Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books A Divine Perspective on Rights Right n. 28: The Right of the One Who Treats You Kindly حق ذي المعروف وَأمّا حَقُّ ذِي المَعْرُوفِ عَلَيكَ فَأَنْ تَشْكُرَهُ وتَذْكُرَ مَعْرُوفَهُ وتَنْشُرَ لَهُ الْمَقالَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ، وَتُخلِصَ لَهُ الدُّعَاءَ فِيمَا بَينَكَ وبَيْنَ اللَّهِ سُبْحَانَهُ، فَإنّكَ إذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ كُنْتَ قَدْ شَكَرْتَهُ سِرًّا وَعَلانِيَةً.
ثُمَّ إنْ أَمْكَنَ مُكَافَأَتَهُ بالْفِعْلِ كَافَأتَهُ وإلاّ كُنْتَ مُرْصِدًا لَهُ مُوطِّنًا نَفْسَكَ عَلَيْهَا. And the right of him who treats you kindly is that you should thank him and acknowledge his kindness; and spread the good word around about him, and sincerely pray for him between you and God the Praised One. Then if you do that, you have thanked him both in private and in public. Then if you are able to practically recompense him, do recompense him.
Otherwise, you should be determined to do so later. It is inherent in man to wish to recompense those who treat him kindly. If some people do not act this way, it is because of the wicked traits they have acquired which block this mode of natural behavior in them.
Those who have received proper education and have attained Islamic characteristics strengthen this inner tendency to compensate for the good deeds done for them and always wait for a chance to practically reward those who have somehow done them a favor. Imam Sajjad has clearly outlined the steps to do so as follows: 1 - You should thank him. 2 - You should acknowledge his kindness and spread the good word around about him. 3 - You should sincerely pray for him.
4 - You should practically recompense him if you can. Else, you should be determined to do so later. Goodness and Evil are not Equal The Holy Qur’an teaches us that goodness and evil are not equal: وَلَا تَسْتَوِي الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّئَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ Nor can Goodness and Evil be equal.
Repel (Evil) with what is better: Then will he between whom and thee was hatred become as it were thy friend and intimate!” [The Holy Qur’an, Ha-Mim 41:34] It is natural that we should do good in response to those who do some good to us. In this verse, we read that we should treat those who do us some evil with kindness. This will have a great effect, and it will attract them to us.