERY MUSLIM

SIX RIGHTS OF EVERY MUSLIM

Shaikh ‘AbdurRahmaan

Hadhrat Abu Hurairah reported Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) as saying:

حَقُّ الْمُسْلِمِ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِ سِتٌّ

“There are six rights of a Muslim over another Muslim.”

It was said to him:

مَا هُنَّ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ

“OAllah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam)!What are those?”

He replied:

إِذَا لَقِيتَهُ فَسَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِ

When he meets him, greets him with Peace (AsSalaamo ‘Alaikum i.e. Peace upon you);

وَإِذَا دَعَاكَ فَأَجِبْهُ

And when he invites you to a feast, accept it;

وَإِذَا اسْتَنْصَحَكَ فَانْصَحْ لَهُ

And when he seeks your advice, give him;

وَإِذَا عَطَسَ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ فَشَمِّتْهُ

And when he sneezes and says: “AlHamdolillah (All praise is for Allah)”, you say: “Yarhamuk Allah (May Allah shower mercy upon you)”;

وَإِذَا مَرِضَ فَعُدْهُ

And when he falls ill, visit him;

وَإِذَا مَاتَ فَاتَّبِعْهُ

And when he dies, follow him (for his funeral). (Muslim)

These six 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 Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa).

The First Right

إِذَا لَقِيتَهُ فَسَلِّمْ عَلَيْهِ

When you meet him, greet him with Peace (AsSalaamo ‘Alaikum i.e. Peace upon you).

For verily the greeting of peace is a cause of love, which results in producing faith (Al-Iman), which results in the person entering the Jannah (Paradise). This is as Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "By the o­ne in Whose Hand is my soul, you all will not enter into the Jannah 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 Salaam (the greeting of peace) amongst yourselves.”

The greeting of peace is from the virtuous characteristics of Islam. 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 enquiring welfare which result in unity and love, and it removes feelings of estrangement and cold disassociation. Thus, receiving Salaam from a Muslim brother is his right, and it is obligatory upon the person who is greeted to return greeting with a similar greeting or one that is better than it. And the best of the people are those who start the greeting of peace first.

The Second Right

وَإِذَا دَعَاكَ فَأَجِبْهُ

And when he invites you to a feast, accept it.

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 honored you with the invitation. Respond to his invitation (i.e. accept it), unless you have an excuse.

The Third Right

وَإِذَا اسْتَنْصَحَكَ فَانْصَحْ لَهُ

And when he seeks your advice, give 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 your 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 in advice. And this sincerity in advice is absolutely obligatory, however it becomes more emphasized when the person seeks your advice and he requests from you that you give him a beneficial opinion. For this reason, the Prophet (SallAllahoAlaihe WaSallam) specifically mentioned it in this important situation. The explanation of the Hadeeth: "The religion is sincerity.”

The Fourth Right

وَإِذَا عَطَسَ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ فَشَمِّتْهُ

And when he sneezes and says: “AlHamdolillah (All praise is for Allah)”, you say: “Yarhamuk Allah (May Allah shower mercy upon you)”.

This is due to the fact that sneezing is a favor from Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) in the expelling of this congested air that is blocked in certain parts of the body of the human being. Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) 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 (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) legislated that the person praise Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) for this favor and he legislated for his (Muslim) brother to say to him: "May Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) have mercy upon you.” He also commanded the person who sneezed to answer his (Muslim) brother by saying to him: "May Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) guide you and set right your affairs.”

Therefore, whoever does not praise Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), 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 one who has caused himself to lose the two blessings: the blessing of praising Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), and the blessing of his brother’s supplication for him that is a result of the praising.

The Fifth Right

وَإِذَا مَرِضَ فَعُدْهُ

And when he falls ill, visit him.

Visiting the sick is from the rights of the Muslim, and especially for the person who has a highly stressed and emphasized 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 Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), and when he sits with him the mercy of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) covers him. And whoever visits the sick Muslim at the beginning of the day, the Angels pray for blessing upon him until evening, and whoever visits him at the end of the day, the Angels pray for blessing upon him until morning. 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 Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), and he should give him beneficial admonition. He should not sit with him too long (i.e. over staying his welcome), rather he should o­nly sit with him long enough to fulfill the right of visiting, unless the sick person is positively affected 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 o­n how to deal with it).

The Sixth Right

وَإِذَا مَاتَ فَاتَّبِعْهُ

And when he dies, follow him (for his funeral).

For verily whoever follows the funeral until the deceased’s body is prayed over, then he will receive a Qeeraat of reward. (A Qeeraat is an amount equivalent to the size of the Mountain of Uhud in Madinah al Munawwarah.) 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 Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), a right for the deceased, and a right for the living relatives of the deceased.